Boss pretends she never received employee's 2-week notice, assigns them projects 3 weeks out: 'You can't just abandon us during busy season'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Aug 29, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where George quits his job and then just comes into work the next day anyway? Have you ever thought about doing that? Sometimes we let adrenaline get the best of us, and we make decisions that we regret later on. We let our emotions overtake us in the moment, and we make snap judgments that we wouldn't make if we had a clear head. It's a natural human thing. It's why we have something called "rage quitting." Sometimes, we remember that we're just animals and we crash out for all the world to see. But then we wake up the next day. We realize what we have done wrong, and we wish we could take it all back. But people don't have the memory span of a goldfish. 

At least most people don't. They tend to remember your crazy outbursts. But what if you just ignored them? What if you just continued on with your life as if you'd never said anything crazy? This might be considered gaslighting. In fact, it's actually the definition of gaslighting-- pretending you never said something you actually did say. And this probably isn't a good practice in real life. But it does make for a good Seinfeld episode.

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  • A young man looks frustrated at his desk.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • But in this story, a boss tried to gaslight her employee into thinking they hadn't quit. Or rather, they acknowledge that they wanted to quit, but wanted them to stay so badly that they refused to acknowledge it. So the employee had to continually remind them that they wouldn't be working after the next two weeks. Read on to see what happens and decide who is in the right. 

  • Boss is pretending I never gave notice...

    I gave my two weeks notice last Tuesday. Handed the letter directly to my manager, had a brief conversation about transition plans, and thought that was that. Now she's acting like it never happened.
    via u/natedj30
  • She's still assigning me projects for next month. Still scheduling me for meetings three weeks out. Yesterday she asked me to order business cards with my name on them. When I reminded her I'm leaving, she just said "We'll see about that" and walked away.
    via u/natedj30
  • I work in accounts payable for a small company. It's not like I'm some irreplaceable genius - literally anyone can be trained to process invoices. But she keeps saying things like "You can't just abandon us during busy season" and "We invested so much in training you." Training me to use QuickBooks. Two years ago.
    via u/natedj30
  • Today she scheduled me for a performance review next month. When I said I wouldn't be here, she looked genuinely confused and said "What are you talking about? You never said anything about leaving." I have the letter. I took a photo of myself handing it to her. But she's completely in denial.
    via u/natedj30
  • I'm starting my new job Monday whether she "accepts" my resignation or not. Just wondering if anyone's dealt with this level of delusion before. Do I need to send another letter? Email HR? Or just stop showing up after Friday and let her figure it out? This is so bizarre. I've never had a boss just refuse to acknowledge reality like this.
    via u/natedj30

  • Commenters gave ideas about how to deal with this.

    maybebullshitmaybe • 6h ago Whether they chose to acknowledge it or not, they'll soon be without you and they'd be smart to plan for such. Very odd indeed. Chosing to bury their heads in the sand is a bold move that will not benefit anyone.
    via u/maybebull****maybe
  • A young man looks frustrated at his desk.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • RegBaby 6h ago Crazy. I would just bypass her at this point, and go to HR/payroll and make sure THEY know I am leaving and when I'll get my final check. Then I would start removing. personal items from my work area, and be ready to say goodbye to my other co- workers Friday afternoon.
    via u/RegBaby
  • thenord321 · 6h ago Send a copy to hr and tell them when you submitted it to your boss. CC the boss' manager too. Sounds like your boss isn't following protocol and will say you don't give notice. Leave as planned.
    via u/thenord321
  • Otherwise_Fined ⚫5h ago Over react. Assume a serious psychological issue or medical emergency and contact hr. Tell them you're astounded and incredibly concerned that your manager has entirely forgotten about this and is not concerned that they haven't remembered this important information and upcoming deadline. Quietly question if there are other similar instances with other projects.
    via u/Otherwise_Fined
  • Drone30389.6h ago I agree - especially if there are any consequences in your contract/country for leaving without notice - that you should make it known to your HR that you've already given notice, and tell them that you're confirming the notice that you've already given. And then drop it until you leave.
    via u/Drone30389
  • And for God's sake keep in touch with some of your co- workers so you can keep us updated on the fallout.
    via u/Drone30389
  • Herr... 6h ago Edited 3h ago • I gave my boss 6 months notice, and left a letter on his desk at 2 month intervals for a total of three times, and he never mentioned it. I verbally told him every week and he would say 'we will see' and ignored me.
    via u/HerrFerret
  • The day I left, he was outraged! He didn't actually think I would be leaving for my professional job halfway around the world. How unprofessional! After giving essentially the longest and most notified resignation in history. What about my minimum wage career working at a motor parts. store!
    via u/HerrFerret
  • I laughed so hard I almost bust a rib. He lost his job not long after and I laughed a second time.
    via u/HerrFerret
  • SilentDis 5h ago You have two things she lacks: care and a consonance. She is looking to exploit these. If she gaslights you hard enough, confuses you well enough, manipulates you correctly you'll remain hers - to control. She owns you - her mind and the fact that - you quit is a direct attack upon her. in
    via u/SilentDis
  • She's got one thing right: people don't tend to quit jobs, they quit managers. When you don't show, expect a flurry of phone calls. First screaming at you to get your lazy a into work and stop around. Then full of tears of how you're destroying everything through your petty, childish actions. Then with tiny, meaningless offers of more pay ($0.50/hour type bulls :).
    via u/SilentDis
  • She hasn't told anyone. That letter you handed her was squirreled away. You see, if her plan works, in a month you'll be shown it and say "wasn't this silly", then 3 months later it'll be used to prove you were disloyal and grounds for your termination.
    via u/SilentDis
  • A quick email - with a second copy of the letter - to another manager, any other manager (or HR), with a brief explanation of the oddities you've seen, will serve you well if you intend to keep this place on your resume. I would personally hold-off on this till very close to EOD Friday, too, unless you want the whole begging bulls outlined above to start early.
    via u/SilentDis
  • Either way you're a in - the wind at end-of-day Friday. Turn off your phone and keep that sucker on mute, do not answer any calls from the old place. You're free, grats!
    via u/SilentDis
  • concretism • 6h ago . The best way to deal with someone pretending to be delusional is to proceed as though they aren't. Email HR to ask about the closeout procedure and your final check. Include your final day and attach your dated resignation letter. Be a matter of a fact and don't get caught your boss' purposeful net.
    via u/concretism
  • Semi-Pros-and-Cons 5h ago You took a photo of yourself handing in your letter of resignation?
    via u/Semi-Pros-and-Cons
  • Jay_JWLH. 6h ago You should have sent it as an email. Now you should send it as a reminder of you doing it in person, and CC in HR to make it concrete.
    via u/Jay_JWLH
  • TofuttiKlein-ein-ein 3h ago Hmmm. Did you take a selfie of your and her holding your resignation letter? Please elaborate on how you took a pic of you handing her the letter and why you would feel the need to do that?
    via u/TofuttiKlein-ein-ein
  • scot... • 6h ago Edited 6h ago Tell her to f off and get the f up out of there tomorrow! You are not REQUIRED to give 2 weeks' notice, and they certainly don't give 2 weeks' notice when they fire someone. A 2- week notice is a courtesy and is not reciprocated. Send her an email stating that, because of her bizarre, delusional behavior, you feel unsafe. CC HR and dip!
    via u/scotty813
  • Also, if your final check is not available on the normal payday, report them to your local Labor Board/Dept. I would also see if you can pay a labor lawyer a couple of hundred bucks to send a letter notifying them of their violation of labor laws and threaten legal action. Don't give them a SINGLE day of leeway. If they wanna f with you, f back harder!
    via u/scotty813
  • alfdan 6h ago • Typically, I include a signature part for the boss to sign and date the confirmation of receipt. I make two original copies, one for the company and one for myself. I know this comment isn't helping in your case. But it is a way to avoid this entire situation next time.
    via u/alfdan

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