Whether or not you should resign is one of the most important decisions you can make in terms of your career. Considering the impact it may have on your life, this decision must be taken based on the advantages and disadvantages of quitting the job.
Studies in the field show that professional disappointment is one of the most common reasons why a person gives up on his job. Among the most common causes of professional disappointment are:
Stress. A high level of stress reduces performance and is one of the causes of absenteeism and job abandonment. When stress affects your workplace performance, relationships with colleagues, health, and personal life, you should consider whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Working environment. An authoritarian leader who is overloading you, as well as conflicts with your colleagues, can lead to stress and loss of interest in the job.
Communication. There are situations where communication with both your manager and colleagues in your department or other departments is defective, leading to conflicts in the tasks you have to do and increasing professional disappointment.
The salary. Wages play a significant role in the emergence of job satisfaction. In addition to meeting personal needs, the pay can serve as a symbol of achievement, as well as a reflection of the organization’s gratitude. Too little pay can cause employee dissatisfaction and in the long run, it can lead to job quitting.
Promotion opportunities. They greatly increase job satisfaction. The lack of promotion over a long period of time can be perceived as a lack of recognition of your merits by the organization.
Lifelong learning. The world in which we live is constantly changing, so to be successful, we need to learn something new every day. If your job doesn’t give you opportunities for development, to learn something new, you will feel as if you cap and you will definitely want a change.
The field. Although your performance is high, you have realized that it is not the area you want to develop a career in, nor a passion, and your skills recommend you for another job. Failure to perform tasks with pleasure can lead to stress and disappointment in what you do.
The burnout phenomenon (working exhaustion). Professional exhaustion is that state of depression, fatigue, frustration, usually generated by a commitment to tasks that have not fulfilled the person’s ambitions and expected rewards. Studies show a link between overloading with tasks, the rigidity of rules and procedures, and lack of communication between different organizational levels.
Discrimination. When an employee is subjected to different treatment due to his or her race, religion, nationality, status, or other legally protected characteristics, he or she is discriminated against. Treating a person differently is a violation of the employee’s rights when discrimination is based on an individual characteristic and not on work performance.
Another reason employees are giving up their current job is a new job opportunity. If a new job offers you more benefits than your current job, both in terms of salary and working hours or promotion opportunities, you should think of a change.
There are a number of steps you need to follow when you want to resign:
- First, you need to identify the problem that causes you to take this step and try to resolve it. You can talk to your boss if your dissatisfaction is related to organizational factors. Even if you think your problem cannot be solved, the boss can come up with a solution that will diminish your professional disappointment. If your problems include your boss, you can talk to the HR Manager, who can advise you on your decision to resign.
- If your problem cannot be solved, before you resign, you should look for another job. Finding a job is easier when you’re still employed at a company than when you’re unemployed. Searching for a job can be a real challenge, so you should take enough time to find the right one for you.
- The employer must be notified of your intention to leave the company. It is customary to give them at least two weeks’ notice if possible so that they have time to hire a person to fill your position. The notice period may vary according to the specifications in the individual employment contract, or your current work situation. There is another important thing you should consider and that is your safety. If you don’t feel safe in your working environment it is more important to leave quickly than it is to give proper notice.
- Complete your tasks and projects before you leave. Up to the date mentioned in your resignation, you are still an employee of the company and it is your duty to leave things solved.
- Return all the goods you received from the Company, such as your work phone, laptop, etc. Also, if your substitute comes before you leave, you should give them the information they need to be able to perform the tasks successfully.
- On your last day of work at the company, say goodbye to both your colleagues and your boss, no matter what situation has caused you to leave. Be respectful, wish the company success further, and, thanks to your achievements, but also to the professionalism you demonstrated before you leave, you can even receive a recommendation from your boss.
When should I quit?
Ideally for you would be to announce your resignation once you have already found another job and have a firm promise that you will be hired there, perhaps even a signed document. When you decide to resign you have to make some calculations because you will probably have to give a 2-weeks notice, or even more if you have had a management position.
Therefore, you should announce your resignation so that your departure from there and the first day to the new job would be as close as possible. If you feel the need for a break, you can leave briefly after you have announced your resignation and give yourself some time to relax before you start work elsewhere. Of course, you may leave without waiting the two weeks, if you reach an agreement with your boss to do so.
How do you give notice of your resignation?
The moment when you announce your resignation must be made in private so that you do not spoil the good relations you have created and to make sure you leave room for future collaboration. Whether you want to leave the workplace because you no longer get along with your bosses or colleagues, or you decided you have to go further and take up another challenge, there are rules that you should respect.
Resignation is a decision that you take in different situations, not just when you hate your job. You may have to leave for reasons that do not depend on you or your relationship with your current employer. Whatever reason you might have, you must know how to give this news in a diplomatic manner.
Here are a few things you might want to take into account before you resign:
Under no circumstances should you announce your resignation by an SMS, email, or telephone, but after a personal discussion with your boss and Human Resources representative followed by the official letter. Any other method of announcing your resignation is considered harsh, rude, and tactless.
Some companies have standard, ready-to-resign forms, which only need to be completed with the name and date of departure. But there are often no such documents, so you’ll have to write a letter notifying your resignation. In this case, you should try to write it in a diplomatic and friendly form, to separate from your team on good terms, even if you have not got along well.
Any resignation means a problem for the company, meaning that it has to look for someone else for your position or assign your job to other employees.
Another thing you’d better remember is how you will separate from your colleagues. It would be nice to give a “thank you” message to your colleagues and bosses for the opportunity they have given you to work with them and for what they have taught you. They will certainly appreciate these words.