How to quit your job...after only 4 weeks???

[eddie269]

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Long story short, I switched to a big chain because it was closer to home. My old company was great to work for but the 1 hr commute killed me.

Now my old employer has a new store close to me opening up and they want me back.

I feel bad bc the big chain transferred the old Rph out bc I was coming in. However, managing the big chain isn't going well and the company all together has been nothing but disappointing. I want to leave but kind of feel bad.

Any suggestions? I guess speaking to the DM would work and then put in 2 weeks? This can't end well with the big chain.

 

[PharmDstudent]

As long as you leave on good terms, then it'll be fine for the chain that you're leaving. They can fill your spot again.

I would worry about your resume' more than anything else! Job hoping can look bad if it's excessive.

 

[BrightLight]

I knew a pharmacist who used to drive an hour+ to work daily. After he got a job offer from another company in his affluent neighbourhood, he gave a two-week notice but changed his mind and left immediately. His formerly co-workers are still pissed off at him.

 

[Ackj]

I knew a pharmacist who used to drive an hour+ to work daily. After he got a job offer from another company in his affluent neighbourhood, he gave a two-week notice but changed his mind and left immediately. His formerly co-workers are still pissed off at him.

That's crazy. Why would you just bail? If you've been at the job for any amount of time, you can tough it out for two more weeks.

 

[npage148]

Why not? You don't owe your employer anything and they'd cut you with no notice. Two-weeks is more about your co-workers if you feel they are worth it.

 

[30Percent]

Because you never want to burn your bridges. You never know where those co-workers will branch out to and they might be in a position to hire or put in a bad opinion of you in the future.

 

[Old Timer]

Personally, as a professional and not carpet layer or truck driver, I would give s much notice as possible. Please discuss with your original employer and tell them you would like to give 4 weeks notice, could they take you sooner if your current employer says don't let the door hit you in the @ss on the way out.

It's a balance. When I left my last job, I gave 4 weeks notice. That was 11 years ago and the world is different now, but I gave the guy enough time to find and train my replacement.

 

[TemSirolimus]

whatever you decide to do,

Do not burn any bridges, lest the tide turns.

 

[rph3664]

I've mentioned this here on this board before, but here goes again: I gave notice at a job I'd worked at for just over a month when I found myself considering suicide on the way to work - that I would not have to go there if I was dead. 😱 No job is that important.

ETA: I actually considered walking out at lunchtime the first day; the job was that horrendous. Wish I had, too. I know another pharmacist who started a new job, and never came back for the second day, although not at this same place.

 

[eddie269]

I don't want to burn bridges but this may be tough, even if I do everything professionally from here on out.

I left my last job because I had family issues that didn't allow me to continue my 1 hr commute. I left more out of necessity. Who knew another position closer would open up just 6 weeks later and after 4 weeks at the new job. 😡

Frankly, I am miserable at the new place. I will try to give it more time but the option of going back to a better work environment may be too much to pass up.

PS: My current store barely hits 100/day so I don't even have a tech, just 20hrs/week of cashier help. 🙄 So in other words, what co-workers?

 

[group_theory]

Why not? You don't owe your employer anything and they'd cut you with no notice. Two-weeks is more about your co-workers if you feel they are worth it.

Depends on the employment contract that was signed upon hire, the minimum time requirement (for notice) may bring significant monetary liability should you break that contract.

The company can go after you (lawsuit) for the cost of searching for a replacement pharmacist, the legal cost of going after you, lost of revenue while they are looking for a replacement pharmacist (or the cost of overtime if they have to pay overtime for other pharmacists to cover you). In some states, they may even argue successfully that you are also responsible for the salary + benefits of the replacement pharmacist for the time that you should have worked (but didn't).

Don't forget that you will need a lawyer to defend your position. And this won't be covered by your malpractice insurance since this isn't malpractice but an employment dispute. The company will have in-house counsel to do paperwork, file court documents, show up in court (or they contract out at a negotiated rate). You will need to either find a lawyer to do it pro-bono or pay hundreds of dollars per hour.

*all the more important to carefully read any contract you sign (and the reason paying a lawyer to read your employment contract before signing)

**basically the gist of this post is "make sure you don't have any require obligation when it comes to employment termination, and if you do, you follow your contract or get your employer in writing to waive the obligation"

 

[awval999]

Depends on the employment contract that was signed upon hire, the minimum time requirement (for notice) may bring significant monetary liability should you break that contract.

The company can go after you (lawsuit) for the cost of searching for a replacement pharmacist, the legal cost of going after you, lost of revenue while they are looking for a replacement pharmacist (or the cost of overtime if they have to pay overtime for other pharmacists to cover you). In some states, they may even argue successfully that you are also responsible for the salary + benefits of the replacement pharmacist for the time that you should have worked (but didn't).

Don't forget that you will need a lawyer to defend your position. And this won't be covered by your malpractice insurance since this isn't malpractice but an employment dispute. The company will have in-house counsel to do paperwork, file court documents, show up in court (or they contract out at a negotiated rate). You will need to either find a lawyer to do it pro-bono or pay hundreds of dollars per hour.

*all the more important to carefully read any contract you sign (and the reason paying a lawyer to read your employment contract before signing)

**basically the gist of this post is "make sure you don't have any require obligation when it comes to employment termination, and if you do, you follow your contract or get your employer in writing to waive the obligation"

Doctor, this is America and we are talking about retail pharmacy here. While I am sure the contracts you sign as a physican say that, they don't at Walgreens. The only contract that was signed was something along the lines of, "you are an at-will employee." Personally they are lucky if you give two weeks notice, because if they needed to cut your hours or terminate you they would and no one would care.

Sample letter to the DM:
"Name" (of DM):

Thank you for the opportunity to work at "Company." This letter serves as my termination notice effective immediately.

Sincerely,
"Name" PharmD, RPh

 

[Unchained]

Drop that place like a bad habit tomorrow and don't look back. Don't worry about legal ramifications. There are none. They will get over it and hire another pharmacist the next day. We are a dime a dozen now. This is retail pharmacy. Don't waste another day of your life at that place.

 

[BrightLight]

Sample letter to the DM:
"Name" (of DM):

Thank you for the opportunity to work at "Company." This letter serves as my termination notice effective immediately.

Sincerely,
"Name" PharmD, RPh

I am not so sure about that notice being effective immediately...doesn't sound very wise to me. Instead, I would probably still give a two-week notice but call off everyday to use up all my remaining sick and personal days. Once there is no more left to use, then I will quit immediately.

 

[awval999]

I am not so sure about that notice being effective immediately...doesn't sound very wise to me. Instead, I would probably still give a two-week notice but call off everyday to use up all my remaining sick and personal days. Once there is no more left to use, then I will quit immediately.

When I quit Walmart as an intern they paid out my vacation days within 30 days. I suspect WalCVS-aid would do the same. Furthermore, odds are that the OP doesn't have any accumlulated days anyway, since he wants to quit after 4 weeks. Just quit. Just like if they needed to cut your hours or cut your job they would do it, after saying "sorry and thanks for your effort."

 

[confettiflyer]

+1 for what Old Timer wrote, give 4 weeks notice if they've been generally good to you and you want to minimize the bridge burning.

 

[KUMoose]

+1 for what Old Timer wrote, give 4 weeks notice if they've been generally good to you and you want to minimize the bridge burning.

Thirdeded. To the OP, I have to wonder how come the new store didn't come up? I've never seen a business expand in 6 weeks, so (in my mind) they had to know. Are you sure you're that secure at the old place?

 

[rph3664]

I've never seen a business expand in 6 weeks

My contract job this summer was at a startup that just about doubled in volume during the 2 months I worked there, and I have heard it's basically doubled again. Not a good thing for a multitude of reasons. 🙁 I'm still grateful for that job, because it got me back into the profession after a long time out.

 

[Ackj]

+1 for what Old Timer wrote, give 4 weeks notice if they've been generally good to you and you want to minimize the bridge burning.

This sounds right; be good to them if they've been good to you. If they need time to find/train someone, they will be able to, which shouldn't be a problem with the large applicant pool at the moment. I've also heard stories where you offer two weeks and they say to not bother, or only need you for one of the weeks. Unfortunately, in the OP's case, it sounds like they haven't had enough of a relationship to determine whether they have been good or bad.

What about it makes you hate it? You said there is a low rx count, no tech, and it is "disappointing" but that doesn't really sound like a reason to jump ship. I think we could use a little bit more detail.

Are you sure you're that secure at the old place?

Well, it says "they want me back" so it sounds like the company was the one who initiated that move, rather than the OP asking to come back. In either case, probably makes sense not to quit/offer any number of weeks notice until you've got a good lock on a job, not a "maybe we're expanding out your way soon."

 

[eddie269]

Old company had a new manager put in her 2 weeks last week bc she is relocating. No one had any idea. Trust me if I knew, I would've stayed.

New big chain isnt that horribly bad compared to other retails I've floated to. If I didn't get the call from the old boss, I wouldn't even think of leaving. Let's just say the old company specializes so it makes it more interesting to work in. Plus I get to make the schedule which gives me 4 day weekends every other week and I really get to own the pharmacy..

Big chain store is old and dirty, definitely micromanaging from corporate, and I can't manage the way I used to at my old store. And 100 Rx in a day isn't much (def low volume) but doing it by yourself on somedays is brutal. Cashier can't really do much for me cept ring ppl and answer phones.