I have OWP so my ARC doesn’t depend on my employer. I’m employed on the same terms as my local co-workers and did not sign a contract. I did sign a non-competition agreement in which I agreed not to go work in the same industry for 3 years after I leave this company.
I’ve been a middle manager here for 3 years and lately the relationship has started to sour. I don’t get invited to meetings that directly affect my department, other managers issue orders to my staff without even informing me what they want etc etc. Basically they are shoving me aside by making it as difficult as possible for me to do my job. A few weeks ago I was in conversation with one of the junior admin staff and he let it slip that I was to head up a new department. The new department is much smaller in size and stature than my own and would entail far simpler work. Call me paranoid but I think if there were a good reason for any of this one of the senior managers or the boss would have asked my opinion about this change. Instead, people are tip-toeing around me as if trying not to alert my suspicions. My gut feeling is that they plan to move me sideways into this new department, have me teach another person my current job, and then either force me to quit, conjure up some reason to fire me or just leave me stranded in some dead-end position. They might want to fire me now but I have professional training and undocumented knowledge gained in the last 3 years which any successor would be hamstrung without. The chances of them finding these skills in a new recruit are roughly zero since some of the software packages I work with are extremely specialized.
I’m obviously very unhappy in this situation and do not mind leaving without severance. I am however not going to train anyone else to do my job. My feeling is that if my employer is unhappy with me then they can deal with the problem of replacing me.
In all of the clauses in the labor standards laws I only see references to the amount of notice that has to be given by contracted workers. Since I didn’t sign a contract, can I just walk out without giving notice and will there be any legal repercussions if I do. The company has a record of serving on employees that go to competitors so I don’t doubt they would attempt to sue me if I broke a law by walking. They also have a record for not giving references to anyone, whether they quit or are fired, so that doesn’t make any difference. The person who held my position before me is still being blamed for anything and everything that wrong, so I feel I may as well give them something to complain about since they are going to slander me behind my back once I’ve gone, no matter how cooperative I am in the manner of my departure.
Thanks for all and any advice.