2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics data proves what many employers already know. More than 3½ million employees quit their job every month.
Two-weeks-notice of a resignation may still be the norm for most of these employees, but anecdotal evidence shows that, in a booming job market, more and more employees are willing to end employment relationships in a more abrupt or even callous manner.
On December 6, 2018, a 17-year old Walmart employee posted a video on Facebook entitled “How I quit my job today.” In the video, the employee records himself reading a prepared statement over a Walmart intercom system. The approximately one-minute video, which now has over 500,000 views, begins with the following line: “Attention all shoppers, associates and management, I would like to say to all of you today that nobody should work here, ever.”
On December 5, 2018, the Federal Reserve noted in its monthly Beige Book that “several Chicago firms have reported that some employees have simply quit – with no notice nor means of contact.” The Beige Book, which tracks employment trends, referred to this manner of quitting as being “ghosted.”
Other employers have reported being notified that an employee had resigned via text from the employee. There are even smartphone apps which assist a user in constructing such a text to an employer.
Abrupt departures may not be a new phenomenon and are often attributable to the demand of a prospective employer. The willingness of more departing employees to “ghost” their employers or shame their employers via social media, however, is a relatively new trend.
So, what can an employer legally do to prevent an employee from leaving it in the lurch? What can an employer legally do to prevent a departing employee from sounding off on social media? The answer is very little.
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