Handling the "I'm resigning" chat...

[Hitch78]

I have been offered a new job overseas and am over the moon!

I am a perm employee and currently away from home four nights and five days a week, generally working 10-14 hours per day with high pressure weekly and monthly deadlines. I am contracted to give three months notice period and whilst I will remain professional I have no intention of busting my balls beyond my contracted 35 hours per week once the deed is done.

Any advice about how I can get this message across to my employer on Monday morning without it sounding like I am doing it to spite them? I just want out of the tiredness and stress as I am no longer bothered about impressing anyone.

Ideally I'd like to be rolled off my project and serve a reduced notice period of say two months in my local office. In an absolutely ideal world I would love to go onto gardening leave!!!

Any tips, experiences or advice greatly received....

[andy-xr]

There's nothing wrong with bettering yourself, and you wont have been the first person to leave your company (hopefully!)

Arrange a meeting, have the letter written and note your preferred finish date and anything you need to handover

[singlecoil]

I'd be inclined to say something along the lines of "due to the time required to prepare for the move, I won't be able to do the extra hours that I have done in the past"

[Famous Graham]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

You mean like the job he said he's been offered in the first sentence?

[grumbledoak]

Have a paper letter written to take with you; format it properly.

Then, go see your boss. Be polite, tell him straight, and hand him the letter. See what he offers. There is very little reason for a business to keep on a member of staff doing something they don't wish to do...

[mdotd]

I'd simply ask you boss if you can negotiate an earlier leaving date; our senior employees have a 3 month notice period but it can be shortened if operational requirements permit it. If your boss queries your request double check with your HR department what the normal practice is for people in your situation (every company is different).

HTH.

Edited by mdotd on Saturday 24th January 21:17

[Phil Dicky]

grumbledoak said:

There is very little reason for a business to keep on a member of staff doing something they don't wish to do...

if it was one of my employees I'd shake their hand and pop them on garden leave.

[funk odyssey]

you're going to make a very wise, albeit stern father one day tonker!

[mdotd]

Phil Dicky said:

if it was one of my employees I'd shake their hand and pop them on garden leave.

Yeah that's another option, but Garden leave would require the OP to stay employed by the company during the 3 months, so he wouldn't be able to start his new job any quicker. It would give him time to arrange everthing though.

[Jasandjules]

Are you contracted to work X hours? Are you salaried or paid an hourly rate?

Once you have handed in your notice, then why should you kill yourself for the company? I am sure that most rational employers will understand that the dedication previously used deteriorates a tad once one is leaving....

All you do is say thank you for the opportunity I have had here, however now the time is right for me to move on, and please take this as my formal notice to quit.

Do you have holiday owed?

Edited by Jasandjules on Saturday 24th January 19:16

[BigLepton]

Tell them your new employer is a direct competitor of the one you are currently working on contract for and are very interested in their competitors systems.

They'll have you on garden leave before you can blink!

[Deva Link]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

For any "normal" job you'd get very little, if anything, even in the UK.

mdotd said:

but Garden leave would require the OP to stay employed by the company during the 3 months, so he wouldn't be able to start his new job any quicker.

Like that never happens.

[cazzer]

Jasandjules said:

I am sure that most rational employers will understand that the dedication previously used deteriorates a tad once one is leaving....

Not necessarily. I did my last day of onsite support for a customer that a liked on my own time, for no pay, 3 days after I left having been made redundant.
Some of us have integrity.

[Marquis_Rex]

This is the way to do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AL7npkSXZE

[Jasandjules]

cazzer said:

Jasandjules said:

I am sure that most rational employers will understand that the dedication previously used deteriorates a tad once one is leaving....

Not necessarily. I did my last day of onsite support for a customer that a liked on my own time, for no pay, 3 days after I left having been made redundant.
Some of us have integrity.

I agree with the getting the final bit sorted etc for a particular customer.. BUT that is different to continuing to work 10-14 hour days for the next three months.

[cazzer]

Jasandjules said:

cazzer said:

Jasandjules said:

I am sure that most rational employers will understand that the dedication previously used deteriorates a tad once one is leaving....

Not necessarily. I did my last day of onsite support for a customer that a liked on my own time, for no pay, 3 days after I left having been made redundant.
Some of us have integrity.

I agree with the getting the final bit sorted etc for a particular customer.. BUT that is different to continuing to work 10-14 hour days for the next three months.

Aye true

[andy-xr]

^^

Wouldnt be allowed to do that at ours, Legal would get in the way

[jamiebae]

A colleague of mine recently left to join a competitor but was still made to work their full 3 months notice, largely out of spite because the manager involved didn't want them to go because of the work involved in finding a replacement. However others have been allowed to go after 1 month, even though their contracted notice peroid is 3 months so it can always go either way.

[Jasandjules]

andy-xr said:

^^

Wouldnt be allowed to do that at ours, Legal would get in the way

Well, there is a little form that you can sign that says you don't want to follow the EU Working Time Directive, so 12 hour days are the norm.

And there are some companies who say you don't have sign it, but then, you don't have to work there too........ I used to work for just such a company.... Whilst the law protects you, it doesn't in reality....

[andy-xr]

Wouldnt necessarily be hours related, more indemnity and H+S