I currently work at a bank. I'm looking for a new job in the same
field because I hate my current position, and would like to quit my
current job immediately. I'm afraid that quitting without a 2 week
notice will come back to bite me in the future. Here is a couple
questions I have:

What kind of questions are asked when they do a work history background search?
-Will they ask how long I've been with the company? Down to the exact months? 
-Will they ask why I left?
-Will they ask about performance?
-What are some legal and illegal questions when performing these researches?
-Do these questions change if it's a competitor company? say Bank of America?

Thanks.

Here in the UK, depending on your position in the bank, they will
research prospective employees. They would be certainly be seeking
dates of employment. To the day if possible, if not, certainly the
month.  An employer would be concerned about gaps in your C.V., i.e.
were you in prison during those dates?
I?ll let a US researcher answer the rest for you.
answerfinder-ga

Thank you for your comment. It is the same here in the states. The
banks are very strict about who they hire. I need to know specifics
about the background checks they do. I'm not worried about criminal
records or arrests. I want to know what they confirm with your
previous employer(s).

There is no way anyone can answer whether your new prospective company
will verify your work history by contacting previous employers.  The
only ones who would know this are the human resources people /
recruiters at the new company.  What kind of answer do you expect from
a researcher?

Can't you get a doctor's note for two weeks absence on grounds of
stress and depression, then hand in your notice (so you don't actually
have to go to work during your notice period)?

The answer to your first three questions is "yes", -- wouldn't you, if
you were an employer?

Owain

There is no way to give definitive answers to your questions, but
here are some of the issues you need to consider.

Your situation will be affected by:
 - Whether you are in a "right to work" state.
     http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm
 - Whether you are an "at will" employee in the job you plan to leave.
     Strangely enough, being fired from a job often puts you in a better 
     position in these sorts of situations.
 - The particular laws on this matter in your state
     For ex. see Texas statues:
http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/job_references.html
 - Whether you sign a release with your new prospective employer
   allowing them to inquire of your past employers and how that
   release is worded
 - Whether your HR personell are located directly in your area and
   are aware of your work history or whether they are located elsewhere
   and will only have access to your hire/resignation paperwork

Even if your past employer says perjorative things about you to a new
prospective employer, your only real recourse will be to sue your past
employer.  If you are not going to be willing to do this, then most of
these discussions are academic.  In some states, you can probably refer
this to some agency, but you won't have paperwork to document it, so
that will go nowhere.

Also keep in mind that HR staff are usually knowlegable of the laws
governing this and they have their loopholes and workarounds to communicate
something without actually coming out and saying it.  Your best bet is to
give the two weeks.  If you can't, your best bet might be to not give your
notice directly to your boss, but to go to HR, notify them of the problem
you are having and explaining that you are willing to work your two weeks,
but cannot at your current post.  If they tell you don't worry about two
weeks notice, then you can just ask them to note that in your paperwork,
"employee offered two weeks notice, but was advised okay to resign
immediately" and you can probably avoid the whole problem.

This comment is directed to research_helpGA. With all due respect, I
expect a researcher to research. In this case, I expect to find out
what are the common questions asked by the HR department when
researching your work history. I also would like to know if they ask
why you left your previous position. In addition, I would also like to
know who they contact, whether it's your direct supervisor or the back
office. These are very simple questions. I just don't have the time to
research it myself.

There is nothing to research other than interviewing the HR staff at
your prospective employer.  There is no "standard" answer.
It's pretty much a moot point anyway since most large companies have
policies that prevent them from discussing your work history with
anyone other than to confirm your start and end date.  Your former
employer would probably be too concerned with potential liability to
give out any details. However, there are ways that you can say things
without coming out and directly saying them so the new employer could
get an idea.