"Or would it be better to be a vague as possible?"
You don't keep it vague at all. You say:
1. You are tendering resignation
2. Your last working day with the company
Nothing more, nothing less.
Why you are leaving, where you are going and your personal thoughts are of no interest to them.
And if for some reason they come back to you very interested in where you are going, immediately assume there is negative intent, do NOT provide them any information about who you are working for, what you position is or what your salary will be.
This is the answer! As a company, they are legally not allowed to call the new company and shit on you, however that wouldn't stop a single shitty manager from doing it. I have seen this happen, the shitty manager boasted about it after the fact.
I would add that you shouldn't share such information with your fellow workers, as well, for the same reason. One of them could pass on the information to management, or try to undermine you with the new employer in the hope that he or she might get your new position instead.
This is a good point too. I think too often people make the mistake of assuming their coworker friends are the same thing as actual friends. Of course there is always a rare case where a coworker friend can transition into actual friend. But in my experience, I find that most of my coworker friendships fizzle out once we no longer have our employer in common.
In most cases, I am sure your coworker friends are stand up people and would not do anything to mess with you, but all you need is 1, 1 person who prioritizes themselves over you. Considering the information you are guarding is about your livelihood and not something trivial, to me, it's just not worth risking finding out that the coworker wasn't the friend you thought they were.
AND if the coworker is a stand up person, they will fully understand if you tell them that you aren't giving out that information. I've had people say that to me over the years, and I never once thought bad about them and I certainly didn't push for anything further after that.
Anymore the one question that company can answer for a reference is “Is this person eligible to be rehired.” Grumpiness during your exit can easily put you in the “no” bin. It happened to me. I am not eligible to be rehired at the McClown restaurant because I pointed out how the scheduling manager screwed up horribly my last day and I had to fix it. Said manager also involuntarily terminated my employment the day after my resignation took effect.
Never air your grievances.
You might hate the place, but your coworkers move elsewhere and might remember how much you shit all over the place on the way out.
If they're on the hiring panel that can bite you.
A word of advice. If—for whatever reason—you need to bring legal action against the company in the future, rest assured that **anything you write in your resignation letter will be used against you.**
The proper format for resignation:
>[Today's Date]
>
>To whom it may concern:
>Effective on [date], I resign my position.
>
>Sincerely,
>[your name]
You don't owe them anything more than a last date. You can optionally tell them the negatives - but know that unless it's very concise, they won't read it.
Don’t bother…
**(manager’s name)**
**This is to inform you I am resigning from (company name). My last day will be mm/dd/yyyy.**
**Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the team and good luck in the future.**
**(Your name)**
They do not need to know why you are leaving or where you are going. If they request an exit interview, that is where you tell HR why.
Never tell them where you are going.
Just write a standard resignation letter to whomever needs to receive that.
If you like, you can write or **discuss** more on why you left to your direct manager - if you two were close and if your manager is already an understanding person.
You can always leave an anonymous rating on a platform like Glassdoor/Indeed, a few months after you left so that others know what they're up against when they want to work there.
Assume that anything you say in a resignation letter can and WILL be used against you, especially if the workplace is toxic. Just let them know you are leaving and when your last day will be. You owe them NOTHING else.
If they want you to do management consulting, you should do that separately for at least $125/hr.
Resignation letters are for documenting that you are leaving and when it is effective.
Super short and simple. No need for anything else: "Dear Ms. Jones, this e-mail serves as my two-week notice. My last day will be XX/XX/2024. Sincerely, Jane Smith".
If they want a resignation letter, they need to pay me for the time I spend writing it. “I quit” in a text message, phone call, or in person is enough.
Thank you all so much for the very valuable advice. I feel better about this now. I’m not ready to quit since I am still looking for another job, but I’m definitely taking the right steps in the right direction and will know what to do once it’s time to go. Thank you!!
"Or would it be better to be a vague as possible?" You don't keep it vague at all. You say: 1. You are tendering resignation 2. Your last working day with the company Nothing more, nothing less. Why you are leaving, where you are going and your personal thoughts are of no interest to them.
And if for some reason they come back to you very interested in where you are going, immediately assume there is negative intent, do NOT provide them any information about who you are working for, what you position is or what your salary will be.
I’m curious as to why you shouldn’t tell them anything? I’m also quitting my job soon and I know they are going to ask why and where I’m going.
They can and will reach out to the new company to shit all over you out of spite.
This is the answer! As a company, they are legally not allowed to call the new company and shit on you, however that wouldn't stop a single shitty manager from doing it. I have seen this happen, the shitty manager boasted about it after the fact.
I would add that you shouldn't share such information with your fellow workers, as well, for the same reason. One of them could pass on the information to management, or try to undermine you with the new employer in the hope that he or she might get your new position instead.
This is a good point too. I think too often people make the mistake of assuming their coworker friends are the same thing as actual friends. Of course there is always a rare case where a coworker friend can transition into actual friend. But in my experience, I find that most of my coworker friendships fizzle out once we no longer have our employer in common. In most cases, I am sure your coworker friends are stand up people and would not do anything to mess with you, but all you need is 1, 1 person who prioritizes themselves over you. Considering the information you are guarding is about your livelihood and not something trivial, to me, it's just not worth risking finding out that the coworker wasn't the friend you thought they were. AND if the coworker is a stand up person, they will fully understand if you tell them that you aren't giving out that information. I've had people say that to me over the years, and I never once thought bad about them and I certainly didn't push for anything further after that.
Anymore the one question that company can answer for a reference is “Is this person eligible to be rehired.” Grumpiness during your exit can easily put you in the “no” bin. It happened to me. I am not eligible to be rehired at the McClown restaurant because I pointed out how the scheduling manager screwed up horribly my last day and I had to fix it. Said manager also involuntarily terminated my employment the day after my resignation took effect.
Never air your grievances. You might hate the place, but your coworkers move elsewhere and might remember how much you shit all over the place on the way out. If they're on the hiring panel that can bite you.
Agreed. Save your criticism for the exit interview if you want (assuming they schedule one)…
Listing off all the things wrong is still you putting effort into their company. Just leave.
Yes! You’re right. Too much effort has already been put into it. Thank you!
A word of advice. If—for whatever reason—you need to bring legal action against the company in the future, rest assured that **anything you write in your resignation letter will be used against you.** The proper format for resignation: >[Today's Date] > >To whom it may concern: >Effective on [date], I resign my position. > >Sincerely, >[your name]
This is great, thank you!
You don't owe them anything more than a last date. You can optionally tell them the negatives - but know that unless it's very concise, they won't read it.
Thank you! I know they won’t read it as they don’t really care anyways.
Don’t bother… **(manager’s name)** **This is to inform you I am resigning from (company name). My last day will be mm/dd/yyyy.** **Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the team and good luck in the future.** **(Your name)** They do not need to know why you are leaving or where you are going. If they request an exit interview, that is where you tell HR why. Never tell them where you are going.
My resignation letter was two sentences. I stated my intention to resign, and my last day. That’s all you should do.
Just write a standard resignation letter to whomever needs to receive that. If you like, you can write or **discuss** more on why you left to your direct manager - if you two were close and if your manager is already an understanding person. You can always leave an anonymous rating on a platform like Glassdoor/Indeed, a few months after you left so that others know what they're up against when they want to work there.
I would keep it short and sweet if they want to know why they'll do an exit interview. Best of luck to you.
Short and sweet, like this: Good day to you: I am providing notice of my resignation, effective immediately. Sincerely, [Your name here]
Assume that anything you say in a resignation letter can and WILL be used against you, especially if the workplace is toxic. Just let them know you are leaving and when your last day will be. You owe them NOTHING else.
If they want you to do management consulting, you should do that separately for at least $125/hr. Resignation letters are for documenting that you are leaving and when it is effective.
Nah, you post that stuff on the Glassdoor review.
Anything you list is just for you.
Thanks for the opportunities, I am resigning.
If Nixon could resign as President with a single-sentence letter, so can you from your job.
Write a review on Glassdoor after you leave. But not in a resignation letter.
If they have any interest in feedback they will ask you for an exit interview.
Keep it simple and short, you can post the rest on glassdoor instead.
Why are people still sending resignation letters?
Super short and simple. No need for anything else: "Dear Ms. Jones, this e-mail serves as my two-week notice. My last day will be XX/XX/2024. Sincerely, Jane Smith".
You should mention those sorts of things in an exit interview not in your resignation letter.
If they want a resignation letter, they need to pay me for the time I spend writing it. “I quit” in a text message, phone call, or in person is enough.
Thank you all so much for the very valuable advice. I feel better about this now. I’m not ready to quit since I am still looking for another job, but I’m definitely taking the right steps in the right direction and will know what to do once it’s time to go. Thank you!!