How to Respond when You Are Asked to Resign
Remain calm and professional., Understand the full reasons you are being asked to resign., Know company policy for employment verification and reference checks., Know that you have the right to think it over.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Remain calm and professional.
You want to be able to leave your job on the best terms possible given your situation.
Your future employment may depend on your ability to stay calm in the present.
There may be friendships and/or professional connections between your current company’s employees and potential employers.
Plus, your current company may be contacted as a reference.
Therefore, you must do your best to remain calm and stay professional by doing the following:
Listen to what your employer has to say.
It may be tough to keep quiet but in order to understand the situation, you must listen.
Do not argue.
No matter the circumstances, the decision has been made by your employer.
As a courtesy to you they are giving you an option to either resign or stay and wait to be fired.
Arguments and pleas will not change their minds.
Do not cause a scene up until you leave for good.
The meeting can go very differently if you act out and the employer rescinds your option to resign.
If you pose any threat or you are unprofessional, you will be asked to leave and escorted out the building by security.
If this happens there will be negative implications such as bad references, bad impressions, possible ineligibility for unemployment or company benefits and possible legal issues. -
Step 2: Understand the full reasons you are being asked to resign.
Most likely you already understand the circumstances surrounding your choice to resign because you have been spoken to already, have a feeling something is going on or know you have done something undesirable.
However, if you do not fully understand, you must ask questions.
Knowing the exact reasons for asking you to resign will help you make your decision about whether to stay or wait to be fired.
For example, if you are being asked to leave because your position is being eliminated, then resigning will leave you without unemployment benefits and it may be best to wait to be fired.
If you are asked to leave because you have engaged in prohibited acts defined by the company, it may be best to resign because of possible negative implications and ineligibility for unemployment. , Before making your decision to resign or wait to be fired, it is important to know what the company policy is for employment verification and reference checks.
This means knowing the type of information that is allowed to be released when a potential future employer calls the company for information.
Information that may be released includes:
Dates of employment.
Title.
Salary.
Eligibility for rehire.
If left on good terms or not.
Reason for leaving.
Character and personal traits.
Work ethic. , At this point you only have two options, resign or wait to be fired.
You do not need to sign any paperwork or write a resignation letter immediately because you have the right to think over your options.
There are pros and cons to both resigning and waiting to be fired and it is important to weigh your options before agreeing to something.
Your employer may try to bully you but they cannot force you to make a decision immediately.
Either way you are leaving the company very soon but you must do what is best for your situation and your future. -
Step 3: Know company policy for employment verification and reference checks.
-
Step 4: Know that you have the right to think it over.
Detailed Guide
You want to be able to leave your job on the best terms possible given your situation.
Your future employment may depend on your ability to stay calm in the present.
There may be friendships and/or professional connections between your current company’s employees and potential employers.
Plus, your current company may be contacted as a reference.
Therefore, you must do your best to remain calm and stay professional by doing the following:
Listen to what your employer has to say.
It may be tough to keep quiet but in order to understand the situation, you must listen.
Do not argue.
No matter the circumstances, the decision has been made by your employer.
As a courtesy to you they are giving you an option to either resign or stay and wait to be fired.
Arguments and pleas will not change their minds.
Do not cause a scene up until you leave for good.
The meeting can go very differently if you act out and the employer rescinds your option to resign.
If you pose any threat or you are unprofessional, you will be asked to leave and escorted out the building by security.
If this happens there will be negative implications such as bad references, bad impressions, possible ineligibility for unemployment or company benefits and possible legal issues.
Most likely you already understand the circumstances surrounding your choice to resign because you have been spoken to already, have a feeling something is going on or know you have done something undesirable.
However, if you do not fully understand, you must ask questions.
Knowing the exact reasons for asking you to resign will help you make your decision about whether to stay or wait to be fired.
For example, if you are being asked to leave because your position is being eliminated, then resigning will leave you without unemployment benefits and it may be best to wait to be fired.
If you are asked to leave because you have engaged in prohibited acts defined by the company, it may be best to resign because of possible negative implications and ineligibility for unemployment. , Before making your decision to resign or wait to be fired, it is important to know what the company policy is for employment verification and reference checks.
This means knowing the type of information that is allowed to be released when a potential future employer calls the company for information.
Information that may be released includes:
Dates of employment.
Title.
Salary.
Eligibility for rehire.
If left on good terms or not.
Reason for leaving.
Character and personal traits.
Work ethic. , At this point you only have two options, resign or wait to be fired.
You do not need to sign any paperwork or write a resignation letter immediately because you have the right to think over your options.
There are pros and cons to both resigning and waiting to be fired and it is important to weigh your options before agreeing to something.
Your employer may try to bully you but they cannot force you to make a decision immediately.
Either way you are leaving the company very soon but you must do what is best for your situation and your future.
About the Author
Sarah Myers
With a background in lifestyle and practical guides, Sarah Myers brings 11 years of hands-on experience to every article. Sarah believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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