Two Week Notice

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #195573
    Hammer
    Participant

    Need some input on this, thanks in advance.

    Situation: I’ve been offered and have accepted a Big4 audit role starting on Sept. 8th. I currently work for a smaller firm. Our firms largest audit is scheduled to start in the beginning of August, and I’m on the audit. I don’t plan on giving my notice until the middle of August for two reasons. 1) the offer is still contingent on the background check (could do a separate post on that topic!) and 2) I don’t want to lose a paycheck, so I’m not taking any time off between jobs.

    Obviously, my firm will need to take me off of the audit, and find a replacement. But they don’t know I’m leaving, and I don’t want them to know yet. Should I confide in the audit manager and ask her not to share my news with anyone else? Even if I do that, she is more than likely going to tell the partner on the audit and then it will just snowball from there. At the very least the partner will want to know why she is taking me off the audit…

    I respect my firm and have a ton of respect for my co-workers/managers. I want to be able to given them ample time to find a replacement so they can plan the audit accordingly. But I don’t/can’t screw myself over.

    Godforbid I I fail the background check and the Big4 offer is rescinded after I prematurely gave my notice…

    FAR - 70, 81
    AUD - 83
    BEC - 77
    REG - 70, 78

    Licensed in Ohio.

    Now what the hell do I do?

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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    Replies
  • #682786
    ruggercpa2b
    Participant

    I personally would not say anything. I had the same issue when I was looking and working at a Big 4. One of the managers I had asked to be a reference told me he was not comfortable with it because he was afraid that if it finally got out that I was leaving he would have had to have the obligation to tell them that I was looking. No matter what you say to managers that you think will be in confidence never is.

    Keep it to yourself and when the time comes put in your notice. They can easily replace you. In the mean time work hard and dont slack so they think something is up. You are giving them notice and not just up an leaving. That is being professional and will not burn any bridges.

    AUD - NINJA in Training
    BEC - NINJA in Training
    FAR - NINJA in Training
    REG - NINJA in Training
    AUD - 1/6/18
    FAR - TBD
    REG - TBD
    BEC - TBD

    AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
    BEC - 8/20/2016
    REG - TBD
    FAR - TBD

    I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

    #682787
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Don't say anything. Two weeks is ample time to find a new staff and for you to transition your work to them (unless they have to hire someone, in which case the other people on the audit will pick up the slack until they can hire a new person).

    #682788
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I'm always curious why people talk about background checks like they aren't reasonably sure of what the result will be.

    Is there a decent chance something will turn up with your background check? If so, you need to hold off on telling anyone about your offer until it is a done deal. No reasonable employer would expect more from you than that.

    If you are pretty sure you will get through it with no problems and you've already accepted the offer, I think the best way for you to maintain a good relationship with your current firm is to talk with your audit manager ASAP and offer to stay right up until your start date with the new firm. The worst that can happen is that they ask you to leave immediately and you have no income for a month. That's not a death sentence, and your new firm may even be willing to accelerate your start date. It's more likely that your current firm will counter and then, if that fails, ask you to stay for as long as you can to bring your replacement up to speed on coming engagements. Goodwill all around.

    If you wait until the last minute to spring the news on them (and it's Big 4 … if they know that, they will know you didn't just learn about this offer yesterday), there will probably be some discord, even if it is unspoken, over the fact that you didn't give them a chance to better plan for the audit.

    #682789
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Do not say anything to anyone.

    Just give the exact two weeks notice.

    And should they have any questions after you

    leave, be nice and help them out, like after 6pm

    return their calls.

    #682790
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Also, these partners all know each other somehow, or

    they have a friend who know the other partner.

    The more time you give them the more time they have

    to talk about you before you get to the other position.

    And they all talk about their staff. It is a business and to

    them you are billable hours. And if you are good they do

    not want to lose good billable hours.

    #682791
    Fat Bunny
    Member

    I am with everyone on this. Do not say anything.

    2 weeks is enough time for them to prepare the transition.

    REG - 77, 10/18/2014
    BEC- 84, 2/26/2015
    FAR - 78, 7/16/2015
    AUD - 86, 8/27/2015 (Yes!!! I am officially done )

    #682792
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    2 weeks is more than enough.

    I was in the same boat, I received a verbal offer a week before I received the physical offer (this was during the July 4th weekend, so things were moving slowly). I didn't give my two weeks until I had the offer letter in hand, signed it and sent it back. They're doing a background check on me, but I'm 100% positive nothing will show up. Clean as a whistle here..

    I put in my 2 weeks, even though they requested me to stay another week, I held my ground and told them 2 weeks was it. I had almost 240 PTO hours accrued, I'm sure as hell going to take a week off for myself before I start the new position.

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