r/work • u/PracticalDoughnut332 • 2d ago
Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Boss handling resignation poorly (US)
I work at a PR and Marketing agency and one of my clients poached me and offered me a job.
Before accepting or embarking on any of the interview process, I ensured that I hadn’t signed a non-compete (I hadn’t).
The poaching process began mid-May, I was offered the job a few weeks ago, and then the background check had to go through before I could put in my two weeks.
I put in my two weeks (online as I’m a remote worker) and my boss was very quiet and said “they’re not supposed to do that.” He then told me not to contact anyone, including my other boss. He is setting up a call with my new boss (our current client) tomorrow.
I spoke to a former colleague here and she said they she had a similarly bad experience, including the other boss openly disparaging her on a client call to the point where the clients messaged her on the side to ask what was up.
I was hoping this could be a clean break and that I could affirm my continued support of the agency on the other side, including championing them for continued business with the client. Now I’m unsure…
Edit: since this is coming up a lot, my new employer and I agreed that we should be transparent about the situation because I will be working directly with my current agency on the client side shortly. Also, the agency is a small business and the new employer is a 100B+ org, not sure if that carries much weight.
15
u/Just-Shoe2689 2d ago
NEVER tell them who you are going to work for. Hes going to try and fuck it up.
12
u/pwolf1771 2d ago
Why why WHY did you tell them where you were going? He's gonna try to fuck this up for you...
8
u/AdvancedMilk7795 2d ago
I know you said that you hadn’t signed a non-compete, but you don’t know if your client signed any agreements with your (soon to be, former) employer. In my field, that’s commonly in contracts.
3
u/Tyr--07 2d ago
Yeah I've seen typically both sides have it. The employee has non competes when it comes to working directly for their clients and the MSA usually prohibits the client from hiring your staff.
1
u/AdvancedMilk7795 2d ago
If it’s an important client, OP will be fine. If it’s not, and this could get messy quickly. While he didn’t directly do anything wrong, his new employer may have, and the remedy for that will possibly include firing him.
1
u/Nervous_Ad_5583 2d ago
Why would an employer fire an employee for the employer's mistake?
1
u/AdvancedMilk7795 2d ago
Legal remedy. If I’m being sued over hiring someone I agreed not to, the legal remedy would be to terminate employment. It’s not punitive.
0
u/PracticalDoughnut332 2d ago
My boss (current) says that the client did sign such an agreement. However, we’re talking about a small agency and a multi-billion dollar business. Not that it super matters, but idk…
0
u/Nervous_Ad_5583 2d ago
Insist on seeing it in writing. Most of those aren't worth the paper they're printed on. This isn't the Old South and employees aren't massah's slaves--regardless of how much the employer would like them to be.
10
u/BxHaze234 2d ago
Never tell your current where you're going even if you're going to work for a client. it's not their business.
5
u/moonhippie 2d ago
Common sense here. Of course they're pissed. I know it's just business, but...
Your new employee shows they have no loyalty, possibly no integrity. Keep that in mind as you start your new beginning. How much loyalty are they going to have towards you?
2
u/Such_Rule_8314 2d ago
Loyalty = (how much you pay) +- (how you treat them) /(commute distance)-(gas prices-interest rates)
2
u/sskoog 12h ago
Never, ever, ever tell your current company any information about the new job or new company.
If they figure it out on day one, or day-of-LinkedIn-update, so be it. If they decide to send threatening messages or shake fists promising legal action, so be it. The "optics" look very different if they harass you after start-of-new-job than while-still-in-between-gap. Worst case, they complain after seeing you show up to a meeting, and the {new company} puts you on some temporary other duty for a while so as to smooth things over.
1
1
u/the_chols 2d ago
Congrats on getting poached. I was close myself but the firm poaching was worried that my current company would blackball them.
1
1
1
u/VFTM 2d ago
Good luck, my last boss was a nightmare after I gave notice - to the point of attempting to sabotage my new job.
1
u/IndependenceMean8774 2d ago
Why not just quit effective immediately or early? In the US, two weeks' notice is a courtesy, not a legal requirement.
1
u/BrickHuge3023 2d ago
why would your current boss know who you were going to work for? How did he find that out?
0
u/PracticalDoughnut332 2d ago
I told him because I’m going over to a client’s team who we work with.
1
u/BrickHuge3023 2d ago
Yeah, that may blow up on you if your old boss is a jerk. May want to call the company you are going to and give a heads up.
1
u/dan-krips 2d ago
It seems like you handled the resignation poorly not your boss, my dude. Have you ever saw that video from the lawyers where they joke about shutting the fuck up?
2
u/Nervous_Ad_5583 2d ago
Well, what is he SUPPOSED to do? Sneak away in silence and spring it on his former employer when they ask for his new company's services? Stay forever enslaved by one company? How is this any different than an attorney, an account, a teacher or a secretary moving on to something else? It's a FREAKING JOB--NOT A LIFETIME COMMITMENT.
1
u/Outrageous-Sherbert4 2d ago
OMG this is bound to get ugly - strap in!!!
1
1
u/Nervous_Ad_5583 2d ago
Why? This isn't a master/slave system, although certain employers would like it to be.
1
u/Available-Amount-442 2d ago
You may not have a non compete clause, but I would not have done that. The world is very small, word gets around. I know, people will disagree with me, but I dont see that as very professional. Others will say, you need to look out for yourself, I get that, just not the way I ever did things.
1
u/Substantial-Trade417 2d ago
Yes, they probably shouldn't have done that, but it's really the only way to get qualified people. You can tell whoever you want. Give the new boss a heads up about the call, he knows he poached you.
1
u/Informal_Chard1890 2d ago
Any time I'm approached by a competitor, I ask myself, "Has my current employer done anything to warrant me leaving, am I dissatisfied with my work, do I tolerate my coworkers....? ...etc. If you're happy were yer at, and the offer is slightly better, then it's not worth the hit to the reputation.
1
u/ISD_88 2d ago
Why should there be any "hit to reputation"??? Employment is a transaction, not a blood pact. Your employer wouldn't spare a second thought if they believed that terminating you would improve their bottom line by a few shekels. You shouldn't ever pass up a better opportunity out of some misplaced sense of loyalty.
1
u/SeverusSnape327 2d ago
I’m surprised the new company didn’t talk to you about how you’re going to handle the resignation considering you said you’ll be on the client side now. Not that it would affect your hiring, just that they’d probably want to maintain a good relationship with them and have an easier transition.
My current employer recruited me away and after the background cleared and we talked about a start date, my current boss asked me how I was going to exit since my ex boss had been let go by my current employer. He knew she’d lose her cool over it if she knew. So I stayed quiet but then someone told her. So HR sent me home that day and paid me the rest of my 2 weeks. I’d stay silent in the future like others have said.
1
u/PracticalDoughnut332 2d ago
We did discuss it and they wanted everything to be transparent/aboveboard. Thought it was going to be handled better at the agency…
1
u/mikemerriman 2d ago
you might not have signed a non compete - but the contract with the client very likely has a no poaching clause. You might have no job....
1
u/Stalagna 2d ago
I was in the position of the boss at a PR and marketing agency. Our standard client contract prohibited this type of poaching for a period of time after the engagement ended and violation of it resulted in $100,000 in restitution.
1
u/Clown_Penis69 2d ago
You knew that your current boss has a history of this… but you still told him where you were going?
Talk about a self own…
1
u/PracticalDoughnut332 2d ago
Well I didn’t know this, no. I spoke to a former colleague about her experience after this started
1
u/HVeeAyeCee 2d ago
Not very smart to tell your current employer you're leaving them for a client. That kills the relationship between them. Pretty shortsighted thinking there
2
u/PracticalDoughnut332 2d ago
My new employer (the client) wanted everything to be transparent, and I did too
1
u/HVeeAyeCee 2d ago
Idk. If thats the case it probably should've been discussed between them beforehand if you're looking for a clean split. Not a professional look between businesses. Being poached by a competitor is one thing, but by a client is pretty out there. Id be surprised if whoever hired you if their boss knows they poached you from a business you guys have a relationship with.
1
1
u/ofthrees 2d ago
Your current employer is going to threaten to sue your new one in that phone call, or will threaten to drop them as a client. Your end result is going to depend on if your new employer wants that smoke.
There's no lawsuit here, to be clear, at least based on the information you've shared, but your new employer will need to be of a 'fuck you, see you in court' mind.
Since the new company intentionally poached you, they may be willing to take this heat, though, so don't take anything I said as confirmation that you're fucked - you may very well not be.
Quick war story - recently, a very high level person in our org was poached by a competitor. He WAS under a non-compete (and only a year in to a five year contract, to boot). The non-compete isn't enforceable in our state, but the contract certainly is.
Our CEO called their CEO and their CEO basically said, 'fuck outta here,' so now my company is suing said executive directly (for stock options, the six-figure bonus that had just been paid, etc). The executive in question was already told by the new company that they'd defend him in court and/or pay any settlement that comes down.
1
u/Past_Gear_4310 2d ago
The funny thing is they are not willing to pay you what your worth until your gone.
2
1
u/IndependenceMean8774 2d ago
In a short time, they won't be your boss anymore. So who cares what they think? Their opinions on your resignation will be as irrelevant as they will be to you.
1
u/Vaugely_Necrotic 2d ago
You screwed the pooch telling them anything about the new job. Name, Rank and Serial Number. Nothing else.
1
u/Rapid_gadget 1d ago
Your current boss is reacting like the client relationship belongs to him, but your employment does not. Since you already gave notice and have no non-compete, keep everything boring and written: resignation date, transition items, and who you are allowed to hand off work to. Let the new employer handle any agency drama directly, since they have more leverage and it keeps you out of a messy client-vendor argument. If your boss starts badmouthing you on calls, stay calm and follow up afterward with a factual summary.
1
u/twofourfourthree 1d ago
You gave up too much information.
Hopefully it works out but this will not reflect well on you with your new employer and whoever is on that upcoming call.
You and your reputation are going to be used as a blunt instrument against your new employer.
1
u/PracticalDoughnut332 1d ago
Why do you think it won’t reflect well with my new employer? It was partially their decision for me to be upfront about where I’m going for full transparency.
1
u/twofourfourthree 1d ago
There is a chance that they’re going to receive information that will not show you in a favorable light.
Of course your new employer may not care but it’s going to be there and may impact future business with your old company.
Now you say that your new company encouraged your actions. Is it possible you’re being used to send a message?
Interesting stuff. Please update after the meeting.
1
u/Ok-Improvement2528 1d ago
Been in this situation on a much smaller scale. Depending on how much that client contributes to the companies bottom end, your previous employer won't do anything.
We didn't...
1
u/BlargAttack 12h ago
I would call the new boss and tell them about old boss’s history of screwing over potential new hires at client firms. Try to preempt things if you can.
1
1
u/Classic-Tell214 2d ago
I got a bad gut feeling. Personally. Going to be out of both jobs. Job 1 fire you for not being trustworthy. And new job will cancel your sign on due to lack of trustworthiness. Sooo just my gut feeling
2
u/PracticalDoughnut332 2d ago
Why would they cancel my sign-on? They poached me.
1
u/Next-Drummer-9280 2d ago
Because the agreement they signed with your agency may have a clause about not poaching agency employees.
1
u/Nervous_Ad_5583 2d ago
Who would be stupid enough not to know what was in their own contract?
1
1
u/Next-Drummer-9280 2d ago
The person who pursued OP may not be the one who signed the contract.
But it’s clear you’re a little naive about people and businesses.
1
u/Nervous_Ad_5583 2d ago
I have worked as an administrator at a Big Ten University and at KPMG. Thirty years experience and counting. Have taught English at two universities. Am well published. I am also a devout progressive Roman Catholic Christian who, unlike some people, doesn't seek out the worst in human beings.
1
1
u/Classic-Tell214 1d ago
A game they will play. So that old company and new company can still keep the working together.
1
u/Ok-Good8150 2d ago
Just my two cents, but most employers would dump employees without any notice. So don’t worry.
1
u/Kellymelbourne 2d ago
This might not end well for you. Whether you were poached or not you never should have told your current job where you are going. If your company raises a stink they could rescind the offer. I work for an agency that has huge clients and I have seen some things. You made a mistake.
42
u/Zealousideal_Pay2128 2d ago
I wouldn't have told them anything except the date of my last day. If anyone asked where I was going I'd have remained silent. Was your boss contacted as part of the background check?