Why Would I be Asked to return for my last day?

[bronco_5]

Texas.

I resigned. Gave two week's notice. Have done my job as always. Today the HR dept requested I come in and work a full day on the last day. I have nothing that belongs to them. No computer, no badge, no keys and I've been turning over all my data. Why would they want me to come in on my last day? What am I potentially walking into?

 

[LdiJ]

Texas.

I resigned. Gave two week's notice. Have done my job as always. Today the HR dept requested I come in and work a full day on the last day. I have nothing that belongs to them. No computer, no badge, no keys and I've been turning over all my data. Why would they want me to come in on my last day? What am I potentially walking into?

I am confused...if you gave two weeks notice you are supposed to work through those full two weeks unless told to leave early, therefore why wouldn't they expect you to work a full day on the last day of your notice?

 

[swalsh411]

You are surprised that you are being asked to perform work on your last day? (presumably time you are being paid for). Do you believe you should be paid for that day but not have to do anything?

 

[eerelations]

I agree with the others. I have resigned with notice from several jobs and have always worked a full day on the last day. I would be very surprised if those employers had expected otherwise.

 

[commentator]

In case you are worried that they're going to "fire" you on your last day, don't worry. Even if they did, it would not change the reason you left the job. And I'm with the others. if you "gave two weeks notice" then you should be working that two weeks, yes? So you'll be there, not on vacation leave or something the last day. I, too, have always been told that in the event of your quitting, retiring, whatever, you did have to show up for work on your last official day of work. Some of the HR people here will be able to tell you why, I'm sure.

 

[cbg]

This HR person doesn't understand why anyone would think their last day is any different from any other day. As long as you are still employed, and if you gave two weeks notice you are still employed for those two weeks unless your employer CHOOSES to release you before that, you are still expected to show up and do your job right up to the last minute of the last day. Why on EARTH would anyone think otherwise?

 

[Beth3]

Why wouldn't you be asked to work on your last day of work?

 

[commentator]

Of course, when giving your two weeks notice, if they accept it, you'd work all the two weeks, including the last day. They'd have your severance letter for you on that day, I I'm idly curious about that though. Because when you resign or retire from the state, any and all the states I have dealt with, and you've got all sorts of benefits and sick days (which you are not paid for when you leave) and vacation days, which you are paid for, you always, always, even if you elect to be on leave for the two months leading up to the last day, you always have to make yourself present on the official last day, you can't phone it in or anything. I always thought there must be some kind of official reason related to payroll for that.

 

[bronco_5]

Apologies. I was unclear. I gave two weeks notice. I told my boss that I would work from home for those two weeks. I've performed as I always have. I have only a couple of days remaining.

Now I've been requested to come and work my last day at the office. Since I have nothing to turn over, I'm wondering why: 1. HR would request I come in on my last day? 2. Why would the request specifically state, "work a full day". (given I already put in 12+ hour days seven days a week).

It has been proposed by a friend that I may be asked to sign a non-compete. Any other thoughts or ideas?

 

[cbg]

It really doesn't matter one hoot, jot or tiddle why. Working from home is not a right. They do not have to allow it.

If they want you in the office for your last day, then you get thee into the office for the last day. Who knows? Maybe they're throwing you a goodbye party.

 

[justalayman]

maybe they want to throw you a party.

It has been proposed by a friend that I may be asked to sign a non-compete. Any other thoughts or ideas?

sure it's possible. You cannot be forced to sign it (unless some prior contract requires it).

Is there some reason you do not want to show up?


I would be more concerned about any possible damage you could cause by not showing up than being ambushed in some way. While I cannot think of anything at the moment specifically that you could affect negatively, unless there is some reason to not show up, I would think showing up would be the wiser choice.

 

[Beth3]

If they want you to come into the office to work on your last day, then that's what you do. Their reason doesn't matter.

 

[eerelations]

Maybe they plan to kill you.

I'm in HR and I always kill resignees on their last day of work. As I'm sure you already know, this is what HR does. Like your HR rep, I prefer to perform these killings in the office because - again like your HR rep - essentially I'm lazy and I don't always want to go all the way out to the resignees' homes to perform this last employment rite. (Unless of course they happen to live next to Target. You evidently don't.)

If you want to fight this near-certain deadly fate, you could try wearing your cloak of invisibility (yeah yeah I know it's hot out there but geez this is a matter of life and death you know!) when you go to the office on YOUR LAST DAY.

 

[Beth3]

Killing employees who have resigned on their last day really reduces turnover. Employees think twice about accepting a job offer elsewhere.

 

[eerelations]

Killing employees who have resigned on their last day really reduces turnover. Employees think twice about accepting a job offer elsewhere.

It's that kind of progressive and strategic business-oriented thinking that got you your fancy executive job. Unfortunately I'm still a lowly kill-just-for-the-fun-of-it peon.