Everyone who has resigned from a job knows of the struggles on how to tell your employer, “I QUIT.” More often than not, this results in the dreaded “two week” rule, where you give notice and then are forced to work for the next couple weeks under management who knows you’re leaving. Now, if you work at an occupation that enjoys your company, this won’t be a big deal. This post is for the little guy who has worked at large corporation X for a month/two months and realized, “I hate my job, and instantly regret this decision.”
The following is a template letter for the introverts among us who want to just…well….leave….the job and never have to see their co-workers or managers again. In about an hour or two, you can plan an exit strategy, leave, and have one less reason to let stress from an unhealthy employee-employer relationship boil over. The template is as follows:
[insert company address here]
To whom it may concern,
My name is_________________, and I am currently employed by your company as a ___________________ at the Waukesha location (or wherever you work). This letter should be considered my express notice that I am terminating my employment with the company. I am [insert reason for leaving the job here] and will not be able to devote enough time and heart to the job as I once had. As a condition of my termination, I would politely request that you as my employer invoke the waiver of my 14 day written notice requirement as outlined in the Employment Agreement, (See Termination of Employment, Sec.E(2)<–look at your own Employment Agreement and change this to reflect your own circumstance). In response to this request of waiver, I voluntarily waive my right to the paid vacation days I have scheduled for the upcoming week. (Optional clause, if you are unsure of its meaning consult an attorney). [insert reason for express termination here as opposed to you working the whole time], when the company can use that precious time to find my replacement and my management team can better plan going forward without my presence.
On a final note, I would like to thank [insert company name], specifically [insert president name], [manager name] and [optional third worker], for a wonderful job experience. I will always be a lifelong supporter of your mission and I truly appreciate the chance to be a vital part of this wonderful company. I will be sure to refer anyone looking for an unmatched customer service experience to the stores and will always hold my time at [insert company name] dear to me. Thank you for your time.
Best wishes,
(Sign your name)
Print Name
Now, this is a general template, and obviously for these situations you cannot use a “One size fits all,” approach. However, this will cut down on the time it takes to draft the letter and overcome that emotional writers block that many of us succumb to in stress-filled situations.
With the time you save on drafting the letter, put the rest of the hour into pulling your employment agreement and doing some legal research into the options/methods the agreement gives for employee termination of employment. The section is often labeled Termination of Employment or something similar, and will advise you on how to give notice (often written) to the company. I’m sure faxing a document sounds a lot better than having to talk to that manager again, right? Also, keep in mind that there WILL be ramifications for you quitting early. These will be outlined in the section. If you are unsure of the ramifications of quitting your job, contact an attorney to do a document review of your employment agreement. For a small flat fee, the attorney will advise you on the ramifications of your decision.
Need information on a different area of law or on the author of this post? Visit http://www.mcavoyandmurphylaw.com and while you’re there check out the new Bankruptcy section!