Community Perspectives: I've accepted an offer, and the background check will take 2+ weeks. Should I give notice now, or wait to tell my current employer?

In-house legal professionals discuss whether to wait on the results of the background check before giving notice.

I've accepted an offer, and am just waiting on the background and drug test to clear (I’ll pass both, so no worries there), but they are taking 1.5/2+ weeks to get the results. I haven’t given notice, because I don’t want to quit prior to having everything in for the new job. The start date is middle November. - Should I just quit or continue to wait? For context: I’ve always been in-house, and I’ve always taken a drug test, so I didn’t think it was unusual, it was the 1.5+ weeks to get the results that was unusual. It's also in a completely different industry.

Founder and General Counsel Responses:

Continue to wait. Don’t give notice until everything is final.
Wait!

Counsel Responses:

Congrats by the way! I'm assuming you have already signed and are confident that you will pass. If that's the case, it is safe to put in your notice. I would wait until it is absolutely necessary to submit notice.
I think it's important to let the new job know that you want to give x weeks of notice. The start date prior to passing checks is a target date subject to change. I just recently went through this, and the background/drug tests didn't complete until almost right on top of the target start date. Most companies would advise prospective employees not to give notice until employment checks are complete (for potential liability issues I would imagine).
My experience thus far is 2 for 2 with regards to large corporate in-house positions and drug tests.
My company also required a drug test.
I’m in a global medical device company and we had one too. Only upon hire though.
I had this same question with the job I ultimately took and solicited lots of advice because I wanted to give notice so badly. Everyone said wait, so I did. The background stuff took longer than expected when I agreed to a start date— and I wanted to have a break between roles so I asked to push back my start date given the delay. Depending on your timing you might want to push back on starting, if you have to wait longer than expected to give notice.

Associate and Attorney Responses:

What company drug tests attorneys? That’s pretty unusual in my opinion.
Do they want us to be able to do our jobs or not?
I’m at an F10 and was drug tested when I started last year.
I don’t think it is unusual. It seems to be a common new hire requirement among my in-house network.
Was there a conflicts check?
I’m in the exact same boat. Literally. Even the start date. Weird.
Sometimes you can call your new firm and explain and they will rush things. I was in a similar position where I was waiting on a conflicts check and didn’t not want to give notice until absolutely clear. But, the managing partner was leaving in a day or two for a two week vacation, so if I don’t have notice before he left, I’d be in a weird spot. I called and explained it to the new firm. They pushed the conflicts check through so that I was able to give notice that day!