Overworked employee is unceremoniously fired after giving their 2 weeks' notice, which was to end with 3 days of leave: '55+ [hour] weeks with no overtime'

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Jul 28, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

It's nice to have your faith rewarded, but faith is never a sure thing. Giving your 2 weeks' notice of intent to leave a position is an act of faith placed in an employer with whom you have a solid working relationship. That's because, in many places, there is nothing preventing you from being fired on the spot and marched immediately out with any outstanding PTO left unpaid.

It's a shame that some employers resort to this disingenuous practice when there are many others that rely on proper notice periods from their employees to provide continuity to their business, allowing for the necessary handovers to occur for a smooth transition after the employee's departure. But, stories like this have employees who are looking to hand in their notice, looking over their shoulder. Making them weary, especially anywhere where employment is legally at-will or where protections are not likely to be enforced.

This employee shared how they started working at a tech startup at the end of last year, working 55+ weeks from the outset in a salaried position that offered no overtime. Early on in their time in the role, the company rolled back remote working policies too, which was the main reason they had taken the job in the first place.

At companies like this, turnover is a given, and having staff work long hours and longer weeks for as long as possible before they burn out and quit is simply a way of securing the most labor at the lowest possible cost.
When they had finally had enough, they secured 3 days of PTO and handed in their two weeks' notice… before being repaid with immediate dismissal and withholding of their already earned commission from the last several months.
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"I’m never giving a job a 2 week notice again."

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