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Online commenters praised a New Jersey employee who said in a now-viral post that they once quit a job without giving notice.
Posting in Reddit's "Antiwork" forum under the username u/ThiccLizzies, the employee wrote: "CEO told me 'if you don't like it here, leave' so I did." The post has garnered over 12,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments from supportive Redditors.
Quitting a Job Without Notice
Most U.S. workers are at-will employees, meaning their employers can fire them at any time and for almost any reason, explained Nolo, an online legal encyclopedia. Similarly, at-will employees are entitled to quit their jobs whenever, for any reason, without providing any notice.
Of course, providing a two-week notice has become a common practice among American workers. Still, some experts say there are several circumstances in which it's not "realistic" for employees to provide this notice.
Speaking to HuffPost, career strategist Cynthia Pong said: "People talk, people move around within industries, so you never know who you may need to call on in the future for a reference...At the same time, there are also occasions in which that's simply not realistic or worth the effort―i.e., the relationships have been toxic or strained beyond the point of salvaging."
Employment website Indeed also said working in a hostile or unsafe work environment and "fear of retribution" are situations in which it is "acceptable" for employees to quit without notice.
"If you are a victim of toxic workplace culture, don't feel like you need to give notice before moving on to a better position where you will be respected," Indeed said. "Co-workers or managers who harass you are also unlikely to give a positive professional reference, so putting in a two-week notice may not have its usual benefits."
Based on the information they provided, many Redditors felt u/ThiccLizzies's situation warranted quitting without notice.
'Be Careful What You Wish For'
At the beginning of their post, u/ThiccLizzies said they previously worked for a small company with low pay, a mediocre PTO policy and "no real" opportunity for advancement. Additionally, their CEO was "always up [their] a**" about "small issues," and they were allegedly pressured into taking work calls after-hours without pay.
"One day I get called into a surprise meeting, and my manager, HR, and the CEO [are] there. [The] CEO lays into me about how I am not a team player...and compares me not answering my phone [during] off-work hours to my girlfriend not texting me when she's busy," u/ThiccLizzies wrote.
"At some point the sentence, 'if you don't like it here, then leave' leaves his mouth. After he is done, he storms out and leaves me with the manager and HR. [The] manager then makes a thinly veiled threat saying, 'I have to be constantly looking at my team and making changes where necessary,'" they continued.
Rather than wait to see if their manager would follow through with their "threat," u/ThiccLizzies immediately started applying for other jobs. About two weeks later, they accepted an offer.
"I gave no notice to the old company, and just left my company vehicle and property inside of it on a Sunday night. I made sure to email the whole company stating what the CEO and manager had said," u/ThiccLizzies concluded. "Be careful what you wish for because it just might happen."
Redditors React
Redditors thought u/ThiccLizzies had every right to leave their boss in the lurch, saying their "cringy" boss didn't deserve the "courtesy" of a two-week notice.
"Good for you not giving any notice. That's a courtesy these guys clearly didn't deserve," u/isthisonetaken13 wrote.
"The fact that your CEO thinks that a girlfriend should answer when she's busy is...cringy," u/1LadyPea said, regarding the CEO's justification for overtime work.
"I f**king hate this blame game of saying, 'you're not a team player because you're not pulling free overtime.' This is the single most idiotic thing anybody can say...Good for you that you have left, f**k this," u/FalseWait7 commented.
u/Odell888 said: "Good for you bro if they were going to fire you they wouldn't have given you notice either. I love seeing the working class flip the bird!"
u/Stabmyhead1 added: "You are my hero."
Newsweek has reached out to u/ThiccLizzies for comment.
Other Viral 'Antiwork' Posts
On Thursday, Redditors slammed an employer who purportedly fired a worker for arriving late to work.
Commenters empathized with a worker on Wednesday after she admitted to quitting her job over a sandwich. A worker also received support from commenters on Wednesday for quitting their job once they realized they were being paid a lower wage than what was agreed upon.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more