How much notice before resigning somewhere

[UnderGrad]

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Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about how long one should give notice before resigning somewhere?

I work in a private psychiatric clinic that is part of a free-standing psych hospital, but is owned by the largest health system in the city. I'm currently fulfilling a 2-year contract that finishes in November. No one has approached me about what will happen after this, but I think regardless of what they offer, I'm done here. However, I know that if I go, I'm going to be leaving them in a bind because I'm the only child psychiatrist here.

I would like to go into private practice in the same town so I really don't want to piss anyone off more than necessary and would like to keep as many bridges intact as possible. Because of that, I doubt I will go into all of the details about why I want to leave and just give some generic (although true) reasons.

I feel like I should be telling them now in order to prepare for patients to transition care, but I wanted to get some feedback from others. Thoughts?

 

[michaelrack]

3 months (at least)

 

[nitemagi]

I just gave 2.5 mos, unless they find a replacement sooner.

 

[whopper]

The contract you signed with your current employer likely already has the minimum resignation time in writing. Find out what it is on the contract. Be wary that the same contract likely also has a geographic clause that you can't leave them and start your own practice within a specific geographic distance.

 

[Indodo]

The contract you signed with your current employer likely already has the minimum resignation time in writing. Find out what it is on the contract. Be wary that the same contract likely also has a geographic clause that you can't leave them and start your own practice within a specific geographic distance.

Depends where you are, non compete is very hard to enforce. For example in California, it may as well not exist. You can have a non compete and then open up an office next door to the same person.

 

[vistaril]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about how long one should give notice before resigning somewhere?

I work in a private psychiatric clinic that is part of a free-standing psych hospital, but is owned by the largest health system in the city. I'm currently fulfilling a 2-year contract that finishes in November. No one has approached me about what will happen after this, but I think regardless of what they offer, I'm done here. However, I know that if I go, I'm going to be leaving them in a bind because I'm the only child psychiatrist here.

I would like to go into private practice in the same town so I really don't want to piss anyone off more than necessary and would like to keep as many bridges intact as possible. Because of that, I doubt I will go into all of the details about why I want to leave and just give some generic (although true) reasons.

I feel like I should be telling them now in order to prepare for patients to transition care, but I wanted to get some feedback from others. Thoughts?

It almost certainly states in your contract how much time is required....you should read your contract.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

You are a child psychiatrist; I doubt you are in much danger of having them replace you sooner than you want to leave. Telling them sooner is better than later. It is probably more about telling your patients and their parents than it is about upsetting your employer. Good luck,

 

[fiatslug]

You are a child psychiatrist; I doubt you are in much danger of having them replace you sooner than you want to leave. Telling them sooner is better than later. It is probably more about telling your patients and their parents than it is about upsetting your employer. Good luck,

Cosign all of that. I work for a large HMO and we're required to give 3 mos notice.

 

[whopper]

You can have a non compete and then open up an office next door to the same person.

True but you're also implying that those that follow what you say are also not any good at keeping their word. Yes it is true. A lot of laws and precedents out there are only enforceable with a lawsuit. Lawsuits are expensive, not just for the defendant but also for the plaintiff.

But one can really smear their rep while breaking their word. I would like to think that among a crowd of doctors, at least a significant minority would actually care about keeping promises. I've already seen enough to not expect a significant majority to do so. Even for those that don't seem to care, but want to do the right thing out of self-preservation, you break your word, it would likely get around that you're damaged goods and not worth hiring.

 

[UnderGrad]

Thank you for all the responses!

I don't have a noncompete clause in my contract anywhere that I can see.

As far as what my contract says:
"Termination: This Agreement shall be terminated on the date of and upon the happening of any of the following:"
(lists several reasons here, including my dying, losing my license, etc) plus this reason: "After the expiration of the Initial Period [until November], the expiration of a period of 120 days next following the delivery by either [institution] or physician to the other party of a written notice of termination of this Agreement; such termination to be permissible without cause."

Sounds like a bunch of gobbledy gook to me, but I take it to mean I need to give 4 months notice. Which means I better make a decision quickly!

Sound right?

 

[whopper]

I've always ended my jobs trying to leave on good terms. It's not just the politically smart thing to do but also the ethical thing to do in leaving with a touch of class, following the appropriate decorum of a good doctor, and keeping doors open.

Even if the employer is a scumbag, the people who hire in the area are like little boys trading baseball cards. They are limited in number and the bigger players in the area are like the MVP baseball cards that everyone wants.

If ever in a situation where you fight back and/or put your foot down, you do so because it's the right thing to do. If it is, you'll likely be seen as a better and more respectable doctor when all is said and done.

 

[UnderGrad]

Good analogy, Whopper! I definitely want to end on good terms. Any advice on the best way to make that happen?

I think they may be a bit surprised that I'm leaving. Early on, I complained about a few things, but I haven't said anything for the past year. I didn't want to go to administration without a specific answer to the question, "What can we do to make you happy?" I couldn't answer that for a long time. I just knew I was really miserable. I didn't think nonspecific whining was helpful. Well, I recently discovered the answer to the question: nothing. No matter what they do, nothing would change things because what I've come to realize is that I want to work in small, intimate private practice--and there is no way for that to happen here. It's too big. There is too much red tape. I don't like the pressure of seeing more and more people. I'd rather see less people even if it means making less money. Obviously, I want to say this as politically correct as possible. Was thinking something along the lines of "I'm choosing not to renew my contract" because "I don't think my practice model is financially viable for your institution."

Thoughts?

 

[whopper]

--You do good work until the end. During the last few weeks you ask your employer if there's anything you can do to help any transition with a new clinician. Write your final note as if it's a transfer note to the next doctor. If your employer was a good one, you tell them that and inform them you'll let other doctors in the community know this.

Even at some places I left, I believed there was a type of doctor that could like it, just that I didn't or I had better opportunities.

Where I'm currently at, I'm leaving after July and they've already told me if I came back I'd be welcome. They are in need of attendings and I know they will not hire several that have applied, for the same reason I mentioned. The administration knows their reps, and those reps are not good. Like I said, it's the baseball card metaphor. Once in a city for a few years, you will develop your rep. You leave a place and be a total a-hole about it, you bet the guy running the place is friends with someone else that runs something and word will spread around.

Everyone I know that runs a psych department in this city hangs out with the other department heads at least a few times a year. They all have their own set of feelers and spies that will report to someone else if a doctor is unhappy so they can jump in and scoop them out. The heads of where I'm at know pretty much every doctor in town and that doctor's reputation. Paul Keck is a former boss of mine, and his institution threw a party, and a guy that was to become the head of another hospital that wanted to hire me and lived hours away was at his party. They all talk to each other and have their own decorum when it comes to trying to take a doctor away from one place to another while still being civil.

Besides, if someone had the egocentric mindset of just wanting to do a private practice that they owned themselves, so who cares ---> I can be an a-hole and get away with it, I just think that shows very low class for a doctor. Yeah you could make a practice but you're shooting yourself in the foot if you want other doctors to join you, or want to get out of that practice later and join an organization.

As a former PP doctor, I've gotten some very wealthy and influential patients because of the rep I developed (though it was very frustrating to be told (edit-to tell) by a very successful hedge-fund manager that I could not let him manage my investments even though he offered to do so for free, and then turn down his offers of going to his parties with some rich and famous people).

Even if the place is terrible, get out, just still do good work until the end and do your ethical part for your patients.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

It all comes down to treating people the way that you would like to be treated.
Too bad that's such a difficult concept to grasp for some.