It’s always possible that your boss will say they have time right now, so be ready to have the conversation as soon as you ask. If you work remotely or in a different location from your boss, then face-to-face meetings might not be possible. In this case, it’s okay to set up a phone or video conference call, or send a detailed resignation letter via email. [3] X Research source
Be open and clear when you tell your boss. Say, “I’ve really enjoyed working here, but I’ve decided that it’s time for me to move on to new opportunities. I’ll be leaving on January 8, which gives you 3 weeks to prepare. ” Don’t hand in your notice without having a firm end date. Your boss needs your end date to plan for hiring a new person.
Common questions might be “why are you leaving?”, “Were you unhappy at work?”, or “Is there anything we can do to keep you?” Always be friendly and courteous while you’re answering these questions. Don’t turn the meeting into an argument, even if your boss doesn’t take the news well. If you were a valuable employee, your boss may make a counter-offer like raising your salary. It’s up to you if you want to accept an offer like this.
It’s fine to just say, “I’ve decided to follow my dream of starting my own business, and it’s time for me to commit to it fully. ” You could also say if you’ve been offered another job and accepted it. Your boss and coworkers will probably find out what you’re doing anyway from your professional or social media profiles, and people might feel misled if you didn’t tell them. It’s best to be open so you can maintain relationships with all your former coworkers.
This applies whether you’ve given longer than 2 weeks as well. Your boss might ask you to stay on longer while they find a replacement. This might not always be possible, however. Your new job might be starting right away, meaning you don’t have the time to work any longer. Be open with your boss, apologize, and say it’s simply not possible to work longer than your notice period.
If the meeting went well, you could even conclude by asking your boss if you can use them as a reference. This shows that you want to maintain your professional relationship, even though you’re leaving. [11] X Research source
Your boss might announce the news to the office. If there are people you want to tell yourself, you can ask your boss to hold off until you’ve spoken to your friends and coworkers. [13] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source News travels in offices, and people might know that you were interviewing or looking for other jobs. The important thing is that you don’t confirm any of this or state that you’re leaving until you’ve told your boss.
If you have the time, you could also offer to come in and help the new person get adjusted to the position. However, this isn’t a requirement, and you might not even have time for this if you start a new job.
For example, if you tell your boss that you’re leaving because you got a new job offer, but tell your coworker that it’s because you can’t stand your boss, that news will spread around. This can cause some controversy in your last few weeks of work. This is also important for maintaining relations with your boss and coworkers after you leave. These contacts could be a big help for you later on in your career.
Remember that your last few weeks of work are the last impression that many people in the office will have of you. You want this impression to be as positive as possible.
For example, instead of saying “The culture here is awful,” you could say “I think management could work on building a more cooperative environment for the workers. ” This puts a constructive spin on your criticism. The exception is if you faced any abuse, harassment, or mistreatment at work. In this case, you should report any problems to the HR department right away. [18] X Research source
It’s very possible that you hated your old workplace and can’t wait to leave. You’re not alone if that’s how you’re feeling. However, it still reflects badly on you to start problems in the office after you hand in your notice. Enjoy the fact that you’re leaving and move on. [20] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
It’s always good to get everything in writing for your new job. Ask for the compensation, benefits, vacation time, start date, and any other important details in an email or letter to confirm that they’re all set up. There is still a chance that your old employer will take you back if the new job doesn’t work out, especially if you were a good employee. However, this is a hassle and could be embarrassing, so you’d naturally want to avoid it.
Resignation letters don’t need a ton of detail. Address it to your boss and open by saying that you’re writing to officially resign. Include the date that you plan on leaving. Always thank the boss and the company for the opportunity to work with them. State if you’re willing to help train your replacement or work with your boss during the transition in your letter as well. [23] X Research source If you didn’t write a letter, your boss or HR might ask you to send them one anyway as part of the process.
Generally, you don’t need to include your reason for leaving in a resignation letter. You just have to say that you’re moving on. If you do have problems with your work environment, then filing a report with HR is the appropriate response.
If you’re willing to accept a counter-offer, have a salary in mind to suggest if your boss asks what could make you stay. It’s also perfectly fine to say you’re not willing to accept any counter-offers. This is your choice. Remember to consider a counter-offer carefully before accepting. More money might be nice, but if you hated your job, it might not be worth it for you.
Clean all of your personal information off your work computer before meeting with your boss. The company will probably do this anyway, but it’s best to do it yourself to make sure everything personal is gone. Confirm that you have contact information for any work friends that you want to stay in touch with. Think about your finances too. Make sure you can afford not to work for the next few weeks until your new job starts.
You should still report any incidents to HR before leaving. This way, you can put any problems on record if you have to build a case against the company. Besides incidents of abuse or harassment, there are a few other cases where quitting without notice is acceptable. These include being asked to do something unethical or illegal and not being paid for long periods of time. If you’ve experienced a serious personal or family crisis and are unable to do your job anymore, then this is also acceptable.
