Spinoff - Informing your employer you're looking elsewhere

[LTeeple]

Hi all,
This thread is a spinoff of the "would you terminate employee?" thread, taking the flipside position of the employee.

An employee is looking for work elsewhere, on his/her own time. One of the most appealing jobs requires a background check prior to the hiring decision. This means that potentially, your current employer could find out that you are looking elsewhere. How should one inform the employer of such a situation? How risky is this?


Cheers!
Laura

 

[SantaMufasa]

Laura,

The risk factor goes from 0%-100%, depending upon the attitude of your employer. Anytime you are job hunting, you must be prepared for worst-case scenario: Your boss finds out and says, "Sorry, you're outta here."

You have a better sense than anyone where, along the 0-100%continuum your organisation rests.

I have, on occasion, encountered cases where it would be helpful to my job search to have the backing of my present employer during my search, hopefully without jeopardising my status with the current company. To do so, I have approached my manager (whom I have already pre-assessed to be in favour of my overall happiness and success) by saying, "I want you to know how much I value my position here with <company_name> and my professional relationship with you, personally. I know that you also support my need to proceed along my professional-growth track. There is a professional opportunity that I am investigating that may or may not be appropriate for my next job step. I would like to investigate that opportunity with your blessing, but without jeopardising my future here in case I determine that my best option is to stay here. Can I depend upon your support during my investigation?"

How does that approach sound to you? Again, this is in keeping with my overall assessment that directness and honesty typically are the best policies in cases such as this, moderated, of course, by your personal assessment of your relationship with your manager and the likely outcome of such a conversation.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)

http://www.dasages.com

Do you use Oracle and live or work in Utah, USA?
Then click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips.

 

[svanels]

At least the employer should start asking himself why "everyone" is jumping out the boat.
Maybe the "rats" (excuse for the expression) are leaving the sinking ship, and he has to realize that you catch bees with nectar, and not with vinegar.

Steven

 

[alexhu]

Anytime you are job hunting, you must be prepared for worst-case scenario: Your boss finds out and says, "Sorry, you're outta here."

And this is legal in the USA ?

(because it certainly isn't in the UK)

Alex

 

[MasterRacker]

alexhu, yes it is legal. As mentioned earlier, many states are "at will employement". This means the employee can leave at any time and also that the employer can cut anyone at any time. If the employer were to give certain reasons, they could possibly be sued for discrimination, however they don't have to give a reason at all.

<sub>Jeff
[purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day

I was not born cynical - I earned my cynicism through careful observation of the world around me.</sub>

 

[dyarwood]

So is there any feeling of job security in the US?

 

[Thadeus]

"If the employer were to give certain reasons, they could possibly be sued for discrimination, however they don't have to give a reason at all."

Just a slight alteration to this... Employers-at-will can be sued regardless of giving a reason or not. The only difference is whether the suit will have any legs. If an At-Will employer decides to fire an employee without "any reason at all" and the employee decides to sue, the employee would have a very good case. For this reason, an employer should always, always gather facts and document their reasons for letting an employee go.

~Thadeus

 

[MasterRacker]

In the technical world, the dot-bomb followed by the crash after 9-11 pretty much took care of the concept.

<sub>Jeff
[purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day

I was not born cynical - I earned my cynicism through careful observation of the world around me.</sub>

 

[chiph]

So is there any feeling of job security in the US?

Anyone who thinks so, is fooling themselves.

Even when employed directly for a firm, a person ought to treat it like a long-term contract, and have money saved up for the inevitable "Chip, can you stop by my office?" moment.

Having 6 months worth of expenses in the bank is good, having 6 months salary saved up is better.

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first

 

[CajunCenturion]

==> If an At-Will employer decides to fire an employee without "any reason at all" and the employee decides to sue, the employee would have a very good case.

A very good case on what grounds? What case would (could?) you try to prove?

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
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[Thadeus]

CC, good point. I spoke out of turn stating a "very good" case. Sorry everyone.

My point being that without cause an employer may face a lawsuit. Lawyers are winning these cases and making for exception criteria daily. So the exception may be that the employee handbook states a disciplinary procedure of warnings or an e-mail from a manager that states a requirement of two weeks notice for your leaving. Additionally, if an employee has had any grievance with the company at all then this is the time the will bring it up... Off-color comments in an e-mail from the boss or a suggestion that a client not get the "full picture" of their account with your company. (e.g. What the client doesn't know won't hurt them). These type comments can be used against a company by a skillful lawyer, and let's face it, line managers make these kind of mistakes frequently.

That was the gist of my comment and I was offering it more as a warning that it is so much better to have a documented case for cause than to rely on current 'at-will' law. Again I am sorry for miscommunicating in my first post. In fact I wish I could go back and strike the 'very good' wording right out of it.

~Thadeus

 

[CajunCenturion]

Thadeus - Thanks. If you could travel back in time and change it, and all the subsequent posts, and ... :-D

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[ChrisHunt]

Returning to the original question...

I think it makes sense to be as honest and straightforward with a current employer as you can. IT is a small business area, and one in which people move around quite a lot. It's possible that you may want to go back to that company one day, and you're certainly going to want a reference from them. So be professional, don't burn any bridges, and resist the temptation to tell your PHB what you really think about him...

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd

 

[SantaMufasa]

Chris, I'm presuming your "PHB" reference is "Pointy Haired Boss" and not "Psycho Hose Beast", right?

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)

http://www.dasages.com

Do you use Oracle and live or work in Utah, USA?
Then click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips.

 

[ChrisHunt]

Psycho Hose Beast"? You've met my boss then...

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd