Boss Gets Lambasted for Threatening Worker with Legal Suit Over Two-Weeks' Notice

Boss Gets Lambasted for Threatening Worker with Legal Suit Over Two-Weeks' Notice
Will the Great Resignation end this year?
It's difficult to predict, although its rate has already plateaued as of late 2022. What could be determined are the reasons why employees quit their jobs, which cost companies thousands of dollars in loss of productivity, recruiting, training, and other activities.
According to Wally Schmader, founder of Exceptional Leaders Lab and bestselling author, employees resign from work due to the following reasons:

  1. Dissatisfaction with manager or boss
  2. Lack of opportunity for career advancement
  3. They want a good balance between life and work
  4. They want to earn more money
  5. Dissatisfaction with the work environment

Just like the millions of people who have been resigning from their jobs, this person is in a rush to leave her work. But after giving her two-weeks' notice, she gets threatened with a lawsuit by her boss.
Posting her dilemma on Reddit's r/antiwork forum, an Original Poster with the username u/CaterpillarWeak893 shared the following information: "I accepted a job offer and put in my 2 weeks' notice. Except the holidays are coming up, so technically it's not fully 10 business days but 14 calendar days. My boss was pissed that I 'tried to pull a fast one on her' for that, but I just wanted to leave ASAP. It would end up being 3-4 weeks' notice if I delayed it, and I desperately want out."

OP related that her boss did not accept her notice, because it wasn't 10 business days, which would be an encumbrance to the company. Her boss said they could sue her for breach of contract for not giving them enough time. But OP contended that in her contract, the requirement was just two weeks.
OP went on to write, "My boss told me to push back my start date because 2 weeks isn't enough to train someone and the team cannot function without me. I told her I couldn't push back by the start date, but my boss stated I could be pursued legally for breach of contract. Not to mention, given the holidays and my short notice, they won't be able to find a replacement in time. My boss tried to guilt-trip me by saying that no one else can fulfill my role. She accused me of deliberately trying to sabotage them because I'm leaving right before the month gets busy again. She then told me that I would have to work holidays, weekends, and overtime, which are not regular business days, to make up for it since we are understaffed."
But OP was unwilling, and she could feel that the next two weeks that she was still in the company would be made worse by her disgruntled boss.
With more than 30,000 votes, commenters were showing a lot of support and empathy for OP.

AutumnLaughter responded with this helpful advice, "I work in HR in Canada. She’s all threats and can’t do shit. Your contract says two weeks minimum. Two weeks is 14 calendar days. Tell her you’ve fulfilled your obligation under the contract and your last day will firmly be "x." If she continues to berate you, then leave immediately due to the horrible environment she is creating for you and make sure you document in your own notes what she has done."
Likewise, DiscoEthereum commented, "Lots of things employers try to pull are like that. Just straight bluffs and preying on uninformed workers."
And an award-winning response from Andravisia says, "I'm in Canada. They cannot force you to work. They can deny it all they want, nothing will happen. It's not worth it, at all. If the contract says two weeks' notice but it doesn't specify 10 business days or 14 calendar days, there is ambiguity in that sentence, and if it does go to court, any sort of ambiguity means it defaults to the person who signed the contract. If your former co-worker chose to give eight weeks' notice, that is completely their choice. You are under no obligation to follow their example. Don't let yourself be guilted. If they cannot cope without you, that is her problem for not making sure that they were properly staffed."
Doris de Luna

For more than 20 years now, I’ve been devoting my heart, energy, and time to fulfilling my dream, which – many people may agree – is not among the easiest aspirations in life. Part of my happiness is having been able to lend a hand to many individuals, companies, and even governments as an investigative journalist, creative writer, TV director, and radio broadcaster.


At home, I spend my free time learning how to cook various cuisines. Tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and banoffee pie are my favorite desserts. Playing with our dogs, Mushu and Jerusalem, is also a special part of my day. And, of course, I read a lot – almost anything under the sun. But what really makes me feel alive is meeting people from various walks of life and writing about their stories, which echo with the tears and triumph of an unyielding spirit, humanity, and wisdom.

Back to blog
DEV MODE ACTIVE. BRAND: ars