Strange are the ways corporates function at times.
Management thinkers have spent decades researching and commenting on best HR policies, employee retention, performance-based compensation structure etc. Consultants charge heavy fees to guide management to sow seeds of innovation and cultivate attributes like transparency, integrity, team spirit, hard work to help owners harvest maximum returns on their investments.
In last 5 years I have worked with 4 different types of organization. All were unique due to their product/service, size, employee strength, work culture etc. but strangely they all are same when it comes to the HR policy pertaining to notice period. A general HR policy states that any employee who has worked for more than 6 months within the organization and is permanent by nature of employment is liable to either serve a notice period of 30 days post tendering her resignation or pay next 30 days salary in advance. However latter is possible only if permitted by your boss.
My uncle use to say only two relations in this world get happier with your success- your teacher and your parents. For sure, such behavior is not expected from your Boss (mind the capital B just as G in God). Irrespective of miracles that you did and milestones you achieved during your employment period, you are treated just like any other employee once on notice period. All these years you tried hard explaining your Boss your strengths and achievements and she makes you realize 'that one thing you need to work upon…,else a raise of X% was on its way.'
So while you are rarely/partially appreciated (for fool's sake at times) for your performance and always told “No one is indispensable” insistence on serving the full 30 days notice period is not negotiable. While on notice its like you are suddenly without any work. Your colleagues with whom you shared and experienced good and bad of corporate world look upon you as a person who have broken their trust. Its like saying, “Why have you done this to us? You were never with us. You cheated on us. Why did you not share that you were planning to change etc…?”
Officially being on notice you are required to 'hand over' your work to one of your colleague. 'Hand over' is like teaching a 10th grade counting. All this is fine till your colleagues start commenting “you never loved your job else why will you leave if you were so committed to task at hand or you also went for more money.” One who serves a notice period is the only one to understand the pain of leaving a job. It hurts and hurts even harder if you were true to your job and to your organization to be on notice period to quit.
Decision to change a job can be due to falling prey to greed of earning more and or combination of better future growth. All this seems an obvious statement of reality but its not true always. If its so painful to leave then why do people change jobs? Reason lies only in present job not in future one.
Have a Happy NOTICE PERIOD just like that jingle of 'Whisper' sanitary napkins states- Have a happy period