How to resign and not burn bridges

You’ve accepted that unconditional job offer. You’re excited to start in your new role. All that’s left now is to resign from your current job. The temptation might be to:

• march into your manager’s office and tell them straightaway
• shout about your win on social media
• share the news with your best mates at work

While all of that is understandable, it’s worth remembering that you may need to call on your soon-to-be past employer for a job reference. Resigning from your job without burning bridges is therefore always in your best interest.

Here are five steps you can take to resign in a way that will protect your reputation and leave a door open, should you ever wish to return.

Practice what you will say to your manager

Before you hand in your notice, have the following things clear in your mind:

• why you are leaving
• how much notice you are giving
• your finishing date
• how you would respond to a counter-offer
• what you are owed

Practice what you will say but bear in mind that your manager may make a counter-offer. What would it take to convince you to stay in your current job? Would a higher salary seal the deal, for instance?

Get clear on what you are owed. This will include your final salary payment, unused holiday allowance, commission and bonuses, pension, and shares.

Tell your manager first

The first person at work to know about your intention to quit should be your manager. Ideally, it’s best to hand in your notice in-person. This might be uncomfortable for you, but it’s the respectful and professional way to deal with the situation. If that isn’t possible, the next best option is a video call because this will still be a face-to-face conversation. If neither of those options are available, then a telephone call with your manager is advised. The least preferred option, if all else fails, is to email your boss. However, it might be a good idea to send an initial email to ask for a meeting or telephone discussion first. If your manager is unreachable, contact your HR department instead.

Make sure you give sufficient notice when handing in your resignation. Your contract of employment should state the length of notice you have to give when you resign. However, if you don’t have a contract of employment, you must give the statutory notice minimum. This means that if you have worked for the employer for more than one month, you must give at least one week’s notice. If you’ve been in the job for less than a month, there is no need to give any notice. However, to stay on good terms with the employer, you may wish to stick to the one week’s notice minimum.

Put your notice in writing

The ideal time to hand over your letter of resignation is when you meet with your manager. Don’t forget to check whether HR need a copy of the letter too.

The real value of a resignation letter is to avoid misunderstandings or delays in the process. Your resignation letter should mention:

• your intent to resign from your job
• the date you gave notice of your resignation
• the length of your notice period and your finishing date

You don’t have to need to explain why you’re leaving or who your new employer will be.

Offer to help with your replacement

There are three ways you can help your manager with your replacement. You can leave information about your role for them, you can train them, and you can help with their recruitment.

It may be that nobody knows your job better than you do. Even with the help of a detailed job description, it can be challenging for a new starter to grasp the extent of their new job. You can make life easier for them by leaving a procedural document for the role, including factors such as a schedule of what happens when, who you report to, where the staff handbook and company procedures can be found, and the workload they’ll inherit from you.

If your replacement starts during your notice period, it can be useful for them to shadow you. You can show them how to do the job and introduce them to their colleagues.

Your manager may also find it helpful to include you in the recruitment of your replacement.

Finish up

However unhappy you’ve been in your job, it’s to your benefit to leave your current employer and colleagues with a good impression of you.

Finish as much of your workload as you can before you leave but also consider what tasks you can handover to colleagues. It might be useful to talk over your workload with your manager.

Leave a tidy desk and office for your replacement. Complete any filing. Throw away rubbish. Don’t forget to take your personal items with you.

Wrapping it up

Handing in your notice doesn’t have to be stressful if you plan ahead and treat everyone, including yourself, with respect.