An employer will probably ask an employee to give two weeks’ notice if they’re going to quit. They may even put it in the company handbook or tell all employees that doing so is required. The employer will say that it’s just one of the stipulations of working for the company and that employees naturally have to follow company rules.
But do you have to do this? Is your boss correct, and do you have to give notice if you want to leave your job?
There’s no legal requirement
The first thing to remember is that there is no legal requirement to give any amount of notice. Technically speaking, you probably don’t even have to inform your boss that you are quitting. You could just stop going to work. You are definitely not legally required to offer two weeks’ notice, and there’s also no legal requirement to follow the rules that your boss put in place. They can make whatever workplace rules they want, but it’s still up to you if you’re going to follow them.
The one thing to keep in mind is that the above applies to at-will workers, but some workers have signed employment contracts. These contracts may stipulate that a certain amount of notice is required. In a situation like that, there is still no law saying that you have to give two weeks’ notice, but failing to do so may give your employer the chance to take legal action, such as suing you for some amount of financial compensation based on breaking your contract.
It’s very important for employees to understand all of their rights, which might not be exactly the same as what their boss explained to them. Those who find themselves in disputes also need to know about the options at their disposal.