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“Not Your Dumpster, Not Your Fire”: Worker Hands In Notice, Delusional Boss Acts Like It’s Not Real
Boss in office reacting with surprise, denying knowledge of employee resignation before HR gets involved.

“Not Your Dumpster, Not Your Fire”: Worker Hands In Notice, Delusional Boss Acts Like It’s Not Real

Interview With Expert

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Giving your two weeks’ notice can sometimes feel like a relief because it means that you are moving on to a new opportunity, and possibly quitting a toxic workplace. The only problem is if your boss makes a fuss and refuses to let you leave, which then makes things difficult.

This is what a man faced when he handed in his notice, only to have it ignored by his manager. She kept pretending like he wasn’t going to leave, and eventually, he had to escalate the matter to human resources. It made no sense why she was acting that way.

More info: Reddit

RELATED:

    A good boss knows how to value their employees and let go of those who are no longer a fit or want to leave

    Woman in glasses and blazer holding a notebook, gesturing stop, depicting boss pretending never gave notice situation.

    Image credits: krakenimages.com / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    The poster shared that he had handed in his two weeks notice letter directly to his manager and taken a photo of it, but, despite that, she pretended like it didn’t happen

    Text discussing an employee giving two weeks notice while the boss is pretending they never gave notice.

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    Text describing a boss pretending never gave notice, still assigning projects and scheduling meetings despite employee leaving.

    Alt text: Employee shares frustration with boss pretending never gave notice during busy season despite training investment.

    Person reading training materials on QuickBooks on a computer, illustrating a boss pretending never gave notice situation.

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    Young businessman in a suit opening a large envelope outside an office building, reflecting a boss pretending never gave notice.

    Image credits: garetsvisual / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    The manager kept assigning him work, and when he confronted her about it, she told him that he couldn’t just abandon the company after they had trained him

    Boss pretending never gave notice, scheduling a performance review despite employee's resignation plans.

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    Person explaining having proof of handing notice to boss pretending never gave notice, highlighting workplace denial issue.

    Text asking about dealing with a boss pretending never gave notice and whether to send another resignation letter or stop showing up.

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    Text on white background that reads, This is so bizarre. I've never had a boss just refuse to acknowledge reality. Boss pretending never gave notice.

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    Man tearing paper at desk looking frustrated, illustrating boss pretending never gave notice in an office setting.

    Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

    The poster decided to cover his bases and sent an email to human resources and his boss about his resignation, along with photo proof of it being handed in

    Text update on a screen about advice and support, relating to a boss pretending never gave notice situation.

    Text showing an email follow-up with HR and bosses including resignation proof and timestamps about boss pretending never gave notice.

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    Text message describing HR confirming last workday despite boss pretending never gave notice, highlighting internal handling.

    Text showing employee frustration as boss pretending never gave notice, finally acknowledging resignation with reluctance.

    Text reading thanks again for helping me navigate this insanity, expressing relief from a stressful situation involving a boss pretending never gave notice.

    Image credits: natedj30

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    The human resources team told the man that his boss had pulled this stunt with people before and that they would handle the situation

    The poster shared that he had gotten a new job and was starting soon, which is why he wanted to hand in his resignation. He gave his two weeks’ notice letter to his manager and even took a photo of the moment as evidence. His boss seemed to acknowledge his decision as she talked to him about the company’s transition plans.

    Later on, things became more absurd when the OP’s manager kept acting like he hadn’t told her he was going to quit. She tried to pretend that everything was normal, and assigned him new projects, scheduled him for meetings, and also spoke about a performance review. This left the man confused and worried.

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    To understand the manager’s behavior a bit more, Bored Panda reached out to Peter Duris, the CEO and co-founder ofKickresume. He shared that “the boss was being totally unreasonable. I think it may be a combination of several factors. Firstly, the man shared that it had happened before to another ex-employee. If the manager got away with it once, it’s not too surprising she’d try it again.”

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    “It also seems that she felt the team really needed this employee’s contributions. Maybe this team struggles with retention, and this worker’s leaving would have left them short-staffed. With it being the busy season, losing someone would have made things worse. Still, none of that excuses how she handled it.”

    “Just imagine how differently this could have gone. He could have given his notice, and she could have asked if there was anything the company could do to keep him. If he still said no, she should have accepted it and moved on. If things ended on a more positive note, maybe he would have even been happy to recommend someone from his network to take his place,” Peter added.

    Young man in a gray shirt looking frustrated at his phone, possibly dealing with a boss pretending never gave notice situation.

    Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

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    After the poster shared his baffling experience online, netizens told him that he should contact his higher-ups and also inform them about what was going on. He decided to do just that and sent an email to the HR team and added his manager on it. He shared all of the evidence of his two weeks’ notice being handed in with them.

    Luckily, his resignation was acknowledged and proceeding as scheduled, so he didn’t have to worry about that. Peter explained that “the worker in the story took very sensible steps to protect himself by following up with HR, his manager, and his manager’s boss.” 

    “It’s clearly against company policy to stop someone from handing in their notice, so if you’re in a similar situation, the HR department is there to make sure that everything is being done by the book. I’m sure the manager’s boss wasn’t pleased to hear how she was running her department either.”

    “It’s also wise to back up your case with evidence, like this man did. If you’ve handed in your notice and it’s being ignored, hold on to any relevant emails. It helps to have tough conversations over email when you can, or at least follow up in writing after you talk in person. That way, you’ve got a clear record instead of getting stuck in a he-said-she-said mess,” Peter added.

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    Eventually, the poster’s boss came to terms with the fact that he was leaving and begrudgingly spoke to him about it. All of this must have certainly proved to him that he had made the right decision to leave the company.

    Have you ever experienced an awkward situation when trying to resign? Do share your experiences in the comments section.

    Netizens shared many creative ways that the man could force his boss to acknowledge his resignation

    Reddit user advising to CC HR and manager due to boss pretending never gave notice in a workplace dispute conversation.

    Screenshot of an online discussion about a boss pretending never gave notice and documenting the resignation.

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    Comment discussing a boss pretending never gave notice, highlighting the risks of ignoring employee departures.

    Comment about bypassing boss pretending never gave notice, advising contact with HR and preparing to leave work area.

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    Screenshot of a Reddit comment advising to contact HR if your boss is pretending they never gave notice.

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    Text post about an employee giving six months notice while the boss pretended he never received it.

    Comment discussing advice on handling a boss pretending never gave notice when leaving a job.

    Text post explaining tactics of a boss gaslighting employees and pretending they never received a resignation notice.

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    Text advice on handling a boss pretending never gave notice with tips on emailing HR and finalizing resignation.

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    Comment suggesting to send a notice reminder by email and to CC HR, related to boss pretending never gave notice.

    Poll Question

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    Beverly Noronha

    Beverly Noronha

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    You can call me Bev! I'm a world-class reader, a quirky writer, and a gardener who paints. If you’re looking for information about tattoos, Bulbasaur, and books, then I'm the NPC you must approach.

    Read less »
    Beverly Noronha

    Beverly Noronha

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    You can call me Bev! I'm a world-class reader, a quirky writer, and a gardener who paints. If you’re looking for information about tattoos, Bulbasaur, and books, then I'm the NPC you must approach.

    Denis Krotovas

    Denis Krotovas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I am a Visual Editor at Bored Panda. While studying at Vilnius Tech University, I learned how to use Photoshop and decided to continue mastering it at Bored Panda. I am interested in learning UI/UX design and creating unique designs for apps, games and websites. On my spare time, I enjoy playing video and board games, watching TV shows and movies and reading funny posts on the internet.

    Read less »

    Denis Krotovas

    Denis Krotovas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I am a Visual Editor at Bored Panda. While studying at Vilnius Tech University, I learned how to use Photoshop and decided to continue mastering it at Bored Panda. I am interested in learning UI/UX design and creating unique designs for apps, games and websites. On my spare time, I enjoy playing video and board games, watching TV shows and movies and reading funny posts on the internet.

    What do you think ?
    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These days - especially when working remotely - you can send an email and copy HR, and also have a Teams/Zoom chat and record it. HR should acknowledge receipt, but you should always add delivery and read receipts when sending it. Also handy to have a personal account as a blind copy in case it mysteriously disappears off the server. Alternatively, don't work for morons in the first place.

    tori Ohno
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When you put my 2 week notice in, I sent it to my supervisor, HR, and the owner, as well as myself. People are so nasty, you have to protect yourself.

    Load More Replies...
    JL
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd say fire her, but I fully expect she'll keep coming to work and say no one told her she was canned.

    Janelle Collard
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    California is an "at will" state, so if you don't mind nuking your career or references, you can just go to your boss + say - "I quit" and walk out the door. IF you have a contract, you need to check how to quit without violating it. Employers are not allowed to withhold your last paycheck if you quit with no notice.

    Load More Comments
    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These days - especially when working remotely - you can send an email and copy HR, and also have a Teams/Zoom chat and record it. HR should acknowledge receipt, but you should always add delivery and read receipts when sending it. Also handy to have a personal account as a blind copy in case it mysteriously disappears off the server. Alternatively, don't work for morons in the first place.

    tori Ohno
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When you put my 2 week notice in, I sent it to my supervisor, HR, and the owner, as well as myself. People are so nasty, you have to protect yourself.

    Load More Replies...
    JL
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd say fire her, but I fully expect she'll keep coming to work and say no one told her she was canned.

    Janelle Collard
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    California is an "at will" state, so if you don't mind nuking your career or references, you can just go to your boss + say - "I quit" and walk out the door. IF you have a contract, you need to check how to quit without violating it. Employers are not allowed to withhold your last paycheck if you quit with no notice.

    Load More Comments
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