A lot of people seem to be resigning nowadays. This week, I've given advice to many people (both employers and employees) on what the law says about resignation.
This makes me wonder: what the employees were thinking when they resigned? Did they understand what they were doing and the legal consequences of resigning?
I worry about employees because a half-thought-out resignation is the worst thing you can do in the middle of a pandemic.
Too late for them, possibly not for you
If the resigning employees did it recklessly, then all I can do is hope that it turns out well for them. It may be too late for them, but in this article, I hope to help out those who are still deciding whether to go thru with it.
3 things I want you to consider before resigning
If you're in this situation, I hope this article reaches you in time and gives you the opportunity to consider 3 pieces of advice from me.
When resigning, Don’t run away from... go towards something instead
At first glance, you may think that I’m saying the same thing here. No, there is a world of difference because that speaks to your intention for resigning.
Resigning because you don't like something about your present work reminds me of a fable. I was able to find recently being quoted by Steve in the comments section of a blog and I’d like to share it here:
A man moved to a new town. He asked a local resident whether the people there were friendly or not. The resident asked the man, “What were people like where you used to live?”
The newcomer scowled and said, “They were really an unfriendly and rude bunch, and I couldn’t wait to get away from that place.” The resident said, “Well, I’m afraid you’ll find the people here are pretty much the same.”
A week later, another man came to town. He happened to meet the same resident and asked him the same question. The local asked this second newcomer the same question: “What were the people like in the town where you used to live?”
This newcomer smiled and said, “Oh, that town was the friendliest place you could ever imagine.” The local returned the smile and said, “Well, I’m glad to hear it, I think you’ll find people here are very friendly too.”
Attitude has so much to do with your whole outlook on life.
The lesson here is that you take yourself wherever you go. People react to you because of the energy you put out, how your attitude is, and your general outlook on things.
Therefore, leaving your work may not be the ultimate solution you may think. If the problem lies with your attitude, your outlook, and the energy you put out, you can expect the next workplace to be more of the same. Different people, different names and locations, but it will be the same experience.
So stop and consider this for a while. Is there something you can fix internally first before considering a change of scenery? Might be worth a look before you go thru the hassle of resigning and moving employment.
Go towards something better
If you're going to leave, leave because there is a promise of something better out there. Not because you're running away from "bad" things in your present work. If you don't get it sorted out, you may be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
If you’re leaving because there is a great opportunity waiting or there is something that really needs your full attention, then that’s a different matter altogether. I support that kind of resignation. Just be honest with yourself what space you’re coming from as you resign: are you running away, or running towards something? I hope it’s the latter.
Don’t be in a rush to resign
Resignation is a significant career move. As with all things in life that have high stakes, don't make the decision purely on emotion. Don't react. Think this through.
Why? Resignation is a touch-move action. You will have a hard time if you resign and change your mind after. The law says that once your resignation is accepted, it becomes discretionary on the part of the employer if they will allow you to withdraw it:
“The court ruled against the employee. It held that resignations, once accepted, may not be withdrawn without the consent of the employer. If the employer accepts the withdrawal, the employee retains his job. If the employer does not, the employee cannot claim illegal dismissal. To say that an employee who has resigned is illegally dismissed, is to encroach upon the right of employers to hire persons who will be of service to them." (Philippines Today, Inc. vs. National Labor Relations Commission (G.R. No. 112965, January 30, 1997)
The reason I'm asking you to think about this hard is that I don't want you to end up begging for your job back. It's humiliating to come crawling back to your employer once you come to your senses.
Don’t rush into this. You have time, trust me.
Reciprocate the treatment you got while applying
Do you remember the time you were looking for a job? How nervous you felt as you waited for your interview? Do you remember how your current employer gave you a shot? Accepted you, processed your papers, and trusted you to come into their space?
When you resign, I hope you remember these things. Because you were given consideration when you were asking the employer to give you employment.
Now that you will be leaving the employer, I hope you consider them as well. Return the trust and consideration shown to you when you were applying to them now when they need your cooperation the most. Why? Because your plan to resign will definitely affect them operationally in terms of distributing the work and filling in the gap.
What are the worst things you can do to the employer when resigning?
First, leaving without saying anything. Don’t do this. This is tantamount to AWOL. You will regret this, trust me.
Second, leaving and deciding that you will be resigning immediately. That’s unfair to your employer. Please know that immediate resignation just because you want to leave now is not allowed by law. Let’s stick with what the law says to be fair to everyone. If you’re resigning, let’s give the requisite 30 day turnover period.
Third, try and find ways to smoothen the transition. Can you make the turnover of company assets quicker? Can you delegate the things you were tasked with to the next person in an organized and efficient way? Why not help out your team?
Please avoid these as much as you can. You want as little friction as possible as you undergo major changes career-wise.
Wrap Up
Hope you found these things helpful. If, despite these things to consider, you still feel that resignation is the right decision, then go for it! Life's too short to be stuck on something wrong for you. Just make it as frictionless as possible.
I’m sure you may have other questions related to resignation, stay tuned, I’m preparing more articles and materials to help you out during this time. I’ll keep you posted.
Additional Resouce if you’re thinking of resigning
I hope this was able to help you understand resignation better, but chances are, you still have questions. Click here for additional resources which I think can help you, as well as a preview video. Go to info.legalguide.ph/resignation to learn more.
