> Plus, I'm always concerned when a developer ends their last job on Friday and starts Monday at our company.
Why? I did that else my family would have without health insurance (and income) for a while..
Ah, I'm Canadian, many developers take some time off between gigs to recharge. Our health care is somewhat tied to our employer but it's not as bad as the US.
I'm more concerned about the scenario where a developer has been working 12+ hour days on a release and then 50 or so hours later is now trying to ramp up on at our company.
In the US, there's typically COBRA as well so you can continue your previous insurance for up to about 18 months--without your previous employer co-pays of course.
It was quite a few years back but I don't remember it as being a big deal after I was briefly laid off post-9/11. As I recall I filled out forms to be covered but never actually paid in because there's a grace period and I got a new job after about a month. All things medical can get complicated, but COBRA should just be a continuation of your existing coverage.
Not a developer, but what do you mean in your second paragraph? Do you think people should take more time between jobs or spend part of their (generally two weeks) notice as vacation? Just wondering.