Things to Consider When Writing A Letter of Resignation

Plan Your Resignation

If you think about sticking a pen in your eye after every encounter with the boss chances are you’re considering a career change.

Use that pen in a constructive manner and research the company’s resignation policy. Each company’s policy will be different. It is up to you to know the finer points of how to resign from your job.

Will your employment end the day you hand in your letter or will you be expected to work for a certain length of time while a replacement is interviewed, trained and transitions into your job?

The most important rule of resignation is to have another job, in writing, to go to before you resign. Many people make the error of resigning in haste and then have to live with the humiliation of asking for their job back because their rent is due. Do not make this error.

What to Put In Your Letter of Resignation

Many people agonize about what to put in their letters of resignation. Sometimes less is more. Why you are resigning is not the issue. The issue is that you are resigning and that’s all you need to write. Don’t put anything in writing that may come back to haunt you. It is important to remember that your resignation letter is the last thing that will be entered in your personnel file. Consequently, it will be the first thing that’s viewed when future potential employers call for references. A simple letter of resignation cannot be misconstrued. However a letter that is critical of employees/employers can result in a negative recommendation.

Writing Your Letter

In its most basic form a letter of resignation should include:

• The date you are writing the letter of resignation.

• The date of when you plan to resign your position.

• Your signature at the bottom of the page.

• Delivery to the Human Resource Office or your boss.

Before You Hand In Your Letter

Research of the company’s resignation policy will put you wise to the fact that you may be immediately escorted off the premises. If this is the case some office housekeeping is needed before your deliver your letter.

Complete the following tasks before you resign:

• Take any personal items home prior to resigning. It is wise to do this a little at a time. Leave the pictures of your kids until the last day.

• Make sure you separate what belongs to the company from what is what you bought with your own money. Possession is not really nine-tenths of the law. In fact, some companies will charge employees with theft. Leave the pen for the next guy.

• Delete any personal e-mails or sensitive computer information from your desktop. Sensitive computer information can be classed as: the family budget, the book report you typed at the last moment for your child and various other things you may not want anyone else to read. You are required to leave anything that belongs to the company with the company. This can run from computer software that you developed to the prototype for the next multi-million dollar widget you thought of one day on the way to work.

• Make sure all your projects are completed. If they can’t be completed leave well-organized directions for the next person who will take over from you.

Deliver Your Letter of Resignation

This is always good to do at the end of the day. That way if they tell you not to come back you get to sleep in the next day. However, if they want you to sign exit papers, complete an exit interview or offer you a counter offer to the one you already have you can tell them you see them in the morning to discuss it, make an appointment and do the following.

Signing Papers with Any Type Of Legal Action Pending

Do not sign any papers until you speak to an attorney. If you are charging a company with discrimination/unfair practice get legal advice before you sign anything. You will be able to contact your attorney tell him what transpired and ask him/her to accompany you to the meeting.

The Exit Interview

If you have worked for a company and they wait until you resign to ask your opinion about working conditions you have to ask yourself will anything you say result in change? You should come up with no as an answer.

Keeping that in mind remind yourself that they are getting paid big money to know what’s going on in the company. It is not up to you to point out your secretary’s slow typing speed or your co-worker’s laziness. They already know this and they don’t care or they would have fixed it. Be non-committal in your answers and keep them short.

This is a good time to ask for letters of recommendations and references. If you want you can also offer to stay until a replacement is found. However, make sure they know you have a timeline until you start your next job.

Avoiding Employer Manipulation Through Guilt and Counteroffers

Employers know that it costs money to train new people. Haven’t you been working like ten men but getting paid the salary of one? Now the boss realizes that this may potentially clog up the works. He may even think that twenty-five cent raise you asked for last Christmas might be something he can examine. He might even give you a counter offer.

Do not take a counter offer ever! Research shows that 75% of people who take counter offers are usually not working in the same job six months later. The reasons: they have been laid-off, downsized or fired.

Apparently, the boss believes that those once willing to resign are not loyal company people. Those employees who accept counteroffers are usually replaced when work is slow and the company has time to hire and train someone who will work for less to do the same job.

Remember the company ran without you before and it will continue to run after you leave. Do not let your boss make you feel guilty. That’s what your mother is for.

Office Etiquette

Once you have resigned say good-bye to your co-workers. This squashes speculation that you were asked to leave. Make sure you tell them that you had a positive experience working with them. You never know if that slow-typing secretary will go back to school and someday be your boss. Stranger things have happened.