Don't take this personally. It's standard practice in many companies to do exactly this--once a person hands in their notice, they are told not to come to work anymore. Although they are usually paid for those two weeks.

See, if the company determines your last day of work, in many states, that qualifies you for unemployment pay. But if the leaving employee determines the last day of paid employment, they can't get unemployment pay.

Companies tell people to stay home those last two weeks for a variety of reasons.

I think you handled both the manager and the owner very well. Consider yourself well rid of that company and take these two weeks to rest up before starting your new job.

Congratulations on the new job, by the way!

I've normally associated this type of reaction with a layoff, where an employer wants those who are leaving out immediately to prevent them from doing anything harmful to the employer or remaining staff - either physically or in terms of stealing, etc. But I've never seen it where someone is just giving notice and leaving on decent terms. If they knew you were unhappy and viewed you as a disgruntled employee, however, they may want you out fearing that you'll hurt morale and encourage others to leave, especially given that you've got a new and better job. Or, they fear you collecting evidence of their billing practices. Or, they're just being jerks.

Regardless, congrats on your new position!!

Sue

Yes, it is standard practice. You may have seen it at this place and just didn't recognize it for what it is. Companies have done this for many, many years for the reasons above.

Enjoy the new job.

I've read where it is standard practice but this company has never done that to anyone. In fact the other person that quit in my office got a cake and that was the Friday before I quit. If you're keeping track of #'s then you'll figure out that 2 out of the 3 people in my office quit w/in a week of eachother.

Now please don't get me wrong - I absolutely don't mind being told not to come in and to turn my keys over but I wonder what will happen to my pay for those 2 weeks. I've read differing things and I know for fact how this company operates. It operates in a void of 'not knowing and gut reacting' and since I don't know what to expect w/ that pay it has me a bit uneasy. I truly feel that they think something is up. I'll find out today when I go to lunch w/ my new boss and an old co-worker.

I just wanted to leave politely and most of all making sure that my actions were always fair to the company and my co-workers.

My new place of employment immediately asked me to start working for them from home 1 week early in light of the circumstances. I have a lunch meeting today w/ my new boss to get me started.

Congrats on the job change!

Being asked to leave a job immediately may be standard practice at some places, but certainly not all. I have always given 2 weeks' notice, and my bosses have appreciated that (I even stayed a few extra days at one place because the boss couldn't fill the staffing gaps).

I am also aware of instances where employees have been escorted out without having the opportunity to clean out their desks (security or a co-worker or boss has been made to do that while the employee is in an office being told he is no longer an employee). Many times that's a computer security issue.

But you acted professionally.

One thing I would be concerned about, tho, and that's if in the future a prospective employer would have to call that manager to check a job reference. One little comment like "She left us immediately and did not work her final two weeks" [which is accurate regardless of the fact that you planned to] could bite you in the butt. I would like to be able to trust a former manager, but I have been in the position where an off-handed comment, truly unrelated to my job performance, cost me a job offer. (I confronted that supervisor, asked her if I had heard and understood her comment correctly and why she felt it was important to say it. She didn't have a clue that I could have sued her and the employer for that.)

I don't feel as if someone who is fed up in a job needs to give the company extra opportunities to make things right. From what you wrote, it's been told what's wrong but doesn't address the problems. Even acknowledging a problem that perhaps can't be fixed easily is better than asking employees their opinions and then ignoring them.

(And I hope you will look into the pay situation for those 2 weeks. What's to prevent them from saying that you resigned with 2 weeks' notice but they decided to "fire" you right away? Hopefully you gave notice in writing.)

I'm sorry you are experiencing unprofessional behavior from your former employer. It seems like there are two types of employers. Those who value people and treat them with respect and those who don't. I hope you are very happy with your new situation and that you aren't cheated out of any wages you are owed by old job.

Maybe they wanted your keys because they knew how cra**y they treated you and had a legitimate fear someone would want to retaliate. The fact they did this to you shows your work was never appreciated, and they had no idea what a professional they employed.

The unfortunate part of the current employment situation in this country is companies treating their employees like indentured servants, afraid of taking off, afraid of complaining, afraid of taking breaks, etc, for fear of losing their jobs. They just never imagined you would stop taking it. (Yay, you!)

I also say, enjoy your new job.

Dee

Congrats on the new job!

I've worked for companies where letting you go immediately after giving notice was SOP.

Can you get a letter of recommendation from them when you drop the keys off?

FWIW, I've worked for one or two toxic companies and they always seem to get their comeuppance. Fairness, kindness, honesty and a good work ethic are still the gold standard (contrary to what many large companies have, so far, gotten away with)

So ttodd, get a glowing letter of recommendation in writing, give them your keys and say on the way out "I'm going to make like a Shepard and.....:)

Ttodd, in my last position, that seemed to be 'standard practice'. A soon as the person gave notice, he/she was told they could leave that same day, which I found unbelievable!

What would happen if you had told them you *were* going to stay the two week time period since 'paying bills' depended on that two weeks pay? Did you get any severance pay, based on your years of service?

I *do* find this sort of treatment of employees morally 'abusive', and the use of unethical judgment on their part. Handbooks should be written by past employees!

If you are concerned about the 2 weeks earnings, call your state's Dept of Labor and ask how terminations are required to be handled by law. I did that once and found them very helpful.

I've gone to the labor board twice and went before a judge both times~~I won both cases. I'm not one to be taken advantage of, and the 'fight' was worth it to me. ;o)

I have nothing different to add, but congrats on the new job!

Good advice - I will call the Dept. of Labor today. Thanks!

Looking forward to Monday! I'm going to the new office on Friday to be there while the carpet is being laid and then Monday we are open and have the first walk through w/ the Marketing Reps.

I think this new practice of telling employees to not come back stinks. This happened to my son; he worked for a car dealer in their parts department. I told him to give 2 weeks notice; he told me that they usually do this- tell people not to bother to come in & I did not believe it. We know the dealer; I bought my car; son bought his car; my hub delivers cars there.. but it did not matter.

Very sad the job market has come to this.

The other "popular" thing to do is to use employees for a few months until they have to give benefits; then they're let go. They make sure they haven't been there long enough to collect.

Good luck with your new job. From what I remember; it was time to move on.

roselvr I don't think this is really new. It may be more common but this was happening back in my early office working days back in the mid 70's.

ttodd in my personal experience/knowledge people are paid for those 2 weeks - which is not to say that no one ever gets stiffed but hopefully you won't be one. It's a good idea to check with the Dept of Labor for your own information - you can never have too much. Focus on the new business adventure you're starting and shed the negative vibes from the old one. You're very lucky to move from one to another with no down time! Congratulations!

A couple reasons why employers let people go as soon as they give their 2 weeks notice....

1. Disgruntled employees have been known to sabotage computer systems. (or use their access to systems to copy information)

2. If the employee leaving has contact with customers/clients/patients the employer may not want these clients to know that an employee is unhappy and is leaving.

Good luck with the new job.

I almost wish they would do that in my office :). Not quite ready to go yet, but my observation is that they work you to death the last two weeks training a replacement! And the replacement "stays in touch" for six months, asking how to do things.

Good Luck with the new job! Based on how they treated you after you gave your notice, it is obvious they never deserved you in the first place ;o)

"they work you to death the last two weeks training a replacement! And the replacement stays in touch for six months, asking how to do things."

If anyone from one of my old offices was contacting me asking for help, I'd be oh so glad to give it to them. At my consultant's fee of $50 per hour.

Ok, I just have to ask....did you work at a satellite office for a large hospital that has children as it's primary patients? (how's that for being cryptic?)

If you are moving on to a non-health related field, I just want you to know (from experience) that you will be amazed at how not dealing with patients will be. I never saw so many people think that it was perfectly ok to abuse the staff in a physician's office. When I moved on to working in an academic field, the stress level completely went away.

You have seen and been through a lot there. Congratulations on your next job.

(And by the way, when I gave my 2 months notice that I had to leave my most recent job, sniff sniff, they did not want me to go, and there were a lot of tears. So, not always do people ask you to leave right away. Seems like only those that are truly concerned that you might do some sort of damage-whether physically, or by contacting all their clients and taking them with you, or stealing proprietary information, or if they are just paranoid nutty employers who don't really know how to react in a mature fashion they are indeed not the best thing out there.)

Your stress level is going to go way downnnnnn.

Enjoy!

Bee

When my old co-worker found out what they did he copied the page from the Employee Handbook about giving 2 weeks notice being required and he copied the signature sheet w/ my signature that I'd read and acknowledged the handbook policies.

I called the office manager the next day and asked her what their intentions were w/ my last weeks pay and she said that the owner told her that they didn't have to pay me for the last week that they told me not to come in since I was hourly and not salaried. I read the handbook policy to her and that I had the signature sheet that I signed agreeing to the policy and had followed their required policy. She said that she would ask the owner and I very nicely thanked her and asked if she would let me know either way so that I could plan my finances appropriately.

Today they deposited my last weeks pay into my account :O) Whew!

Just catching up on this now.

Good for you for sticking to your guns and demanding what is legally yours.

And many congrats on getting what you deserved all along! Enjoy your new job.

I was going to say--I'm pretty certain they have to pay you. Glad to see that they did.

Good for you Ttodd! And congratulations on the new job --

FWIW, I thing YOU handled the situation perfectly, and that your former employer acted in this instance like they have acted in the past -- arbitrarily and with marginal ethics.

Karma will prevail...

That's great!

Good for you.

Their initial response clearly indicates why you had to get out of there.

Best wishes for your new job.