To do pretty much no work on my last day?

[Gumreduction]

I have things to wrap up…. But I can’t help but think…: so what if I don’t do? I won’t be back tomorrow!!! Very liberating but then I think maybe I should!

They’re paying you like any other day. The decent thing to do is leave things ready for the next person who takes over and tie up those loose ends that it’s reasonable to do. But all within reason for a days work.

Nah fuck that. Finish what you can, have a long lunch with a glass of wine and then skip all the way home.

Never unnecessarily piss people off. You never know when you will meet/ need those people again and they will remember if you skip off and leave a mess for them to clean up.

The gargantuan effort though… to care!

Isn’t it officially Toy Day on your last day? 😊

Just tie everything up to ensure anyone taking over doesn't have a shit time.

Just do the work you are being paid for. Think of your reference.

Worked very well, good team member

or

Yeah, employed from X date to X date.

Which would be better?

Do you need a reference? Personally I would leave the work in the state I would like to find it on my first day.

Nope, fuck that. Do the bare minimum so it's not totally shitty for the next person, but that's it.

I would imagine a reference has been given to OP's new employer already.

But yes, wrap up what's essential and then put your feet up.

I’d tie stuff up properly, I’d rather people still had a good opinion of me after a left, not be thinking I was lazy and be glad I was gone. You never no when you will come across people again in life.

You only ever get the 2nd version these days anyway. It'll make no difference at all.

Not in all cases at all

CountZacular normally it would be the way you said but I have had a job where they requested references after I started the job.

While the reference was good enough that way round meant I couldn’t complain about my supervisor bullying me. It all worked well though as the department I left was shut down and everyone was made redundant. Other than the bully and her weak manager I felt sorry for my old colleagues.

I would expect your manager to have told you what is expected of you during your notice period and on your last day.

I manage teams and I would always arrange a final handover on the last day to make sure everything you were asked to do has been completed and you have left handover notes for the person who will take over the role. I also arrange for people to hand out things like office keys, work phones and so on on their last day.

If staff members don't do that (complete all the tasks that were agreed with me for the notice period and leave handover notes) they can kiss goodbye to a decent reference.

So you basically need to do what was agreed with your line manager.

You are being paid and so should be professional and tie up any loose ends and carry out any handover activities.

Is someone coming into the role behind you? If so, it would be nice to leave it in a decent state.

I would not be seen to skive. But I would not bust a gut either. Work slow and do what you can, but do not worry about anything you can not do.

@arty References have already been given before the last day. And i would be glad to leave a job where a manager is so petty. Good riddance.

It's literally my job to review references. Very, very rarely so we get anything more than job title and dates. And alarmingly a lot of "we don't provide references at all if they left over 3 years ago"...

Most people on their last day have already secured another job to go to where a reference will already have been given.
I agree references these days are fairly useless as so many places do not give anything more than confirmation of employment.
And if someone had been a great employer and you thought they were lazy on their last day and gave them a poor reference, you are opening yourself up to being sued so are pretty stupid. Bad references should only be given if you have evidence e.g. notes from supervision where issues have been consistently raised.

Never ever burn your bridges.

I left work in March 2021 to semi-retire (that was the story, couldn't stand the place a minute longer and the commute was a killer). Manager made it very clear that my face didn't fit and barely spoke to me, I had trained my replacement, was one of four people in the office and spent the last morning on Twitter. Fuck 'em.

I was in a job where the manager badly bullied me. She was a total cunt. Was lovely to people with power and shit badly on all her low-paid female staff. A horrible woman. I was working from home on my last day and spent it watching TV while replying to a few emails. Given she cheated me of at least a day of TOIL I did not give a fuck.
And I was not burning bridges. I would not work in any organisation where she worked. She was so so shitty. Employee break room most days there would be at least one woman in tears because of her.

Did we have the same manager? Because I left on sick leave due to stress because of mine, didn't care if she needed to do my job.

Last day? They'd be lucky to get any work out of you.

Once the notice period has begun any interest in doing a good job goes right out the window 😬