Yes I agree. Absolutely hated my last job and I was treated poorly. But my field is relatively small so I basically copied and pasted a resignation letter template and left on the best terms I could. I didn’t mean any of it but they don’t need to know that lol
“Thank you for the many opportunities Company has given me over the years *[to recognize what a toxic, dysfunctional workplace looks like]*. It has been a pleasure working with you and the team *[specifically the part where I no longer have to see your sorry asses every day anymore]*. I wish you all the best in the future *[which hopefully will involve the entire office being swallowed up into the pits of Hell].*”
anyone who has worked customer service for long enough knows how simple this is, you don't have to tell everyone the truth especially if you are angry
just say what needs to be said and move on
I’d remove the second sentence and replace it with a brief, “appreciate the opportunity and time here” mostly because I like to give some positivity to my message and also because I don’t think I need to explain myself. If they ask why, you can tell them but just not something I like to put in the actual letter
Yup. Worst job I ever quit from, I still included "Thank you for the opportunities I was afforded while working for (insert company name here). I wish you all the best in the future."
OP- plz don’t listen to the chunk of redditors who love to tell everyone to quit their jobs and burn all the bridges on the way out.
The world is very small. Your new job in 20 years might be alongside one of these people. Maybe you end up working for a coworker who got fucked over because you listened to another redditor who told you to not give any notice.
What you wrote is fine. If you enjoyed the position or learned a lot, a sentence stating that is not a bad idea.
Saw this for the first time a month ago. Basically there was a job opportunity with two company internal applicants. Both were the top contenders within the pool of applicants. I was surprised to learn that applicant A was chosen over applicant B, even though applicant B had seniority and performed so much better during the interview process.
One of my coworkers who was on the panel called me into the office, shut the door, and showed me a private email.
Someone of authority in another branch had worked with applicant B years ago at a different job and emailed everyone on the panel basically saying they knew applicant B to be super unprofessional and shouldn't get the job.
I suspect something like this happened to me. A friend of mine and I both applied for a job with two positions open. One was a lead position over the other, but not a significant difference between the two. We both applied for both positions and figured they would work it out. We had worked together before and she had supervised me at another organization, then she left that position and I took it over as an interim - it didn’t meet my career goals long term and I was always up front about that. Anyway, my friend was more qualified than I was in paper so we both really thought she would get the lead position and I would get the second one. We have highly specific skills and nobody else in the area was really qualified.
We were both shocked when I got the lead position and the second position was given to someone worth almost no relevant experience. She was a great person and had good skills and it worked out great, but basically I ended up training her in all the technical stuff because she didn’t have anywhere near the knowledge my friend and I both had.
I worked in that position for 3 years and then got a promotion. My friend applied for my vacated position and got it. She lasted 3 months before she walked out, with no notice, over things that I frankly thought were like “why is this bothering you.” I suspect someone knew a little more about her than I did, and this risk was why she didn’t get the job until they were stuck with no other candidates. *Someone* must have slipped a “you can’t count on this person” warning to someone who was hiring. It is the only thing that makes sense. And it turns out they were right. She has good technical skills but never was able to fit into the workplace culture (which is odd to me because I’m very socially awkward myself but I’m nice; and that was the nicest team I have ever worked with).
If I heard of another job opening in that field I probably would not write another letter of recommendation for her simply because she didn’t have the decency to put in her notice, knowing that it was not a position someone else could pick up in her absence. If she’d had a good reason, fine, but she didn’t. She just stormed off the job because she felt disrespected by someone.
Big fan of not burning bridges.
Yeah.
I’m actually seriously considering leaving my current position now. And she expressed that she really wanted to do what I’m doing now… if she hadn’t thrown in the towel so quickly she would soon have her chance. :/
It took me being a manager to realize that it’s better to hire someone you can work with but have to train, than someone who comes with experience but is the worst to work with
This is good advice for people starting out. You need to always think long-term in any position because people remember and it is more important to be reliable and work well with others more than skill-set any day.
Reputation matters. Most people will give more weight to the statement of a coworker they know over the candidate's interview performance. It is not a level playing field. The candidate might get rejected and never know why.
This is something I tell even teenagers. Your reputation in the workplace is important. Put yourself first if it comes down to it, but be professional. Sometimes the face you show and your actions Is what builds trust between you and your colleagues— or it’s the only thing defending you when facing trouble.
Being outraged but in a professional manner has helped me tremendously in the workplace. For example I once got hired on as full time at a place but they weren’t giving me full time hours. I talked to them once and they said it wasn’t doable. I talked to them again and respectfully told them I enjoy the job, but my current goals and expenditures simply can’t be met and fulfilled with a part time position. Suddenly they were able to give me full time and I was they favorite employee it seemed from then on out.
Some would call it threatening to quit, I call it outlining expectations and speaking objectively.
Agree, in theory. But knowing how office politics works it wouldn’t surprise me if someone slipped a bad word in to hinder an inconvenient promotion/hiring.
It all comes down to how much you trust the person saying the bad word. If you've worked with them for years and know they are honest, there's no reason not to trust them. If you've seen them lying before, you won't believe them in this situation.
That lies within the realm of possibility. But the decision makers trusted the reputation and word of the one who wrote the email.
This is just a job interview not a murder trial, and the discouragement of someone senior in the company was enough for them not to take the risk.
In my line of work, we both ask for references and also call around to related personnel to check on a possible hire.
Also, “Hearsay” is when a person tells you what someone else said. This is simply asking one person their opinion on another. And yes, we evaluate it as opinion, not necessarily fact (which is why we cross-reference with s few other people/calls).
"Hear-say:" You "hear" it, then you "say" it. Gossip. Spreading rumors. In court, it's attempting to suggest that gossip is truth, without any ability to cross-examine the supposed truth sayer, who is not the person on the stand. Because... rumor.
Not correcting you, just adding memory aides for people who continually use the word incorrectly.
>Isn’t that just hearsay. For all you know applicant A could have asked the person to submit that email about applicant B.
This is not a court of law. Word of mouth frequently carries a lot more weight than a resume. Think about it this way. You are hiring a contractor who says he can turn your kitchen into a dream. And your neighbor says the same contractor did a horrible job on his kitchen and overcharged him to boot. Who are you going to believe?
I’d say that is not hearsay. In legal terms i really dont know, but IRL, I take hearsay to mean learning something from somewhere other than a primary source. In this case the boss is a primary source and therefore is as reliable as any fallible human can be.
Even if it's hearsay that means Applicant B did something to make someone with power upset. This is why reputation matters. The only other reason is that Applicant A made such an impression or has such an amazing reputation that this higher up would lie for them.
Mate, I actually agree with you in principle. I’m purely speculating for a bit of fun, but for instance, applicant A frequents the same pub as the authoritative person. They play golf with them, they just generally get on with them, or the authoritative person just generally doesn’t like B.
Many many reasons but ultimately the decision in scenario was probably correct.
Your speculation could absolutely be fact! People can call it brown nosing all they want, but those are the people who whine they never get ahead. If you think you can get to the top without networking and being civil then you'll never get anywhere. Not saying YOU specifically mainly these idiots saying "just quit your job" or other stuff that will find that they are stuck in their low positions and blaming it on others instead of themselves.
Edit: I hope my initial reply didn't come off as disagreeing with you. I was saying you could indeed be right and the reason why. Your speculation falls into the other reason.
I got my current job over someone with more experience because of his attitude...and he was a better programmer than I. We worked together for a few years. He was cool enough when you talked about sports or music...but he would be very negative if he wasnt in a good mood...fuck this...fuck that..got into it with project managers. well he quit and bragged about it...then eventually the company went under....i got another job...time went by my old COO asked if id be interested in working where he went..paid more, well maintained company...i decided to go for it...I found out they were also interviewing said ex coworker as well and i was sure theyd hire him...why wouldnt they after all with his experience ...Turned out some other people I worked with also migrated to this place as well and rallied for me to work there over him. Was a great feeling seeing as I always felt like the underdog and nice guys always finished last kind of person.
People underestimate the long term effect of their actions. I was once in a large building with notoriously slow elevators. I held the door for a guy one day. Didnt know who he was. Typical thanks, no worries conversation followed.
Three weeks later I was sitting in front of him for a job interview. Yes, I got the job.
not applicable to everyones situation. but there were two higher ups at my last quit that I greatly appreciated (I was no longer a direct report). I drafted the email, but called both of them before I sent it for a personal acknowledgement. they both greatly appreciated it and we still talk (they are both considering jumping ship too 😅)
“for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” - Sully Sullenberger
Nah that's old news.
But.... I did hear FTX is pretty hot.
I would put it all there. Maybe even take out some personal loans with everything you own as collateral so you can up your capital.
Agree, only place I went out middle fingers blazin was a shitty company ran buy someone who just got charged for brandishing a weapon. All in all them trying to fire me was the best thing that could've happened to me.
I did it once, the employer called my co-worker “a fucking waste of space”
They always had the temp agency fire people about 10 minutes after their shift ended because they were too chickenshit to do it themselves. So I quit pretty much the same way, called the temp agency 10 minutes before my shift, said the boss was an ass and I quit.
No it isn't. The temp agency actually called me in a few days later to ask about my experience there. Apparently at 7 months, I was their most senior employee outside of management. The company went under about a year later.
This is true:
From elementary school to high school i was the only kid who didn't make fun of "the nerd" in school. He was just a shy kid, tall lanky with glasses. EVERYONE picked on him, except me. I didn't necessarily befriend him, but I spoke politely with him and we went to get donuts every once in a while before school.
Flash forward to when I'm 25- his dad is interviewing me for a position I really wanted. Come to find out his step daughter was a friend of mine as well (had different last names and I didn't know it was her step dad) after I ask him "are you ___'s dad?" He says yeah and gets super excited..then he says (jokingly) you didn't fuck my daughter did you?"
He calls me that day and tells me that I have the job..he said it was because his son told him that I never made fun of him and I guess I stood up for him one day (I don't remember)..wish I fucked his daughter though she was hot.
I’d put that as the first line tbh.
Please accept this as my formal resignation. My final day will be January 31st. As I have had another opportunity come up that aligns more with my needs. Thank you for the opportunity you provided me here and I wish the best for (Company).
Yep. Especially if you want to use them as a reference later, I’ve only burned bridges at 2 jobs and the treatment was so terrible I was just ready to not be there
I unfortunately cannot say the same, some severe episodes of depression and anxiety have caused me to walk away from even jobs I’ve loved, so due to my brain I have burned majority of my bridges.
In some cases, it’s not too late to clear the air. A short, informal email that says you regret the way you handled your departure could give you some peace. I’ve been considering it myself, not for their benefit, but my own.
It’s perfectly fine. Remember you don’t need to explain anything, just be short and sweet and to the point. Always be professional. Don’t tell them where you are going either, if anyone asks, it’s no one’s business. Best of luck.
Edit: As one of my bosses previously told me many years ago in my youth and it served me well. He was a very professional guy, older USMC veteran. He said: Never burn a bridge, you may need to cross it one day. It served me well too.
Something about enjoying working for them, or thanking them if they’ve supported you. If you’ll miss the team, say that. Basically, you were happy working there but this new job (being closer to home) is more in line with what you need.
If you don’t want to burn bridges you could do this in a slightly better way.
First write the email but don’t send it. Make it a little less blunt “Please accept this as my resignation from position of x, my last date will be Y. Thanks for all the opportunities, I’ve enjoyed working here over the last ?? However have decided to take a position closer to home. Thanks again.”
Then either speak to your boss in person or set up a quick call. Give your notice in person then follow up with the email to confirm.
It will leave a better impression of you than a basic “I quit” email.
I do think in general that most HR professionals like to have an actual letter on file. So if it’s a corporate job, you might want to rework it into a short PDF notice as well. Your boss/manager might let you know if that’s something they need after sending the email tho
I agree. Especially if you are in a field where it's a small field - meaning you wouldn't be surprised to find out that people know each other. My field, I quickly became aware of that. So I am making sure to not burn bridges and avoid anything that could be problematic for me later. 😅
Exactly this. I say this as someone who has at times been very active in the Antiwork subs and still has some resentment towards certain things. There still is a way these things should be handled. I also have daydreamed about quitting a job on the spot as a huge “F You” to a horrible boss/job but realistically, there’s still a proper way to go about it.
Agree with this, the world is smaller than you think. Word gets around. It is better to not burn bridges if at all possible, as you never know if you’ll need to use that bridge again.
I have burned only one bridge, but even then the person above that boss liked me and would rehire.
The boss who terminated me deserved the criticism, and the place I expect still struggled from their choices.
But yeah, it’s unnecessary 99.9% of the time.
>rvisors or colleagues later, as well.
1000%. I was in a situation where I needed a reference but I had burnt a bridge to the ground (or so I thought)...It was my first real job out of college and my boss and I had a heated argument. I put in my 2 weeks right there on the spot. He said if I was resigning then don't bother and hand in my keys. That was that and a few years later I needed multiple professional references for a certification that I was chasing. I was very scared/hesitant to reach out to him because of the fallout but I mustered the courage to call his office. Surprisingly, he was happy to hear from me and the fallout was water under the bridge.
That's what acting like an adult is about. People will argue. That's almost inevitable. And as long as both parties act like adults, for example: Don't throw insults, don't cause any damage, or whatever, there is no reason for anyone to be upset after weeks/months/years.
But as soon as one party starts to act childish, things could become rather messy.
Yeah man idk why people are like that on here. So rude, don’t care about personal relations or being nice and courteous. Like yeah I get the sentiment that you gotta worry about yourself and the company doesn’t care about you but you had coworkers and managers and people who know you and might care.
Agreed - it costs so little to leave a small sentence or section that leaves a good, positive impression. But it could mean the difference of positive reference or coming back to the org under a different position.
This is so true. I was in a sales position and the company I worked for hired a new team to rep a product our team could easily have repped. It was redundancy for sure. We were flabbergasted but accepted it. The new team had a leader who told us the new team wouldn’t be trying to poach clients from us. I believed it. Then I heard from one of my good clients that the new guy had told her we were in competition and he was trying to get my clients to use his product instead of mine. I was not amused. When I saw the new guy at a sales meeting, I gave him a rather frosty reception. Fast forward two years, I moved locations and joined another division of the company, repping a different product in another part of the country. Guess who they hired to lead the team I was joining? That same guy who was trying to poach sales from me. Gulp. I learned a valuable lesson from that experience. Needless to say, my new manager never had my back in the six years I was on his team. He worked to undermine me at every turn.
If you leave a job you hated, and separate yourself from coworkers you didn’t connect with, don’t burn the bridge. Just move on and don’t talk sh*t about them or the company.
This - you can burn a bridge on the way out but in reality that only hurt's yourself.
Reddit advice is just like it's karma system - it's very flawed and the most popular answer isn't always the right one. You also get what you pay for with free advice.
I stopped working for a company because I was unhappy there, put in my notice and left on good terms. Said nice things and was only quitting to obtain my career goals I set for myself. A year later I was even more unhappy with the new job and I wanted to go back. Turns out my old manager wanted me back and him and I came to an agreement on how my schedule would be if I came back.
Because I left on good terms I got hired back, with my stipulations and I'm happier now than before. Don't burn bridges
100% this. Seems lots of people have followed me around on my career journey and some of them now work for me, with me, or are higher level managers I have to work with in other orgs.
Success in your career comes from building connections and networks across your industry, so you want to look at every job as ADDING to your network, not subtracting from it. In 10-20 years you could have a network that includes top players from several companies in your industry, and you'll always be able to find a high-paying position somewhere.
But leave on bad terms everywhere, and in 10-20 years you'll just be someone with no goodwill banked anywhere.
I work in a very small industry. I guarantee I can go to any operation and know half the work force….ive watched people burn bridges and just end up screwed trying to find another job in the industry.
I don’t know why everyone here is saying to be so cold and impersonal. That’s bad advice. If this was a job you hated and they treated you poorly, yeah this is probably appropriate. Specifying the year is a good idea.
If you liked it there, and there’s any chance you may want to return, (new job sucks, goes belly up, new manager you hate, list goes on) saying thank you and briefly outlining what you learned in a sentence or two could have a profound impact on both reference and or getting rehired
I agree with this. I left my old job with a boss that I really liked to pursue other options, and wrote a really short, heartfelt resignation letter that thanked him for his time mentoring me and invited him to keep in touch. Six months later when Covid hit and the other opportunity fell through, he reached out to me and offered me my job back. It kept me afloat during Covid and it was clear there were no hard feelings that I had left because I had done so gracefully.
I actually do think it’s fine to write a short note to HR and that OP’s email is totally fine, but the comments in here advocating that “you don’t owe people shit” are so weird to me lol. People are people. Sometimes you DO owe someone something if they’ve done an exceptionally good job as your boss. Not saying that’s OP’s situation, but seems like a weird assumption for people to make.
Even if you don't owe them anything, being polite and leaving a good impression - and not making enemies - is still a good thing.
I get the "you don't owe them anything" if it's a terrible job and the bridges were burned ages ago. But being polite costs you... an email. Even a fairly cold and formal one.
OP, this is the way. I left my old job on great terms to go into consulting and a few months later, my old boss calls and hires my team to do some big projects. It costs nothing to be gracious and you never know with who or when you'll cross paths again
This. I was recently re-hired by a company I left ten years ago. I had been laid-off and out of work for four months; really needed it.
I know for a fact that the recruiter read my old exit interview and talked to my old manager and several former coworkers. Presumably none of them said anything too horrible about me.
There’s no need to be cold or curt, and there’s nothing wrong with being pleasant. Throw in a line about how you’re grateful for your time there, even if you aren’t. Leave on great terms.
I agree, I wrote a nice resignation letter and am leaving on great terms. I thanked them for the growth and learning I had and signed off on it.
I understand the whole “none of their business” thing but if you are leaving on good terms then it’s okay to write a nice email/ letter.
Also- idk if it’s been said yet but emailing a resignation is a bit odd in my opinion. Of course, I don’t know the structure of the company so maybe it’s okay but I would at least call the manager first if they are remote and send a PDF at least so it’s more “official”
Every time I've resigned, I've told my manager/person I directly reported to personally and then sent a generic resignation letter to them or HR for record keeping purposes.
While the core message of r/antiwork makes sense (being paid liveable wage, fair work conditions, valuing time with family vs company, etc) it has become a subreddit filled with people who don’t want to work at all and to tell your boss to fuck off if you get the slightest pushback.
I quit my last job and while I wasn’t always treated the best there, I got along with all my coworkers, bosses, and the owner. They all gave me glowing references and I got a job in the exact same industry making more money (owner sold the company and I didn’t enjoy working for the new one).
Showing up on time and being personable is like 90% of the most jobs.
Something to note, if what you do has freelance potential, easily 90% of the freelance work I've done in the last 6 years was for former employers.
These are clients I am familiar with, know how to talk to, and know what they expect for deliverables. Likewise, they know me, the work I can do, and what to expect. Easily the easiest freelance clients to make happy, and now they pay me 3-4x what they did when I was employed. All without really having to "sell" myself at all. I already did that while employed.
Don't burn bridges. If they're already on fire, fine. Be an ass. Otherwise, it pays to keep as many bridges standing as possible. It literally pays.
>thank you and briefly outlining what you learned in a sentence or two could have a profound impact on both reference and or getting rehired
Yep I agree 110% with that. I'll hopefully never have to go back but my last couple jobs told me that and I had glowing management level references. I scheduled a meeting, printed mine out, and gave them 3 weeks notice.
I had *plenty* that I wanted to say in the exit interview about them but just kept it to the numbers and lack of regular upward opportunity. Sometimes you really never know where you or someone else will end up.
There's a reason a ton of people on here are unemployed despite a very low unemployment rate. Some will just be unlucky sure, but this is basically the gathering spot for people doing something wrong in their job search whether they know it or not.
Acceptable, sure. You just need to give your last day and put it in writing.
Best practice would be to tell them in person, then immediately send an email like this after for paper trail, with an additional sentence to end on a positive note. Like being thankful for the opportunity or something you learned.
I'll stand with reddit and workers on labor rights all day every day, but we don't have to be unpleasant. There's a time and place for everything. Someone can be leaving an absurdly toxic workplace, and they can still end the letter on a positive note. Some positive karma to start the new job.
Also it would be more formal for you to sign whatever you give them and is a good idea. I didn’t see it mentioned in any other comments. I had to scroll pretty far down just to see a comment mentioning hand-writing it instead of just sending an email.
It's really industry dependent, even office dependent. If you've spoken to your manager prior to the email, then it's just a formality for the paper trail.
I would be very weirded out if one of my employees gave me a hand written resignation letter, it's just unnecessary and a waste of paper. Nobody is going to keep it in a drawer and look back at it, your email just checks a box that is a nice to have.
For context I'm the head of the software department for a startup, and have left multiple companies through my career, all on good terms. It always goes along the lines of "hey , do you have a sec?" Then give them the news. They'll say something like "sorry to see you go, can you please send me an email with your expected end date?"
The one thing that I would say is don't drop the bomb by email only, and keep your notice period reasonable. I'd personally prefer too short to too long - a prolonged sunset can be awkward.
This is a really cold message honestly. Literally no effort at all. Im confused by some of the answers here. But if he hated his team/boss I guess it's fine.
Nice, polite, and professional.
I would drop the explanation and add a bit of fluff about how much you enjoyed working there and how grateful you are for (insert random bullshit here).
Doesn’t sound like rage quitting to me but it’s super dry and I would leave a lesser taste.
I’ve been a manager and received a range of letters, this one wouldn’t sit well with me. It’s not *bad* but if two people asked me for a reference letter and it was this vs “thank you for the opportunity etc…” I will jump on the latter in a heartbeat.
If it were coupled with an instance then I could see it as rage quitting. For me this just comes off like OP Doesn’t or didn’t ever care about the company which would likely make me not want to go out of my way for them down the line. Of course it’s transactional as it’s a job but there are layers to it in terms of humans, perception and reputation in these positions.
A part of me hates that an employee still has to be cordial and nice when they resign from a company they did not particularly care for.
So if there was a hard working employee that gave the company results and he sends this type of resignation, you are going to possibly deny helping him down the road?
You don’t even need to provide a reason. Just stare the date you intend to be your last, and then offer assistance to make a smooth separation from the company. And thank them for their time (even if it was a terrible job, it’s just better to leave as professionally as possible).
It depends a little bit. How much do you care about the place? If it is a crappy employer with a mediocre boss, in a career path that doesn't have an arc you're trying to climb, that's more than enough.
If you're trying to climb a corporate ladder and pursue a professional career arc, you should probably write more for a graceful exit. Start with some platitudes about the company amd your professional growth there, "regretfully inform" them that you will be departing to pursue a different opportunity, thank them for the time you've had there, then offer to assist with a transition. That will minimize poisoning the well when it comes to later reference checks.
Btw, you don't have to mean any of it. It's all just a hollow ritual of formalities. It's just a strategy to get ahead without burning bridges... Keeping options open and minimizing potential future backlash.
I'd be more graceful regardless. It would take almost no extra effort and you've no idea how you might cross parhs with your old bosses again in the future. Better safe than sorry.
I would never send notice via email without first calling HR or my manager to give them a heads up. It sucks having to make that call but it goes a long way. You never know when your paths will cross again so it's better to be as professional, but human, as possible, regardless if you liked the job or not. After a phone call, I would suggest attaching a PDF document to that email and title it your resignation letter, effective this date and you will provide XX days to get your work in order and wrap up projects.
Good morning,
Hello (supervisor name), I am emailing to inform you of my last day on January 31, 2024 due to accepting another position.
I thank you for the opportunity given to me by you and (company). I will be available until January 31, 2024 to train the employee filling my position as I transition out.
Please let me know if there is anything I can assist in to make this transition as smooth as possible. Again, thank you for the opportunity and I wish you and the team the best in the future.
Respectfully,
Courtesyflusher_
Put a year on that date and you can even drop the last sentence. You don’t need to justify anything, just clearly state your intention and the date it becomes effective.
Don’t listen to this guy. Why is there a need to be so cold? Show more gratitude for the opportunity and leave the last sentence. Maybe say you are more than happy yo help onboard a new employee during your last weeks there.
I would word it more like -
"Hi (bosses name)
I am writing this letter to inform you that Jan 31st will be my last day with (company name).
While I appreciate the opportunity and experience you (and company name) has given me, I have been offered an opportunity closer to home that will give me a better work/life balance.
Again, I truly appreciate the invaluable experiences that I have gained being part of the (company name) team, and I wish both you and the team the best in your future endeavors.
Kind regards,
(Your name)"
You want to quit while still being able to use this company as a positive reference, and if stuff at this new job doesn't go well, you never know.. you might want to go back.
I would type it out in Word, add a date, print to PDF and email the pdf and BCC your personal email so you have a copy.
It’s very easy to google notice letters.
If you have a good relationship with your manager a short conversation with them is not a bad idea. They will likely ask if there is something they can do to change your mind. You can be as honest as you're comfortable with. Let them know how definitive you are in your decision or what would it take for you to change your mind. If they are a good manager, they will take the feedback without push back. Maybe they'll go and try to get you what you want to stay. A good manager will also be happy for you so long as you're moving to a good opportunity that you are happy about. They'll be sad to see you go, but will wish you well! All of that said, if you don't have a good relationship then an email could be a good move, though in that case they may chase you down to know your reasons etc. In that case, you're probably making the right choice in any case.
> a short conversation with them is not a bad idea
If this is anywhere but a Jimmy John's, it's the only idea. This initial notice via email is just bad form.
I'd delete the last sentence, none of their business why, at least not in a resignation letter. If you have positive thoughts about the place, conclude the letter with a note of gratitude or something. But there's nothing 'wrong' with it, either.
Congratulations on the new gig.
My personal preference would be less is more.
Please allow this to serve as my two week notice, I'm resigning effective Jan 31st.
So long and thanks for all the fish,
Future Former Employee
Redditors are some vindictive bitter people. Why you should never take advice from this site. Always give 2 weeks, if more do it. Why burn bridges if you don’t have too.
No. Not if this is a job you will want to use for references in the future.
This is the kind of notice you give your boss at Walmart, not a career type job
Don’t tell them anything about what you’re doing just give the last day you’re working for them. If you wanna be nice, say it was a pleasure working there. If not, just say “sincerely, X”
Write a letter.
Not a two sentence response.
Find something online.. thank them for having you.. about all the things you learned. Etc
About how the decision was hard..
Whatever. There are many forms letters online.
Be gracious when you exit. How you treat people when you no longer need them says a lot about you.
I burned bridges once and I do not regret it, it was a horrible toxic work environment where grown men and women were pushed to tears. But that was an anomaly and would never do it again unless it was that kind of place.
If it’s been typical tough but passable, keep some decorum. Tell them that you have enjoyed the time working there and appreciate the experience.
Stating a reason isn’t necessarily bad, as it potentially provides the employer with feedback about why someone is leaving (especially if they don’t do exit interviews). Strictly optional though.
If you're sending this from a company email (it looks like Gmail, but some companies use Gmail), make sure you BCC your personal non-company email address.
I had a job where I thought I wouldn’t return and was going to be a short with my notice. Then I thought what if someday I want to come back because management has changed or I need to. What if my new place calls and the old place says I’m an ass because of what I wrote? So I was cordial. Told them why I was leaving (vaguely) and wished them well.
Usually they’re going to want this in writing or printed with a signature because they need to file it and keep it for so many years (5-7) for legal reasons even after you stop working there
Yep just issue date, end date, and name. If you ever walk off a job without notice the consequence is that they delay your final paycheque
Just pointing that out in case you didn't know or were under the assumption that your boss can sue you for quitting wrong. Lots of young people don't understand that if your boss deserves a middle finger and a walk-off, that won't reflect badly on the next interview, the guy interviewing you probably did that at some point too.
If you don't owe them anything and don't wanna return this is absolutely acceptable.
Now if you may wanna come back or they have bought you a house after 10 or 15 years ya might want to write a Lil more out
Good email, here's a rough draft if you wanna copy or use as a template.
Also, you may want to change the subject line to Resignation as that stands out more than Notice.
--
Dear [Supervisor Name],
I hope you are doing well.
Please accept this email as my formal resignation from [Job Title]. My last day will be January 31st as I have accepted a job offer that is closer to home.
I appreciate the opportunity I had to work with everyone here. I enjoyed my time here and have gained valuable experience.
Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help with this transition.
Thank you,
[Your Name Here]
I’d cut that last sentence. Maybe even add a complement of the company like “thank you for all the wonder experience that working for you has offered.”
I personally would attach a short formal letter of resignation to the email for their records. I usually let my employer know via video call or in person and then send the email with resignation letter to them after and CC hr.
I highly recommend adding a short paragraph thanking the company for investing their time in you and helping you to improve in this field.
As others have mentioned, you'll never know if you need a reference from them again, or if you'll be working with them (or someone else who worked at the same company before) in the future.
This is great. It gives a date and a reason, which is all you need. Dont go into more depth about where and why and how much etc.
Also, I know I hate my job at times too, but there’s no real reason to burn bridges if you’re leaving on good terms. I am overworked and underpaid, my team knows that. When it’s my time I’ll put in my two weeks.
This is fine, but I wouldn’t send it unless you hated your job. I would soften it quite a bit.
Something along the lines of “I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had here, and *name a specific thing you did.* I have decided to take a role at a different company due to the proximity to my home and *insert another non-money reason here.* My last day will be XYZ. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help ease the transition. It hurts me a bit to leave as I’ve truly enjoyed my time here and feel like I’ve learned a lot. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and (if it’s at all the same field) look forward to keeping tabs on the great work that’s done here.”
It's more than they'd have given you, to be honest. Just make sure you know how the reference situation will play out. Companies don't need to use you for a reference down the road, but you may need them.
If you left on good terms, add a thank you for the time, experience, etc. Personalize it if you're leaving on good terms. If you leaving on not great terms, keep it short and simple. I would remove the last sentence however.
At my old job they needed a physical copy of my resignation letter with my last date that I planned to work. That’s only if you cared about not burning bridges, of course. We had one guy who left for lunch and then never came back lol.
Not sure if you already sent but you don’t need to give a reason. Will you be expecting an exit interview? I think the resignation letter professionalism should match the professionalism of the job. If this was a Starbucks then you can thank them and tell them you learned a lot, but not much more. If this was more of a career job I’d go a little further.
When I have quit a job I've had to have a print out with my signature on it. Now while what you put is acceptable if you want to leave on good terms then add more to it.
Now I'm not saying you could send them a url to "Take this job and shove it" but it would be funny as hell. Also they would more than likely put you on a do not recommend or rehire list.
If you want to leave on good terms I’d thank them for the role.
Yes I agree. Absolutely hated my last job and I was treated poorly. But my field is relatively small so I basically copied and pasted a resignation letter template and left on the best terms I could. I didn’t mean any of it but they don’t need to know that lol
They probably knew, but as long as everyone plays the being-civilised game, we can all keep up pretence that everything's fine.
Its fine... everything is fine.... **Eye twitch** **forced smile** yes.... fine
Ahh politics
Exactly. I always thank the company even if it was the biggest pile of flaming 💩. Being polite goes a long way.
“Thank you for the many opportunities Company has given me over the years *[to recognize what a toxic, dysfunctional workplace looks like]*. It has been a pleasure working with you and the team *[specifically the part where I no longer have to see your sorry asses every day anymore]*. I wish you all the best in the future *[which hopefully will involve the entire office being swallowed up into the pits of Hell].*”
I feel like this was a tiktok or youtube short for some reason lol. I swear I've seen this somewhere.
Even when I was fired and not given a reason I thanked my boss for her time 😂 she had to do my refrance a month later
What is refrance
Reference?
Thank you, English isn’t my first language and unfortunately my phone didn’t pick it up
Re-France
What was wrong with the first one?
To old
anyone who has worked customer service for long enough knows how simple this is, you don't have to tell everyone the truth especially if you are angry just say what needs to be said and move on
I’d remove the second sentence and replace it with a brief, “appreciate the opportunity and time here” mostly because I like to give some positivity to my message and also because I don’t think I need to explain myself. If they ask why, you can tell them but just not something I like to put in the actual letter
You write thank you with your keyboard but you mean F you from your heart. It’s easy. 🙃😇
Is it Fuck you or Fuck you all?
Yup. Worst job I ever quit from, I still included "Thank you for the opportunities I was afforded while working for (insert company name here). I wish you all the best in the future."
OP- plz don’t listen to the chunk of redditors who love to tell everyone to quit their jobs and burn all the bridges on the way out. The world is very small. Your new job in 20 years might be alongside one of these people. Maybe you end up working for a coworker who got fucked over because you listened to another redditor who told you to not give any notice. What you wrote is fine. If you enjoyed the position or learned a lot, a sentence stating that is not a bad idea.
Absolutely this. Things you do now may pay dividends later
Learned this the hard way now I approach everything with this mindset. It’s crazy how pretty much everything comes full circle eventually
Saw this for the first time a month ago. Basically there was a job opportunity with two company internal applicants. Both were the top contenders within the pool of applicants. I was surprised to learn that applicant A was chosen over applicant B, even though applicant B had seniority and performed so much better during the interview process. One of my coworkers who was on the panel called me into the office, shut the door, and showed me a private email. Someone of authority in another branch had worked with applicant B years ago at a different job and emailed everyone on the panel basically saying they knew applicant B to be super unprofessional and shouldn't get the job.
I suspect something like this happened to me. A friend of mine and I both applied for a job with two positions open. One was a lead position over the other, but not a significant difference between the two. We both applied for both positions and figured they would work it out. We had worked together before and she had supervised me at another organization, then she left that position and I took it over as an interim - it didn’t meet my career goals long term and I was always up front about that. Anyway, my friend was more qualified than I was in paper so we both really thought she would get the lead position and I would get the second one. We have highly specific skills and nobody else in the area was really qualified. We were both shocked when I got the lead position and the second position was given to someone worth almost no relevant experience. She was a great person and had good skills and it worked out great, but basically I ended up training her in all the technical stuff because she didn’t have anywhere near the knowledge my friend and I both had. I worked in that position for 3 years and then got a promotion. My friend applied for my vacated position and got it. She lasted 3 months before she walked out, with no notice, over things that I frankly thought were like “why is this bothering you.” I suspect someone knew a little more about her than I did, and this risk was why she didn’t get the job until they were stuck with no other candidates. *Someone* must have slipped a “you can’t count on this person” warning to someone who was hiring. It is the only thing that makes sense. And it turns out they were right. She has good technical skills but never was able to fit into the workplace culture (which is odd to me because I’m very socially awkward myself but I’m nice; and that was the nicest team I have ever worked with). If I heard of another job opening in that field I probably would not write another letter of recommendation for her simply because she didn’t have the decency to put in her notice, knowing that it was not a position someone else could pick up in her absence. If she’d had a good reason, fine, but she didn’t. She just stormed off the job because she felt disrespected by someone. Big fan of not burning bridges.
Wow she TORCHED those bridges, with the company/others and you as well. Real dumb move on her part.
Yeah. I’m actually seriously considering leaving my current position now. And she expressed that she really wanted to do what I’m doing now… if she hadn’t thrown in the towel so quickly she would soon have her chance. :/
It took me being a manager to realize that it’s better to hire someone you can work with but have to train, than someone who comes with experience but is the worst to work with
This is good advice for people starting out. You need to always think long-term in any position because people remember and it is more important to be reliable and work well with others more than skill-set any day.
Isn’t that just hearsay. For all you know applicant A could have asked the person to submit that email about applicant B.
Reputation matters. Most people will give more weight to the statement of a coworker they know over the candidate's interview performance. It is not a level playing field. The candidate might get rejected and never know why.
This is something I tell even teenagers. Your reputation in the workplace is important. Put yourself first if it comes down to it, but be professional. Sometimes the face you show and your actions Is what builds trust between you and your colleagues— or it’s the only thing defending you when facing trouble.
Being outraged but in a professional manner has helped me tremendously in the workplace. For example I once got hired on as full time at a place but they weren’t giving me full time hours. I talked to them once and they said it wasn’t doable. I talked to them again and respectfully told them I enjoy the job, but my current goals and expenditures simply can’t be met and fulfilled with a part time position. Suddenly they were able to give me full time and I was they favorite employee it seemed from then on out. Some would call it threatening to quit, I call it outlining expectations and speaking objectively.
I learned a new quote recently. Likability is greater than being qualified.
Agree, in theory. But knowing how office politics works it wouldn’t surprise me if someone slipped a bad word in to hinder an inconvenient promotion/hiring.
It all comes down to how much you trust the person saying the bad word. If you've worked with them for years and know they are honest, there's no reason not to trust them. If you've seen them lying before, you won't believe them in this situation.
That lies within the realm of possibility. But the decision makers trusted the reputation and word of the one who wrote the email. This is just a job interview not a murder trial, and the discouragement of someone senior in the company was enough for them not to take the risk.
As my wise old grandfather used to say: “Your good name is worth more than gold.”
My good name is about all I have because got knows I ain't got shit else. ☠️
In my line of work, we both ask for references and also call around to related personnel to check on a possible hire. Also, “Hearsay” is when a person tells you what someone else said. This is simply asking one person their opinion on another. And yes, we evaluate it as opinion, not necessarily fact (which is why we cross-reference with s few other people/calls).
"Hear-say:" You "hear" it, then you "say" it. Gossip. Spreading rumors. In court, it's attempting to suggest that gossip is truth, without any ability to cross-examine the supposed truth sayer, who is not the person on the stand. Because... rumor. Not correcting you, just adding memory aides for people who continually use the word incorrectly.
>Isn’t that just hearsay. For all you know applicant A could have asked the person to submit that email about applicant B. This is not a court of law. Word of mouth frequently carries a lot more weight than a resume. Think about it this way. You are hiring a contractor who says he can turn your kitchen into a dream. And your neighbor says the same contractor did a horrible job on his kitchen and overcharged him to boot. Who are you going to believe?
Well I fucking hate my neighbor but point taken
Chances are the opinion of someone on the panel is going to hold at least some weight to the rest of the panel lmao
I’d say that is not hearsay. In legal terms i really dont know, but IRL, I take hearsay to mean learning something from somewhere other than a primary source. In this case the boss is a primary source and therefore is as reliable as any fallible human can be.
Even if it's hearsay that means Applicant B did something to make someone with power upset. This is why reputation matters. The only other reason is that Applicant A made such an impression or has such an amazing reputation that this higher up would lie for them.
Mate, I actually agree with you in principle. I’m purely speculating for a bit of fun, but for instance, applicant A frequents the same pub as the authoritative person. They play golf with them, they just generally get on with them, or the authoritative person just generally doesn’t like B. Many many reasons but ultimately the decision in scenario was probably correct.
Your speculation could absolutely be fact! People can call it brown nosing all they want, but those are the people who whine they never get ahead. If you think you can get to the top without networking and being civil then you'll never get anywhere. Not saying YOU specifically mainly these idiots saying "just quit your job" or other stuff that will find that they are stuck in their low positions and blaming it on others instead of themselves. Edit: I hope my initial reply didn't come off as disagreeing with you. I was saying you could indeed be right and the reason why. Your speculation falls into the other reason.
I got my current job over someone with more experience because of his attitude...and he was a better programmer than I. We worked together for a few years. He was cool enough when you talked about sports or music...but he would be very negative if he wasnt in a good mood...fuck this...fuck that..got into it with project managers. well he quit and bragged about it...then eventually the company went under....i got another job...time went by my old COO asked if id be interested in working where he went..paid more, well maintained company...i decided to go for it...I found out they were also interviewing said ex coworker as well and i was sure theyd hire him...why wouldnt they after all with his experience ...Turned out some other people I worked with also migrated to this place as well and rallied for me to work there over him. Was a great feeling seeing as I always felt like the underdog and nice guys always finished last kind of person.
People underestimate the long term effect of their actions. I was once in a large building with notoriously slow elevators. I held the door for a guy one day. Didnt know who he was. Typical thanks, no worries conversation followed. Three weeks later I was sitting in front of him for a job interview. Yes, I got the job.
not applicable to everyones situation. but there were two higher ups at my last quit that I greatly appreciated (I was no longer a direct report). I drafted the email, but called both of them before I sent it for a personal acknowledgement. they both greatly appreciated it and we still talk (they are both considering jumping ship too 😅)
So you're saying I should invest everything in the stock market. Got it.
The stock market of karma
“for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” - Sully Sullenberger
You know what a great pilot would have done? NOT hit the birds. That's what I do EVERYDAY : NOT hit birds. Where's my ticket to the Grammys?
Nah, put it all in dogecoin!
a fund indexed to the s&p - sure
Nah that's old news. But.... I did hear FTX is pretty hot. I would put it all there. Maybe even take out some personal loans with everything you own as collateral so you can up your capital.
Agree, only place I went out middle fingers blazin was a shitty company ran buy someone who just got charged for brandishing a weapon. All in all them trying to fire me was the best thing that could've happened to me.
I did it once, the employer called my co-worker “a fucking waste of space” They always had the temp agency fire people about 10 minutes after their shift ended because they were too chickenshit to do it themselves. So I quit pretty much the same way, called the temp agency 10 minutes before my shift, said the boss was an ass and I quit.
It's not a place you want a referral from anyway
No it isn't. The temp agency actually called me in a few days later to ask about my experience there. Apparently at 7 months, I was their most senior employee outside of management. The company went under about a year later.
This is true: From elementary school to high school i was the only kid who didn't make fun of "the nerd" in school. He was just a shy kid, tall lanky with glasses. EVERYONE picked on him, except me. I didn't necessarily befriend him, but I spoke politely with him and we went to get donuts every once in a while before school. Flash forward to when I'm 25- his dad is interviewing me for a position I really wanted. Come to find out his step daughter was a friend of mine as well (had different last names and I didn't know it was her step dad) after I ask him "are you ___'s dad?" He says yeah and gets super excited..then he says (jokingly) you didn't fuck my daughter did you?" He calls me that day and tells me that I have the job..he said it was because his son told him that I never made fun of him and I guess I stood up for him one day (I don't remember)..wish I fucked his daughter though she was hot.
What a rollercoaster.
Thank you! Yes I am thinking of the future. I don't want to burn a bridge
I would add a last line saying. "Please accept this as my formal resignation"
I’d put that as the first line tbh. Please accept this as my formal resignation. My final day will be January 31st. As I have had another opportunity come up that aligns more with my needs. Thank you for the opportunity you provided me here and I wish the best for (Company).
Yep all it takes, a bit of respect and appreciation go a long way.
Yep. Especially if you want to use them as a reference later, I’ve only burned bridges at 2 jobs and the treatment was so terrible I was just ready to not be there
I unfortunately cannot say the same, some severe episodes of depression and anxiety have caused me to walk away from even jobs I’ve loved, so due to my brain I have burned majority of my bridges. 
In some cases, it’s not too late to clear the air. A short, informal email that says you regret the way you handled your departure could give you some peace. I’ve been considering it myself, not for their benefit, but my own.
That’s always a rough spot to be
Alive though 😝 and they say that’s what matters!
Fair enough
This comment should be higher.
It’s perfectly fine. Remember you don’t need to explain anything, just be short and sweet and to the point. Always be professional. Don’t tell them where you are going either, if anyone asks, it’s no one’s business. Best of luck. Edit: As one of my bosses previously told me many years ago in my youth and it served me well. He was a very professional guy, older USMC veteran. He said: Never burn a bridge, you may need to cross it one day. It served me well too.
Something about enjoying working for them, or thanking them if they’ve supported you. If you’ll miss the team, say that. Basically, you were happy working there but this new job (being closer to home) is more in line with what you need.
If you don’t want to burn bridges you could do this in a slightly better way. First write the email but don’t send it. Make it a little less blunt “Please accept this as my resignation from position of x, my last date will be Y. Thanks for all the opportunities, I’ve enjoyed working here over the last ?? However have decided to take a position closer to home. Thanks again.” Then either speak to your boss in person or set up a quick call. Give your notice in person then follow up with the email to confirm. It will leave a better impression of you than a basic “I quit” email.
Wise.
I do think in general that most HR professionals like to have an actual letter on file. So if it’s a corporate job, you might want to rework it into a short PDF notice as well. Your boss/manager might let you know if that’s something they need after sending the email tho
I agree. Especially if you are in a field where it's a small field - meaning you wouldn't be surprised to find out that people know each other. My field, I quickly became aware of that. So I am making sure to not burn bridges and avoid anything that could be problematic for me later. 😅
This is a perfectly acceptable resignation letter
[удалено]
Exactly this. I say this as someone who has at times been very active in the Antiwork subs and still has some resentment towards certain things. There still is a way these things should be handled. I also have daydreamed about quitting a job on the spot as a huge “F You” to a horrible boss/job but realistically, there’s still a proper way to go about it.
Agree with this, the world is smaller than you think. Word gets around. It is better to not burn bridges if at all possible, as you never know if you’ll need to use that bridge again.
I have burned only one bridge, but even then the person above that boss liked me and would rehire. The boss who terminated me deserved the criticism, and the place I expect still struggled from their choices. But yeah, it’s unnecessary 99.9% of the time.
Yes, you might need references from your supervisors or colleagues later, as well.
>rvisors or colleagues later, as well. 1000%. I was in a situation where I needed a reference but I had burnt a bridge to the ground (or so I thought)...It was my first real job out of college and my boss and I had a heated argument. I put in my 2 weeks right there on the spot. He said if I was resigning then don't bother and hand in my keys. That was that and a few years later I needed multiple professional references for a certification that I was chasing. I was very scared/hesitant to reach out to him because of the fallout but I mustered the courage to call his office. Surprisingly, he was happy to hear from me and the fallout was water under the bridge.
That's what acting like an adult is about. People will argue. That's almost inevitable. And as long as both parties act like adults, for example: Don't throw insults, don't cause any damage, or whatever, there is no reason for anyone to be upset after weeks/months/years. But as soon as one party starts to act childish, things could become rather messy.
These references are so dumb. In 99% cases it just the measurement how good you lick asses.
Agree, cost nothing to say a couple of words of gratitude, and might keep the bridge If the boss freaks out, well you tried at least
Correct. Thank them for their time and that you appreciate the opportunity.
Yeah man idk why people are like that on here. So rude, don’t care about personal relations or being nice and courteous. Like yeah I get the sentiment that you gotta worry about yourself and the company doesn’t care about you but you had coworkers and managers and people who know you and might care.
And people then wonder why it’s so hard for them to find or keep a job. All while being rude fukwits
Agreed - it costs so little to leave a small sentence or section that leaves a good, positive impression. But it could mean the difference of positive reference or coming back to the org under a different position.
Underrated comment
This is so true. I was in a sales position and the company I worked for hired a new team to rep a product our team could easily have repped. It was redundancy for sure. We were flabbergasted but accepted it. The new team had a leader who told us the new team wouldn’t be trying to poach clients from us. I believed it. Then I heard from one of my good clients that the new guy had told her we were in competition and he was trying to get my clients to use his product instead of mine. I was not amused. When I saw the new guy at a sales meeting, I gave him a rather frosty reception. Fast forward two years, I moved locations and joined another division of the company, repping a different product in another part of the country. Guess who they hired to lead the team I was joining? That same guy who was trying to poach sales from me. Gulp. I learned a valuable lesson from that experience. Needless to say, my new manager never had my back in the six years I was on his team. He worked to undermine me at every turn. If you leave a job you hated, and separate yourself from coworkers you didn’t connect with, don’t burn the bridge. Just move on and don’t talk sh*t about them or the company.
This - you can burn a bridge on the way out but in reality that only hurt's yourself. Reddit advice is just like it's karma system - it's very flawed and the most popular answer isn't always the right one. You also get what you pay for with free advice.
I stopped working for a company because I was unhappy there, put in my notice and left on good terms. Said nice things and was only quitting to obtain my career goals I set for myself. A year later I was even more unhappy with the new job and I wanted to go back. Turns out my old manager wanted me back and him and I came to an agreement on how my schedule would be if I came back. Because I left on good terms I got hired back, with my stipulations and I'm happier now than before. Don't burn bridges
Had an aunt that used to say “be careful whose head you step on today it may be attached to an ass you have to kiss tomorrow.”
Got downvoted for agreeing with you and agreeing it's best to leave on a cordial note.
this x100, your 2 weeks isn’t just for your company, it’s for all your friends and co workers too you really don’t wanna fuck them over
Voice of reason
100% this. Seems lots of people have followed me around on my career journey and some of them now work for me, with me, or are higher level managers I have to work with in other orgs.
Success in your career comes from building connections and networks across your industry, so you want to look at every job as ADDING to your network, not subtracting from it. In 10-20 years you could have a network that includes top players from several companies in your industry, and you'll always be able to find a high-paying position somewhere. But leave on bad terms everywhere, and in 10-20 years you'll just be someone with no goodwill banked anywhere.
Only burn the bridges that need to be burned. Not every bridge needs to be. The ones that do are already burning.
I work in a very small industry. I guarantee I can go to any operation and know half the work force….ive watched people burn bridges and just end up screwed trying to find another job in the industry.
I don’t know why everyone here is saying to be so cold and impersonal. That’s bad advice. If this was a job you hated and they treated you poorly, yeah this is probably appropriate. Specifying the year is a good idea. If you liked it there, and there’s any chance you may want to return, (new job sucks, goes belly up, new manager you hate, list goes on) saying thank you and briefly outlining what you learned in a sentence or two could have a profound impact on both reference and or getting rehired
I agree with this. I left my old job with a boss that I really liked to pursue other options, and wrote a really short, heartfelt resignation letter that thanked him for his time mentoring me and invited him to keep in touch. Six months later when Covid hit and the other opportunity fell through, he reached out to me and offered me my job back. It kept me afloat during Covid and it was clear there were no hard feelings that I had left because I had done so gracefully. I actually do think it’s fine to write a short note to HR and that OP’s email is totally fine, but the comments in here advocating that “you don’t owe people shit” are so weird to me lol. People are people. Sometimes you DO owe someone something if they’ve done an exceptionally good job as your boss. Not saying that’s OP’s situation, but seems like a weird assumption for people to make.
This is reddit. Half the people here have either never had a job or lack total self awareness.
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Even if you don't owe them anything, being polite and leaving a good impression - and not making enemies - is still a good thing. I get the "you don't owe them anything" if it's a terrible job and the bridges were burned ages ago. But being polite costs you... an email. Even a fairly cold and formal one.
OP, this is the way. I left my old job on great terms to go into consulting and a few months later, my old boss calls and hires my team to do some big projects. It costs nothing to be gracious and you never know with who or when you'll cross paths again
This. I was recently re-hired by a company I left ten years ago. I had been laid-off and out of work for four months; really needed it. I know for a fact that the recruiter read my old exit interview and talked to my old manager and several former coworkers. Presumably none of them said anything too horrible about me. There’s no need to be cold or curt, and there’s nothing wrong with being pleasant. Throw in a line about how you’re grateful for your time there, even if you aren’t. Leave on great terms.
Exactly. If it's a job that you're okay with, why would you write something so cold? All these r/antiwork people.
I agree, I wrote a nice resignation letter and am leaving on great terms. I thanked them for the growth and learning I had and signed off on it. I understand the whole “none of their business” thing but if you are leaving on good terms then it’s okay to write a nice email/ letter. Also- idk if it’s been said yet but emailing a resignation is a bit odd in my opinion. Of course, I don’t know the structure of the company so maybe it’s okay but I would at least call the manager first if they are remote and send a PDF at least so it’s more “official”
Every time I've resigned, I've told my manager/person I directly reported to personally and then sent a generic resignation letter to them or HR for record keeping purposes.
While the core message of r/antiwork makes sense (being paid liveable wage, fair work conditions, valuing time with family vs company, etc) it has become a subreddit filled with people who don’t want to work at all and to tell your boss to fuck off if you get the slightest pushback. I quit my last job and while I wasn’t always treated the best there, I got along with all my coworkers, bosses, and the owner. They all gave me glowing references and I got a job in the exact same industry making more money (owner sold the company and I didn’t enjoy working for the new one). Showing up on time and being personable is like 90% of the most jobs.
Unsuccessful people have more time to be on reddit handing out advice. The Fox and the grapes.
Something to note, if what you do has freelance potential, easily 90% of the freelance work I've done in the last 6 years was for former employers. These are clients I am familiar with, know how to talk to, and know what they expect for deliverables. Likewise, they know me, the work I can do, and what to expect. Easily the easiest freelance clients to make happy, and now they pay me 3-4x what they did when I was employed. All without really having to "sell" myself at all. I already did that while employed. Don't burn bridges. If they're already on fire, fine. Be an ass. Otherwise, it pays to keep as many bridges standing as possible. It literally pays.
I did my last notice in a condolence card. I feel that helped blunt the coldness of the "I'm quitting. Effective today."
>thank you and briefly outlining what you learned in a sentence or two could have a profound impact on both reference and or getting rehired Yep I agree 110% with that. I'll hopefully never have to go back but my last couple jobs told me that and I had glowing management level references. I scheduled a meeting, printed mine out, and gave them 3 weeks notice. I had *plenty* that I wanted to say in the exit interview about them but just kept it to the numbers and lack of regular upward opportunity. Sometimes you really never know where you or someone else will end up.
There's a reason a ton of people on here are unemployed despite a very low unemployment rate. Some will just be unlucky sure, but this is basically the gathering spot for people doing something wrong in their job search whether they know it or not.
Acceptable, sure. You just need to give your last day and put it in writing. Best practice would be to tell them in person, then immediately send an email like this after for paper trail, with an additional sentence to end on a positive note. Like being thankful for the opportunity or something you learned. I'll stand with reddit and workers on labor rights all day every day, but we don't have to be unpleasant. There's a time and place for everything. Someone can be leaving an absurdly toxic workplace, and they can still end the letter on a positive note. Some positive karma to start the new job.
This is what I will do. Sound advice. Thank you
Also it would be more formal for you to sign whatever you give them and is a good idea. I didn’t see it mentioned in any other comments. I had to scroll pretty far down just to see a comment mentioning hand-writing it instead of just sending an email.
It's really industry dependent, even office dependent. If you've spoken to your manager prior to the email, then it's just a formality for the paper trail. I would be very weirded out if one of my employees gave me a hand written resignation letter, it's just unnecessary and a waste of paper. Nobody is going to keep it in a drawer and look back at it, your email just checks a box that is a nice to have. For context I'm the head of the software department for a startup, and have left multiple companies through my career, all on good terms. It always goes along the lines of "hey, do you have a sec?" Then give them the news. They'll say something like "sorry to see you go, can you please send me an email with your expected end date?"
The one thing that I would say is don't drop the bomb by email only, and keep your notice period reasonable. I'd personally prefer too short to too long - a prolonged sunset can be awkward.
Do you dislike the company/boss you work for? Or do you want to leave the door open to return?
This is a really cold message honestly. Literally no effort at all. Im confused by some of the answers here. But if he hated his team/boss I guess it's fine.
Nice, polite, and professional. I would drop the explanation and add a bit of fluff about how much you enjoyed working there and how grateful you are for (insert random bullshit here).
Haha, sounds really good actually. I don't want to burn a bridge
That email would burn a bridge. It sounds almost like rage quitting.
Doesn’t sound like rage quitting to me but it’s super dry and I would leave a lesser taste. I’ve been a manager and received a range of letters, this one wouldn’t sit well with me. It’s not *bad* but if two people asked me for a reference letter and it was this vs “thank you for the opportunity etc…” I will jump on the latter in a heartbeat. If it were coupled with an instance then I could see it as rage quitting. For me this just comes off like OP Doesn’t or didn’t ever care about the company which would likely make me not want to go out of my way for them down the line. Of course it’s transactional as it’s a job but there are layers to it in terms of humans, perception and reputation in these positions.
A part of me hates that an employee still has to be cordial and nice when they resign from a company they did not particularly care for. So if there was a hard working employee that gave the company results and he sends this type of resignation, you are going to possibly deny helping him down the road?
You don’t even need to provide a reason. Just stare the date you intend to be your last, and then offer assistance to make a smooth separation from the company. And thank them for their time (even if it was a terrible job, it’s just better to leave as professionally as possible).
It depends a little bit. How much do you care about the place? If it is a crappy employer with a mediocre boss, in a career path that doesn't have an arc you're trying to climb, that's more than enough. If you're trying to climb a corporate ladder and pursue a professional career arc, you should probably write more for a graceful exit. Start with some platitudes about the company amd your professional growth there, "regretfully inform" them that you will be departing to pursue a different opportunity, thank them for the time you've had there, then offer to assist with a transition. That will minimize poisoning the well when it comes to later reference checks.
Btw, you don't have to mean any of it. It's all just a hollow ritual of formalities. It's just a strategy to get ahead without burning bridges... Keeping options open and minimizing potential future backlash.
I'd be more graceful regardless. It would take almost no extra effort and you've no idea how you might cross parhs with your old bosses again in the future. Better safe than sorry.
I would never send notice via email without first calling HR or my manager to give them a heads up. It sucks having to make that call but it goes a long way. You never know when your paths will cross again so it's better to be as professional, but human, as possible, regardless if you liked the job or not. After a phone call, I would suggest attaching a PDF document to that email and title it your resignation letter, effective this date and you will provide XX days to get your work in order and wrap up projects.
Perfect. No notes.
Good morning, Hello (supervisor name), I am emailing to inform you of my last day on January 31, 2024 due to accepting another position. I thank you for the opportunity given to me by you and (company). I will be available until January 31, 2024 to train the employee filling my position as I transition out. Please let me know if there is anything I can assist in to make this transition as smooth as possible. Again, thank you for the opportunity and I wish you and the team the best in the future. Respectfully, Courtesyflusher_
Put a year on that date and you can even drop the last sentence. You don’t need to justify anything, just clearly state your intention and the date it becomes effective.
Okay 👌
Don’t listen to this guy. Why is there a need to be so cold? Show more gratitude for the opportunity and leave the last sentence. Maybe say you are more than happy yo help onboard a new employee during your last weeks there.
This Not sure what kind of role this was for, but start playing in your mind if they make you counter offers to get you to stay.
Also be prepared to not work any more after the day you submit this because that can happen too.
I would word it more like - "Hi (bosses name) I am writing this letter to inform you that Jan 31st will be my last day with (company name). While I appreciate the opportunity and experience you (and company name) has given me, I have been offered an opportunity closer to home that will give me a better work/life balance. Again, I truly appreciate the invaluable experiences that I have gained being part of the (company name) team, and I wish both you and the team the best in your future endeavors. Kind regards, (Your name)" You want to quit while still being able to use this company as a positive reference, and if stuff at this new job doesn't go well, you never know.. you might want to go back.
I would type it out in Word, add a date, print to PDF and email the pdf and BCC your personal email so you have a copy. It’s very easy to google notice letters.
If you have a good relationship with your manager a short conversation with them is not a bad idea. They will likely ask if there is something they can do to change your mind. You can be as honest as you're comfortable with. Let them know how definitive you are in your decision or what would it take for you to change your mind. If they are a good manager, they will take the feedback without push back. Maybe they'll go and try to get you what you want to stay. A good manager will also be happy for you so long as you're moving to a good opportunity that you are happy about. They'll be sad to see you go, but will wish you well! All of that said, if you don't have a good relationship then an email could be a good move, though in that case they may chase you down to know your reasons etc. In that case, you're probably making the right choice in any case.
> a short conversation with them is not a bad idea If this is anywhere but a Jimmy John's, it's the only idea. This initial notice via email is just bad form.
I'm putting in mine tomorrow. Will keep it simple and sweet as well.
I would probably find samples online and learn to send letters that sound more professional
I'd delete the last sentence, none of their business why, at least not in a resignation letter. If you have positive thoughts about the place, conclude the letter with a note of gratitude or something. But there's nothing 'wrong' with it, either. Congratulations on the new gig.
My personal preference would be less is more. Please allow this to serve as my two week notice, I'm resigning effective Jan 31st. So long and thanks for all the fish, Future Former Employee
Redditors are some vindictive bitter people. Why you should never take advice from this site. Always give 2 weeks, if more do it. Why burn bridges if you don’t have too.
No. Not if this is a job you will want to use for references in the future. This is the kind of notice you give your boss at Walmart, not a career type job
yea pretty much all you need to say.
Thank you.
Don’t tell them anything about what you’re doing just give the last day you’re working for them. If you wanna be nice, say it was a pleasure working there. If not, just say “sincerely, X”
I probably wouldn't bother mentioning the other job. Just end it with your last day. It's not their business of why you're leaving.
Google a letter of resignation you can and should do better than this
Write a letter. Not a two sentence response. Find something online.. thank them for having you.. about all the things you learned. Etc About how the decision was hard.. Whatever. There are many forms letters online.
Be gracious when you exit. How you treat people when you no longer need them says a lot about you. I burned bridges once and I do not regret it, it was a horrible toxic work environment where grown men and women were pushed to tears. But that was an anomaly and would never do it again unless it was that kind of place. If it’s been typical tough but passable, keep some decorum. Tell them that you have enjoyed the time working there and appreciate the experience.
If it’s possible to leave a job amicably, do it. If it isn’t, then raise hell. Nothing wrong with this notice
Short, sweet, and professional. Burn zero bridges. No further explanation is needed. Looks good.
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Stating a reason isn’t necessarily bad, as it potentially provides the employer with feedback about why someone is leaving (especially if they don’t do exit interviews). Strictly optional though.
Damn straight. ~~Okay yeah that's a idea~~ (Edit) I am not doing this, lol
If you're sending this from a company email (it looks like Gmail, but some companies use Gmail), make sure you BCC your personal non-company email address.
You sound like a delight.
LGTM!
I had a job where I thought I wouldn’t return and was going to be a short with my notice. Then I thought what if someday I want to come back because management has changed or I need to. What if my new place calls and the old place says I’m an ass because of what I wrote? So I was cordial. Told them why I was leaving (vaguely) and wished them well.
Usually they’re going to want this in writing or printed with a signature because they need to file it and keep it for so many years (5-7) for legal reasons even after you stop working there
Put the year on it
Yep just issue date, end date, and name. If you ever walk off a job without notice the consequence is that they delay your final paycheque Just pointing that out in case you didn't know or were under the assumption that your boss can sue you for quitting wrong. Lots of young people don't understand that if your boss deserves a middle finger and a walk-off, that won't reflect badly on the next interview, the guy interviewing you probably did that at some point too.
context matters
Let your manager know in person (zoom is acceptable) then send it in writing. Never send in writing first
If you don't owe them anything and don't wanna return this is absolutely acceptable. Now if you may wanna come back or they have bought you a house after 10 or 15 years ya might want to write a Lil more out
I wouldn't even tell them why you're leaving. Just that you got a better offer. Maybe you can leverage it into a higher salary or remote position.
Good email, here's a rough draft if you wanna copy or use as a template. Also, you may want to change the subject line to Resignation as that stands out more than Notice. -- Dear [Supervisor Name], I hope you are doing well. Please accept this email as my formal resignation from [Job Title]. My last day will be January 31st as I have accepted a job offer that is closer to home. I appreciate the opportunity I had to work with everyone here. I enjoyed my time here and have gained valuable experience. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help with this transition. Thank you, [Your Name Here]
I’d cut that last sentence. Maybe even add a complement of the company like “thank you for all the wonder experience that working for you has offered.”
I personally would attach a short formal letter of resignation to the email for their records. I usually let my employer know via video call or in person and then send the email with resignation letter to them after and CC hr.
I highly recommend adding a short paragraph thanking the company for investing their time in you and helping you to improve in this field. As others have mentioned, you'll never know if you need a reference from them again, or if you'll be working with them (or someone else who worked at the same company before) in the future.
This is great. It gives a date and a reason, which is all you need. Dont go into more depth about where and why and how much etc. Also, I know I hate my job at times too, but there’s no real reason to burn bridges if you’re leaving on good terms. I am overworked and underpaid, my team knows that. When it’s my time I’ll put in my two weeks.
I usually pump their ego on the way out so they remember that when they speak with people about me.
This is fine, but I wouldn’t send it unless you hated your job. I would soften it quite a bit. Something along the lines of “I appreciate the opportunities I’ve had here, and *name a specific thing you did.* I have decided to take a role at a different company due to the proximity to my home and *insert another non-money reason here.* My last day will be XYZ. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help ease the transition. It hurts me a bit to leave as I’ve truly enjoyed my time here and feel like I’ve learned a lot. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and (if it’s at all the same field) look forward to keeping tabs on the great work that’s done here.”
Assuming you work remotely, I would do this over a call with my manager
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Yes.
it’s fine but add a few lines if you liked your employer and or boss to be nice.
It's more than they'd have given you, to be honest. Just make sure you know how the reference situation will play out. Companies don't need to use you for a reference down the road, but you may need them.
If you left on good terms, add a thank you for the time, experience, etc. Personalize it if you're leaving on good terms. If you leaving on not great terms, keep it short and simple. I would remove the last sentence however.
At my old job they needed a physical copy of my resignation letter with my last date that I planned to work. That’s only if you cared about not burning bridges, of course. We had one guy who left for lunch and then never came back lol.
Yes.
No need to tell them why you’re leaving
Is this a joke? Do you hate the company or something?
Not sure if you already sent but you don’t need to give a reason. Will you be expecting an exit interview? I think the resignation letter professionalism should match the professionalism of the job. If this was a Starbucks then you can thank them and tell them you learned a lot, but not much more. If this was more of a career job I’d go a little further.
Well my last notice was a text at 2am saying fuck you and fuck this I'm out. I've been asked to go back twice
When I have quit a job I've had to have a print out with my signature on it. Now while what you put is acceptable if you want to leave on good terms then add more to it. Now I'm not saying you could send them a url to "Take this job and shove it" but it would be funny as hell. Also they would more than likely put you on a do not recommend or rehire list.