State employees must give a written notice of at least ten work days before resigning. This two week notice ensures that a resignation is considered “in good standing.” An employee whose resignation is considered not in good standing may be ineligible to be rehired by the State of Nebraska. To ensure they are eligible for rehire at any point in the future at any of the State of Nebraska’s 400+ worksites, employees must give a two week notice.
NAPE/AFSCME member Frank Stewart recently resigned from DHHS to take a new job at the Nebraska Department of Education. When Frank accepted his new position, he was wise and gave DHHS a ten work day notice of his resignation. About a week before his last day, Frank was surprised when he received a letter from his supervisor informing him that he had not given a two-week notice so his resignation was not considered in good standing.
Frank knew he needed to challenge the status of his resignation. He contacted NAPE/AFSCME and a field representative assisted him. Our union contract states that an employee who gives ten work day notice will be considered “in good standing.” Frank gave this notice, but was considered “not in good standing.” When employees learn our contract has been violated, it is their duty to file a grievance challenging the violation. With the help of his field representative, Frank filed a grievance alleging that management had violated the contract. During the grievance process, DHHS agreed that Frank’s resignation should be considered in good standing and updated his personnel file to reflect this.
Frank did the right thing by contacting NAPE/AFSCME when he received the letter about his resignation. If he had not filed a grievance or waited more than 15 work days, he would not have been able to challenge the standing of his resignation. Had his resignation remained not in good standing, he could have been ineligible for rehire for any of the 8,000+ state jobs around Nebraska. If you are a state employee and you are considered resigning, it is in your best interest to give a two week notice. Feel free to reach out with questions or concerns.