tl;dr I gave a 0-day notice because management's past behavior told me that was the only smart thing to do.
This was 2019, but I felt it was worth finally posting here. I worked for a major software company for over a decade. I'll actually admit that the top-level management of the company was and still is exceptional. But in my last year or two there, my division brought in an executive from another major software company, who brought in his people, who brought in their people… And I ultimately found myself reporting to a bad manager under a bad manager under this executive, all cronies.
Meanwhile, I saw one of the most outstanding coworkers I'd ever known be shown the door the day she gave her notice. She was planning to make a graceful exit, because that's who she is, but they weren't having it. This threw a wrench in the works for a lot of teams that depended on her. Meanwhile, I also saw a less-than-ideal coworker get to ride out his 2-week notice, with no real explanation for why.
So when I decided it was my time to go, I settled on a starting date at my new employer, then made plans to give my notice two weeks before that. It was only then that I realized that the company's bonus schedule landed on the day that would be my last day. Like I said, top-level management there is great, and their compensation package was awesome and made it very hard to leave. Anyway, I had to be employed that day to receive a five-figure check. And I'd already told my new place when I'd be there.
And I knew I couldn't trust these people I was working for.
Some coworkers knew beforehand, and I made sure that my team lead knew about a week ahead of time. But I blindsided management that day. And since my boss was three timezones away and at a customer site, there was a terrible breakdown in communication. I ended up having to contact the EA of the executive because I couldn't get a clear message to either my boss or his boss that this wasn't my two-week notice, that I was leaving this very day.
For the last several hours, I wandered around the office, visiting people. In one case, I wandered into a meeting a couple of coworkers were having and helped them solve a critical problem. But I was left completely on my own by management. I ended up turning over my equipment and badge to my team lead, who was just as confused about this as me, and just walked out. Then never heard anything from that management again. No exit interview, nothing – after over ten years there.
I since found out that the executive and all his cronies left or got pushed out. But they really shouldn't have been there in the first place.
Oh, and yes, I got my bonus!