At work, the end of a relationship is at least as important as the beginning, did you know that? You have to play your cards right, right up to the last.

Many people, however, don’t always know how to behave in this delicate moment and often risk making big slips.

Resigning at work is a serious matter and for this reason, we have decided to summarize in 4 points the mistakes you absolutely must not make.

1) Do not inform yourself about resignation procedures

If you’ve talked to someone about it, you’ve already heard the word “voluntary resignation”. But are you sure you belong to this category? We speak properly of “voluntary resignation” when, with a valid contract still in hand, you decide of your own free will to present a letter of resignation to the employer and then proceed towards the dismissal. However, the case in which your company requests the cancellation of your contract is very different. A detail that really makes the difference.

Beware of the voluntary nature of this model. By definition, “voluntary resignation” is the free choice of a worker to terminate an employment relationship. This can happen if you have signed a contract and only electronically, through the Online Resignation of the Ministry of Labor application.

Did you have to sign an early discharge document without specifying the date? Know that it is not legal because it will be up to you alone to decide if and at what moment to part with the position that has been regulated through an employment contract.

That’s why knowing how to resign is essential.

2) Do not give the employer due notice

“Everyone is useful, nobody is essential”. Although many people adopt this mantra, in fact, a company needs to know well in advance if one of its employees intends to resign. The removal of a collaborator involves not only the need to reorganize internally but also to train another person and allow correct handover between the two professionals. Little or much whether you have been in a company, your contribution counts.

How soon do you need to notify your resignation, then? The exact timing is defined by the National Collective Agreement (CCNL) for each profession and is usually equated to the notice that a company should give you as a worker in the event of dismissal. In general, however, two elements determine the notice period:

• Seniority: a worker who has been involved in a job for a long time is certainly more difficult to replace. At least it will be necessary to work alongside the replacement who will be introduced into the company, so the longer the time elapsed, the more the time frame within which you will have to resign will increase.
• The type of job: you are assigned a minimum advance for your resignation also based on the tasks assigned to you in the workplace. The more technical and complex your duties are, the more you will have to stick to long notice. As mentioned earlier, this will allow the company to reorganize itself in the best possible way in your absence.

Giving notice of resignation is not a choice, but a duty. Otherwise, the employer has the right to be compensated by the employee who has not been transparent towards him. Anyone who does not respect these rules – excluding pregnant women and workers within the child’s 3 years – may be required to return the amount corresponding to the days of notice to the company.

3) Talking too soon and with the wrong people

Your firing isn’t a secret, but it’s not news to be spread from the rooftops. This decision of yours affects your colleagues as much as the executive, but it is a good idea to notify the employer first and then make it known to other people.

It won’t be difficult for you to understand why: news like this takes little time to spread and it is certainly not the case that it reaches the ears of the boss, perhaps in a version that is not entirely true, don’t you think?

This advice is especially valid if you have a job offer in question but you are not yet sure of the outcome, that is, if you do not have a written contract in hand. In fact, disclosing your departure to colleagues and collaborators too soon could speed up the posting process and make you lose your job too quickly. And if you remain totally dry your mouth will be a big problem to recover.

4) Don’t take care of your professional reputation

You know, not all goodbyes are the result of a more tempting offer. If you too have decided to resign because you do not feel comfortable in your current job, always remember that when you joined the company you must leave: showing your professionalism.

This is the thorniest point. As much is done to get a job as little is committed then, even when you decide to quit. Your interest is to be (and be remembered) as a good collaborator, capable and qualified, but also respectful and fair towards their duties and the company.

What you sow you will also reap in other business contexts. Do you think a potential new employer can’t contact your current manager for references on your behalf? Playing it all because your manager is hostile to you is not a good motivation to let important opportunities slip away

Our advice is to remain fair and faithful to your professionalism always, in all circumstances. Especially if you want to resign, remember that it is in delicate moments like these that a personnel manager realizes the seriousness of a professional.