Handing in your notice - the 'done' thing?

[mu0n]

Hey guys, as it looms ever closer that I will be handing in my notice, I’m just after a bit of advice on what would be the correct way to do things.

The company is privately owned and run by the MD who I would be handing my notice to.

I’ve been here around 7 years and get paid monthly so I assume I have to give 1 month’s notice.

I don’t particularly want an awkward silence as I hand over a letter in an envelope to my MD as he reads through it, so I was either going to hand him an envelope and walk out of the office saying nothing until he calls me up after he’s read it, or I slide it under his door in the morning before he arrives?

Also, should I just keep it short and sweet in the letter? Should I thank him for the opportunity of working here? Do I need to mention that I will be working my month’s notice?

Any advice on the best protocol in this situation would be greatly appreciated! It’s something I have mixed feelings about.

[CDP]

If you're leaving on good terms tell him face to face then hand over the letter as a necessary formality and describe it as such.

[wiggy001]

CDP said:

If you're leaving on good terms tell him face to face then hand over the letter as a necessary formality and describe it as such.

Agree with this. Although it is called "handing in your notice", the handing in bit should just be a formality. Resigning should be done in person where possible.

[pincher]

Keep the letter formal and to the point i.e. that you are resigning your position with immediate effect and will serve x month(s) notice as per your contract and thank you for the opportunity to work at Company ABC.

If you are friendly with the MD (and even if you aren't, to be honest) have a more informal chat before you give him/her the letter and outline your reasons for leaving, and that you hope the departure will be on good terms on both sides.

Edited by pincher on Tuesday 3rd September 12:14

[Siscar]

wiggy001 said:

CDP said:

If you're leaving on good terms tell him face to face then hand over the letter as a necessary formality and describe it as such.

Agree with this. Although it is called "handing in your notice", the handing in bit should just be a formality. Resigning should be done in person where possible.

Me too, face to face is the way to do it, the letter just being formal confirmation.

[mu0n]

Okay thanks guys, appreciate it.

I don't not get on with him but don't have a flourishing relationship. It has come out of left field a bit and I'm sure he will be a little surprised.

[Gargamel]

mu0n said:

So I was either going to hand him an envelope and walk out of the office saying nothing until he calls me up after he’s read it, or I slide it under his door in the morning before he arrives?

No don't do this, not the done thing, at all.

mu0n said:

Also, should I just keep it short and sweet in the letter? Should I thank him for the opportunity of working here? Do I need to mention that I will be working my month’s notice?

Short and sweet, confirm the intend date you want to leave, subject to there confirmation (try and make it a month end.

Yes thank him for the opportunity, and do highlight one positive thing about the business. "I have very much enjoyed my time here, particularly the supportive environment" - costs you nothing and is courteous.

mu0n said:

Any advice on the best protocol in this situation would be greatly appreciated! It’s something I have mixed feelings about.

You're nervous - that is normal

Remember, other people have resigned to them before, they are used to it, you are not. Be honest with them, tell them what motivated you to move on, the best outcome is that they wish you luck and understand that you personally need to prove something to yourself in a more challenging role.

[Terminator X]

MTFU and tell him face to face with envelope in pocket; hand him envelope after he's calmed down.

TX.

[shouldbworking]

As you are contemplating slipping a note under the door and running away, I'm going to assume that you were either mistaken about the amount of time you've been working, or that you began work at the age of 5.

Either way, its a bad idea, man up and do it face to face.

[mu0n]

shouldbworking said:

As you are contemplating slipping a note under the door and running away, I'm going to assume that you were either mistaken about the amount of time you've been working, or that you began work at the age of 5.

Either way, its a bad idea, man up and do it face to face.

I was just asking for advice? Thankfully the people above you managed to make sensible suggestions based on I'm assuming their own experiences without being a condescending prick.

[Gh45]

mu0n said:

I was just asking for advice? Thankfully the people above you managed to make sensible suggestions based on I'm assuming their own experiences without being a condescending prick.

Common man. Face to face is the only option. I've resigned from people I like and dislike and it's always the man thing to do.

[Atrevetetete]

If you have the option face to face.

I didn't get the choice last time, and the coward I was working under didn't acknowledge it for three of the four weeks of my notice period. Tell, hand letter, cross it all and hope you've made a good call, that's the done thing.

[Chilli]

I would (and have) ALWAYS done it face-to-face, and without the letter. Explain the reasons and what you are planning to do, and suggest that you'll make it official with the letter when you get back to your desk...makes a bit less formal, I think.

[dazwalsh]

cmon' This is PH, you should take a nasty dump on his desk and go play hide the sausage with his wife.



But seriously there is no way round the awkwardness of handing in notice but face to face is the way to go, its actually easier to do if your not on great terms. Good luck

[Art0ir]

dazwalsh said:

cmon' This is PH, you should take a nasty dump on his desk and go play hide the sausage with his wife. work for someone else?!

[anonymous-user]

As others have said explain you are handing in your notice why etc and the letter is just the official bit

You may also need to consider what you will do if he makes a counter offer, especially if it is coming out of left field

Personally once I have made the decision to leave I don't turn back but that's your choice

[crofty1984]

Have letter on you. Ask for a quiet word, explain that you're leaving and be courteous.
Maybe he'll want to have a proper chat and possibly make you a counter offer. Perhaps he will just wish you on your way.
Be polite, do NOT slag off the company or colleagues. The only way this is ever even approaching acceptable is if they ask you, and make positive suggestions ("I did appreciate the training when I first got here, but perhaps it would help the next guy if it focused a bit more on...")
Then hand the letter over. You may or may not want to also send a copy to HR.

It's OK to be nervous. When I quit my last job, my hands were physically shaking afterwards and I thought my heart was going to explode. Happily I held it together when it counted.

Best of luck in your new role. As others have said, if I was an employer and someone quit by sliding a letter under the door, I'd be bitterly, bitterly disappointed in them. Do the right thing and it'll stand you in good stead

[matsoc]

I think that, as others have mentioned, face to face is the only sensible way to do it. I resigned 4 times in not my so long working career and I always direectly spoke about my decision. Once I get a counter offer than I accepted but I probably made a mistake as I quit again less than a year after. I am Italian and I worked and lived in Germany and in France, nowhere has ever been a pleasant situation when I handed in notice but I never considered to avoid a face to face.

[anonymous-user]

matsoc said:

Once I get a counter offer than I accepted but I probably made a mistake as I quit again less than a year after.

I did the same once and would never again

[The Nur]

Art0ir said:

dazwalsh said:

cmon' This is PH, you should take a nasty dump on his desk and go play hide the sausage with his wife. work for yourself, shirley?!