The best-case scenario—and honestly, the most common reaction—is that your boss will accept your resignation with understanding and sincere congratulations. Your manager will be happy to see that you're advancing your career and moving on to something bigger and better.
Depending on their emotional state at the time of your conversation, your manager may become immediately upset, or even furious that you are resigning. They may feel a sense of betrayal, as well as anxiety about how they will manage the workload without you.
Leaving a job can be an emotional experience for you and your boss. When you tell your supervisor you're quitting, you are essentially stating that you are firing him as your boss. He may feel shocked, angry, or defensive. He may have to answer to a superior about why you decided to leave.
And, bosses all too often take quitting quite personally. Many bosses will interpret quitting as you abandoning them. In fact, many of my clients have experienced this very occurrence and find it quite traumatic.
The negative feelings the brain can cycle through after quitting can be significant, with shame, guilt, fear and a sense of failure all common reactions. Two common responses are spiralling anxiety over whether quitting is the right decision, or freezing with fear at the thought of moving forward into an unknown future ...
The 'Great Resignation' is now the 'Great Regret': 80% of job hoppers wish they hadn't quit their old roles, with Gen Z the most regretful. It's been harder than expected for people who quit during the 'Great Resignation' to find a new role -and they miss their old jobs even when they get one.
How are the pioneers of the Great Resignation doing? One – admittedly very small – survey this year suggested 80% regretted their decision; another last year highlighted a similar percentage (72%) who experienced regret or surprise after quitting for a different job.
They act defensive because they have a lot to defend.
Your boss's boss knows that the managerial relationship places a strong role in an employee's decision to leave, so your boss is now having to prove that losing a good employee isn't that bad after all. Unfortunately, you may get smeared during this defensive act.
Let me be clear: No, it is NOT selfish to quit your job for any reason. You are a free agent. You get to make the decisions that make the most sense for your career and your life, regardless of how that impacts others.
Assuming you manage your departure gracefully, you absolutely shouldn't feel guilty. But guilt is a natural feeling that many people have when leaving an employer, especially if the company's been great to you. And even though you shouldn't feel bad, our brains are great at coming up with reasons that you should.
Quiet quitting doesn't actually refer to quitting a job—it means completing one's minimum work requirements without going above and beyond or bringing work home after hours.
You can say something like: "I can't thank you enough for allowing me to grow my skills here, but, after much thought, I've decided it's time for me to move on. I've received another job offer that I plan to accept at the end of my two-week notice."
Many professionals have a strong resistance to leaving a job that's not working out. Quitting is hard because it carries an implication that you gave up, did not try hard enough, or were not good enough to make it work.
If you are feeling confused about your job, a loss of self-esteem or confidence about your ability to do your job, or uncertainty about your mental health, you might be experiencing gaslighting. The gaslighting experience may also include questioning your memories and even your perception of reality.
Leaving a company on the best of terms isn't just an indication of a someone's character, it's a sign they were grateful for all the opportunities that company gave them, and that they chose to honor that all the way to the end.
Employees leaving doesn't just mean a job is open but the company is faced with lower productivity, a decline in morale and the remaining colleagues struggling with increased workloads.
Resignation acceptance letter template
Dear [name], It is with regret that I acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated [date] resigning your position as [title]. Your resignation has been approved, and, per your request, your final day of work will be [date].
There's been a lot of talk around quiet quitting. This is the trend where employees put in a minimal amount of effort just to get through the workday. Although this trend is disturbing, we need to take a look at some underlying factors that contribute.
26% of workers admit they do the bare minimum or less
Twenty-one percent of workers are 'quiet quitting,' choosing to put in only the bare minimum and just doing what they are paid to do.