After two years of belt-tightening amid budget cuts and employees having to work harder for less, IT professionals at every level are preparing for another leap forward. And many of them can’t wait to tell their employer: “I’m leaving!”
As you prepare to call it quits, you may be tempted to proudly leave the company in a blaze of glory, like former Jet Blue flight attendant Stephen Slater (see sidebar: “Working Class 'Hero'"). But remember that by leaving with a bang, you risk damaging your future career.
“The first thing to remember is that you will never be able to turn to this employer for help again,” warns Stephen Miranda, director of human resources and information integration at the Society for Human Resource Management. Even if you do not mention the name of your previous employer, it is possible that when you apply for a job you will be asked to bring some certificates from your previous job, and the HR manager may call your former boss. Also, remember that the world is a small place. In the future, you may well encounter your former boss or colleagues with whom you quarreled when you left. It's amazing how many times in 35 years professional life I had to meet at a new job with former colleagues, superiors and subordinates. And many of them played an important role in the projects and initiatives that I was working on at that time.”
By leaving with a scandal, you lose political capital, which you will need when interacting with former colleagues in the future.
Even more important, if you have a bad breakup, you risk tarnishing your reputation. “Firing is the last official action you take at your job,” said Jacques Ebouf, vice president of strategic development for the job search site Vaul.com. - Finally, you have the opportunity to form the right opinion about yourself. A bad dismissal can put an end to all the positive relationships that you managed to build while working in this organization.”
You might be surprised at how easy it is to damage your personal brand when you quit. Even if you don't plan to completely burn all your bridges, your dismissal may still leave your boss and co-workers feeling conflicted. To end your next working period on a positive note, listen to the four tips we would like to give you and discuss the relevant points with HR specialists. So, discuss the terms of your departure with your boss, determine who should be notified and when, write a letter of resignation, and try to leave a positive impression of yourself.
How to tell your boss you're leaving
No matter if you leave Good work or bad, saying “the last goodbye” to your boss is always awkward. In the end, your departure creates certain difficulties both for him (the boss will have to spend some time looking for a replacement for you) and for the remaining employees (they, in addition to their own, will have to do your job). In addition, your boss may perceive your departure as evidence of rejection of his leadership style.
Experts recommend conveying the news of your dismissal verbally - preferably in personal communication - rather than sending notice of your dismissal by email. e-mail. By doing so, you are being polite and showing your respect.
If you know your boss is going to leave the office at the time you plan to announce your decision, do it early or wait until your boss returns. If you cannot wait for his return, try to contact him by phone. It's still better than sending an email.
Now let’s discuss what exactly you are going to tell your boss. Miranda recommends sticking to something like this: “I look back fondly on my time at XYZ Company. I learned a lot and acquired many skills here. This experience was very useful for me. Now they are offering me a new job that will allow me to new level, and I decided to accept this offer. I would like to speak with you and discuss the best option for both of us when I leave.”
"If you don't have anything positive to say about your job, talk about the challenges you've faced," says Howard Seidel, a partner at Essex Partners, a recruiting firm. “For example, you could say, ‘I’m not a good fit here and that’s why I decided to go elsewhere.’”
“A boss who cares about your reasons for leaving may try to find out why you made that decision,” Miranda warns. - Let him understand that it's not all about him, but about you. This can be done approximately as follows: “My decision is not a reaction to the actions of my superiors and is not related to working conditions. It’s just that the offer I received is more consistent with the professional skills I’ve already acquired / meets my career aspirations / contributes to the development of new technologies / allows me to gain experience in a new industry.”
According to Katie Simmons, general director Netshare, which runs an online community for executives, makes it easier to announce your resignation if you've already talked to your boss about your career goals. In this case, your decision will not be such a surprise for him, and he will not perceive your dismissal as an injection against him.
If you told your boss that you would like to solve a wide range of problems and have a greater area of responsibilities, you can tell him: “I like working here, but this job offers me opportunity X. As you know, I have long wanted to solve problems of a slightly different kind.” .
If your boss doesn’t want to let you go, he will probably start asking about the specifics of your new job (position, nature of the tasks being solved, salary). So decide in advance what you want and plan your response in case you receive a counteroffer.
However, discussing the conditions under which you will stay is a rather risky move. “This is a situation I have to deal with again and again,” Simmons said. - The boss makes you a counteroffer, but he thinks to himself that you can’t be trusted, and you need to urgently look for a replacement. He leaves you to ease his transition, and then with clear conscience announce your resignation."
You may not want to say anything about your new job, and that's okay. In this case, you can say to the boss: “I would be happy to provide you with this information, but first I need to get settled.” Or phrase the same thing this way: “Before discussing my new role, I need to wait until the company officially announces my hiring.”
Finally, no matter how delicately you announce your resignation, there is always the possibility that you will be fired immediately. Some bosses take the resignation letter calmly. Others suggest packing up immediately because your presence in the company threatens its security or intellectual property. This happens especially often if they know that you are leaving for a competitor.
To protect yourself if your boss reacts this way, delete all personal information and email communications from your computer before speaking with him.
What is the required notice period for dismissal?
“The timing is determined primarily by the position you occupy in the company,” says Miranda. - In ordinary positions, as a rule, it is enough to inform about your resignation two weeks before dismissal. Managers usually need more time. This is either regulated by the terms of the contract, or is explained by the specifics of the work and the impossibility of finding a full-fledged replacement for the departing person within two weeks.”
Another factor that determines your notice period is the nature of your work. Before informing your boss of your plans to leave, review your area of responsibility so that you have enough time to complete all important work or before it is in such a condition that it can be transferred to someone else. When going to a meeting with your boss to inform him about your planned dismissal, take with you a list of all your projects and tasks to be solved.
“Your projects will have a direct impact on your relationships with your co-workers, so don't put people in difficult situations,” warns Ebouf.
The conditions of a new job may also affect notice periods. Your new employer may want you to start working as early as possible, but most will understand that you must work the standard two weeks at your current job. Try to complete all your affairs during these two weeks or prepare them for transfer to another responsible person.
If no deadlines weigh on you, you can try to negotiate with your boss on terms that will suit both of you. If you notify your boss at least two weeks before you quit, most managers will appreciate your action.
How to write a resignation letter
Before you write official document about dismissal, it is advisable to inform your boss about it personally. You can prepare your resignation letter in advance or write it after a conversation with your boss. It should be short. All you need to do is state your desire to leave the company and indicate on what day you are leaving.
“It must be taken into account that in some companies resignation requests are viewed extremely negatively,” Ebouf emphasized. - They immediately block your computer and do not allow you to return to workplace».
The application should not contain not only laudatory, but also sarcastic reviews of the company.
“Even if you felt unhappy, you shouldn’t put it on your statement because it becomes part of your personal track record" says Simmons.
How to leave wisely
“Make it look like the organization is losing a priceless pearl when you leave,” advises Miranda. “After all, you want people to say, ‘Yes, a good man left us’ after you leave the gate.”
During the last working weeks, you must behave as professionally as possible and be supportive with everyone. a good relationship. Help your boss, colleagues and direct subordinates, teach everything necessary to both new and old employees. Carefully document the tasks you solve. Don't brag about your new job, do not tempt your colleagues with offers to work with you after you leave, do not insult the employer and company employees either before or after you leave.
Don't give the impression that you are counting your remaining working hours. You need to show by your behavior that despite your departure, the company is still a great place to work. To leave about yourself good memory, email a thank you note to all your coworkers. Finally, clean up your workspace.
“If you leave with your head held high, having your affairs in order and your work area cleaned up, your colleagues will have less reason to talk badly about you,” Ebouf added. “In the memory of those around you, you will be able to preserve your self-esteem and self-respect.”
"HERO" OF THE WORKING CLASS
The story of Steven Slater, a former JetBlue flight attendant, is an instructive one. On August 9, 2010, when the plane was landing, one of the passengers argued with a neighbor about who would be the first to remove luggage from the rack. Stephen came up to calm them down and convince them not to get up until the plane stopped completely, for which he was cursed and, according to witnesses, hit on the head with a bag from an indignant lady.
After that, the man who had worked for the airline for 20 years lost his temper. He went into the service compartment and, turning on the speakerphone, said what he thought about the passengers. Then he grabbed two cans of beer from the bar and left the airliner through the emergency exit.
For this act, Stephen faced seven years in prison. Quite reasonably, he considered this punishment too harsh and created a page on Facebook, where he found thousands of like-minded people and defenders. As a result, Slater was sentenced to compulsory treatment and a fine in favor of his former employer. If he violates the sentence, he will go to prison for up to three years.
After the incident, Slater was hailed as a working-class hero, speaking out on behalf of everyone who had ever worked with people but was hesitant to vent their anger. His act became the subject of a TV show and was described on the front pages of newspapers and on the Internet.
Instructions
First of all, you need to prepare and think through a behavior strategy. It is important to remember here that even if you were categorically dissatisfied with something in this workplace, with your indignation and attempt to finally express your attitude to the situation to management, you will only ruin your own employment prospects and make money in the industry where you work. Therefore, take into account all the nuances, think over the sequence of moves. Is there a need for oral communication at all? In some cases, it is enough to simply submit an application for dismissal through the secretary, this will be considered a message to management.
Write a resignation letter that will allow you to leave on the most favorable terms for you. Here, exemption from required work or the “vacation with subsequent” scheme can be taken into account. You can submit the prepared application by first registering it as an incoming document with the secretary. Thus, without applying in person, you can be sure that your application will be considered and a decision on it will be made in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.
In the event that you cannot avoid a conversation with your superiors, you should proceed from the current situation and your specific relationship with the manager.
If you have an excellent working relationship, but you are “letting down” the director with your dismissal, find convincing arguments in favor of your dismissal (for example, possible continued cooperation) and ask him to write a letter of recommendation for you or a positive testimonial for a future employer.
And even if you consider your director to be a boor and a tyrant, you will have to try to communicate your dismissal in the most conflict-free form. Leave your pride and prepare arguments in favor of your voluntary dismissal, without indignation or demand. In the end, remember that burning bridges is simply not profitable for you. A future employer may well turn to your current to the director. And besides, you haven't quit yet, and your boss could ruin your future career. And he has every opportunity, if not for this, then at least to delay the dismissal in order to get on your nerves.
Having prepared in this way and thought through the strategy for your dismissal, you can safely take the application in hand and go to to the director. It is best to ask him to sign your statement immediately after the conversation in your presence. This way you can immediately transfer it to the relevant services to speed up the completion of all formalities with dismissal.
Some employees experience psychological difficulties when they want to quit. Especially how to tell your boss about it. Here are some tips...
Make sure you are taking the right step; don't do it out of anger or judgment, to prove something to someone, or in hopes of convincing others how much they need you.
If you decide, then bring it to the attention of your boss personally, unless you have absolutely no relationship with your boss. Don't send an email or leave a note to the manager in his mailbox. Ask for an audience for a one-on-one conversation.
Be prepared to be asked why. It is better to say everything honestly, unless, of course, you are worried about the prospect that sincerity will burn the remaining bridges. If there is evidence, tell your boss what you are not happy with: the management style, the atmosphere and principles of the company, or the working hours are too long. By saying this, you will serve your boss well. On the other hand, if the boss is a tyrant and doesn’t take criticism well, then use a safe phrase like “I don’t want to miss this great opportunity” or “It wouldn’t hurt to get experience in another area.”
If your boss reacts painfully to your decision, it will affect him, not you. Always remain professional - state that you enjoyed the job but have other plans, and you will ensure a smooth exit. To the boss, if he right person, we should congratulate you and express regret in connection with your departure, or, in addition, ask what could be done to make you want to stay.
You need to give at least two weeks' notice of your decision, unless, of course, you want to completely burn bridges and tarnish your reputation, which may haunt you later.
Evaluate your boss's actions when firing other employees. Were they shown the door right away, or, say, were they shown out ahead of the time they expected? If so, give your boss two weeks' notice, period. If the boss belongs to a different category of people, who gratefully perceives more early dates notices and does not terrorize those leaving, draw appropriate conclusions from this. The bosses will like it.
Ensure a smooth transition to the “after you” period and then quit. For example, leave everything at your workplace Required documents, contacts, passwords, etc. Don't leave unanswered emails, help your successor get up to speed if you have time, and keep your work area tidy. Just in case, you can leave a phone number for your successor if he suddenly has questions.
After notifying you of your intention to resign, remain focused, do not be late or leave work early, and demonstrate the same approach to work as before, otherwise you may damage your reputation. As with divorce, how a person leaves will say a lot about him. Conduct yourself with dignity, as paths with former colleagues may cross in the future.
Making the decision to quit is often easier than communicating it. An employee who is planning to quit cannot muster up the courage to inform his boss about his intention, and the boss who has to lay off several dozen or even one person is tormented for a long time by doubts as to whether he is acting fairly.
What's the best way to announce your resignation?
Getting fired is always a rather touchy topic of conversation. Each of the parties wants to part on good terms, to avoid insults and mutual claims, but, unfortunately, this is not always possible and not everyone succeeds. That is why it is worth trying to prepare the ground for a conversation about dismissal in advance, and also try to think through the very outline of this not very pleasant conversation.
The conversation about dismissal can be looked at from two sides:
- when a subordinate informs the manager about leaving;
- when a manager informs a subordinate that the latter will have to leave the company.
The reasons for both cases may be different; what remains common is the need to somehow convey information to the opposite side. We will not consider here the case of tacit written notification and setting before the fact, but will assume that both the employee and his management act with the desire to maintain friendly relations even after separation.
Regardless of who initiates the conversation, it is worth taking care of comfortable conditions for the conversation. There are no universal tips and recommendations that will suit everyone in this matter, but even minimal knowledge of human psychology suggests that it is worth choosing a time for a conversation when a person is calm, complacent and in no hurry. That is why, when planning a conversation, it is better to start from the characteristics of the person who is about to convey the unpleasant news. The conversation is best conducted face to face; it is necessary to choose a place and time when no one can interfere or disrupt the flow of communication.
How to leave a company gracefully
First of all, it is necessary to keep in mind as a guideline the desire to maintain good relations with superiors and colleagues, who should soon turn from current to former. This will help you sleep peacefully when potential employer will want to check your professional or communication skills by talking with former employers. In addition, it is possible that you will meet some of your current colleagues in the future as a boss or subordinate. In other words, you should never rush to burn bridges.
The conversation about dismissal should be taken very seriously, but without unnecessary nerves
It is always better to talk about such sensitive topics face to face. If you work in an open space, book a meeting room to communicate with your boss so that random people cannot disturb you. Ideal recipes and there are no conversation scenarios, since much will depend on your relationship with management, on the situation in the team, as well as on the factors that caused the dismissal. It is better to voice this reason as sincerely as possible, while trying to maintain delicacy. You shouldn’t categorically tell your boss that your job has become boring, your working conditions are unpleasant, and your salary is low. Find a more tactful way to convey your ideas to the other person. You may have been offered more interesting conditions jobs (for example, remote work) and a higher paying position. Maybe you have changed family circumstances, and it has become difficult for you to work in the company’s accepted mode (for example, your spouse received an offer to move to work in another city or country). Or you simply feel that you have exhausted yourself in the direction in which you have been working all this time, and would like to try something new. The reasons for leaving can be very different, but you definitely need to find a way to talk about them so that you are understood correctly. It is very important to thank your manager, and later your colleagues, for helping you gain an interesting professional experience.
A competent leader will be able to understand your motives and respond adequately to the information received. If you are firm in your intention to leave the company, it is worth thinking through your arguments in advance in the event that, in an attempt to keep you in the company, you are offered a raise in salary or position, an interesting project, or foreign business trips. However, you should not try to manipulate people in order to receive such an offer. The deception may be revealed, and this will not at all strengthen your position in the company.
According to the norms of the Labor Code, it is necessary to notify the employer of the planned departure fourteen days before this event. In some circumstances, it is better to stop being a formalist and talk to management about your intentions in advance, for example, three or four weeks before leaving. This will allow the company to find a replacement for you, take over current affairs and projects from you, and you will earn a reputation as a responsible person who stands up for the success of the common cause.
Video: how to leave gracefully
How to fire a person without becoming his enemy
Every manager will one day have to learn how to fire people. Those who have similar experience will say that there are no two identical dismissals, just as there are no two identical human destinies. There can also be a lot of reasons why a manager may want to part with a specific employee, from the banal “they didn’t get along” to malicious violations. You should always approach dismissal very carefully, because an offended employee, even if he was fired for cause, can go to court and begin to take revenge in other ways, for example, spoiling the company’s reputation among potential partners and clients, on the Internet, in general social circles. Next, we’ll look at several options for how a manager can part with an employee he doesn’t like as painlessly as possible for both parties.
While doing their work, each person pursues, among other things, certain personal goals and strives for new opportunities. Work may give him a chance to realize his aspirations, or vice versa. The best way to fire a person on a positive wave is to help him understand his goals, as well as the goals and capabilities of the structure in which he works. For example, HR specialists consider one of the most effective ways non-directive staff reduction; conducting corporate training on awareness of personal goals simultaneously with a strategic session of the company’s goals. In this way, a person can realize that, frankly, his life interests and aspirations are directed in one direction, and the company for which he works is moving in the opposite direction. The desire to quit in such circumstances will arise naturally. This method of dismissal is applicable when there is no question of how to fire such an objectionable person immediately. Such an employee may also most often be aware of his true desires and needs and perceive his current job as a temporary solution, so the company will do him a good service by giving him a little nudge in the right direction.
It is very important for a company to take a systematic approach to organizing the dismissal process. And here we are talking not only about compliance with all paper and legal formalities, but also about interaction with the dismissed employee. Dismissal must be planned in advance, be prepared to give the person time to come to terms with the upcoming dismissal, and also find a new job that meets personal aspirations and interests. You should not try to get rid of a person at any cost as quickly as possible. Many employers, in an attempt to save time and money, use a trick, offering the far from best employee to resign. at will, and in return promising brilliant recommendations. Of course, the company will get rid of an unwanted employee, but won’t such an approach bring more harm than good. The author of this material observed with his own eyes a situation where a person with excellent recommendations from business partners, who turned out to be completely incompetent, was hired as the head of a group of trading companies. His actions for a short time contributed to the collapse of the team, which had worked together for more than ten years at the time of his arrival, and also brought all the companies in the group below the breakeven point. A repeated, albeit belated, check of his work history through other channels showed that he was far from a brilliant leader, and the recommendations he had been given were deliberately false. Needless to say, the incompetent manager was eventually fired, and the partnership with the recommenders also ended. After such stories, it is not at all surprising to hear that recommendations say nothing about the candidate, and people with even an excellent reputation turn out to be ineffective employees. When dismissing an employee, you need to be honest both towards him and his future employer.
An interesting case of systematic organization of layoffs can be cited from the practice of one large Russian trading company. During the crises of 2008 and 2014, this company was forced to massively lay off its employees, but the company tried to do everything to make the layoffs as painless as possible for people. The company deliberately engaged in employing laid-off workers, not only top management, but also ordinary employees. All layoffs were carried out as planned.
First of all, for each of the candidates for dismissal, a detailed analysis. Everything that was known about the person and his life circumstances, plans was studied, and it was predicted how dismissal would affect him. At this stage, the company tried to understand whether it would create unsolvable problems for the employee, because of which he would go into conflict, legal action, and so on. For example, an elderly person supports a sick relative as a dependent. Find a job in short time It will be extremely difficult for him. There is a high probability that he will refuse to resign himself, and even a layoff according to the law with payment due compensation he may not be satisfied. At this stage, those for whom dismissal would be painless were identified, and those who needed special attention, additional compensation and assistance, that is, a risk group.
At the second stage, the company prepared a separate action plan for each of the dismissed employees, taking into account additional measures for the risk group. Someone can be fired without any problems in the general manner, someone needs to be given more time to look for a job, pay a bonus, draw up a recommendation as an intelligent employee and send it to the company’s partners, and so on. The company not only took all these actions, but did it so that the employee knew about them. In addition, the company also had a plan B in case a person falls into a state of conflict, is preparing to file a lawsuit, incites others to a class action or strike, tries to steal commercial information, and so on. All possible options should have been worked out together with lawyers. Although such care for employees looks almost fantastic, here we are still not talking about charity, but about stingy commercial calculations and risk planning.
At the third stage, employees were informed about the current situation. Here it was important to choose the right words and create the right environment.
It is dangerous to voice bad news to a large group of people at once, since in a group people feel more confident and if they are particularly dissatisfied, it is easy to induce everyone else to take some action. The ideal option is always to talk to each employee separately, especially those who may create additional difficulties for the company. It often happens that it is impossible to talk with everyone in private (the reason may be, for example, too tight a deadline and a very large team), then the conversation can begin as a group one. Before the entire meeting, a message is announced that such and such events are happening in the company, and then a separate conversation is held with each of the meeting participants, during which special attention is paid to problem employees.
A typical message, which is voiced in front of the entire team, can be structured according to the following scenario. First you need to describe difficult situation, in which the company found itself due to the crisis (management errors, difficult situation in the market and so on), while there is no need to particularly hide the reasons, but you should not detail them too much, especially if the cause was management errors (incorrect planning, erroneous strategy, etc.). The main idea is that you admit to a difficult situation, but immediately move on to the fact that you have a plan of further action ready for each employee and this plan is such and such. At this stage, it is important not to allow people to go too deep into the search for culprits and options for how the current situation could be avoided. It will be a very useful and powerful step when someone from management apologizes to the meeting for the fact that management's actions either led to such a situation or did not allow it to be avoided. This is especially common in Japanese culture. For example, the head of the world's largest corporation may personally bow at a team meeting to those who are about to be fired, accepting responsibility for the fact that the situation has developed this way. But this does not in any way influence the fact that people should leave the company.
The employer’s task is to mitigate the employee’s dismissal as much as possible.
The first part of the conversation is to prepare people for the fact that they will soon hear bad news. You can use, for example, such phrases and phrases as “we all know that there is now a global crisis”, “our plans have not come true” and “at the last meeting a decision was made... unfortunately, we are not able to change this decision.” In the second part of the conversation, you need to give people the message that what happened is not their fault, but only reflects business realities, and also encourage everyone to think together about what to do next. It is appropriate here to let people know that the company is ready to provide them with emotional and moral support so that the dismissal is as harmless as possible for them. The company can extend the time to find a job, pay compensation, help draw up juristic documents to obtain a deferment on the payment of consumer and mortgage loans. In this part, you need to competently present to people everything that you can do for them. For example, an invited or in-house psychologist can talk with employees who need to relieve stress, the company’s HR service can help employees reconsider their career plans, create an effective resume and find a new job, a lawyer will advise on all issues arising during the dismissal process, and tell how receive unemployment benefits, help you prepare documents to obtain a deferment on loans or to obtain a loan to develop a new business. The third part is an individual conversation with each employee. Based on your understanding of a person’s situation, you can understand how best to present him with information about dismissal. It is necessary to choose such words so that a person understands that he is not thrown out onto the street as unnecessary. It is important to convey to the employee that his dismissal is an inevitable thing caused by the current economic situation, which neither you nor he can influence. It is also important that the person understands that the company will try to do everything possible to get him back on his feet as quickly as possible. A conversation with the person being fired about his plans for life will help you find the right words. One of the options, for example, may be that a person has long wanted to start a business and was actively thinking about it, but could not decide to leave his job.
When dismissing a subordinate, you must remember that your main strategy is to remove him from the scenario of emotional reactions to the scenario of constructive use of the situation. In other words, instead of emotions, resentment, and feelings that he is bad, he was deceived and abandoned, bring a person to a rational level and force him to concentrate on what opportunities he now has, what can be obtained from the current situation. Perception of dismissal as a low assessment of work, failure to achieve goals, sudden loss money is fundamentally different from the perception of the same event as a new stage in life, which will allow you to achieve and achieve something, as an opportunity to gain more than will be lost. Therefore, all preparatory actions (analysis, assistance in searching, and so on) are to show that life is not over. American HR specialists formulate this ideally when they jokingly say: “Our company will no longer serve as a barrier to your growth and development.”
Video: how to properly fire employees
Legal procedure for notice of dismissal
IN Labor Code There are no specific requirements for the format of the resignation letter, which means that it can be compiled in any form. However, there are a number of points that are still recommended to be taken into account when drawing up this document in order to avoid disagreements in interpretation and other difficulties. First of all, the resignation letter must be written personally and by hand by the citizen leaving the company. The application must indicate his name, surname, patronymic, as well as his position in the company. This document is addressed to the person in the company who has the authority to make a decision on dismissal (for example, to the general director as a representative of the owner of the company). Special attention It is worth paying attention to correctly indicating the date of dismissal. Experts recommend avoiding the preposition “s” in this case. In other words, instead of the phrase “I ask you to fire me on August 5, 2018,” it is recommended to write “I ask you to fire me on August 5, 2018.”
The application must indicate the exact date of dismissal.
When drawing up an application, it is necessary to take into account the fact that labor legislation dismissal is necessarily preceded by mandatory service, the duration of which may vary for various reasons. The most common type of work is fourteen days. As a rule, it is this service that accompanies voluntary dismissal. However, some categories of citizens may exercise the right to reduce the working period to three days or avoid this duty altogether. Work includes weekends and holidays, days on vacation and sick leave.
The practice of the author of this material shows that a resigning employee should not worry too much about how to correctly write a resignation letter. The implementation of the dismissal process is the responsibility of the enterprise's personnel service, and, in most cases, employees of this service are directly interested in completing all the necessary formalities in a timely manner and in accordance with the letter of the law. For this reason, HR officers will enthusiastically and readily offer their assistance to an employee leaving the company, provide him with the necessary template on which to draw up a resignation letter, and also give other comments both on the preparation of the application and on the entire procedure as a whole.
Video: form and registration of resignation letter
Procedure for dismissing an employee
The general scheme for dismissing an employee is quite simple. In the event that an employee resigns of his own free will, he must advance (fourteen days in advance) general case) notify the employer of your intention. The day after notifying the employer, the countdown of work days begins, during which the employee must transfer cases and, if possible, complete his projects. On the last working day, a dismissal order is issued, and the employee receives a full financial statement, as well as a work book and other documents.
If we are talking about dismissal at the initiative of the employer, the obligation to promptly notify the resigning employee about the upcoming event falls on the shoulders of the employer. In the future, the course of action is similar to that adopted upon dismissal at the request of the employee. The differences lie only in the timing of notification to the employee and in the execution of the relevant documents, for example, depending on the reason for dismissal, references to various clauses of the relevant laws will be included in the order and in the work book. The reason for dismissal will also determine the procedure for financial settlements with the dismissed person. In particular, if a company is downsizing, the laid-off employees must be notified at least two months before this event, and after dismissal they must receive, among other things, two more monthly salaries as financial compensation.
Video: legal grounds and procedures for terminating an employment contract
Can an employer refuse to dismiss at his own request and what to do if he does not accept the application
Current legislation prohibits an employer from keeping an employee in the workplace against his will; in other words, no employer has the right to refuse this desire to an employee who wishes to leave the company. However, in practice, you can often encounter a situation where the employer in one way or another tries to prevent voluntary dismissal. A variety of means are used, from friendly persuasion and offers of increase in salary and position to blackmail and threats to dismiss the employee under the article if he does not withdraw his application. For some, the opportunity to get more favorable working conditions will be enough reason to stay, but under no circumstances should you give in to threats. Firstly, it is impossible to dismiss an employee under the article if he previously submitted an application of his own free will. Secondly, such behavior on the part of the employer may lead to legal proceedings, from which, with a high degree of probability, the winner will be the employee forced to remain at his old job.
In order to protect yourself from the employer’s dishonesty and to prevent the employer from “accidentally” losing a timely submitted resignation letter, it is recommended that you register this application when submitting it. It's very easy to do. It is enough to submit the application as an official incoming document through the office of the company or through the company secretary. In this case, it is necessary to take care in advance of the presence of a duplicate, on which the office employee must put the date of receipt of the document, as well as its registration number and his signature. If for some reason the employee is unable to submit the application in person, the law allows it to be sent using postal service by registered mail with notification of delivery personally to the manager or by telegram. In such a situation, the day of filing the application will be considered the day of delivery of the correspondence to the addressee. After the application is received by the employer, the countdown of the required number of days of work begins, after which the employee has every right to appear for a financial settlement and work book, and then say goodbye to the organization. If the employer continues to persist in his reluctance to give the employee freedom of action and in the future the matter still comes to lawsuits and proceedings, a duplicate application with the number and date of its registration in the office or a notification of delivery of a registered letter will become confirmation of that fact in court, that the employer was promptly notified by the employee of his desire to leave the company.
During the period of final work in a company that does not want to let an employee go, it is necessary to be as calm and careful as possible, not to succumb to provocations, to observe work discipline and the necessary paper formalities, without creating reasons for quibbles and comments.
Video: does the director have the right to refuse dismissal?
Quitting a job often becomes a turning point in a person's life. Psychologists say that the stress from being fired is comparable to the stress from a divorce. In this situation, the main thing is to maintain a positive perception of reality and be able to find new opportunities for one’s development and growth in the current situation. The employer, like the employee, may also worry about the fairness of his decisions, but a good leader must be able to accept responsibility for his actions, and layoffs are an integral part of running a business, so such a test should help him become better and stronger.
After two years of belt-tightening amid budget cuts and employees having to work harder for less, IT professionals at every level are preparing for another leap forward. And many of them can’t wait to tell their employer: “I’m leaving!”
As you prepare to call it quits, you may be tempted to proudly leave the company in a blaze of glory, like former Jet Blue flight attendant Stephen Slater (see sidebar: “Working Class 'Hero'"). But remember that by leaving with a bang, you risk damaging your future career.
“The first thing to remember is that you will never be able to turn to this employer for help again,” warns Stephen Miranda, director of human resources and information integration at the Society for Human Resource Management. Even if you do not mention the name of your previous employer, it is possible that when you apply for a job you will be asked to bring some certificates from your previous job, and the HR manager may call your former boss. Also, remember that the world is a small place. In the future, you may well encounter your former boss or colleagues with whom you quarreled when you left. It’s amazing how many times in my 35 years of professional life I’ve encountered former colleagues, bosses, and subordinates at a new job. And many of them played an important role in the projects and initiatives that I was working on at that time.”
By leaving with a scandal, you lose political capital, which you will need when interacting with former colleagues in the future.
Even more important, if you have a bad breakup, you risk tarnishing your reputation. “Firing is the last official action you take at your job,” said Jacques Ebouf, vice president of strategic development for the job search site Vaul.com. - Finally, you have the opportunity to form the right opinion about yourself. A bad dismissal can put an end to all the positive relationships that you managed to build while working in this organization.”
You might be surprised at how easy it is to damage your personal brand when you quit. Even if you don't plan to completely burn all your bridges, your dismissal may still leave your boss and co-workers feeling conflicted. To end your next working period on a positive note, listen to the four tips we would like to give you and discuss the relevant points with HR specialists. So, discuss the terms of your departure with your boss, determine who should be notified and when, write a letter of resignation, and try to leave a positive impression of yourself.
How to tell your boss you're leaving
Whether you're leaving a good job or a bad one, saying a final goodbye to your boss is always awkward. In the end, your departure creates certain difficulties both for him (the boss will have to spend some time looking for a replacement for you) and for the remaining employees (they, in addition to their own, will have to do your job). In addition, your boss may perceive your departure as evidence of rejection of his leadership style.
Experts recommend conveying the news of your dismissal verbally - preferably in person - rather than sending notice of your dismissal by email. By doing so, you are being polite and showing your respect.
If you know your boss is going to leave the office at the time you plan to announce your decision, do it early or wait until your boss returns. If you cannot wait for his return, try to contact him by phone. It's still better than sending an email.
Now let’s discuss what exactly you are going to tell your boss. Miranda recommends sticking to something like this: “I look back fondly on my time at XYZ Company. I learned a lot and acquired many skills here. This experience was very useful for me. Now I am being offered a new job that will allow me to reach a new level, and I have decided to accept this offer. I would like to speak with you and discuss the best option for both of us when I leave.”
"If you don't have anything positive to say about your job, talk about the challenges you've faced," says Howard Seidel, a partner at Essex Partners, a recruiting firm. “For example, you could say, ‘I’m not a good fit here and that’s why I decided to go elsewhere.’”
“A boss who cares about your reasons for leaving may try to find out why you made that decision,” Miranda warns. - Let him understand that it's not all about him, but about you. This can be done approximately as follows: “My decision is not a reaction to the actions of my superiors and is not related to working conditions. It’s just that the offer I received is more consistent with the professional skills I’ve already acquired / meets my career aspirations / contributes to the development of new technologies / allows me to gain experience in a new industry.”
According to Katie Simmons, CEO of Netshare, which runs an online community for executives, it's easier to announce your resignation if you've already talked to your boss about your career goals. In this case, your decision will not be such a surprise for him, and he will not perceive your dismissal as an injection against him.
If you told your boss that you would like to solve a wide range of problems and have a greater area of responsibilities, you can tell him: “I like working here, but this job offers me opportunity X. As you know, I have long wanted to solve problems of a slightly different kind.” .
If your boss doesn’t want to let you go, he will probably start asking about the specifics of your new job (position, nature of the tasks being solved, salary). So decide in advance what you want and plan your response in case you receive a counteroffer.
However, discussing the conditions under which you will stay is a rather risky move. “This is a situation I have to deal with again and again,” Simmons said. - The boss makes you a counteroffer, but he thinks to himself that you can’t be trusted, and you need to urgently look for a replacement. He leaves you to ease the transition period and then, in good conscience, announces his dismissal.”
You may not want to say anything about your new job, and that's okay. In this case, you can say to the boss: “I would be happy to provide you with this information, but first I need to get settled.” Or phrase the same thing this way: “Before discussing my new role, I need to wait until the company officially announces my hiring.”
Finally, no matter how delicately you announce your resignation, there is always the possibility that you will be fired immediately. Some bosses take the resignation letter calmly. Others suggest packing up immediately because your presence in the company threatens its security or intellectual property. This happens especially often if they know that you are leaving for a competitor.
To protect yourself if your boss reacts this way, delete all personal information and email communications from your computer before speaking with him.
What is the required notice period for dismissal?
“The timing is determined primarily by the position you occupy in the company,” says Miranda. - In ordinary positions, as a rule, it is enough to inform about your resignation two weeks before dismissal. Managers usually need more time. This is either regulated by the terms of the contract, or is explained by the specifics of the work and the impossibility of finding a full-fledged replacement for the departing person within two weeks.”
Another factor that determines your notice period is the nature of your work. Before informing your boss of your plans to leave, review your area of responsibility so that you have enough time to complete all important work or before it is in such a condition that it can be transferred to someone else. When going to a meeting with your boss to inform him about your planned dismissal, take with you a list of all your projects and tasks to be solved.
“Your projects will have a direct impact on your relationships with your co-workers, so don't put people in difficult situations,” warns Ebouf.
The conditions of a new job may also affect notice periods. Your new employer may want you to start working as early as possible, but most will understand that you must work the standard two weeks at your current job. Try to complete all your affairs during these two weeks or prepare them for transfer to another responsible person.
If no deadlines weigh on you, you can try to negotiate with your boss on terms that will suit both of you. If you notify your boss at least two weeks before you quit, most managers will appreciate your action.
How to write a resignation letter
Before writing an official document about dismissal, it is advisable to inform your boss about it personally. You can prepare your resignation letter in advance or write it after a conversation with your boss. It should be short. All you need to do is state your desire to leave the company and indicate on what day you are leaving.
“It must be taken into account that in some companies resignation requests are viewed extremely negatively,” Ebouf emphasized. “They immediately block your computer and do not allow you to return to your workplace.”
The application should not contain not only laudatory, but also sarcastic reviews of the company.
"Even if you felt unhappy, you shouldn't put it on your application because it becomes part of your personal record," Simmons says.
How to leave wisely
“Make it look like the organization is losing a priceless pearl when you leave,” advises Miranda. “After all, you want people to say, ‘Yes, a good man left us’ after you leave the gate.”
During the last working weeks, you need to behave as professionally as possible and maintain good relations with everyone. Help your boss, colleagues and direct subordinates, teach everything necessary to both new and old employees. Carefully document the tasks you solve. Don't brag about your new job, don't entice colleagues with offers to work with you after you leave, and don't insult your employer or company employees either before or after you leave.
Don't give the impression that you are counting your remaining working hours. You need to show by your behavior that despite your departure, the company is still a great place to work. To leave a lasting memory, send a thank you note to all your coworkers via email. Finally, clean up your workspace.
“If you leave with your head held high, having your affairs in order and your work area cleaned up, your colleagues will have less reason to talk badly about you,” Ebouf added. “In the memory of those around you, you will be able to preserve your self-esteem and self-respect.”
"HERO" OF THE WORKING CLASS
The story of Steven Slater, a former JetBlue flight attendant, is an instructive one. On August 9, 2010, when the plane was landing, one of the passengers argued with a neighbor about who would be the first to remove luggage from the rack. Stephen came up to calm them down and convince them not to get up until the plane stopped completely, for which he was cursed and, according to witnesses, hit on the head with a bag from an indignant lady.
After that, the man who had worked for the airline for 20 years lost his temper. He went into the service compartment and, turning on the speakerphone, said what he thought about the passengers. Then he grabbed two cans of beer from the bar and left the airliner through the emergency exit.
For this act, Stephen faced seven years in prison. Quite reasonably, he considered this punishment too harsh and created a page on Facebook, where he found thousands of like-minded people and defenders. As a result, Slater was sentenced to compulsory treatment and a fine in favor of his former employer. If he violates the sentence, he will go to prison for up to three years.
After the incident, Slater was hailed as a working-class hero, speaking out on behalf of everyone who had ever worked with people but was hesitant to vent their anger. His act became the subject of a TV show and was described on the front pages of newspapers and on the Internet.