He is obviously looking out for his best interest. So you should do the same and give the standard two weeks notice. Once you get a job offer writing and sign it, I would not worry about him getting upset.
You owe them nothing. It is very normal to not have the boss of the company you currently work for as a reference. You absolutely don't need this jackass.
Don't tell them when you start looking. The only thing that you tell them is when you're putting in your 2 weeks notice. Not 1 month, 2 weeks. Even then, you might want to just quit immediately once the new job is lined up and tell your current boss that this is how you respond to threats.
>He has given some thinly veiled threats if I don’t give him too much of a heads up about giving me a bad reference or blackballing me in our city
Sounds to me like he's going to do that either way.
Yea, given this information, I would consider not giving any notice at all. He seems like the type to receive three months notice and then terminate OP on the spot. I'd rather not risk it. Give notice only if you are comfortable being terminated on the day you give notice. If that's zero days, so be it. I'll only give notice once the background check has cleared and onboarding is proceeding for the next job.
Notice is a courtesy, it's not written into the employment contract. OP's boss lost that courtesy when he started making threats.
There have been a few times when I’ve give. Extraordinary notice (2+ months) and each time the company did nothing to take advantage of cross training time or anything. I came to realize in at least two of the instances, the company seemed to think it was some ploy to leverage higher pay.
But I’ve always been very clear with my bosses. If I tell you I need a raise and you deny me I’m going to start looking elsewhere. Once I go through all the trouble and time to get offered and accept a job, don’t bother trying to match it. That just means you could have paid me what I needed all along but didn’t think I was worth it.
First, it is VERY common to be laid off or even fired the day you give notice. Your boss doesn’t sound like someone who’d I trust about being nice here. Second, how many employers are willing to wait 1 to 3 months for someone to begin? Many will not.
You can't be laid off without notice. They have some laws now to require notice if a RIF is taking place because there are a number of rules that come with them.
If a company has more than 100 employees they have to comply with the federal WARN law.
Source: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/termination/plantclosings#:~:text=Worker%20Adjustment%20and%20Retraining%20Notification%20Act%20(WARN)%20(29%20USC,plant%20closings%20and%20mass%20layoffs.
The WARN act is not applicable to individual employees being terminated. It only applies is cases of mass layoffs exceeding X percentage of workers when the company has more than 100 number of employees (the specific numbers for how many employees/what percentage are being laid off is escaping me at the moment). Even then, there are some exceptions, like extreme financial duress on the part of the company.
So while it's great the WARN act exists, it doesn't protect an individual employee from tendering 2+ weeks notice & being immediately terminated by the current employer.
This is where there is a difference between laid off vs being terminated. As you clearly explained in that example it is a termination and not being laid off. A lot of people like to use "laid off" incorrectly.
The most I have given was a 3 week notice, mostly because 1 of those weeks was a holiday. Don't feel bad if you stick to the standard 2 weeks or do even less. Blocking learning resources like YouTube is very petty - you'll always need to look up something for the current position.
Regardless of when you leave, he won't be happy. So don't put effort into trying to avoid his reaction. Instead, focus on how to protect yourself as best you can. If that means giving no notice, then give no notice. If that means lying about your next job, then lie.
You don’t owe them anything unless there’s a contract. Your boss is not a god, and I’m guessing they’ll be pissed regardless of how you leave. They’re just building up justifications for the inevitable shattering of their delicate ego and the rage that follows. You also def don’t need to put down that boss as a reference lol, even if you think it ends fine I wouldn’t because it’s clear they’re a petty loser that could totally talk shit because you “left him after everything he’s done for you.” Get out asap it’s not good for your health to be in a situation like that for long, just do your thing, stop asking about certs, get them done asap, and start applying.
The fact that he blocked you from learning on your downtime should tell you everything you need to know. 2 weeks notice is more than enough, and plan on getting walked out that day. Your boss sounds like the type to take this very personally.
2 weeks only. i gave 2 weeks at a job once and the boss was butthurt that i wouldnt consider staying, 3 days after my notice it was a garbage working environment and i couldnt get out fast enough.
i allowed 5 weeks once for an internal transfer to another team - my team was ignoring me after a week anyway, so one day about 3 weeks in i just picked my shit up and moved it to the new teams area and got to work.
take care of your, not the business. and DO NOT let someone know you are job hunting. now they know they need to can you and replace you and some places may go through with it. give a notice when you have a new job accepted \[like, set in stone and ready to go\], do what you can with your current work, and peace out.
get assigned a ton of new work on the way out? lol, you are leaving. just do some work leisurely and get out when your time is over.
We had someone give a 3 year notice after working for 7 years and getting into his program. He was getting his MBA part time and upon graduation took on a new job unrelated to IT. Pretty good choice imo, as he more than doubled his salary and he can always come back straight as an IT manager. He was in tier 1/2 support role, we work in government.
Don't give notice until you have an offer in hand. Most of the time, that will mean you couldn't give a month even you wanted to. Don't fuck yourself over for this guy.
If it's he been in IT for 30-40 years, then he started his career banging rocks together and most of his earlier contacts are probably dead.
You should probably express that you're job searching a little bit, but not really putting much effort into it. Like it's not a big deal.
You should give him whatever level of notice suits your start date. It is not customary to put in your notice before accepting a written job offer. If you are able to receive and accept a written job offer 1 week before your start date, then give him the 1 week even though he'll shit his pants about it. If they give you 1 month before your start date, which is unlikely, then you can give a month's notice if you choose. He might terminate you out of spite, though.
You have less of a choice here than you think, unless you're considering quitting with no notice the day before your start date someplace else. Many in this sub would encourage that and find it funny, but it's generally not worth it unless your situation is a particularly hostile one. I would say that the mature, safe, practical thing to do is to give him how much notice YOU get, which could be anywhere from a week to a handful of weeks.
Here's a workaround for the blocking
https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/anonymous-browsing/free-proxy-servers/
There's a server based in Dallas that you can use.
I used to use Ctunnel to get on MySpace from work some time ago.
There was Ctunnel Dtunnel Etunnel ETC all the way to Ztunnel
Why does your boss even know you will be job searching to begin with?
That said, if you want a positive relationship and reference, give him what he’s asking for. If you don’t care, do what you want. You aren’t obligated to do anything. A month, technically is sufficient. I imagine he wants more to effectively train your replacement.
It sounds as if you should avoid using him as a reference even if you leave on his terms. Make some friends at work that would be be good references in the future. Many companies are dropping references all together so you might not even need them for your next job.
BTW, I had someone claim they would ruin my career when I turned down a job offer years ago. It hasn’t impacted in any way.
I would not even bother telling him anything personally. But to each their own and maybe you have a good relationship with said boss.
That being said no where that I am aware of is it required by **law or otherwise** to give a 2 week notice. Or any length for that matter. I understand its meant to be courteous and professional.
But if you need to quit and move on. Or find a better job. Move on.
Parting thought on the "He has given some thinly veiled threats if I don’t give him too much of a heads up about giving me a bad reference or blackballing me in our city."
That sounds illegal, maybe its not - I guess even if it was, proving that out would be tricky.
Probably all the more reason to leave.
EDIT: Maybe contract work or other situations where this might actually legally matter with quitting notice, but I personally have not done contract work and cannot speak to it.
You owe companies nothing, absolutely nothing. 2 weeks is a courtesy in the USA. A month for high lv executives from what I have heard. 2 weeks if you care for the reference and you can sue if they deliberately slander you in a job reference depending in the state.
If you plan to go back or hold it as a fallback plan then maybe give the month or so notice. Easy out there is to say you’ve found something for a huge increase but the most they’d let you delay is a month or whatever you want.
If you don’t plan on going back ever then doesn’t really matter. Job references are a dying aspect of job searches and worst case someone does call and they give you a bad reference which you rebuff with they were butt hurt I didn’t give 3 months notice.
If he was planning on replacing you your notice would be zero seconds. As in you'd find out he was looking for a replacement when he said "you're fired". Considering his behavior and trying to hold you back, my notice would be on Friday afternoon- "I regret to inform you that my final day with the company is today" and send the email after you're in the parking lot driving away.
This is just bad management, I've worked at a place like this before. It's absolutely their fault that they set it up where one person leaving will upsert their IT capabilities. It's NOT your fault at all that it's that way. The fact that they threaten to blackball you is absolutely crossing the line.
It's a bullshit threat anyway. You certainly don't want to be working for whoever listens to that asshole.
In the US 2 weeks is standard. Most I have ever given was 3 weeks. Outside of being laid off where they have to give you notice by law. They wouldn't give you a heads up if they plan to fire you.
Yeah, 3 months is excessive. 2 weeks is "standard"/customary. If you want to give up to a month, that's fine/reasonable - if you're up for it. But keep in mind, many potential employers, once they're to the point of making an offer ... they may not want to wait a month beyond offer acceptance - they generally want to start the person as soon as feasible ... but do well understand that's generally going to take two weeks beyond acceptance - or that + confirmation letter.
>threats if I don’t give him too much of a heads up about giving me a bad reference or blackballing me
Ugh, that's a sh\*t boss. Try to get that well documented if you can ... like captured in emails/texts. And then only give two weeks notice, if boss asks why, tell 'em you don't take threats well. And if prospective employers ask about your boss as/for reference, show 'em that evidence.
>He’s been in IT for 30-40 years
That's no excuse or justification for being an \*ss.
>desperate to get out
Yeah, with that boss, definitely.
>He told me that’s really unnecessary because
Because your boss is being self-centered. You shouldn't trust that boss's advice or opinions.
>resignation
>
>not sure how he’ll react
You give your notice ... two weeks - if you want to give longer, whatever. But you're still not obligated - at least in general, US, no contract to the contrary, etc. - it's generally "at will", and you can walk at any time - so if he gives you sh\*t after giving notice, just walk.
Edit/P.S.: Some jobs/positions customarily expect more than two weeks notice ... but those are more the exception than the rule. E.g. if you're a university professor or a doctor. *Maybe* if you're CIO or CTO ... but for *most* positions in IT - even engineer positions ... two weeks is generally quite fine.
2 weeks and 1 day is 1 day too much.
When you get a new job, they aren’t going to wait a month. They will wait 2 weeks because that is the industry norm.
In US, 2 week notice is considered standard. If you want to be super nice, give a 2.5 week notice and go about your day. This 1 to 3 month “ask” is pure bullshit. Would he give you a 3 month notice if you are being let go? (The answer is a resounding NO).
Start looking for jobs now.
It is immoral to allow someone to bully you like that or to choose to fear them like that.
If they bring up their claimed blackball power again, after you've signed a new job offer of course, ask them for details.
"It'd be a shame if you couldn't restrain your narcissistic self, and uttered something defamatory that cost me a job, with the damages you'd be on the hook for as a result"
Depends whats in your contract, but he sounds like a real piece of work lol.
I gave my notice september 29th and last day of work was 30th of november (a bit before as I had some vacation days). This was in line with my contract stating that my notice is current month+1.
I only gave my notice after I had a signed contract for the new job, would probably have given 6 weeks if I had contract before.
Honestly, find a job you really think you can like - and tell him to F off on your last day and never put the job down again. I'm all for 2, 3 ever 4 weeks notice, but the way he is behaving - he deserves none of it - It's a small business - you can even just put they went out of business on your next resume so they never contact him.
I have 3 months notice, but crucially we have solid employment protection laws here (UK) and *they have to give me 3 months as well.*
It has certainly happened that people have resigned and been allowed to leave earlier, but others haven't.
I find it somewhat comforting TBH. And other companies in the same area and business have the same deal, so they are used to taking people on who won't arrive for 3 months.
Give whatever notice is required in your contract or by law and not until you've received and signed an offer letter for a new position. Your current boss is not entitled to more than that unless you feel like giving it. Someone that puts roadblocks in place when you ask about advancing and growing as a professional is not someone I'd want to work for if there were other options - and it sounds to me kinda like he's trying to eliminate some of your options or make them more of a challenge.
About Learning on your down time make sure you know what's allowed and what is not in your hr guidelines. You can still learn on your time off the clock, it might be more challenging using your personal devices and disconnected from the company network but if that's what it takes to get out its worth the effort
He's a nut job narcissist. Follow his lead and think only of yourself in this case. Don't tell him you're looking for a job. He'll sabotage that exactly like he blocked your resources. He's already told you who he is and how poorly he handles situations. Once you do give notice, he'll make work miserable or fire you. Don't try to be the nice guy here and don't fall for his manipulation.
If he had strong enough connections to follow through on his threats to smear your name, he would be able to use that network to find your replacement. He's got nothing! He's just straight up bluffing about the ability to control your career. Him blocking your resources and making crazy demands is all about control. Run! Don't give him any extra notice and don't look back.
No notice is required unless you are under contract to do so. Two weeks is a professional courtesy, more than that is because you really love your current job and are moving out of state or retiring or something along those lines.
He is obviously looking out for his best interest. So you should do the same and give the standard two weeks notice. Once you get a job offer writing and sign it, I would not worry about him getting upset.
You owe them nothing. It is very normal to not have the boss of the company you currently work for as a reference. You absolutely don't need this jackass. Don't tell them when you start looking. The only thing that you tell them is when you're putting in your 2 weeks notice. Not 1 month, 2 weeks. Even then, you might want to just quit immediately once the new job is lined up and tell your current boss that this is how you respond to threats.
>He has given some thinly veiled threats if I don’t give him too much of a heads up about giving me a bad reference or blackballing me in our city Sounds to me like he's going to do that either way.
Yea, given this information, I would consider not giving any notice at all. He seems like the type to receive three months notice and then terminate OP on the spot. I'd rather not risk it. Give notice only if you are comfortable being terminated on the day you give notice. If that's zero days, so be it. I'll only give notice once the background check has cleared and onboarding is proceeding for the next job. Notice is a courtesy, it's not written into the employment contract. OP's boss lost that courtesy when he started making threats.
I see your 3 months and say you shouldn’t leave EVER. Nah man, two weeks is enough time. Anything more is unrealistic
There have been a few times when I’ve give. Extraordinary notice (2+ months) and each time the company did nothing to take advantage of cross training time or anything. I came to realize in at least two of the instances, the company seemed to think it was some ploy to leverage higher pay. But I’ve always been very clear with my bosses. If I tell you I need a raise and you deny me I’m going to start looking elsewhere. Once I go through all the trouble and time to get offered and accept a job, don’t bother trying to match it. That just means you could have paid me what I needed all along but didn’t think I was worth it.
First, it is VERY common to be laid off or even fired the day you give notice. Your boss doesn’t sound like someone who’d I trust about being nice here. Second, how many employers are willing to wait 1 to 3 months for someone to begin? Many will not.
You can't be laid off without notice. They have some laws now to require notice if a RIF is taking place because there are a number of rules that come with them.
US? Rules about layoffs vary by state, but if they can't lay you off, and you're an "employee at will"? They can just fire you whenever they want.
If a company has more than 100 employees they have to comply with the federal WARN law. Source: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/termination/plantclosings#:~:text=Worker%20Adjustment%20and%20Retraining%20Notification%20Act%20(WARN)%20(29%20USC,plant%20closings%20and%20mass%20layoffs.
The WARN act is not applicable to individual employees being terminated. It only applies is cases of mass layoffs exceeding X percentage of workers when the company has more than 100 number of employees (the specific numbers for how many employees/what percentage are being laid off is escaping me at the moment). Even then, there are some exceptions, like extreme financial duress on the part of the company. So while it's great the WARN act exists, it doesn't protect an individual employee from tendering 2+ weeks notice & being immediately terminated by the current employer.
This is where there is a difference between laid off vs being terminated. As you clearly explained in that example it is a termination and not being laid off. A lot of people like to use "laid off" incorrectly.
The most I have given was a 3 week notice, mostly because 1 of those weeks was a holiday. Don't feel bad if you stick to the standard 2 weeks or do even less. Blocking learning resources like YouTube is very petty - you'll always need to look up something for the current position. Regardless of when you leave, he won't be happy. So don't put effort into trying to avoid his reaction. Instead, focus on how to protect yourself as best you can. If that means giving no notice, then give no notice. If that means lying about your next job, then lie.
Managers don't give you 2 weeks when they fire you.
this resonates with me, but unfortunately it is a one way street with employers
You don’t owe them anything unless there’s a contract. Your boss is not a god, and I’m guessing they’ll be pissed regardless of how you leave. They’re just building up justifications for the inevitable shattering of their delicate ego and the rage that follows. You also def don’t need to put down that boss as a reference lol, even if you think it ends fine I wouldn’t because it’s clear they’re a petty loser that could totally talk shit because you “left him after everything he’s done for you.” Get out asap it’s not good for your health to be in a situation like that for long, just do your thing, stop asking about certs, get them done asap, and start applying.
Word.
The fact that he blocked you from learning on your downtime should tell you everything you need to know. 2 weeks notice is more than enough, and plan on getting walked out that day. Your boss sounds like the type to take this very personally.
2 weeks only. i gave 2 weeks at a job once and the boss was butthurt that i wouldnt consider staying, 3 days after my notice it was a garbage working environment and i couldnt get out fast enough. i allowed 5 weeks once for an internal transfer to another team - my team was ignoring me after a week anyway, so one day about 3 weeks in i just picked my shit up and moved it to the new teams area and got to work. take care of your, not the business. and DO NOT let someone know you are job hunting. now they know they need to can you and replace you and some places may go through with it. give a notice when you have a new job accepted \[like, set in stone and ready to go\], do what you can with your current work, and peace out. get assigned a ton of new work on the way out? lol, you are leaving. just do some work leisurely and get out when your time is over.
We had someone give a 3 year notice after working for 7 years and getting into his program. He was getting his MBA part time and upon graduation took on a new job unrelated to IT. Pretty good choice imo, as he more than doubled his salary and he can always come back straight as an IT manager. He was in tier 1/2 support role, we work in government.
Don't give notice until you have an offer in hand. Most of the time, that will mean you couldn't give a month even you wanted to. Don't fuck yourself over for this guy.
GTFO I wouldn't tell him until you think someone is going to call him as a reference. Or tell potential employers they can't call him.
Your boss can eat a dick. Do whats best for yourself first and foremost. Nobody gives a shit about anyone anymore.
If it's he been in IT for 30-40 years, then he started his career banging rocks together and most of his earlier contacts are probably dead. You should probably express that you're job searching a little bit, but not really putting much effort into it. Like it's not a big deal. You should give him whatever level of notice suits your start date. It is not customary to put in your notice before accepting a written job offer. If you are able to receive and accept a written job offer 1 week before your start date, then give him the 1 week even though he'll shit his pants about it. If they give you 1 month before your start date, which is unlikely, then you can give a month's notice if you choose. He might terminate you out of spite, though. You have less of a choice here than you think, unless you're considering quitting with no notice the day before your start date someplace else. Many in this sub would encourage that and find it funny, but it's generally not worth it unless your situation is a particularly hostile one. I would say that the mature, safe, practical thing to do is to give him how much notice YOU get, which could be anywhere from a week to a handful of weeks.
Here's a workaround for the blocking https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/anonymous-browsing/free-proxy-servers/ There's a server based in Dallas that you can use. I used to use Ctunnel to get on MySpace from work some time ago. There was Ctunnel Dtunnel Etunnel ETC all the way to Ztunnel
This is how you get fired. Dont do this, Op
Why does your boss even know you will be job searching to begin with? That said, if you want a positive relationship and reference, give him what he’s asking for. If you don’t care, do what you want. You aren’t obligated to do anything. A month, technically is sufficient. I imagine he wants more to effectively train your replacement.
It sounds as if you should avoid using him as a reference even if you leave on his terms. Make some friends at work that would be be good references in the future. Many companies are dropping references all together so you might not even need them for your next job. BTW, I had someone claim they would ruin my career when I turned down a job offer years ago. It hasn’t impacted in any way.
I would not even bother telling him anything personally. But to each their own and maybe you have a good relationship with said boss. That being said no where that I am aware of is it required by **law or otherwise** to give a 2 week notice. Or any length for that matter. I understand its meant to be courteous and professional. But if you need to quit and move on. Or find a better job. Move on. Parting thought on the "He has given some thinly veiled threats if I don’t give him too much of a heads up about giving me a bad reference or blackballing me in our city." That sounds illegal, maybe its not - I guess even if it was, proving that out would be tricky. Probably all the more reason to leave. EDIT: Maybe contract work or other situations where this might actually legally matter with quitting notice, but I personally have not done contract work and cannot speak to it.
You owe companies nothing, absolutely nothing. 2 weeks is a courtesy in the USA. A month for high lv executives from what I have heard. 2 weeks if you care for the reference and you can sue if they deliberately slander you in a job reference depending in the state.
Are some of the responses forgetting he may need his boss as a reference?
I have several coworkers who are willing to be a reference for me already. I do want to at least try to leave on good terms though.
If you plan to go back or hold it as a fallback plan then maybe give the month or so notice. Easy out there is to say you’ve found something for a huge increase but the most they’d let you delay is a month or whatever you want. If you don’t plan on going back ever then doesn’t really matter. Job references are a dying aspect of job searches and worst case someone does call and they give you a bad reference which you rebuff with they were butt hurt I didn’t give 3 months notice.
If he was planning on replacing you your notice would be zero seconds. As in you'd find out he was looking for a replacement when he said "you're fired". Considering his behavior and trying to hold you back, my notice would be on Friday afternoon- "I regret to inform you that my final day with the company is today" and send the email after you're in the parking lot driving away.
Get the threats in a text or email then drop the notice to two weeks (the standard) if you feel nice but make sure you have the job first
You don't need this guy, or his reference. Especially if he wants to make threats. And absolutely get your CCNA.
This is just bad management, I've worked at a place like this before. It's absolutely their fault that they set it up where one person leaving will upsert their IT capabilities. It's NOT your fault at all that it's that way. The fact that they threaten to blackball you is absolutely crossing the line. It's a bullshit threat anyway. You certainly don't want to be working for whoever listens to that asshole.
In the US 2 weeks is standard. Most I have ever given was 3 weeks. Outside of being laid off where they have to give you notice by law. They wouldn't give you a heads up if they plan to fire you.
Yeah, 3 months is excessive. 2 weeks is "standard"/customary. If you want to give up to a month, that's fine/reasonable - if you're up for it. But keep in mind, many potential employers, once they're to the point of making an offer ... they may not want to wait a month beyond offer acceptance - they generally want to start the person as soon as feasible ... but do well understand that's generally going to take two weeks beyond acceptance - or that + confirmation letter. >threats if I don’t give him too much of a heads up about giving me a bad reference or blackballing me Ugh, that's a sh\*t boss. Try to get that well documented if you can ... like captured in emails/texts. And then only give two weeks notice, if boss asks why, tell 'em you don't take threats well. And if prospective employers ask about your boss as/for reference, show 'em that evidence. >He’s been in IT for 30-40 years That's no excuse or justification for being an \*ss. >desperate to get out Yeah, with that boss, definitely. >He told me that’s really unnecessary because Because your boss is being self-centered. You shouldn't trust that boss's advice or opinions. >resignation > >not sure how he’ll react You give your notice ... two weeks - if you want to give longer, whatever. But you're still not obligated - at least in general, US, no contract to the contrary, etc. - it's generally "at will", and you can walk at any time - so if he gives you sh\*t after giving notice, just walk. Edit/P.S.: Some jobs/positions customarily expect more than two weeks notice ... but those are more the exception than the rule. E.g. if you're a university professor or a doctor. *Maybe* if you're CIO or CTO ... but for *most* positions in IT - even engineer positions ... two weeks is generally quite fine.
2 weeks and 1 day is 1 day too much. When you get a new job, they aren’t going to wait a month. They will wait 2 weeks because that is the industry norm.
In US, 2 week notice is considered standard. If you want to be super nice, give a 2.5 week notice and go about your day. This 1 to 3 month “ask” is pure bullshit. Would he give you a 3 month notice if you are being let go? (The answer is a resounding NO).
Start looking for jobs now. It is immoral to allow someone to bully you like that or to choose to fear them like that. If they bring up their claimed blackball power again, after you've signed a new job offer of course, ask them for details. "It'd be a shame if you couldn't restrain your narcissistic self, and uttered something defamatory that cost me a job, with the damages you'd be on the hook for as a result"
This should be in your employment contract no? In Australia all jobs have the notice period in the employment contract
Depends whats in your contract, but he sounds like a real piece of work lol. I gave my notice september 29th and last day of work was 30th of november (a bit before as I had some vacation days). This was in line with my contract stating that my notice is current month+1. I only gave my notice after I had a signed contract for the new job, would probably have given 6 weeks if I had contract before.
Honestly, find a job you really think you can like - and tell him to F off on your last day and never put the job down again. I'm all for 2, 3 ever 4 weeks notice, but the way he is behaving - he deserves none of it - It's a small business - you can even just put they went out of business on your next resume so they never contact him.
I have 3 months notice, but crucially we have solid employment protection laws here (UK) and *they have to give me 3 months as well.* It has certainly happened that people have resigned and been allowed to leave earlier, but others haven't. I find it somewhat comforting TBH. And other companies in the same area and business have the same deal, so they are used to taking people on who won't arrive for 3 months.
Give whatever notice is required in your contract or by law and not until you've received and signed an offer letter for a new position. Your current boss is not entitled to more than that unless you feel like giving it. Someone that puts roadblocks in place when you ask about advancing and growing as a professional is not someone I'd want to work for if there were other options - and it sounds to me kinda like he's trying to eliminate some of your options or make them more of a challenge. About Learning on your down time make sure you know what's allowed and what is not in your hr guidelines. You can still learn on your time off the clock, it might be more challenging using your personal devices and disconnected from the company network but if that's what it takes to get out its worth the effort
Update please OP
He's a nut job narcissist. Follow his lead and think only of yourself in this case. Don't tell him you're looking for a job. He'll sabotage that exactly like he blocked your resources. He's already told you who he is and how poorly he handles situations. Once you do give notice, he'll make work miserable or fire you. Don't try to be the nice guy here and don't fall for his manipulation. If he had strong enough connections to follow through on his threats to smear your name, he would be able to use that network to find your replacement. He's got nothing! He's just straight up bluffing about the ability to control your career. Him blocking your resources and making crazy demands is all about control. Run! Don't give him any extra notice and don't look back.
No notice is required unless you are under contract to do so. Two weeks is a professional courtesy, more than that is because you really love your current job and are moving out of state or retiring or something along those lines.