R.I.P., Two Week Notice

It's often been said that economists exist only to make fortune tellers look good when it comes to predictions, but that's never stopped them from trying.  And while I'm not an economist (or Miss Cleo), I do have one prediction for the future of the workforce:  The customary two week notice will soon be a thing of the past.

Don't believe me?  Here are three reasons why we shouldn't expect this traditional business practice to be around much longer:

3.  Downsizings and layoffs have changed corporate culture.  Those of us who have been in the workforce for several years came of age when giving two weeks' notice was considered professional courtesy, but millennials are entering a much different environment.  Simply put, they expect to be laid off from time to time; and they know it will likely happen several times in their careers.  (Note plurality.)  And to them, it seems unusual at best - and completely unfair at worst - for companies to expect you to provide ten days of warning when leaving while they reserve the right to cut you at the drop of a hat with no notice whatsoever.  "Why should I give them advance notice? They didn't give Fred or Suzy any notice when they got cut.  They just showed up at work one day and were escorted out the door.  When my time comes, I'm outta here."  The more layoffs someone endures, the less loyalty they have and the less concern they feel about jumping ship. On top of that -

2.  Most companies don't want employees around after a resignation because of security risks.  Too many horror stories of disgruntled or apathetic short-timers helping themselves to office supplies, stealing files, or hacking into company resources - or even inserting viruses - have led many firms to simply cut employees off once there is a separation.  You get your two weeks of severance, and your cutting-of-the-cord becomes "official" ten days later; but you're out the door immediately. In other words, even if you do give two weeks' notice, you're gone right away regardless.  My guess is that within just a few more years, this practice will make the standard two week notice seem antiquated and more like a formal custom rather than expected practice.

But perhaps the biggest reason is this one -

1.  There's not much of a bridge to burn any more.  Hear me out on this one.  Once upon a time, failing to give two weeks' notice meant leaving on an unpleasant note and jeopardized your chances at getting a positive referral.  However, the workplace has become so litigious lately that many firms have adopted strict confirmation-of-employment-only policies.  In other words, the company will only confirm that you worked there from date X to date Y.  Moreover, many companies now forbid supervisors from writing letters of recommendation. The fear is that even if the supervisor writes a positive letter singing your praises, some aspect of the letter's content could be misinterpreted, cost the employee a shot at a job, and open the company up to a lawsuit.  ("The supervisor acted on behalf of the firm to cost me a job!")  The obvious upside of this policy is that it protects the firm from being sued; the downside is that it gives employees little reason to part on good terms when they leave.  It also seriously undermines any incentive they might have to put in stellar efforts during their employment since the end result - regardless of whether the employment record was outstanding or abysmal - is the same:  a voice on the phone saying, "Mr. Jones or Ms. Smith was employed from dates X to Y." 

Now, let me be clear here:  I not advocating that people refuse to give two week's notice.  At the same time, I have to confess that I'm part of the workforce that came up having learned you never do anything to jeopardize a referral.  In other words, while I think this practice is outdated and will soon be gone, it's nevertheless ingrained in me for better or worse.  And in truth, you simply never know who might be in position to feed you that next lead or talk you up at a networking event - or shoot you down without your ever knowing it - so it never hurts to go the extra mile to make sure you part on good terms. 

But as time passes and workforce dynamics continue to change - and as more and more millenials enter a workforce that no longer expects or rewards them for being loyal and which adopts policies that minimize the incentive to put a stellar effort into play - chances are this is a practice that will soon go the way of the floppy disk...