Resignation Letter How To
Every once in a while, a person decides to make a career move and chooses to resign from their current position. One essential question that crosses every leaving employee is how to quit a job? While there are many legalities involved when one decides to leave a position, the most crucial element however at the time the resignation letter itself.
Today, we are going to have a closer look at some important elements of resigning in Australia and writing a resignation letter.
How to resign from your job in Australia?
Various countries and regions have different legal requirements and socially accepted requirements. The following checklist will help make your resignation process and transition seamless;
- Be sure about quitting– It is essential to weigh all the pros and cons at the time of quitting and make an informed decision according to the situation at hand. Consider whether you want to resign before or after securing another position. Everyone’s circumstances are different.
- 2. Check your contract for the notice period – All Australian employee contracts include a notice period clause whether you are in a full-time position or part-time/contractual. The employment contract has all the details regarding the notice period that is mandatory to be served. If this isn’t available, refer to Fair Work Australia.
- Write a letter of resignation – Set a formal yet courteous tone of the resignation letter and explicitly state the notice period and intended end date. Keep it short and to the point. This resource by Fair Work Australia is a great resource for writing the right letter.
- Organize a physical meeting with the line manager – Arrange a meeting with your line manager and bring your resignation letter with you. Advise your manager that you are resigning and provide the letter as written confirmation. If you don’t have a letter, confirm via e-mail post meeting. If you do this via your work e-mail, consider cc’ing your personal e-mail address to ensure you have a record post employment.
- Request for reference and recommendations – Politely request a letter of recommendation from your manager as this letter is important, even if you already have a new role lined up. It’s always good to maintain a good relationship post-employment as you can use them as a reference.
Why is Resignation Letter Important?
A resignation letter is important because it is a formal notice that shows the intention of the employee to quit the organization. It is the document that sets the tone for an employee’s departure while covering them adequately from the HR perspective.
Employee Obligations in Australia
Under Fair Work Ombudsman’s National Employment Standards (NES) Australia, employees are obliged to give adequate notice to their employers before quitting, NES applies to all the employees covered by the national workplace relations system. Apart from NES, how much notice to resign can also be found in the employment contract, enterprise agreements, or other registered agreements between employee and employer.
In saying this, there can be scenarios whether it’s not possible to give the right notice period. In these scenarios, it’s highly unlikely they can force you to work your notice period. However, it is always advised to do everything you can to maintain a good relationship with your employer.
How to Resign from a Permanent Job
Permanent employees are legally required to provide a notice when resigning and are required to serve for a particular period of time before departing. The; length of the notice period according to Australian Laws varies between two to four weeks however, it may differ depending on the employment contract. But, in whatever circumstances the employee decides to leave, leaving an organization abruptly isn’t only unprofessional but, may be illegal too. Leaving an organization without notice may give the right to the employer to withheld any payable amount,
How to resign from a Casual Job
Casual employees may not need to provide notice before resignation. This also applies in reverse if an organization wish to terminate their casual employee. However, casual employees must make a clear statement that they are resigning from the position. They must mention the end date of casual employment on the resignation. As a goodwill gesture, they may thank their boss for the experience and ensure that the letter is in on a positive note and expresses gratefulness,
Also, employees on probation period do not need to provide a notice to their company.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska
