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One thing a recession creates is an ample supply of hard feelings in the working world. People who have been dismissed from their jobs are bitter. Those who remain behind, doing more work than before without a corresponding pay hike, aren’t exactly content.

In this atmosphere, a common question becomes even more prominent: If an employee decides to leave a job, does he or she really owe the employer two weeks’ notice?

The argument against the custom goes like this: When someone is fired, he or she is hustled out the door immediately, adding embarrassment to the shock of it all. Why should a company get two weeks to prepare for changes, if an employee gets no time at all?

Company managers, however, see it this way: If an employee chooses to leave, he or she owes co-workers the courtesy of a transition period. Specific knowledge about job duties needs to be passed along, which makes life easier for everybody, not just the managers. Two weeks provides time to find a replacement. But if we have to fire someone, we simply can’t allow him or her to dive into our computer system and wreak havoc, or spend a few hours bringing everyone else down with a tale of woe. That would hurt the rest of the staff.

We were surprised to hear about a layoff plan here in town not long ago that called for future ex-employees to finish projects before departing. That’s putting a lot of faith in the Iowa work ethic.

Maybe it worked, though, because of that work ethic and one other reason: Central Iowa is a small place.

Moral responsibilities aside, workers here know that if their next job is in this area, it’s probably only a couple of degrees of separation from the place they just left. A bad last impression will catch up to you.

So the practical reason becomes the bottom line, and a graceful resignation is the way to go. Keep that reputation intact. Give two weeks’ notice. Or three.