Continuing with Thursday’s post …

 OK, so how does “On payday, everybody’s even” fit in with a career move? Hang with me a little while long and it will all make sense.

I took the following excerpt from a client email I received recently. It’s a good question. And this client is wise in planning an exit strategy.

My company’s unwritten policy is to escort you out the door as soon as you turn in a notice. Do they have to pay me for the notice I give? In the past, I have paid my employees for their two-weeks, but followed policy and make them leave as soon as they gave notice. Being a higher-level manager, I would give two months notice. If they let me go, do they have to pay me for the two months?

This is the gist of what I told him:

You may stay on the high road with two months notice, but they may not. If they walk you to the door, in my eyes, that’s pretty much it. You’re done. Unless you’re protected by a “pre-nuptial” contract guaranteeing severance pay, regardless the circumstance, I wouldn’t count on anything. By not counting on them for severance pay, anything you get will pleasantly surprise you, and if you don’t get it, you’re not devastated financially.

You being magnanimous with your managers doesn’t mean you’ll get the same treatment.

This isn’t a family where dad slips you twenty bucks before you leave for the big city. This is business. Basically, don’t expect anything out of a business relationship, other than a business relationship. The “shoulds” and “fair” of your perception are probably not even on your employer’s radar. On payday, everybody’s even.

Back in the ‘90s, I worked with a very smart inventory control manager. His name was George. We were part of a team tasked with consolidating and moving two assembly operations, in two states into a new facility in a third location. We spent many hours conversing about specific processes and business in general.

Of all the conversations we had, one stands out. George and I were talking one afternoon. I was lamenting the fact that my “ogre manger” (aren’t they all, except you, of course) had denied a request for earned time off … don’t even remember the specifics. I went on to whine about all the time I’d put in lately, all the long hours, the weekends and all the extras I did on a daily basis. Didn’t he owe me? Shouldn’t he give me what I wanted? I do so much. I’ve done so much. He owes me. Yes, yes he does owe me.

A half-smile / half-smirk came across George’s face as he leaned back in his chair, pyramiding his hands, using the point of the pyramid to rub his goatee for emphasis, and said, “Dawn, my dear, on payday everybody’s even.”

Once I got over the urge to hit him, I started to understand what he meant. There is no  huge tally sheet in human resources to see who’s in the plus and minus column for “favors and little extras” this month. You’re there to do a job. Your employer pays you for the job you perform.

How you choose to carry out job functions (within reasonable parameters, of course) or how many hours it takes is of no consequence to the employer. As long as you’re providing expected results, you’ll receive your paycheck. That’s it. Put any other expectation on an employment relationship and you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Families do favors for each other. Successful businesses make tough decisions to protect the bottom line. George is right, on payday, everybody’s even.

Now what does all this have to do with the job search process? I’ll tell you … in my next post.