How should I handle this 6

[ivegotgas]

I gave my two weeks notice at my firm 1 week ago, I am leaving because the company i am working with couldn't keep me busy and I was very bored at work.

After I gave my notice no one communicated to me at all last week. On Thursday I sent my boss a transition plan that wrapped up all of the loose ends on the few projects that I was working on. (He never asked for a plan or update, but I figured he may want to know where everything is that I'm leaving.)

I have not been asked to work on anything for the past three weeks but this morning I find a request to review 26 pages of hand drawn P&ID's and filter them down to a PFD level (Hand CAD). This is on a system that I am unfamiliar with and have no desire to learn since I'm leaving and they have done a good job of disengaging me. I'm not stamping anything, just reviewing and passing along to drafting for the real CAD work.

I honestly could care less about his "make work project" and I feel like telling him to stuff it, and then taking the rest of the week off.

I could really care less if I get paid the rest of the week or not.

Any suggestions on how I should handle this?

 

[ctopher]

That is up to you. I never burn bridges.
In today's economy, you never know if you become desperate for a job and ask your previous employer to come back.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08; CATIA V5
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion

 

[msquared48]

I agree with ctopher. A little extra knowledge never hurt anyone in this business, especially when you are being paid for it. Take it while you can get it.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Always leave on good terms. Always do whatever work you're given to the best of your ability ... even if it's only for your benefit.

You may need a reference from them one day.

 

[TheTick]

If you can't find a way to dodge and slack for a week, you have much to learn.

 

[MadMango]

Do what you can before you leave. It will not matter how much you get done, even if you complete the review, you will still be blamed for everything that goes wrong after you leave.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Whether you're a PE or not, you're a Professional.

Which means that you do what you're asked, to the best of your ability, for as long as you're paid to do so.

Then you leave.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[apsix]

I agree. You gave 2 weeks notice, you're now obliged to act in accordance with your notice.

 

[jmw]

Agreed, you have to do it as well as you can.

Interesting similarity though to the time I quit my first job after a great many years with them (this a time of transition between the old style "man 'n boy" days when you worked generation after generation for the same company to the more modern and more self responsible era of moving on for better pay, conditions and wider experience.

When I handed in my resignation there was not even a ripple. Not even a response. I told them plain I was off to the competition.
The only real response was a debate about my notice period. Management thought I should work a month and I told them it was only two weeks according to my contract. "But we promoted you" they said. "No you didn't," I replied, you offered me a new title, more work and responsibility but no change in salary or benefits and I turned it down."
No response.

Well, actually, there was a response, I was tasked with generating a whole new part numbering system and an order code for the entire product range, something well outside my scope of experience and training and something that ought to require a great deal of collaboration between sales and marketing, production and manufacturing.... which I did to the best of my ability but what they did with it is any ones guess.

So, I have to guess that it is not unusual for these tasks to be assigned. I would guess that they pick tasks that they would not ordinarily find resources for, something that they can take or leave when completed as they are no worse off and might even get something workable out of the exercise.

Most importantly, I got something valuable out of it which is a proper understanding of what a part number system should do and who it serves. It not only has to reflect the existing product range but allow for future new products and for specials (salesmen have a habit of selling what you don;t make), it has to allow for the various interests of accounting and stock control and for sales and marketing just as much as for manufacturing.

Some ears later I was to do this for real for another company and I did so with great confidence and success.

So do it and do it well, you never know what benefit it might bring.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[TenPenny]

Work diligently on it for two or three days. If you honestly will not be able to finish it, make sure you generate many requests for clarification and/or further details. Make sure that it is very clear from your paperwork that you will be unable to complete the review without this further information, and try to involve as many parties as possible in the requests.

Try to ensure that you will not receive the required clarifications while you are still there - then you can spend your last day summarizing all of the missing information, to pass on to whoever will be handling it when you are gone.

This way, you'll leave some reason why you were unable to complete it; certainly, some wise guy will blame you for not finishing your work; this way, there'll be a paper trail as to why not.

Yes, it's petty and foolish, but for certain people will blame you for anything and everything that was not done.

 

[spongebob007]

I agree with The Tick. I can't recall ever having a last week at a job where I did much of anything that resembeled real work. Look, there is no recourse if you don't finish it. Just take the assignment, don't say anything to your boss that might end up burning the bridge, and simply put in a half baked effort to make it look like you are doing what you have been asked. When Friday rolls around, just tell the boss that you were not able to get it done.

 

[ornerynorsk]

Sounds like the boss has set the tone for your leaving. IE - he has lit the match and just waiting to see if you grab it out of his hand and throw it on the bridge, so to speak. Requests for clarification and "busy-ness" with lots of little details can really kill a lot of time. Develop some good "issues" with the drawings, or just simply hand them off to the drafters with a couple of time-consuming sit-down review sessions. Tough one. You might as well be as professional as possible, all the while knowing you just need to kill those last few days.

 

[rmw]

I have found that often in life people who treat you as you don't like to be treated also don't mind being treated the same way; in fact, they seem to respect you more if you stand up to them. I have treated some of the most ill tempered contractor types like they treated me and they seemed to like it and respect me for it.

On my very first job out of University, I had heard about this senior field engineer that had a reputation for being a real bad a$$. One day the lead engineer had to be off the job for a court appearance and I and the other youngster engineers were told that mr BA would be out to look after us in his absence. I had never met him, but as he walked out on the turbine deck about 10:30 AM they pointed out that it was him that was approaching the job (in a tie, no less).

As he approached my work area with a scowl on his face I sang out in a loud voice, "what the heck are you doing showing up here on this jobsite at 10:30 in the morning? We start around here at 7:00 AM. And what the HeXX are you doing on a turbine deck in a tie? He looked at me briefly with a surprised look, and a big grin broke out on his face and he stuck his hand out, introduced himself and we were the best of buddies from then on. My co-workers marveled at how he and I got along. I can still after all these years remember some of his war (field work war) stories.

My point is that giving them a dose of what they are giving you might not be altogether a bad thing. I have had it work for me to my benefit many times.

rmw