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I lateraled to current firm after staying at previous firm for a little over 2 years. I like it here. Basically 100% remote and I don’t mind the practice area. Been here for a few weeks now. However, I couldn’t help but apply to a boutique in my desired practice area after starting at new place. Just got offer from boutique. Similar pay and benefits. How bad is it if I basically immediately quit this new job? Anyone have experience with this or know of people that have done it? Are they now homeless and live in shame?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 20, 2022 9:25 pm

I lateraled to current firm after staying at previous firm for a little over 2 years. I like it here. Basically 100% remote and I don’t mind the practice area. Been here for a few weeks now. However, I couldn’t help but apply to a boutique in my desired practice area after starting at new place. Just got offer from boutique. Similar pay and benefits. How bad is it if I basically immediately quit this new job? Anyone have experience with this or know of people that have done it? Are they now homeless and live in shame?

2 weeks is fast. But I know ppl who have left places after a few months. Not a big deal. Obviously you'll burn a bridge with your current employer.

Yeah, you won’t be able to go back to your current employer, but just stick with the line “the opportunity fell in my lap and I couldn’t pass it up,” and it will be fine. Also, you’d just leave your current employer off your resume in future and no one would know/care (presumably you’d have to address it for conflicts for future jobs, but 2-a few weeks isn’t enough experience to count for anything).

Would also assume disgorgement of signing bonus you received, if any.

Ironically, quitting immediately might be the best way to minimize damage here. Two weeks doesn't give you time to get enmeshed in any new matters or anything like that and you'll be burning a bridge with the employer regardless. Then you can just leave it off your resume and pretend it never happened.

Unrelated to the law, but I worked a minimum wage job for 2 weeks after graduating from college because I couldn't find anything better. But then a good role fell into my lap, and I quit. I never cashed the checks because I felt badly getting paid only for training. Maybe offering to return the comp would help patch the bridge you'll inevitably burn?

Replace this with 1.5 months and I did exactly what you're describing. I was worried, because if I got fired from the boutique in less than a year I figured I'd be very hard to market, but I've long past that time and am incredibly happy with my choice.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:23 am

Unrelated to the law, but I worked a minimum wage job for 2 weeks after graduating from college because I couldn't find anything better. But then a good role fell into my lap, and I quit. I never cashed the checks because I felt badly getting paid only for training. Maybe offering to return the comp would help patch the bridge you'll inevitably burn?

I realize this is well intended, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. The issue isn’t the amount of money the OP made in 2-a few weeks, it’s the OP leaving them in the lurch after they went through the effort of hiring. It also looks weird and it’s illegal for an employer not to pay you for work done, so while I realize this would be voluntarily foregoing payment, it could make the firm anxious they’d be held liable for something down the line.

The best way to minimize bridge burning is to be as professional as possible. The firm may be annoyed and I’m sure they wouldn’t hire the OP back, but it’s not a basis for blackballing anyone.