Anyone keep a resignation letter on hand?

[Gone Fishing]

I was just remembering back to my youth when my dad was in a particularly bad job but didn't have much in the way of prospects for leaving.  He typed up a resignation letter and kept it in his pocket just in case things got too bad and he had to deliver it on short notice.  Perhaps not the most financially optimal solution, but I think knowing that he had a way out right there in his pocket, gave him just a little encouragement to keep going.  He was able to leave eventually, taking a substantial pay cut, but over those couple years he ate a LOT of tums.  Anyone else keep a letter on hand?

[MasterStache]

Not physically, but definitely mentally. My last job I just had a meeting with my boss and my boss's boss when I decided to leave.

[BlueHouse]

I once worked with a manager who checked all the programmers' code on a regular basis.  They knew he did this.  This was in the old days before everyone password protected their systems (maybe even before "user logons"...can't remember).  Anyway, one morning the manager found a resignation letter in the files of one of the programmers.  He printed it out and had it waiting for the programmer to sign when he arrived. 
To my knowledge, that's the only reason the guy got shit-canned. 

[Mr. Green]

I keep a backhand on hand. There's a couple co-workers I could use it on and that would be my resignation letter.

[Gone Fishing]

I keep a backhand on hand. There's a couple co-workers I could use it on and that would be my resignation letter.

Easy now, easy, only 17 weeks to go!

[Mr. Green]

I keep a backhand on hand. There's a couple co-workers I could use it on and that would be my resignation letter.

Easy now, easy, only 17 weeks to go!

That's probably why my BS tolerance has dropped to zero. :)

[MandalayVA]

Nope, because "screw you guys, I'm out of here" is pretty easy to remember.  :D

[Eric]

Is a resignation letter still a thing?  Seems like something from the 50s.

[The_Squire]

I did this. 

When the BS got to be too great one week, I did up a resignation letter and carried it to work with me the next Monday morning.  My plan was to update the letter every day with the 'last working' date and so on and try to survive a while longer (I wanted 2 more years but was essentially FI already; Lady_Squire was on board either way), but if things got to be too bad, I'd be able to hand the letter in that day.  Taking back control, as it were.

My plan lasted exactly one day.  That Monday morning, the BS barrage continued in my email Inbox... and my resignation letter got used.

It was glorious.

Your mileage may vary.

[I'm a red panda]

Is a resignation letter still a thing?  Seems like something from the 50s.

I've always written one, but it takes like 3 seconds to do. 

[markbike528CBX]

I keep one on file and update it if I feel irritating BS, just to document stuff.

When I hand it in, I will delete or footnote the petty BS.

If someone finds it, that proves all the productivity- sucking IT security is worthless (one of the irritating BS items).  and no problem, I'm FU/FI anyway.

When I put stuff in writing, it gives me a chance to reflect if something is quit-worthy.

[Uturn]

Is a resignation letter still a thing?  Seems like something from the 50s.

I think it depends on the type of job, and why you are leaving. 
when I quit truck driving, I phoned in my resignation because I was based out of TX and he was in NE and the phone was our only way to communicate
I walked out of a job once when they missed payroll for the second time in two months

[RobFIRE]

Metaphorically I have one in hand. I suppose anyone with FU money does.

[GreenSheep]

I did that. I didn't have it "in hand," but it was on my computer, ready to have the date edited. I was required to give 3 months' notice, so when my friend told me on February 24th that May 25 would be the best start date for our road trip together, I submitted my letter the following day. I had been planning on doing it, and had another job in the works, but I just needed that last little push over the edge.

It was almost disappointing when no one freaked out over my leaving. But I guess they were used to it; the turnover in that place was so ridiculous that after 3 years of working there, I was the 3rd most senior person there (in terms of longevity), out of about 25 people. And one of them only beat me by a few months.

[G-dog]

I keep a backhand on hand. There's a couple co-workers I could use it on and that would be my resignation letter.

Easy now, easy, only 17 weeks to go!

That's probably why my BS tolerance has dropped to zero. :)

Yes, the last stretch can be tough. Mine was a mixed bag of emotions. I kept some frustration down by skipping almost all meetings for my last six months. I gave a one month notice. Have you given notice? I flagrantly ignored various 'rules' and niceties (like useless meetings). It was wonderful.

[G-dog]

I did this. 

When the BS got to be too great one week, I did up a resignation letter and carried it to work with me the next Monday morning.  My plan was to update the letter every day with the 'last working' date and so on and try to survive a while longer (I wanted 2 more years but was essentially FI already; Lady_Squire was on board either way), but if things got to be too bad, I'd be able to hand the letter in that day.  Taking back control, as it were.

My plan lasted exactly one day.  That Monday morning, the BS barrage continued in my email Inbox... and my resignation letter got used.

It was glorious.

Your mileage may vary.

That must have felt great! When was this? And - congratulations.

[Financial Ascensionist]

I drafted a goodbye letter to my to-be former coworkers a few weeks ago.  As markbike528CBX mentions, putting stuff in writing is a great way to reflect on the highs and lows of your current job.  It helped me gain clarity on why I was still there and be more confident that my target date was the right one.  I plan on updating it every few months until I pull the trigger.

[brooklynmoney]

My friend who is quite snarky hates his job and has a resignation letter saved on his work hard drive. His manager said one day to him " you know we can see your hard drive" his response was "and?" Haha. He's too good at his job for the to get rid of him.

[patrickza]

Nope, and I don't plan on one. When I resign it'll be with little fanfare and a simple walk out of the building for the last time saying goodbye to my friends.

[The_Squire]

That must have felt great! When was this? And - congratulations.

It was at the beginning of August, 2015.  I'd been there just short of 15 years, one of the first wave of employees in a tech startup.  We survived the tech bubble crash of '01 and eventually sold ourselves off to a Korean multinational tech firm for somewhat less than I thought we'd have been worth but oh well, bird in the hand and all that.

It's been about 6 months and I'm still going through detox, though I find Sunday evenings are really, really awesome now.

Thanks for asking!  :)

Peace.

[Fishindude]

Yeah, I keep it filed beside my suicide note.
If you're quitting or have something serious to talk about, put your big boy pants on and have a conversation.

[G-dog]

That must have felt great! When was this? And - congratulations.

It was at the beginning of August, 2015.  I'd been there just short of 15 years, one of the first wave of employees in a tech startup.  We survived the tech bubble crash of '01 and eventually sold ourselves off to a Korean multinational tech firm for somewhat less than I thought we'd have been worth but oh well, bird in the hand and all that.

It's been about 6 months and I'm still going through detox, though I find Sunday evenings are really, really awesome now.

Thanks for asking!  :)

Peace.

I retired in July 2015, so we are on a similar timeline. I am surprised at how quickly these early FIRE months have passed, how much I have forgotten about my old workplace, but how some aspects of the detox are much slower. No regrets, even with the market volatility - confirms my decision.

[Playing with Fire UK]

Yep, I have one in the bottom drawer at my desk, in a folder marked 'Fuck This Shit'.

I mentioned it to a (friendly) colleague at one point and they said they have one too.

It makes me smile and doesn't harm anyone.

[Guesl982374]

I don't but I do mentally remind myself a couple times a week that going to work is MY choice I am making every morning given that, like most here, we have years saved up and we can also easily live off my wife's salary. I also remind myself of all of the poor in this world that would give their right hand to be in my spot. It helps to put whatever BS I'm experiencing in perspective.

[Mr. Green]

I think if I actually had one in my drawer I'd have used it before now when I was pissed off about something and ultimately would have regretted playing that card before I really wanted to.

[Fishindude]

Yep, I have one in the bottom drawer at my desk, in a folder marked 'Fuck This Shit'.

Darned near squirted coffee out my nose when I read this.

[zephyr911]

The only times I've ever hated a job enough to have such an inclination, I really had no hope of leaving in the foreseeable future.
Now I'm almost perfectly content, even though I'm sailing rapidly toward FIRE and will probably take advantage of the option within months of its availability.
I love the idea though.

[Fastfwd]

As cool as it would be to have a letter ready or even just a catchphrase I try to tell myself that no matter how bad it gets I would never resign on the same day as something bad happens. Sure I can leave anytime and be financially OK but it would push back my FI plans. Better to plan for a soft landing either by looking for another job while enduring bad conditions or by just putting a few things in order before saying goodbye even without a next job ready.


As for needing a letter. Most of the places I have worked required me to give them a signed paper with the date when I was leaving; they really don't care about why.

[SewingmyStache]

I had one for many several years, along with a list of personal things to take home.
Typing it up and knowing it was in my bottom drawer reminded me that it was my choice to keep working there.
At some point, my boss became aware that it was there.  At least twice, he backed off of making a ridiculous request, when I made a move towards the drawer.

[Fastfwd]

At least twice, he backed off of making a ridiculous request, when I made a move towards the drawer.

I understand how things could get to this point but really. How de-humanizing is it to work somewhere where the usage of threats is the only reason why the working relationship continues?

[chesebert]

Why resign when you can engineer your layoff, collect severance, recommendation letters (if not going to retire) and unemployment checks.

[Inaya]

Yeah, I keep it filed beside my suicide note.
If you're quitting or have something serious to talk about, put your big boy pants on and have a conversation.

When I resigned my last job for my current one, I planned a meeting with my supervisor to tell her over the phone (different state, so face to face not an option). But I also followed up with a formal resignation letter so that it (along with my official last day) was in writing. I think it's professional to do both, especially if you're not in a FU/FI position and don't want to burn any bridges.

If I ever end up needing another one, I'll probably just use that old one and change the company name and date.

[momcpa]

I just started reading the book about "Getting Past No".  It's about negotiating anything in life, not just employment.   Haven't gotten too far into it yet, but one thing he mentions is to have a BATNA......... a Better Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement plan in your back pocket.  I take that to mean to have it either actually, or figuratively, so that it can be relied on if all else fails.  It has to be something you are OKAY with, not a rash move or hasty decision, but something that truly is an acceptable alternative in your situation.

He may explain this further as I get farther along in the book.  Just though that it sounds like something similar to what some people here are referring to.

[nobodyspecial]

a Better Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement plan in your back pocket. 

Normaly best alternative, if it was better it wouldn't be the alternative !

I did something similar, I arranged an interview at another company the morning of my performance review.
Apart from being a good warm up - it put me in the right frame of mind to discuss my future.
It is useful to let your employer know that they are constantly negotiating to keep you onboard.
 

[Playing with Fire UK]

Yep, I have one in the bottom drawer at my desk, in a folder marked 'Fuck This Shit'.

Darned near squirted coffee out my nose when I read this.

Sorry / You're welcome

[markbike528CBX]

Yep, I have one in the bottom drawer at my desk, in a folder marked 'Fuck This Shit'.

...and I thought I was being all rebellious when I marked a folder with "Benefits" in quotation marks.

[Chris22]

I keep one on file and update it if I feel irritating BS, just to document stuff.

Do people actually put reasons, etc, in their letter?  A resignation letter should simply say

"I voluntarily resign my position at XXX Corp on [Today's Date].  My last day will be [Today's Date + 2 weeks]."  And then sign it.  That's it.  Anything else just looks petty. 

[G-dog]

I keep one on file and update it if I feel irritating BS, just to document stuff.

Do people actually put reasons, etc, in their letter?  A resignation letter should simply say

"I voluntarily resign my position at XXX Corp on [Today's Date].  My last day will be [Today's Date + 2 weeks]."  And then sign it.  That's it.  Anything else just looks petty.

The only thing I can think of, is if you were trying to establish that your resignation is not a breach of contract, or that you are legally obliged to resign (e.g., in the U.S., as an attorney your corporation could demand you do something that is an ethical beach under the bar, you are then obliged to resign (or get fired for not following corp instruction). But that applies to very, very few people.

I think the poster is just tracking information that they would not actually include in the letter they turned in.

[markbike528CBX]

Do people actually put reasons, etc, in their letter?  A resignation letter should simply .. . .

I put a lot of work into one resignation letter.
a) mostly to emphasize that it wasn't personal
b) to point out corporate deficiencies, which my boss agreed with, but couldn't say so bluntly without repercussions,
c)to be able to refer to Cervantes,  Don Quixote,
- near  quote----
  while it is fun to tilt at windmills for a while, after some years, it becomes distinctly less fun---

d) to note that my boss needed to designate a new  "Radiation Generating Device Custodian" - a legal requirement.

[Kris]

I keep one on file and update it if I feel irritating BS, just to document stuff.

Do people actually put reasons, etc, in their letter?  A resignation letter should simply say

"I voluntarily resign my position at XXX Corp on [Today's Date].  My last day will be [Today's Date + 2 weeks]."  And then sign it.  That's it.  Anything else just looks petty.

I have written mine, which is sitting on my desk as we speak. I have had enough with the BS at my job, and I'll be handing the letter to my boss in the next few weeks.

In my case, I will be putting in it that I have great respect for my colleagues, but I no longer believe in the direction the university is going. And I will tell my dean that he is exceptional and I thank him for his leadership.

My dean will see it, but also the campus administration. I do want them to know that I have lost confidence in them.

Of course, I will not be seeking other employment in my field since I am FI and will be turning to my side-gig full-time, so I can afford to do this.

[Villanelle]

I quit my last "real" job for a move overseas.  I knew about 8 months out that I would be leaving.  I didn't have a letter, but I did the math and figured out exactly how many days I would have worked there by the time I left, and what % of that I'd completed.  I updated that % at the end of every week.  And when I had a really bad day (which thankfully wasn't too often as it wasn't a bad job), I consoled myself with the math.  Today, I have finished 86.8% of my time in this job!--that was very calming.

As for letters, I've never said more than the typical "as of X date" and then a pretty sentence thanking them for the opportunity or something along those lines.  That never seemed strictly necessary, but it softened the whole thing, just in case someone thought it read as terse without it (because I always had the potential to need the reference). 

[flyingaway]

On that day, I will just send my boss an e-mail telling him/her that I have decided to retire, no reason will be given.

[paddedhat]

Yeah, I keep it filed beside my suicide note.
If you're quitting or have something serious to talk about, put your big boy pants on and have a conversation.

I have a friend who was several layers up the chain from an employee who was also very popular reality TV star. This star was doing the show 24/7 while still doing a half-assed job of "phoning it in" to his regular desk job. It may of been a bit more tolerable IF the guy was a bit less of a self absorbed a-hole, but he had quite a 'tude, a real, "you may kiss the ring, after you kneel" kind of guy.  One day his boss called him on his lack of performance and attitude. The star responded by presenting a resignation letter with the threat of "don't make me use this". The boss immediately phoned my buddy for direction. He was directed to challenge the employee to sign it, grab it, then have security show him the door.

The last time I saw the star on TV, he was waiting tables. I guess the moral of the story is that a resignation letter and a suicide note can occasionally be the same thing.

[Rural]

I keep one on file and update it if I feel irritating BS, just to document stuff.

Do people actually put reasons, etc, in their letter?  A resignation letter should simply say

"I voluntarily resign my position at XXX Corp on [Today's Date].  My last day will be [Today's Date + 2 weeks]."  And then sign it.  That's it.  Anything else just looks petty.

I have written mine, which is sitting on my desk as we speak. I have had enough with the BS at my job, and I'll be handing the letter to my boss in the next few weeks.

In my case, I will be putting in it that I have great respect for my colleagues, but I no longer believe in the direction the university is going. And I will tell my dean that he is exceptional and I thank him for his leadership.

My dean will see it, but also the campus administration. I do want them to know that I have lost confidence in them.

Of course, I will not be seeking other employment in my field since I am FI and will be turning to my side-gig full-time, so I can afford to do this.

Wow. Best of luck to you.

[Kris]

I keep one on file and update it if I feel irritating BS, just to document stuff.

Do people actually put reasons, etc, in their letter?  A resignation letter should simply say

"I voluntarily resign my position at XXX Corp on [Today's Date].  My last day will be [Today's Date + 2 weeks]."  And then sign it.  That's it.  Anything else just looks petty.

I have written mine, which is sitting on my desk as we speak. I have had enough with the BS at my job, and I'll be handing the letter to my boss in the next few weeks.

In my case, I will be putting in it that I have great respect for my colleagues, but I no longer believe in the direction the university is going. And I will tell my dean that he is exceptional and I thank him for his leadership.

My dean will see it, but also the campus administration. I do want them to know that I have lost confidence in them.

Of course, I will not be seeking other employment in my field since I am FI and will be turning to my side-gig full-time, so I can afford to do this.

Wow. Best of luck to you.

Thanks. My original FIRE date was supposed to be June 2018, so this is just two years earlier.  I have a very supportive husband who is thrilled I'm doing this. I think I can manage to be making about $3,000/ month at my side gig by the end of the year, so I'll be fine.

[FIRE me]

 
Anyone else keep a letter on hand?

I keep one in my car in the glove box. All I'd have to do is fill in the date and sign it. I gave serious consideration to using it yesterday.

I now have two versions of my resignation notice on my home computer. The original (the one in the glove box) includes the phrase “the time has come for a change”. But due to ACA renewal thread, where people are reporting needing a letter from their ex-employer to get the Obamacare subsidy, the new version says that I am retiring.

The whole needing a separation of employment letter from a former employer for ACA enrollment strikes me as very odd. I cannot force my former employer to provide me with such a letter. And the ACA people should be capable of faxing or calling an employer to confirm or deny job separation. Or taking my sworn statement, under penalty of perjury.

[Rural]

I keep one on file and update it if I feel irritating BS, just to document stuff.

Do people actually put reasons, etc, in their letter?  A resignation letter should simply say

"I voluntarily resign my position at XXX Corp on [Today's Date].  My last day will be [Today's Date + 2 weeks]."  And then sign it.  That's it.  Anything else just looks petty.

I have written mine, which is sitting on my desk as we speak. I have had enough with the BS at my job, and I'll be handing the letter to my boss in the next few weeks.

In my case, I will be putting in it that I have great respect for my colleagues, but I no longer believe in the direction the university is going. And I will tell my dean that he is exceptional and I thank him for his leadership.

My dean will see it, but also the campus administration. I do want them to know that I have lost confidence in them.

Of course, I will not be seeking other employment in my field since I am FI and will be turning to my side-gig full-time, so I can afford to do this.

Wow. Best of luck to you.

Thanks. My original FIRE date was supposed to be June 2018, so this is just two years earlier.  I have a very supportive husband who is thrilled I'm doing this. I think I can manage to be making about $3,000/ month at my side gig by the end of the year, so I'll be fine.

Yes, it definitely sound like you'll be fine. Sorry things went south, but, hey, FIRE for you!

[SewingmyStache]

At least twice, he backed off of making a ridiculous request, when I made a move towards the drawer.

I understand how things could get to this point but really. How de-humanizing is it to work somewhere where the usage of threats is the only reason why the working relationship continues?

Actually I had a very good relationship with this boss, but sometimes he was pushed by his boss.  He knew I had FU money, so this way he could go back to his boss and say the I would quit if I had to change jobs to a position I didn't want and didn't fit my skill set.  It was really more of joke after he found out the letter was there. 

I considered the letter a reassurance that I could leave at anytime and working there was my choice.  Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of that.

[Playing with Fire UK]

I considered the letter a reassurance that I could leave at anytime and working there was my choice.  Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of that.

x100 this

[libertarian4321]

Nope, because "screw you guys, I'm out of here" is pretty easy to remember.  :D

Cartman is a stong lead in, but I like to follow with a little Dave Chappelle, just in case they try to convince me to stay because, well, I shouldn't make such a rash decision:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs6kT_0H1MI

A series of links is so much better than a lame old letter. :)