Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#31

Post by bshimmin » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:42 PM UTC

GrinningFool wrote: post #18

None of it. A resignation letter exists only to resign: $TODAY To Whom it May Concern: I would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position here at $EMPLOYER, effective $DATE. Sincerely, $ME edit: be prepared, depending on the employer and the nature of the work, to be asked to leave immediately.

There is absolutely no harm in putting in a polite sentence expressing your gratitude for being given the opportunity to work at $COMPANY, and expressing your best wishes for their continued success. But perhaps I'm just an overly polite Englishman...

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#32

Post by bane » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:42 PM UTC

"To ,

I've decided to resign my position as at .

My last day of work will be .

Sincerely, "

During the exit interview your reason for leaving is "decided it was time to leave to pursue other opportunities."

Public leaving letter you send out to coworkers: "Hi guys, it's been awesome working with you. I've met some truly exceptional people and you all have lots to be proud of.

I've decided to move on and pursue other things, but I truly wish everybody here the best and continued success and good luck!

Feel free to reach out to me at "

Your employers aren't stupid and people leaving right after they decided to do this will be an obvious cause and effect. Bonus, if they're contacted later on by a future employer for a reference, your outgoing personnel file won't be filled with bridge burning that could harm you later.

Everybody gets dissatisfied with their job at some point and leaves, it's part of being a working professional. Learning how to do it in a professional way is an important skill to develop.

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#33

Post by detaro » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:44 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #29

gk1 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To back this up with an anecdote: I had one experience where I submitted a resignation (two weeks' notice) the same day as someone else in the company. I said the bare minimum in my letter. When questioned by the CEO, division lead, and co-workers, I also said the bare minimum and kept it very neutral. The other person, on the other hand, decided this was their opportunity to express their anger and frustration. As a…

I've found the best way to do this is: * Have a proper emergency fund (6-12 weeks). You should not be counting on any pay after you give notice. * Have references outside of your immediate current manager * On Friday, "today is my last day" * Still be honest why you're leaving Two weeks notice is a courtesy you're not required to extend to an employer (EDIT: This is US-centric advice, please verify this is true in yo…

Why would you not give 2 weeks (or really any reasonable time) notice? What do you gain from not doing it? (especially compared to the hassle for your employer and the potential of it coming back to haunt you)

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#34

Post by ChuckMcM » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:44 PM UTC

stevewepay wrote: post #5

Put the bare minimum, and do not say anything about compensation, etc. As a3n says, just say you are leaving, and when your last day will be. When it comes to the exit interview, DO NOT SAY ANYTHING EITHER. It all goes into your employment record. You don't owe them any honesty, so just leave quietly and don't burn any bridges.

Agreed, the only thing the employer needs is that you are leaving voluntarily and that means that you cannot sue them later because you lost your job. In some states it will also prevent you from collecting unemployment.

So your name, the fact that you are resigning, and your proposal for your last day.

And as others have said, when you submit that understand that your employer may ask you to leave immediately, so be ready to collect your stuff and walk out the door.

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#35

Post by getsat » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:45 PM UTC

bane wrote: post #32

"To , I've decided to resign my position as at . My last day of work will be . Sincerely, " During the exit interview your reason for leaving is "decided it was time to leave to pursue other opportunities." Public leaving letter you send out to coworkers: "Hi guys, it's been awesome working with you. I've met some truly exceptional people and you all have lots to be proud of. I've decided to move on and pursue other…

This, this, this!

Even if you're very friendly with the C-team at your company, DO NOT GIVE HONEST FEEDBACK. It can only hurt you in the future. I, myself, made this mistake a few years ago, and now I'm always worried a potential employer will ask for a reference from that particular employer.

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#36

Post by mystyk » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:45 PM UTC

joshstrange wrote: post #17

a3n wrote: post #2

I am resigning my position with $EMPLOYER. My last day will be date(today + 14) % weekend.

Don't give your company anything more than this, they don't deserve any more and anything else you volunteer can ONLY hurt you (Anything you say can and will be held against you....) also you risk burning bridges. While you may never want to work for the company ever again you might want them as a reference down the line. I tried telling the truth in my first exit interview and all it did was burn bridges and make pe…

"(Another thing, NEVER accept a counter offer)"

Over the years, I've heard this advice repeatedly, but with often wildly different reasons. I'm genuinely curious what your rationale for this advice is.

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#37

Post by rogeryu » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:46 PM UTC

Follow the advice in the rest of this thread: keep it neutral or positive. Maybe things turn around for you, and although you now think that you will never return at this company, in five or ten years time you might think differently. Your situation may have changed, the economy may have changed, the company may have changed, and either of these may make it totally different.

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#38

Post by thirdtruck » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:47 PM UTC

paulbjensen wrote: post #23

I tried to give notice at AOL once. HR rejected the letter due to some expletives, and asked for a revised version. I then submitted a 1-sentence notice. Lesson learned; don't swear in notices, but also keep it simple. Even if you tried to offer them your honest view of how things were, chances are they'd get filed in a drawer and stuck away. It took a number of people handing notices day-by-day at AOL before HR clic…

What does it even mean for them to reject a notice? Were they going to insist on paying you even after you stopped showing up, otherwise?

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#39

Post by joezydeco » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:50 PM UTC

gk1 wrote: post #24

refurb wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would hesitate to deviate from this advice. Think of it this way, what do you have to gain by being honest? What do you have to lose? I think you'll see being anything other than polite and positive in your resignation letter offers nothing but downside.

To back this up with an anecdote: I had one experience where I submitted a resignation (two weeks' notice) the same day as someone else in the company. I said the bare minimum in my letter. When questioned by the CEO, division lead, and co-workers, I also said the bare minimum and kept it very neutral. The other person, on the other hand, decided this was their opportunity to express their anger and frustration. As a…

As a result, their last two weeks were full of tense meetings, shouting matches, threats of lawsuit from both sides, and dirty things being said behind their back.

That employee was foolish to stick around. At the first sign of hassle from the employer you scoop up your things and walk out the door. Your local labor laws cover you as far as making sure your last paycheck is delivered within a certain amount of time.

Re: Ask HN: How much to put in a resignation letter?

#40

Post by simonebrunozzi » Tue, Mar 17, 2015, 3:52 PM UTC

fsk wrote: post #9

Get a new job first. Then quit. Downside: You're in a sucky environment for 1-6 months longer. Upside: You have a LOT more negotiating leverage for your next job.

It depends. If you're "hot" in the market and/or if you have a big emergency fund, consider having a 1-2 month mini-sabbatical between jobs (you can even ask the new employer to postpone the starting date).

You will never get a chance like that. Of course, it doesn't always work, it really depends on the situation.