Dutiful worker puts in 2 week notice during a work assignment, company refuses to pay for his flight home: 'I hope you just got on the next thing smoking and left'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Nov 19, 2024 4:00 PM EST

Going on a work trip can create a weird space between working and your personal life. Sure, you're there to work, and you have work obligations while you're there, but you also have to be a human while on company time. You need a place to stay, food to eat, and transportation to and from your home. Usually, this is covered by the company-- after all, you wouldn't be traveling if they hadn't asked you to. But what happens when you quit while you're away? 

That's the situation this worker found himself in when he put in his two-week notice while on a work trip. You'd think that regular decorum and protocol would follow, but that's not what happened. He found himself stranded away from home without the support of his workplace. Read on for the details of the story, and see how commenters swooped in to help him with his sticky situation. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10430487808
    via Florencia Viadana

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story

  • 02
    After giving my two weeks, my company has decided it will not pay for my flight home.
    via u/Roach-kun
  • 03
    I work as a traveling supervisor for a cable/construction contractor. The company I work for is a large corporation in the industry and has more than enough money to be able to afford paying for travel and lodging for supervisors when in the field. However they have now decided that, despite being a good little employee and giving my two weeks notice, that they shouldn't have to fly me back home from my current assignment.
    via u/Roach-kun
  • 04
    I have worked for this company for 3 years, came up from the bottom as a technician to supervisor for a smaller company that gave a sh about it's employees only for it to be bought out by a corporation. One that laid off half the company and gave a middle finger to the rest of us.
    via u/Roach-kun
  • 05
    I thought giving my two weeks would make a nice bridge in case they ever changed policies, ever became better but after this I hope the company goes belly up. TL;DR F corporations, don't give your two weeks just leave. P.S. if you have a company card just buy yourself a ticket home, f are they gunna do fire me?
    via u/Roach-kun
  • 06
    EDIT: For the people commenting "don't quit while away from home" I'm on the road nearly %100 I almost never go home, once every 4 months I would get sent home for a short stay of remote work from home. It's never consistent nor is it guaranteed, I would be waiting for an extended period to put my two weeks in and while I don't trust nor like companies, I didn't assume they would f me like this. So forgive my ignorance I guess. They also do not pay for travel home. for vacation so before someone
    via u/Roach-kun
  • 07
    about EDIT 2: like I said in the TL;DR DO NOT PUT YOUR TWO WEEKS IN These corporations don't give a f you, they will f you they will take advantage! I shared this just to share what I'm going through. Annoying that a lot of dickheads came here to act like they know everything and I'm an idiot for getting treated like sh. To everyone relating, giving genuine advice, and sympathizing you rock!
    via u/Roach-kun
  • 08
    carvin_it 1d ago • This the kind of scenario that led to actors forming unions. Road shows (musicals mostly) would tour the country and half way through the run the company would end the season. Abandoning actors and musicians in some remote town, several states away from where they were hired.
    via u/carvin_it
  • 09
    Sabbatai 1d ago. • It's also the kind of scenario that led to regular working stiffs, forming unions. Unions work for everyone. There may be some niche examples of a career where a union isn't necessary, but it is just that, necessary, for most.
    via u/Sabbatai
  • 10
    Naps_and_cheese • 1d ago • They've decided since you gave two weeks notice that they're not paying for your return voyage? You didn't quit immediately, you gave two weeks notice. You're still an employee for two more weeks. Call an employment lawyer and hr. Tell hr you're gonna sue the f out of them if they don't bring you home. This is like getting laid off from an oil patch in the field and told to walk the 200 miles home.
    via u/Naps_and_cheese
  • 11
    Nicolehall202 · 1d ago I hope you just got on the next thing smoking and left. I also hope it was in the middle of the assignment. Not sure if there is a lawsuit there but you may want to talk to an employment lawyer.
    via u/Nicolehall202
  • 12
    Capable_Stranger9885 · 1d ago Tell the client that they may be being billed for travel you're not getting
    via u/Capable_Stranger9885
  • 13
    WelshWicked Witch • 23h ago Check whether they legally can do this, if not start taking legal action, and insist they return you home immediately. Check with your lawyer how to force their hand and then do not work the remainder if your notice. If they can, I wouldn't work out my notice and leave now.
    via u/WelshWickedWitch
  • 14
    nobody-important-1 • 23h ago Make it clear to remaining employees, maybe they can dodge bullet too
    via u/nobody-important-1
  • 15
    • Dr_-G 22h ago • I was with a guy in Mexico on a service call for the company we worked for. His ticket home got canceled first, and then he got the call. They fired him on the service trip. He has to get his own ticket home. LL F companies that do this.
    via u/Dr_-G
  • 16
    Nevermind04 • 22h ago It is very rare that a notice period is appropriate and this is absolutely not one of those situations. When you pay for your way home, keep receipts for every flight, meal, accommodation, car rental, etc. and pursue them in small claims court. Extravagances will
    via u/Nevermind04
  • 17
    not work in your favor here - choose middle-of-the-road restaurants, hotels, and flights. It'll likely cost them more to have a lawyer defend the case than what you claim so they'll just settle.
    via u/Nevermind04
  • 18
    Miscarriage_medicine 21h ago • • I would just drive the company truck home and let them pick it up.
    via u/Miscarriage_medicine
  • 19
    zeez1011 23h ago • . Don't submit an expense report and watch Finance lose their minds.
    via u/zeez1011
  • 20
    Remarkable-Foot9630 · 22h ago Never give notice until you're back home. When your two weeks ends, you're no longer an employee. Companies don't purchase plane tickets for former employees in the general public.
    via u/Remarkable-Foot9630
  • 21
    I worked as a travel nurse, I never quit until back home. They charged a fellow nurse for the remainder of her contract condo cost with utilities. She had to purchase her own plane ticket from her assignment in Hawaii. It cost her over $5,000, to not wait three weeks until back home.
    via u/Remarkable-Foot9630
  • 22
    Beatrix-the-floof 20h ago • Blow them up on Glassdoor. In the U.S., they really must pay for your return travel. File a complain with your state Labor oversight (might be called something weird, in FL it is Business and Professional Regulation) as well as the DOL. Also look at local wage theft boards.
    via u/Beatrix-the-floof
  • 23
    spookyjibe 13h ago. ⋅ F me that's bad; there's enough advice in this thread. I just wanna say sorry man, that s ks. The world is in such a place now because of all these mergers and acquisitions. Too few players controlling each industry so they just that employees like garbage. People need job security so can't quit and like these keep on existing. Spread the story internally and gtfo.
    via u/spookyjibe

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss workplace reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
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