To skip my work “farewell” on my last day?

[ByCheekyLemonPeer]

It’s my final day at a job I’ve found quite challenging (manager issues, poor communication etc). I’ve already handed over my work, I’m not feeling 100% (had a sick day yesterday and my manager said I still sound sick in our 1-2-1 today) and this morning my manager sent a last-minute calendar invite for a 30 min “farewell” on Teams at 4.30 with the whole team.

It’s clearly just for optics, she even admitted she thought my last day was on Friday and only remembered today. I’m tempted not to join, finish my work and log off quietly.

Would that be unprofessional or is it fine to skip it given everything?

I would 1000% miss it.

This.

Just message saying you really are not feeling great and will probably just duck out and go home.

Sounds horrendous and awkward.

Unfortunately, OP, you are far too ill to attend even a Teams meeting, as you will be leaving early and in bed recovering at 4.30pm sharp.

It sounds very awkward!

I would suck it up if you got on with your colleagues or there is friends amongst the meeting. Sod the manager you know what she is like
Good luck if you have a good job.

Don’t just ghost it, that’s rude and unprofessional. But fine to message now and say you’re unwell so will log off early. They will probably be relieved!

I dunno. I assumed at first you meant an in-person event, which I would definitely skip if ill, but half an hour on Teams is about as low effort as it gets, and after that you’re free of them anyway. Is there really no-one at all in the entire team that you feel positively about or would be willing to wave a hand to?

If they’ve been actively unpleasant or bullying then yeah I might leave it, but if they’re just a bit incompetent then personally I would participate. When you say it’s just about ‘optics’, the optics are a) treating you with respect as you leave and b) signalling to other members of the team that they will be treated with respect when they leave, that isn’t personally something I’d be totally dismissive of. It seems understandable to me your manager might have thought you were leaving at the end of the week not mid. But you know the wider context of your relationship with her, I don’t.

But also this if you prefer.

I wouldn't ghost it - you never know when you might meet these people again - work wise - so I'd just say that's a lovely thought but you really don't feel well and aren't up to it and just send a message round the team.

Definitely ghost it. Doesn't matter at all. Only a total clown would care and the sort of person that would get upset by this would find a reason to be annoyed at anything anyway. They'll all be relieved they can just go home.

Either go or say that you don't feel up to it/would rather slip away without a fuss.

Don't just not turn up. That's really rude.

This.

i understand your reasoning OP but I do think it’s abit rude/unprofessional. I would just attend, it’s only 30mins. You never know if any of your paths may cross professionally again in the future.

It's a half hour Teams meeting, just suck it up! You never know when you will come in to contact with these people in the future.

Yeah, if I were well enough, I'd just suck it up and try to leave on a good note, not a sour one. I would wish everybody well and mention any positives about working there. But I'd also look happy to be leaving 😀

They literally won't care. At all. None of them. Nothing rude or sour about it, they will just move on and instantaneously forget about it. JFC the invented dramas of some people's lives 😅😂😆

Dont just not turn up. People will think poorly of you for that.

Either suck it up for 30mins on Teams as awkward as that will be. Or send apologies in advance. I dont think anyone likes these things.

Good luck with your new job.

I would 100% attend. Without a doubt.

How you leave a job is almost as important as how you do a job. It’s the last memory people have of you. It’s only 30 mins of your life.

Are you keeping in touch with any of them?
Might non attendance be seen as bridge burning?
Might you come across them as a hiring manager of a job you want in the future?

By all means go home , but send a ‘really gutted but I’m feeling awful’ email to your manager/group email just as you’re leaving, to stop your manager trying to herd a few people together for as you say ‘optics’.

Depends if you need a reference.
Never heard of a farewell on Teams before. Sounds a bit disrespectful.
Couldn't you just wiggle your camera cable disconnect and disappear into the ether?
Technical issues then surely?
Nobody to blame.

Don’t be so disrespectful of people’s time to just not show up. They’ll be hanging about waiting for you and unable to leave the call incase you are just delayed. Really uncaring. Much better to email round now saying goodbye and that you won’t attend the teams meet.

I would totally care!! That would be 30 mins I had made time for, that I had to then sit about on a call like a numpty making small chat waiting for you to show. Possibly having rearranged my day for it. Argh.

Apologies. Poor signal. All the best. 👍

This is my draft message for a similar event. Feel free to borrow it.

Thank you so much for thinking of me, it's a lovely gesture and I appreciate it a lot, however due to .........

In person farewells can be awkward enough. One on Teams sounds awful. I would definitely skip it but make an excuse and send your apologies so they are not hanging around waiting for you.