How much notice to give when leaving a job?

I am getting near the time I can retire--finally! After working at the same place for 26 years, I have mixed feelings about this, but I can't wait to NOT have to set that alarm anymore.

My question: how much notice is appropriate to give my employer?
I work for a Church in a suburb outside of NYC. I think a month should be plenty of notice, but my husband disagrees. What is appropriate these days?

I think you should tell them as soon as you figure it out. It's only fair to give them as much notice as possible. If you know for a fact you are quitting on a certain day, you should let them know. Congrats on your retirement!

Ana

When I retired, I gave one month's notice. This was mostly because I needed that much time to get all the money issues worked out with my pension and savings etc. But then I worked for state government and that was probably much more complicated.

Good Luck Mary! I love retirement!

Mary, doesn`t it say, how much notice they require, in your contract?

Happy retirement

Niki,
I have no contract; I've never had one.
I'm just trying to give them enough time to find a replacement (and me enough time to clean out some files, which I really can't do now without raising eyebrows).

I think one month is good notice; I don't want to give too much time because I want to work until the end of the year and if they find a replacement quickly, I could be asked to leave before I planned to (though I don't think so).

Mary ... with no contract, one month is perfect

Dan

Yep, a month is plenty especially with all the years you have been there. Tell them you are retiring and hope they throw you a huge party.

Last job I quit, I moved in the middle of the night and MAILED in my resignation. It was 2 weeks before the new school year started and they had to scramble to find a replacement. I felt a bit bad, but there were good reasons.

Happy Retirement. You will love it!

in that case, what soot said

A month sounds good and fair to me. I'm so jealous!!! I hope you enjoy your retirement.

Oh, I am sooo looking forward to retiring. I now have to interact frequently with a woman that is so condescending towards me it's unbelievable. Acts like whatever she says is most important and wants me to drop whatever I'm doing to do what she says. I've kept my temper with her so far, but a person can only take just so much of this kind of treatment, especially since she's NOT the one who signs my paycheck! I will miss all my co-workers very much, but it's time to go.

The general rule of thumb is 2 weeks, which is the standard according to most employment advice sites.

Drat, beaten again. I was going to say what Barry said, but a month is plenty of time. It'll give them and you plenty of time to sort out any paper work and them to find a replacement. They may also want you to help train this person.

Congrats on retiring. And yes, it feels wonderful not setting the alarm clock every night. Still getting used to that after 34 years.

I told my mom (89 years old) a couple of months ago that I didn't need to go to heaven when I died because I'm living in heaven right now in retirement!

Draclvr,
You're making it all the harder for me to last until the end of the year! I have a huge calendar pasted to my bedroom door, marking off each day as it passes, so I can see how many work days I still have to get through!

Mary, congratulations! I know how much I love not having to answer to a job or alarm clock!
Best wishes for your retirement!

I pretty much did the same thing, Mary! And I absolutely loved my job! I'm sure it will go faster than you realize...

Mary, do you have any holidays owing to you?

Ah, Nicki, here is one of my problems: I have not used any of my 3 weeks vacation earned for LAST year (our fiscal year ends 8/31). I sure would like to know if I can get paid out for that time, since there is no way I can take that much time off before the end of the year, but if I ask the question, then I let the cat out of the bag, earlier than I anticipated. And that's only vacation days, not holidays!

I'd like to say they have to give it to you plus what you've earned/accrued for this year, but I don't know it that's true. I know my company would do that though. (I should say, the company that I work for.)

Ask when you give your notice and if they say no, change your month down to one week!

That's what I was thinking: ask if I can get paid for my vacation. I think it won't be a problem, but then you never know.

Mary, I was thinking along the lines of

lets say they owe you 3 weeks holidays

you could give them the 1 months notice
7 weeks before you want to leave, work for 4 of those weeks then leave 3 weeks early with pay

if you get my drift

Mary, isn't there a manual of procedures that talks about vacation time, whether it has to be taken or can be sold back to the company?

I elected to get paid for the weeks I had left when I retired. The corporation I worked wouldn't pay me for the other individual days I was allowed, so I worked up to a point then used all the individual days, went back on a Friday, signed my papers and said bye. It was nice getting that bit of extra money for the weeks of vacation.

...What they said. If you can't get paid for all that vacation time, use it. One of my teacher friends took every Friday off for a year and used his. Was great for me because I was a sub and knew that every Friday I had a job. Wheeee.

When I retired, we got day for day credit for all unused sick time so I didn't have to worry.

It's your money (time) so hope you can find a way to use it.

You are going to LOVE retirement!

You all have to remember that I work for a Church, my boss is the Pastor: no manuals, no contracts, not much of anything in writing. I guess as long as all of us do our jobs and don't take advantage of the situation, there's no reason to have a written policy. That's what makes this situation so uncertain for me.

It is for all the reasons you stated that I said to give as much as much notice as possible. If you have been there 26 years, I am sure you have a good rapport with them and giving them some time to find a replacement and have you train them would be a nice thing.

Ana

Ana,
I would give more notice, except I really want to work until the end of the year, and I'm afraid if I give two months notice and they find someone quickly, they wouldn't need two of us trying to do the same job for that period of time and I would feel obliged to leave early.