Please fire me or be nice and lay me off

Wierd thing to say now a days huh?  Well I'm moving to a different state at the end of the month and I have to give my notice in about two weeks.  Word around the office is that someone's going to get laid off and I know for a fact it's not me.  I'm thinking about volunteering my head for the chopping block....but I just can't seem to get the courage to do it!  Should I?

Makes sense to volunteer for it, since otherwise they'll let someone go and then when you leave, they'll be short and someone will be out of a job who shouldn't be. Plus, laid off = severance, right?

If you're going to quit either way, I would volunteer to get laid off depending on what type of severance you expect to get.  Otherwise just put in your notice and move on.

Or at least, if you don't volunteer to be layed off, warn them more in advance that you will be resigning - they might just hold on until you leave and not fire anyone.

I agree, if you're already leaving to head a better live then give your notice early.  Maybe they will lay you off instead,

I suggest giving your notice asap regardless if it saves someone else.

Original Post by emilie_f:

Or at least, if you don't volunteer to be layed off, warn them more in advance that you will be resigning - they might just hold on until you leave and not fire anyone.

 This would be the honorable thing to do.

Besides, two weeks notice is the minimum courtesy. 30 days notice is more fair to them.

Um... how about this instead:

1) How about you DO NOT tell them that you're leaving in a month.

2) Offer to take a 2-4 wks severance per year to quit (they like this because you can't collect unemployment insurance which is a ding against them from the state).

3) If they bite, you're good to go. You just gained money you wouldn't have otherwise had if you'd just quit on your own. And you likely saved someone their job.

4) If they don't bite give them a few more days to consider your offer even though they've initially declined. They make come to you.

5) If they're still not interested, then if you want to try and save someone's job, feel free, but know that freeing up your position likely will not fix the problem your employer is having, which would be their primary reason to reject your offer and so someone is going to get fired anyway.

If you do what you're suggesting you lose the opportunity to bargain for severance AND the inability to file for unemployment. That's a double win for your former employer, but it's completely at your expense.

edit:

If you decide to try what I suggest come up with a reason for be willing or wanting to leave that is not immediate.

Why are you willing to quit?

 - I wouldn't mind the change of pace. Maybe I'll go back to school or try something different. Not sure really, but if you're going to let someone go no matter what, I'm in a place right now where not having a job wouldn't hurt me.

You're such a shark, Iggy.

Thanks you guys, I will try and bargain something, if I get laid off or fired whatever then I can collect unemployment if only for a month or so (shouldn't be too hard getting a new job where Im going) which would help since I'm leaving either way.  I figured even paying for my unemployment would be less then having me work and work the overtime that I do, this way they'll save a few bucks and I prevent my boss from being the bad guy and having to lay someone off.  Still mulling it over I've been trying to talk to my boss all day but she's busy which is only making me more nervous......

Do you mind telling what kind of work it is?

Also unemployment penalizes the employer for a couple of years by increasing the percentage they have to pay. At least that's the way it is in Florida. Their preference will always be firing for a good reason or down sizing through attrition.

I prefer to consider it, looking for the win win.

In the scenario I offer, everyone wins a little.

In the scenario where she tips her hand to leaving anyway, the company wins everything.

Unless they don't 'do' severance.

If they don't "do" severance, then she doesn't tell them she's leaving anyway.

Let's them consider "doing" it for their own benefit.

And then two weeks later she can put in her notice.

The ONLY reason an employer "does" severance is because they don't want you to be able to file for unemployment.

Severance is cheaper for them than the increased insurance rates from the state for having a former employee file for unemployment.

edit:

To be more clear, severance is money paid to you in order to get you to quit. It may or may not feel like that at the time (you may actually be getting fired) however when you receive your severance you also submit your resignation or sign something attesting to you quitting.

They do this if the additional costs from you filing for unemployment is greater to them than the amount of severance they can offer you to leave or not file.

I work in dispatch for a moving company, they did offer another employee a severance a couple months ago but he didn't take it.  I've been here almost 4 years so I was thinking if I go in and say there isn't enough work for two people in my department and it would save them money (which is all they care about) to pay me two months worth of pay I'll go at the end of the month and I will not file for unemployment...thoughts?  Ps you guys are mighty helpful thank you!

What kind of severance did they offer and how long has he been there? Does he make similar pay to you?

edit:

If you don't know that information, then yeah I'd offer 2 weeks severance per year is very reasonable imho, telling them that you'll stay payroll until they are ready to let you go.

Same pay, almost exactly the same amount of time, I have no idea the amount

They may offer you as little as a week per year, but since you're leaving anyway it may still be worth it to you.

Either way, make sure you have a wishy-washy "reason" for being willing to leave, as opposed to a concrete reason willing to to leave so soon.

Actually, you should ask him what they offered him.

He may or may not tell you, but it'd be very useful info.