For future reference… in the marine world how do people usually give notice that they are leaving their employer? If hitches are 28 days do you just give them a one hitch notice, only give two weeks notice halfway through the hitch, give notice that you aren’t coming back in two weeks at the end( I wouldnt think the last one)? Anyway, I may have something in the works and wanted to leave on good terms if it comes down to it.
I Use the “The Next hitch is my last.” Notice. Easiest way to compensate for time.
^^agree… If you need to leave sooner I would call as soon as I knew I had the job and always good to leave on good terms, even know they wouldn’t let you know they letting you go if they would ever do that…
[QUOTE=bell47;106653]For future reference… in the marine world how do people usually give notice that they are leaving their employer? If hitches are 28 days do you just give them a one hitch notice, only give two weeks notice halfway through the hitch, give notice that you aren’t coming back in two weeks at the end( I wouldnt think the last one)? Anyway, I may have something in the works and wanted to leave on good terms if it comes down to it.[/QUOTE]
From a shorebased perspective, telling your employer that it will be your last hitch should be sufficient. On a 28 day hitch you are realistically giving them a 6 week timeframe to find your permanent replacement or to start making the necessary arrangements. Depending on the quality of your employer depends on when I would suggest informing them of your intentions. If its a first rate operator I would call them before you come down for crew change and you shouldn’t have any problems. If it’s a bottom feeder company, I would wait until you got on the vessel as they may let you go before you arrive for crew change and try to make someone work over to “get back at you.” I always appreciated when a proper notice was given that someone was leaving for whatever the reason was. It doesn’t put the personnel department in a major bind and most importantly you don’t screw your fellow ship mates.
Good Luck with your endeavour.
Yeah…I agree terrebonne… If it works out, I thought about just telling them it would be my last hitch when I got on the boat. I figured that 28 plus the next 14 that I was scheduled off would give them plenty of time to find another warm body.I got screwed once trying to be the good guy and giving to long of a notice…I found myself with a unplanned month off with no pay!
Give it about 3weeks in so the company doesn’t send you home early or tell you not to come in. Some outfits will do that.
“Why are you leaving?” The question might be tough to answer without upsetting these lovely folks you’re working for. I always use the generic response, “I need to take care of some problems at home.” Hopefully they won’t pry or be to rude to ask anything further. This avoids answering truthfully, your equipment sucks, you’re safety program is non-existent, please God get me out of this shizz hole outfit, the pay is better across the street and the air conditioners work on the boats. Oh, and I’ve been dating your wife and she thinks she’s pregnant.
That was awesome!
A certain lake based company required 14 days notice, while onboard so that they could use the “jedi mind trick”, and convince you to stay. Well I didnt drink the kool-aid, and told them with plenty of notice i wasnt coming back, actually 5 crewmembers did, so one by one we where sent home early from various shit hole ports up north, just keep things like that in mind. Like they said, if you work for a good place, leave on decent terms. I wouldnt give notice before i came in, because chances are you wont be going in.
If you tell them two weeks into your 28 day hitch, that will give them a month to hire someone. If they cannot figure out how to replace you in a month, then they are too incompetent for you to care about. Most boat company HR people operate on a crisis basis. They probably won’t even start looking for your replacement until after you’re off the boat.
If they happen to have a qualified replacement standing in the office when you tell them, and they don’t mind burning their bridge with you, they might replace you the same day you tell them. If so, you might get two extra weeks off. You might want to have a license upgrade class lined up or some other options planned in case they do let you go early.
If its a shitty company, that might “fire you immediately before you can quit,” just tell them the last day of your hitch. If its that kind of company, two weeks is enough.
Two weeks notice is… T W O weeks notice, From the day you tell them to the day you are expected back to work. In your case, I would just call them two weeks prior to the date you are expected to go back to work. (on your off time, on the 28 and 28 schedule) Nothing fancy. They certainly wouldn’t do any more (an probably less) for you if the circumstances were reversed. If you are feeling bad about this, think back to when they last let someone go. Did they give the guy 2 weeks, or lay him off with NO notice? Why go overboard worrying about what they won’t do anyway?
A certain petroleum transportation company in the northeast will “terminate” you upon you giving notice. Relieved of the watch immediately and thrown off the boat ASAP. Whether or not they give you your wages due is another story, but they claim if you are planning on leaving, they don’t want you operating their equipment in the meantime less you will not give a shit. Seems to only apply to troublemakers or controversial cases but your mileage can vary…yea it may be illegal in certain states but without looking at the laws I do not know.
Ebb tide hit it spot on.
I’ve always left on good terms, or atleast tried to. Even shit hole outfits I gave them the benifit of doubt. It’s a small world and word travels fast if your a dirtbag or think you are better than you really are.
I’ve had them try to give me more money to stay and I’ve had them tell me to fuck off… In my experiance the mom and pops will try to keep a good employee and a big outfit don’t give a damn…
Best of luck what ever you are planning.
I have always given a two week notice only after my new employment is gauranteed, physicals passed, etc. In Louisiana it is a "Right to work " state, meaning neither party is obligated to give any notice of termination. That said, if my new company would object to me not working out a 2 week notice because they had to have me right now, I would have to reconsider going to work for them. I also tell the company exactly why I am leaving, hopefully it helps those shipmates I am leaving. They seem to be happy with my length of notice and allows me not to burn a bridge. Also, always do it in writing, email preferably. That way you have a legal record of you quitting vs. them fireing you, this can be important should they fight your unemployment if your new plans don’t go as planned.
I have always tried to give as much notice as possible when ever I have left a job. But, I am always prepared to have them tell me to leave right away as some companies will tell you to hit the road as soon as notice was put in. One thing I used to consider a Red Flag is when a company asked you to leave your present job right away without giving notice. Now a days with so many people out of work these companies usually need someone now and if the job was a good one I would consider doing a pier head jump, (no Notice).
No good company will ask you to leave your old job with out notice
I like to say, " Remember how I used to come in here every other 28 days, Well I won’t be doing that anymore"
When I quit my last sailing job (Belcher/Coastal), I gave plenty of notice, but the HR guy told me that he would withhold my pay until I found a replacement. I am guessing that was illegal, but that was the way they operated. Luckily, I did find a replacement, so I did not find out if he would have stuck to what he threatened. It was really probably the worst sailing job I had. Bad equipment (BELCHER PORT EVERGLADES), poor leadership, and really only a few good hands onboard. I mean, the SEA SKIMMER may have sucked, but we had some real good hands onboard, and that made up for everything.
[QUOTE=skycowboy;106902]I like to say, " Remember how I used to come in here every other 28 days, Well I won’t be doing that anymore"[/QUOTE]
My notice? They notice that I didn’t show up for crew change.
No, seriously though, some of it depends on what position you fill, are there already extras on the boat, etc. If you are a new hire OS they probably won’t even know your gone. Lead captain or chief engineer will take a bit more time.
Get your affairs in order, ask for a sea time letter well ahead of time, start removing your inflatable friends and other non essential items so that you don’t need a u-haul the last day. Because the last day might be a rainy, shitty night in Intracoastal City.
Ask for an extra week off, if they freak out about it then you might know they will have a hard time replacing you.
They just need warm bodies with a ticket to match the COI don’t get caught up thinking they can’t make it without you.
I answered an employment ad in Dec '85 for Belcher. They turned me down because I wasn’t an academy grad. The same with Texaco and Exon. In retrospect, they did me a great service!