Quiz CornerQ.  If an employee gives a two-week notice of resignation, can an employer choose to terminate them immediately?

A: Employers are not mandated to honor an employee’s resignation notice period. However, if the employer immediately ends the employment relationship, the employee’s resignation then turns into an involuntary separation. In this case, the Department of Labor may find the employee eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits that he or she otherwise would not have been entitled to receive. Additionally, if company policy requires employees to give two weeks’ notice, an employee could rely on the policy to support a claim to receive the two weeks’ pay they missed out on when the employer made the resignation effective immediately. If you have any questions about voluntary and involuntary separations, unemployment eligibility or separation policies and procedures, do not hesitate to ask your HR Consultant.