Last Monday, I submitted my 2-week notice for a position I hold. The position was on summer hiatus and is set to start again next Wednesday, so I did my due diligence and submitted my notice just over 2 weeks in advance.
The problem is I am the only one in said position, and it's a highly specialized position that only qualified people can do. So the owner called me to say I'm putting him in a tough spot as he won't have enough time to find a replacement. I said I'd help find one, which I have been doing.
Today he sent me my schedule starting September 4th. I checked to see if there was an ad up for my replacement, and there isn't. I did imply I could try to stick around until a replacement is found, but as I have a full-time job that's really difficult for me. So somehow the responsibility to find a replacement falls on me, even after I submitted an official resignation.
So I'm between a rock and a hard place right now. On one hand, I never signed a contract and the work I do is classified as self-employment, so there's nothing legally binding me to that place. On the other hand, I have a reputation to protect and I can't risk that reputation by simply not showing up next week.
I think if there was an ad up, or some visible effort on his part to replace me, I wouldn't be so bothered. But the fact that I, as someone who isn't working under a contract and would be losing significant income by sticking around, am expected to find my own replacement is rather ludicrous.
I'm not fully sure what I should do. I'd be losing a potentially great reference by not showing up next week, but I also don't know if I want someone who takes advantage of me to be a reference in the first place.
I'm leaning towards responding to the schedule saying sorry, I'm not coming in anymore. But I don't want to be rude.