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I'm going to be handing my notice in tomorrow. I've worked for my company for 11 years and from the outset I was promised progression into a manager role.
But, due to staff turnover being high and the demand of the day to day role the progression has never happened and I feel like it's just a carrot on a stick.
My company have been not great to work for, their health and safety attitude is pretty poor, and management expect a lot from their staff but give very little both in trainings and support. I'm paid the top end of my role, but otherwise the benefits are zero (minimum holiday, 7 days sick pay, working on rota every other weekend and no prior notice of work). It's been hard. Long days, lots of travelling. Physically hard work.
I've been offered a role with a competitor. Slightly more money, more holiday, weekends optional and work sounds like it is more project based so would really interest me. It's a smaller company though and this is a real leap for me. But I've been recommended it by someone I know who works there and used to work for my current company.
So, that's my story, I'm nervous as hell to be handing in my notice, it will be a shock to my employer who has me booked on a lot of jobs in the coming months.
Any resignation email tips appreciated!
Be polite but assertive.
Never burn your bridges.
Dear xxx,
This is formal notice that I am leaving the company. My final date will be xxx and if I have any unused holiday allowance on that date I wish to take it as salary.
Regards,
peter
Dear *boss's name*
Please take this as formal notice of my resignation. As per my notice period, my last working day will be *date*
I wish you all the best for the future.
Peter1979
Sounds like a good move. Good luck with it. Just keep the resignation email brief and to the point. Along the lines off - This is notice that I am leaving, my last day of employment will be xx/xx/xx, I have x days holiday so my last day at work will be xx/xx/xx. regards, etc.
A resignation letter should not be an essay - just hand the above to your boss in person and do the rest verbally
Good luck - Mrs Pondo's in the process of escaping her hellhole school (managememt, not pupils!) after 14 years and just going back to teaching. I hope you're as excited about your new role as she is about hers! 🙂
+1 on maintaining bridges. 🙂
do the rest verbally
...if they ask why you're leaving. And even if they do, there's nothing wrong with saying "I've been offered a role elsewhere that I'd like to take". You don't have to go into any detail.
Write the most honest, shittiest letter you can think of and get everything off your chest. Everything. 11 years of resentment.
Then tear it up into lots of little pieces and write a one liner as above.
Never leave with blood on the walls.
Write two letters/emails, only send them the short version
It's funny how handing your notice in makes you nervous - I have done it a few times and everyt ime has been the same. Only once did I truly GAS about the company and the management yet every time I felt a pang of guilt.
Yet most companies would boot you out of the door if deemed necessary without a second thought.
As above, keep it brief and polite - good luck!!
Dear Fascist Bully Boy,
I quit, you bastard.
Love Peter
Dear Fascist Bully Boy,
I quit, you bastard.
Love Peter
Ps. Boomshanka.
This was me last September. As above, provide a short polite letter immediately following a verbal resignation with your manager together with an offer to help through your notice period.
I was 29 years in my company and very nervous with almost identical circumstances to you. I've just completed 3 months probation at the new place and am enjoying it a lot, I'm glad I made the change.
Nothing to add here but Good Luck - you are doing the right thing.
And if they counter-offer, be very suspicious.
They chose not to promote you/pay you more for x years you were there. They probably just want you to train up your replacement.
Just been/going through this.
Only 7 months after joining the company and although they are all very good people I've never felt like a good fit. To make things more awkward I actually delivered a really good report/presentation with my boss in attendance and handed my notice in straight after a congratulatory/pat on the back message from said boss 🙄
Am still feeling a bit sick and nervous because I feel like there is at least one more call with them trying to persuade me to stay and me trying to give them a clear rationale as to why I'm leaving, seems like a very bizarre situation and I just wish they'd leave me to go! 2 month notice period doesn't help, 7 weeks to go...
On the plus side OP, this is the second time I've handed notice in to good bosses who I was probably (short term at least( screwing over by leaving, and both have taken it very well, very professionally, and better yet both times I haven't let nerves kick in and start me blabbering, so it's never as bad as you think it might be 👍
All covered above ^^^
Keep it short, sweet, polite, professional and wish them every future success; it's not personal, it's business - that's how a reasonable employer would see it and it's how they would behave if dispensing with your services.
If you're going to a competitor and there's any chance of garden leave, then it's worth mentioning where you're going - but make sure you've got a bag/box to take any personal stuff with you in case you get escorted off site within the hour.
IMO, and what I did recently, the best (most polite?) way to approach it is to inform your boss verbally, before formally submitting a letter/email to them/HR (depending on the procedure at your place, which your boss should be able to tell you). Then the formal communication can be brief and functional, but you can have a mature conversation with your boss - you don't have to go into your reasons if you don't want. I just think it's an important thing, and should be done personally.
I've always done the formal thing very short and to the point, then avoided the exit interview as best i can.
Except for one employer who got both barrels. I had no intention of ever working in the field again and actively tried to get my manager sacked for gross misconduct (he'd regularly break the law).
They also underpay and have fairly poor conditions, though they keep up the lie that pay and conditions are in line with the industry, i'm pretty sure they've never even checked. I know that most of my colleagues never checked... Except the ones who've left.
Ps. Boomshanka.
Mike:
Ahh... that's hard to tell, Neil. What does it mean?
Neil:
It means "May the seed of your loins be fruitful in the belly of your woman".
Rick:
Ah-ha! And WHAT makes you think your bank manager's a man?
Neil:
His beard.
Cracks me up every time!
Stride into your bosses office, frisbee the resignation letter at him so it smacks him in the forehead and tell him "I resign you *!"
Bonus points for knocking out the annoying * in the office no-one likes without breaking your stride.
No going back now 😀
So, that’s my story, I’m nervous as hell to be handing in my notice, it will be a shock to my employer who has me booked on a lot of jobs in the coming months.
Your story is you're leaving a shit job for a better one. Crack on, lad.
it will be a shock to my employer who has me booked on a lot of jobs in the coming months.
Oh dear how sad never mind.
Any resignation email tips appreciated!
As others have said in the first three replies. Get to the point and stick to the facts. "Please accept this as notice of my resignation" and any specific expectations or requests around earned leave.
You don't need to provide explanation, justification or 'feedback,' you sure as hell wouldn't get it if roles where reversed.
Oh, and,
If you can afford it, make your new start date a week or two after your leaving date. Free holiday.
As others have said, leave on the absolute best terms possible, its a small old world. Oh, and mentally prepare yourself for them not appearing to care. Let them find out how important you were to the organisation, two weeks after you've gone. Good luck.
Don't get suckered into staying with promises of promotion, more pay etc, as you point out, this should have been done yonks ago and will never happen.
They just don't need the inconvenience of the cost, recruiting etc.
Do it for yourself! You will feel so much better!!
make your new start date a week or two after your leaving date
Only a week or two?? Go big or go home, I think I've got most of the month of June off now, although I'm gambling that they will pay me for accrued leave, if not I'll get half of May off as well although the credit card might take a bit of a hit... 😬
Stop worrying about it and go forward with a sense of adventure and opportunity.
Well, thank you for all the helpful replies.
I certainly am planning on keeping the letter/email brief and just the needed facts. Also very aware not to burn my bridges. I work in a very small niche industry and no doubt we will all cross paths at some point.
Unfortunately no chance of gardening leave, they will want me to be working to the last day as shown by previous employees that have left. 2 months notice too and the new employer is already aware of this and I don't think there's any chance of me getting time off in between as they are keen to get me out on upcoming projects. However, I have holiday at the end if June, so I'll be off anyway for the week before.
Still waiting on the new contract to arrive so notice won't be going in until that is in my inbox.
Exit email: just send a link to this song?
Last time I handed in my notice
Me: can I have a chat?
Manager: only if you are not handing in your notice
Me: er...
IMO, short & too the point. Perhaps thank them for the opportunities you have had during your time there, but I'm off to a new challenge now...
If you have to work notice, it helps to make it a pleasant experience.
If you think there is any chance you'll be straight out, make sure you've cleared anything of personal value to you before sending the email.
I resigned
Got offered the moon on a stick if i stayed.
Was pestered every day of my notice period about staying.
Changed my mind and stayed, in the following negotiation of better contracted hours, pay etc the stick broke and the moon turned into an iced doughnut.
I have always resigned on a Friday afternoon. Gives bosses the weekend to calm down. You should never be afraid to resign. Managers get mardy as they now have to replace you which means agro for them.
Having read your op, i would still go though.
I take a very real pleasure in handing my notice in to any employer because ultimately you want to leave.
For that brief period you hold all the cards and it feels great.. I love the look on their Chevy Chase when you drop the bomb last thing on a Friday.
I'd echo the above re false promises especially if you've been passed over.
No need to shit where you've slept but look forward to a new job, new challenges, more money, hopefully better opportunities.
Bon courage.
Exit email: just send a link to this song?
Which is fine until you get this as a reply.
2 months notice too and the new employer is already aware of this and I don’t think there’s any chance of me getting time off in between as they are keen to get me out on upcoming projects.
How long would it take them to find and hire someone else to do those projects though? I reckon you're good to ask for a couple of weeks off in-between.
Last year I handed my notice in from a job I worked for nearly half my life.
It felt absolutely awesome once I had done it. I was bricking it up front though.
I did it verbally first but had the short email prepared. If you have holiday owed you can either take it as payment or you can have an earlier departure date. Your choice.
My entire notice period they were making financial offers for me to stay. I would like to have been flattered but the reality was they were absolutely screwed and they knew it. Once of my colleagues who also handed in his notice called their bluff and actually stated what it would take for him to stay - It wasn’t unreasonable but it did prove they were full of crapola after all!
Enjoy the feeling, and congratulations for getting out.
This is formal notice that I am leaving the company. My final date will be xxx and if I have any unused holiday allowance on that date I wish to take it as salary.
Always make the last day of your holiday as your final date as you get paid your pension on top of the salary (well you do where I am).
I don't necessarily agree with the concept of not laying out some cold truths. If you can be objective. I did this a few years ago after taking on a project role that turned out to be a disaster. My resignation letter made very clear where all the problems were, i cc'ed my bosses boss, and on the day I announced I was leaving so did my boss (to my utter surprise). He left the organisation entirely. I remained (in a different role) His boss came to see me before I left and pretty much explained back to me what i'd put in my letter. To some degree I think i saved the project.
Neither of these employers is doing you a favor by employing you. They’re both in it for the skills and experience you have. Tell the current one you’re leaving in a short email or whatever form HR requires. Tell the new one when you’ll start based on your choice of dates. If they want you sooner how much is it worth to them? It’s business!
How did it go?
Batfink's rules for resigning:
They shouldn't be surprised that you are resigning. You should have given them opportunity to address you concerns before you quit, and they should already know that they have failed to do so adequately.
Don't accept a counteroffer (if rule #1 is true).
Don't be offended if no counteroffer is forthcoming - lots of companies don't counteroffer as a matter of policy. Equally don't be upset if there is no wailing/ugly-crying from your boss.
Don't march in to your boss's office clutching your 2-line notice letter. Go and inform them first, then drop the letter in to HR. "I've got a new job....." tends to be my opener.
Don't be a **** during your notice period.
I tend to agree to do an exit interview, but I'm determined not to give them any useful feedback at that point - maybe they should have asked for/valued it before that point?
Understand that after you leave, the world will continue to turn on its axis - the company will not collapse without you there.
After somebody leaves, they get blamed for everything.
Notice period??? Always make sure you have enough leave to cover the entire notice period.
lol - that was something that I was horrified about when I got to Australia!
When you start somewhere you aren't allowed to take leave until you have accrued it (at a rate of about 2 days per month) - which is a pain in the arse for the first couple of years.
Everywhere else in the world is focused on getting people to use-up their holiday, recognizing that having a huge backlog represents a significant risk.
Australia? Hell no..... we are going to actively ensure that everyone builds up a huge holiday balance over a number of years, meaning that people can effectively leave with zero notice, and we have to give them a decent payout on their way out the door too.
*goes to check holiday balance*
When i arrived here I had a temp job whilst waiting to get a decent visa. I met a guy who was about to take 6 months off to 'do a lap.' I then learnt what long service leave was! 10 years of work and you get a 6 month holiday on full pay. Mind blown #1.
I started my first proper job and saw this line in the contract saying '17.5% leave loading' Figured it must be a good thing. Found out that I get paid 17.5% extra when on leave to make sure my holiday is good. Mind blown #2.
At my first job here my boss only hung around for a couple of weeks before going off 'sick' for 'a very long time' returning only once all their years of accrued sick leave was finished. Then resigning with a final working date after they'd use up all their annual leave and long service leave. Mind blown #3
Started work in a hospital and finally found out what the term RDO meant! A day off per month 'just because.' Then i discovered that working in a Queensland hospital entitles me to a very healthy additional tax exemption. Mind blown #4
Yeah - my wife works at a University and the RDO system is a total pisstake. Eveyone pretends that they take a 15 minute shorter lunchbreak a day..... which adds up to almost 2 weeks of extra holiday per year.
My company have been not great to work for, their health and safety attitude is pretty poor, and management expect a lot from their staff but give very little both in trainings and support.
You work for G4S?
Let us know how you get on.
Yet most companies would boot you out of the door if deemed necessary without a second thought.
Pretty much the exact line I used in my most recent 1-2-1, except I was referring to my Manager who's only been here a few months:
"John, don't kid yourself mate, the minute they decide your position isn't required you'll be out of the door"
Based on the dozen or so reorgs in the +4 years I've been here.
For the OP, I've resigned lots and been laid off lots, do what you think is best for you.
I remember penning one in my head after my weekend leave had been cancelled to cover for someone else for the sixth consecutive week:
Dear Chief Constable.
Stick your ridiculously undervalued and underpaid job up your fat sweaty arse.
Rude letter to follow.
Love
Scapegoat
Still kinda regret not sending it......!
I left a job of 17 years back in November for a much smaller firm, same sector, same pay, less hours, more holiday. Gave them 3 months notice (which they squandered in finding a replacement) I did tell them I was doing something else as the company I work for is just down the road from them, although not particularly a competitor they don't see it that way. Not looked back and my old employer has been pretty vindictive about the whole thing, whcih I expected, whehter I told them where I was going or not. My notice letter was quite simple as above. Keep it short and polite. What you're doing is really none of their business and if they've no contigency in place to cover your absence on booked jobs then that's for them to deal with and worry about, not you.
Update
Called my manager yesterday morning. I was pretty nervous but had written a loose script to follow.
My manager was surprised to hear I was leaving and wanted to know where I was going and what the job was, I declined to say exactly where but said it's a similar role in a competitor company. Asked me what it would take for me to consider to stay. I explained my rationale for leaving but didn't in anyway portion any blame on my current role, just saying that I needed to further my career and take on new opportunities.
My manager was surprised and said that they thought I wasn't interested in moving up the ladder and that's why they hadn't pushed me. Not true, they've loosely offered management roles to almost anyone that's joins but never actually promote anyone.
Anyway, my manager advised me that the directors would want to meet with me and likely ask what I am being offered and will match it. I said I'm not leaving to hold the company to ransom and would expect that I would be being paid what they think I'm worth already and if they want to make a counter offer it should be based on my worth and not what another company has offered me.
Haven't heard back about this meeting yet.
I feel more relaxed now and accept that I am going to be leaving in just under two months to hopefully a better job!
IME companies dont just chuck extra money at a person unless they ask for it! id whack another 10% on top of the new figures & see if they still match it? if they do happy days, if not - off to pastures new. win win.
I said I’m not leaving to hold the company to ransom and would expect that I would be being paid what they think I’m worth already and if they want to make a counter offer it should be based on my worth and not what another company has offered me.
That's a wonderful way of phrasing it! Good luck in your new role!
I remember resigning from one job, three months notice, then finding out from my pay packet that the paltry pay rise had been deducted from my pay and that of another colleague who was leaving despite this being for about 6 months accrued pay. Unfortunately, I happened to be the financial controller and checked payroll, and found other leavers hadn't been deducted, only two of us who worked for one particular boss.
I got on with said boss, but told him that it was a dirty move, against HR policy (and most likely employment law), and if he expected me to continue to work hard and ensure there was a good hand over during the remaining two months, he was mistaken. He reversed the decision promptly.
IME companies dont just chuck extra money at a person unless they ask for it! id whack another 10% on top of the new figures & see if they still match it? if they do happy days, if not – off to pastures new. win win.
Nah, leave no matter what. OP handled it perfectly imo. Don't burn bridges by flat out refusing to consider any counter offer, and leave it vague enough that you can politely decline.
I agree with those who say let the boss know in person, this can be done by phone not necessarily face to face.That is what I did. Know what you want to say before you make the call and stick to that. I think it is best to have the formal letter written beforehand. I quit because the situation had become intolerable, I was made an offer to stay refused it and walked out with a months pay and no job to go to. Times were hard for my family for a while but I looking back I know I did the right thing.
Well done OP. If/when they counter offer do not forget that you have chosen to leave for a reason. If you accept any counter offer those reasons won't go away.
Anyway, my manager advised me that the directors would want to meet with me and likely ask what I am being offered and will match it
Not beat it, then?
I said I’m not leaving to hold the company to ransom and would expect that I would be being paid what they think I’m worth already and if they want to make a counter offer it should be based on my worth and not what another company has offered me.
Well played.
The tacit implication here is that they know they're underpaying you.
10%?
id whack another 10% on top of the new figures & see if they still match it?
Go big or go home. Take the new figure and double it.
@peter 1979
'I said I’m not leaving to hold the company to ransom and would expect that I would be being paid what they think I’m worth already and if they want to make a counter offer it should be based on my worth and not what another company has offered me'.
Now that is a professional response.
I don't get why employers think that matching offers would be good enough anyway. I mean, if you want to really want to keep an employee, you have to make them a *better* offer, surely?
I would like to think I would have responded to the manager, in the same way as the OP, but in reality I would have thought of them about 10 minutes afterwards, having mumbled something inconsequential. Very well played 👏
I'd employ @peter1979 on the basis of that response to his current lot 🙂
Haha, thanks @molgrips, however I haven't actually sat face to face with the Directors yet and may end up crumbling under the pressure and accepting a pay cut and taking a thrashing.
Nice action Peter 🙂