Handing in your notice is an extremely stressful situation, but is unfortunately one of those aspects of adult life that we can’t ignore. There are still certain etiquette rules that should be adhered when you do.
If you take in some of these Do’s & Don’ts then you should find that handing in your notice will be (marginally) less stressful!
Do –
- Put your notice in writing
Make sure that you write a letter or email to whomever you are handing your notice to. You can make sure all the important details are listed, so if you are too nervous to remember much when speaking with your manager your letter covers it.
There is a template for a resignation letter at the bottom of this blog to assist anyone really struggling.
- Be straight to the point
Explain that you are having to hand in your notice and are giving your weeks’ notice (or however many weeks you are required to give – usually if you have been there less than 12 months it is only a weeks’ notice that is required).
- Be professional
There may be the temptation to do something funny when you leave your job. Unfortunately, this could impact you later down the line in another role / company. It is always best to do a formal letter and leave with the best impression, no matter what the environment is like.
- Clean up any personal files / emails on your computer before you leave
If you have ever used your computer for personal use, make sure before you leave, or even before you hand your notice in, that all of your personal files / emails have been removed.
- Make sure you have contact information for anyone you need to keep in touch with after you have left (i.e., for references for future jobs)
If you know that any colleagues will be used as future references, make sure that you have their work email / contact number / full name / role within business.
It would also be useful to have an admin / HR email or your line managers email, just in case anything is wrong with your final payment or receiving your P45.
Don’t –
- Tell your manager last
You don’t want your manager to hear about this from anyone but you. It will show as a big disrespect to the company, leaving them with a poor opinion of you.
- Disappear
You have to always hand in your notice, even if it is not physically possible for you to appear in person. With technology these days, you don’t have an excuse, you can call, email, or even send a letter.
- Leave anyone in the lurch
When handing in your notice, you will need to serve your notice period to allow the company time to find your replacement or make preparations for you not being there. Although there can be exceptional circumstances where this is allowed, handing in your notice, and expecting to leave straight away will leave a bad impression.
- Brag about new job
This isn’t necessarily a huge ‘Don’t’ as some people may ask where you’re going and want you to talk about it. It is the way you talk about it though that will reflect on you. The new job may be 100x better than this role, but everyone around you will still be working there.
- Be negative
If this is the worst job you’ve had and you’re over the moon that you are leaving, it is still better to be courteous and not bad mouth the place. Be the bigger person.
All in all, this is one of the few times you need to be as professional as you can. Speak with the appropriate people first, think about your actions and put everything in writing. We have attached a resignation letter template to the bottom of this blog should you need anything work off!
Also, the stress around handing in your notice will disappear as soon as you’ve told your manager! Good Luck!
