How to quit gracefully and without a lot of risk?

[warrenorabbits]

After working at my job for a little over a year I have decided to move on. I've already been accepted to a graduate program and have plans to study in Europe over the summer. This weekend I typed up a spreadsheet of income vs. expenses and saw that I can leave at the end of March -- and I'd prefer to leave right then if possible because I really don't know how much more of this I can take.

 

The problem is that I'm currently being put in charge of a new account, with the transition from the old account manager expected to be complete in early March. Our workplace expects a month's notice for quitting, but quitting on March 1 will probably not be well received for obvious reasons. I imagine it might be tactful to tell my boss my intentions right now -- just so he can find someone else to transition the account to -- but I'm afraid he will ... ahem ... "ask me to leave" immediately or otherwise early, in which case I am screwed. What should I do? I don't think staying for a couple of months more is an option, either ...

 

I should also add that, unfortunately, my boss and I do NOT have a good relationship [worse, I just wrote up his portion of the yearly review and had a few criticisms to make] which makes the whole thing all the riskier.

Edited February 12, 2015 by warrenorabbits

[preraph]

You need to give notice now and let the boss figure it out. He can surely put someone else in charge of the new account. Just be complimentary about having worked for them and express regrets that you feel you must leave but feel it's the best thing to do for your future.

[Toodaloo]

On the first hand in your notice as per your contract and keep your mouth shut.

 

All is fair in love and war. This is business. OK so it will come at an awkward time but that is life and that is business.

[CrystalShine2011]

Give letter and notice of leaving....and never look back!

[Standard-Fare]

You said they ask for a month's notice. It's mid-February now, you want to leave in late March. You're really not jumping the gun too much.

 

I don't really understand why you think your boss might ask you to leave immediately/early, when you'd basically be giving their normal departure notice plus an extra cushion to help them avoid complications. This should be working in everyone's favor, right?

 

If I were you, though, I'd have some line ready for why you're leaving late March when it seems like you don't have actual plans until summer. You might want to come up with an excuse there.

[pink_sugar]

You're not obligated to do more than give your notice. When it comes down to it an employer will not give a second thought to terminating your employment whenever they please even if the timing seems bad. Take this from someone who was terminated less than a week before Christmas.

[MsSmurf]

I would also add that you spending the rest of February on a new account and then putting your notice in on March 1st won't make it impossible for your boss to assign a new person March 1st. Your relationship will still be so new that a mild shuffle won't be the end of the world. I see no reason you should concern yourself with that and your boss will figure it out.

 

If your company expects 30 days notice then that is all you are obligated to provide and you need to time that based on your needs because you are the only one looking out for YOU. I've had plenty of employers lay me off right before Thanksgiving or Christmas, right after New Year's, and right after my one year anniversary with the company. They didn't give a rat's rear about me, but cared only about their wants. You should probably prepare for them to not have you finish out the month of March just in case, so start squirreling away some extra funds/cutting expenses now.