There are many reasons why you may want to leave your job. This may be because you wish to work in a position with higher pay and a better work environment, and giving notice to your employer is a crucial step you need to take before you hit the road. In this article we shall see What to say when giving notice?
When giving notice, you may need to review your employment contract to decide the right way to give it. The standard procedure in some companies is two weeks which will give your employer time to review your application and find a suitable replacement for your just vacated position.
Steps to Take When You Are Ready to Give Notice
There are certain procedures to take when you are ready to hand in your notice of resignation. They are:
• Speak with your boss/supervisor
• Keep your resignation handy
• Review your employment contract
• Attend to all your office work
• Take your items home
Speak With Your Boss/Supervisor
Speaking to your boss or supervisor will help to make the transition easier. This also includes an office mentor who would help you decide if your decision to move is a great idea at the moment.
Keep Your Resignation Letter Handy
This is stating the obvious. If you decide to leave, drafting your resignation letter and keeping it accessible is probably a wise idea. If you’re close to your boss and a valued staff member, he might want to give you a counteroffer or a promotion, or both. While these might be worth considering keeping your resignation letter handy is never a bad idea.
Review Your Employment Contract
The wording of some employment contracts does not specify the guidelines for contract termination. However, some are emphatic and require different procedures in a situation where an employee is not interested in working with the company. Reviewing your employee contract will give you an idea if two weeks’ notice is mandatory or unnecessary.
Attend All Your Office Work
After you decide to leave, keeping your vigor for work is important. Skipping work is probably a bad idea, especially during the last few days. If you intend to leave, make your last days your most dedicated and thorough
Take Your Personal Items Home
Depending on how long you’ve worked you might have a lot of personal items. Taking them home during the trial period would ease your transition when you decide it’s time to move to your new station.
Contents of a Letter of Notice of Resignation
When writing the contents of notice, there are certain guidelines you should follow. Always remember to keep your letter simple and brief. Some of these guidelines are:
• The date, name, and address of the person you’re addressing the letter to.
• Include the subject of the letter
• Explain your reason for resignation
• State the last day you’d be willing to work (this should be the last day of the two-week notice period)
• State your willingness to aid the transition process including taking up a trainee for the period left to enable the person to transit into your position effectively
• Express your gratitude for the opportunity to work
• Signature
After writing, your letter of notice should look something like this:
December 15, 2021
Mike Meryl
625 Snow White Realtors
1875 Drive Pine Lane, Chicago
Dear Mr. Meryl,
Letter of Notice of Resignation
This letter is to inform you of my decision to leave 625 Snow White Realtors and give a two weeks notice of my official resignation from the company. This is because I have been offered a job at XYZ which is closer to my home and would give me time to spend with my five-month-old infant. In light of this, my last day as your employee would be on the 29th of December, 2021.
In the meantime, I’d be willing to do anything which would aid the recruitment of new staff to fill my position and would continue to dedicate my efforts to the jobs I’ll be given while I’m still under your employ.
Finally, I appreciate the resources and commitment that the company gave me the privilege to enjoy while working in the XYZ position these past years. I’m grateful.
Yours faithfully,
…………………….
Danielle Thorton.
The above is a standard format for a formal letter of resignation. For an email letter, always remember to include the purpose of the letter “Letter of Notice of Resignation” in the subject head. This is to give the person who is reading it an idea of the urgency of the letter.
What Should You Do If Your Manager Doesn’t Want You to Quit?
You could ask for some time to think about it if this request is accompanied by a promise to increase salary or benefits. While doing this, remember that many work environments don’t favor employees who quit and come back, especially those who see it as a form of pride. Therefore, speak to an office mentor or a close friend and compare the benefits of the new job with the old one in both monetary benefits and any other factor that caused you to think of leaving in the first place.
If Your Notice Is Accepted, What Next?
If your notice is accepted, during the period of your notice, there are some things which you should ensure you do. They are:
DO’s-
Be Open to Staying Longer
After giving notice you may be presented with a situation where your employer may plead for you to have a change of heart. The employer may put it as a prerequisite during your period of notice. If this happens, make it clear that you intend to consider this option even if you aren’t, so you don’t come off as pompous. Before the duration of your two weeks is up, however, tell your supervisor your intention whether to continue or to move on.
Exchange Contacts of Colleague And Office Friends
Staying in contact with the right people is key if you want to go far in any industry. Therefore, ensure you collect the contact info of anyone in your current company who has helped you. Endorse their professional pages on LinkedIn and comment on their posts. Don’t burn your bridges just because you’re leaving.
Give Feedback on Your Work Experience
Giving one on one feedback on your colleague’s influence on your professional life is a great way to win them over. Be honest whether you decide to do this in person or drop a note. You could also follow them on LinkedIn and other social media pages.
Acknowledge Your Superiors and Colleagues
Before leaving you should ensure you acknowledge your colleagues. This could be a warm hug, personal emails, or gift bags. The idea is to ensure that you are leaving on the good books of those you care about and consider important in your professional and social circle. You may not know but these acts may prove to be wise in the long run.
DON’Ts
During the transition from an old work environment to a new one, while these may not be easy to recall, remember to not:
Brag about Your New Job
While you might feel immensely happy about getting a change of environment in a new work, not everyone may share in your joy with you. Therefore when giving your letter and in your final days in the office, keep news of your new job to yourself to avoid resentment from envious colleagues.
Tell the Truth About Why Your Leaving
A 2018 Udemy study found that nearly half of employees surveyed had quit because of a bad manager. So, not telling the truth about why you’re leaving, especially if it’s about a bad and over-demanding boss, is probably a good idea. Chances are you may not need to as the boss’s bad behavior is already common knowledge to the staff.
Below are some things you can do if you have a bad boss:
Persist a While Longer
Thankfully you have found an alternative and after the documentation of your resignation, you should be on your merry way. This can be a motive to maintain your best behavior and make sure you tidy all work assigned to you with care and precision.
Try To Fix Things
To maintain a good departure and maintain a good relationship, seeking an audience with your supervisor who is not taken to you may be a good idea depending on the level of angst between the both of you. If things are still repairable, you could drop a gift item and a thank you note for the number of years of working together. This is a professional courtesy and may go a long way to repairing broken bridges.
Finally, when giving notice, remember to be brief, and straight to the point. When leaving, it’s important that you try to leave on good terms. This is because you may never know where you’ll meet any of your colleagues. Acknowledge your team and superiors and venture confidently into a world of new opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Format Of Notice Do Companies Prefer- Formal Letter Or Via Email?
These days, most companies accept either form of letters-either formal letters in print or via email. Depending on the size of the company, sending emails might be quicker and less cumbersome than reviewing piles of office documents. As a result, most companies opt for email correspondence.
What Do I Do If I Need To Leave My Job Immediately?
This can happen when an employee needs to quit due to an emergency. To do this, you will need to look at your employment contract and the provision for emergency departures. If it is employment at will, you are not covered by an employment contract and do need to follow the required procedure of two weeks’ notice. If however, you are under contract, sending a letter to the management explaining your inability to give the required two weeks’ notice is a good idea for such emergencies.
