‘Pack up today’: Manager refuses to accept employee's 2 weeks' notice, ends their employment on the spot instead, leaving the employee baffled

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Apr 15, 2026 1:00 PM EDT

"We don't want your notice, it'll be better if you leave now."

For some reason, most employees are expected to give their employers a grace period when they continue to come to work even after they quit their job. We call it 'notice'. Employees start between two weeks and a month in a workplace they have already decided to leave, just to give the workplace a chance to figure out what they are going to do without them.

But if an employee gets fired? Do they get a grace period so they can figure out what they are going to do with their life without a job? Not a chance. An employee can get fired on one random Wednesday morning, and find themself packing up their belongings and back at home with nothing to do by lunch.

Still, not many people question this system, and employees continue to hand in their resignation letters weeks in advance, even though they know that their employer would not have done the same if the tables were turned.

The same can be said about the employee in the story below. They were only working at their job for 13 weeks when they decided the job was not for them. Soon after, they found a new workplace, and like most employees out there, informed their employer along with a two-week notice. The surprising part of the story followed just after informing the boss they were leaving.

The boss was not interested in the notice period whatsoever. He told the employee that he would rather they pack up and leave work the same day, and not continue to work for another two weeks. He didn't need time to figure out what to do without the employee, and preferred to work with fewer workers than to have someone stay there after they had already decided to leave. The employee was quite surprised by the boss's decision, but respected his wish and left that same day.

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  • Woman standing at work desk with a carboard box after quitting job
    via charliepix

    Woman standing at work desk with a carboard box after quitting job.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Secured new employment, gave notice. Their reaction was unusual.

    Thursday, I gave notice near the end of the day letting my General Manager know that I secured employment elsewhere.
    via erikleorgav2
  • A decent thing to do, not required, but decent at the least. He asked what my plan was.
    via erikleorgav2
  • Give them 2 weeks or end it today. I told him: "Whatever you choose. I leave it up to you guys." "Let me talk with the Shop Manager and the owner." I went back to work, 20 minutes later he came to me.
    via erikleorgav2
  • "We discussed it and if you want to finish what you were working on and pack up today, that'll be fine." So I did.
    via erikleorgav2
  • I finished what I was working on, packed my things, and left. Now I get to enjoy 2 weeks off before starting back up.
    via erikleorgav2
  • (Gods I love actually being unemployed.) It was \sort of surprising that they opted to separate immediately, the last 2 places I gave noticd \\wanted \\ 2 weeks.
    via erikleorgav2
  • Boss telling employee to leave
    via fizkes

    Boss telling employee to leave.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • jwagoner Happened to me once at Geek Squad. I gave a 3 weeks notice and was escorted out the door less than 2 hours later. Was told by HR 'We notice a decline in the quality of work after someone has given notice, so it's better to just let you go' Found out later she was embezzling. I'm still salty about my work ethics getting questions like that. Got unemployment tho, but it was rough
    via jwagoner
  • erikleorgav2 Original Poster's Reply I mean, I assembled cabinets for the place. I was getting tired of the quotas I needed to meet. I honestly was feeling blah about doing the job well, but quality of work is important to me. I probably would have kept the quality the same till the end. But I might have gotten jaded.
    via erikleorgav2
  • alvar02001 It's one of the reasons why in my last job I took two weeks off and then I left. I know it's not professional, but in my mind, if a company has the power to fire people, I have the power to fire them too. Just my opinion.
    via alvar02001
  • erikleorgav2 Original Poster's Reply After only 13 weeks there, not much PTO accrued. Sadly not much an option, but I get it.
    via erikleorgav2
  • Apprehensive-Air-267 The two weeks after a notice is the worse. You've mentally checked out of the position and they usually hold a grudge or guilt trip you into staying.
    via Apprehensive-Air-267
  • erikleorgav2 Original Poster's Reply I have to admit, I was thinking that. That I would be checked out. Which is less surprising they opted to end it that day.
    via erikleorgav2
  • BeeComprehensive5234 Congratulations and good luck on your new job!
    via BeeComprehensive5234
  • erikleorgav2 Original Poster's Reply Comes with a $3 an hour pay raise. Can't say no to that.
    via erikleorgav2
  • my-kind-of-crazy I had that happen once! I gave my two weeks notice due to a disagreement/issue and the manager said he'd rather pay out my 2 weeks notice than have me stay. I was grateful since I already had a second job so I was able to pick up more hours there and I had a bonus two week paycheque!
    via my-kind-of-crazy
  • erikleorgav2 Original Poster's Reply If only that was a normal practice.
    via erikleorgav2
  • SchizoidRainbow They're going to claim you chose to quit
    via SchizoidRainbow
  • erikleorgav2 Original Poster's Reply Would be hard since I sent a followup email detailing the whole situation as it went down.
    via erikleorgav2
  • noNoParts Why anyone gives notice is beyond me. Just leave when you're done. It's not an airport, you don't need to announce your departure.
    via noNoParts
  • erikleorgav2 Original Poster's Reply I was being generally courteous. I've been a manager, it's nice to have some courtsey. But at the same time, I had only been there 13(ish) weeks.
    via erikleorgav2
  • FCKIED Very usual reaction honestly.
    via FCKIED
  • shadow247 This is what most people do at my company. Announce their 2 weeks, then take all their vacation and never be seen again.
    via shadow247
  • TacticianA It always makes me laugh when they do that. My work recently fired a guy when he put in his two week notice. He wasnt planning on getting another job any time soon but since he was fired instead of quitting he decided he'll do some light job hunting while on the unemployment benefits they gifted him.
    via TacticianA

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notice boss worker two weeks notice workplace-stories employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace workplace company quitting
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