I now the standard is 2 weeks. Do you give a longer notice if you know well in advance that you will be leaving?

Does it make a difference if finding coverage for you shifts,once gone, will be an issue for the employer?

I think it depends on the type of job and the amount of responsibility you have. I would also consider the employer first--do they have a history of firing people when they quit? My dh worked for a place who terminated him when he gave his 2 weeks' notice, and refused to pay him the two weeks.

You wouldn't want to give a month's notice and have them pull something like that.

But if you are a manager or key personnel, I'm sure they would appreciate the extra time to hire and train someone--you might be key to training and transitioning them.

I have given notice twice.

the 1st time was 2 weeks, the second time was like 3 months (I was moving to Texas...with a co-worker who just quit)
I really felt alienated during those 3 months and would never recommend giving longer than the 2 weeks "standard"

I agree with Goob on this one. I wouldn't give any more notice than required. More times than not, you'll get weird vibes from your employer once they know you are leaving (if not terminated).

I normally give 2 weeks, except one time I gave a month's notice. It was too long and I'll never do that again.

ITA with keeping the transition on the shorter side.

I once had to leave on short notice, and agreed to come back at night for a brief time to help get things in order. (It was right at the end of the year bookeeping time, so it was a bad time for my previous employer) Another time I was shifting b/t departments in the same company and my old dept. was fighting my transfer, so I got stuck working b/t the two for almost 3 months. In both situations, my old employers would have been better served by just starting the transition immediately and getting over the pain right way. Instead it was stressful for me to keep on top of two jobs, it was stressful for my replacements b/c they weren't sure of all of their new duties, and it just delayed the eventual momentary chaos when the new person took over for real. In almost every job I've ever had, there's always been a supervisor that could have explained to the new person what was expected or needed from them.

--Nancy L.