Feeling Stuck After Project Loss: Should I Take the New Job Offer or Wait It Out?

Hello Everyone,

I am stuck in a situation in my present company. I have completed over a year here now and was acting as a PMO, but we lost our project, and as of now, the company has no new project where they can assign me. I have spoken to the RCM team to put me in the core HR process or SAP, but I got no response. Now I have a very good offer in hand that requires me to join immediately, but I have a 2-month notice period which this company is ready to buy back. I am not sure whether my present employer would release me or not.

After we lost the project, I have not done any good work in this company and feel very frustrated since I feel like I am doing injustice to my profile. I need your suggestion on this. What step should I take now? Awaiting your response.

Hi Arti,

What I can understand from your post is that you want to change companies because you feel you are not learning enough (as you are not doing anything). Also, you have an offer from a company that is willing to buy back your two-month notice period. However, you are unsure whether your current company will release you or not.

The company should release you without much ado. Otherwise, you can demand your preferred profile. Don't overthink it; resign, pay out the notice period, and join the other company. One year is sufficient for the first change in your career. Exposure to different things will enhance your learning. Go ahead...

All the best

Hi,

I agree with you, but I am only skeptical about the fact that if I resign and they don't release me immediately, what will I do as I have seen them forcing people to serve a 2-month notice. This is the first time I am facing such a situation in my whole career.

Hello,

The decisive factor will be the contents of your terms and conditions of employment with your present employer and any other service rules there that might be bound with certain stipulations.

Unless these details are known, it is difficult to firm up your line of action.

Having said that, if there is no bond of committed employment and no adverse provisions in the above documents, you may simply resign and leave and send the cheque after you get a relieving letter or whatever. It is too much of a bother for an organization to proceed against you legally.

You do not seem to have any major issues with your present employer except that presently they do not have anything worthwhile for you to do, and that seems to be the primary reason behind you wanting to leave this employment.

Under the circumstances, either your present employers offer you a worthwhile assignment or let you go and not hold anything against you. Have you considered the possibility of talking to the company about this concern of yours before actually leaving? If you do that, refrain from even mentioning the possibility that you may leave employment. Just discuss your professional predicament, and depending upon the quality of their response, you take a decision and quit subject to the above observations!

Regards, samvedan July 17, 2008

I have not signed any bond with the company. Also, I have spoken to RCM HR and to my project manager about a role change, but for one and a half years, I have received no response for the role change from any department. Now, since the project is winding up by September, I have absolutely no work to do, which is why I started looking for new options.

Also, I need to make sure that they release me in an organized manner and provide me with a relieving and experience letter. Only then the question of a buyout arises, as I have seen them compelling SE and SSE to serve a 2-month notice period.

Hi,

You are providing the answer that you need to present to your management for justifying your immediate relieving. I don't think they will create any problems in your case. So, go ahead. Good luck.

Regards,
Shilpi

Hi Shilpi,

I know the pros and cons of this situation, but as I understand, nobody has a right to blame a company, which shows that a person is not loyal to the organization. I can't straight away go and tell them, "If you don't give me work, I am leaving." This is absolutely wrong. I am looking forward to finding a way to resolve this issue rather than making it more complicated.

Hi Aarti,

As you said, it is not right to leave a company because you don't have work.

I think you need to consider a few things over here.

Do you want to stay with the current organization? Is the management planning to give you some other responsibility after the project is over? If there is no plan to give you another responsibility, is the company ready to bear your cost and keep you in the organization and think the same way as you are thinking? If the company asks you to leave, will you have this job offer in hand at that point in time?

I suggest you make a decision first after pondering on all the above points. (I am saying this because your posts suggest to me that you have not yet decided whether you want to quit the company or not, and if you quit, how should you address it to the management, so that the exit is a smooth one.)

If you think you should move on, discuss with the management on the same points, and you will get your answer and also a way to come out of the organization with respect.

This is my suggestion, and in case I am wrong, I stand corrected.

Aashi,

First of all, relax. Don't be stressed; the way suggestions are posted and your replies to them, it looks like a thriller story. It's a good thought that you don't want to create any issues. What you can do is speak to your line managers about forthcoming projects and see if you can wait for them to come. If not, then tell your line manager that you want to progress in your career and move on in life. You have the opportunity in your hand. I'm sure your line manager would understand your commitment towards work.

All the best,

Mania

Thank you, Siva.

I have spoken to the HR and my project manager, and it's not for me. I don't see any project coming in this company. On top of it, they fired around 400 employees last month, making headlines. The company would have no objection to paying me without, but since I cannot sit idle, I want to make my move. I am just thinking too much about my smooth departure. I have seen people serving here give a 2-month notice to the project manager, stating they have good opportunities elsewhere. This was taken seriously by the management, and they were forced to serve for 2 months as they needed a relieving experience letter. I am really very confused. Even my onsite manager resigned last year, so I will have to deal with the project manager in India, which is more difficult.

Hi Aarti,

As per the response you received, I am sure you are now more confused about what to do.

According to me, follow the "worst-case scenario" method and prepare to face that. You cannot make everyone around you happy. If you do so, you will never be able to decide.

Work out what would be the worst situation at every step involved and prepare yourself for how you will face that. Consider what other options are available. No one can tell you the correct decision; you have to decide what is the best step for you.

I am sure that whatever you decide after this will provide a clear picture ahead. You will face obstacles, but you will easily sail over them as you have already prepared yourself for it both physically and mentally.

Best of luck.

Thanks,
Sajid

Hi everyone,

I am doing my summer internship in "Training Needs Analysis" and am supposed to submit an outline of the report this Saturday, i.e., 18/7/08. So dear friends, I need all your help. I know you all will scold me for getting up so late! Yes, I do deserve your scolding, but dear friends, I urgently need all your help.

Please help me out soon! Please mail me anything - articles, reports, or anything related to TNA. My email address is skmanda@gmail.com.

Hi Aarti,

Please keep us posted on the developments. Most of us understand your position, and I am sure there are many others like you, all victims. We have all sailed through similar situations. As Sajid mentioned, we have made decisions based on the circumstances and are fully prepared for the worst.

At this point, I can only suggest that you keep yourself relaxed. Think about the options available and, most importantly, have faith in yourself.

When Times Are Tough

When everything is broken, it's easy to find plenty of things you can fix. When nothing seems to be going right, even the most basic positive effort can make a noticeable difference. Times of great difficulty and challenge are also times of great opportunity. When there are problems in every direction, there is also much value waiting to be created.

When all is going well, it's easy to get lulled into a sense of complacency. It's easy to forget how truly capable and resourceful you can be. Difficult times are not much fun, yet they can give you great and valuable insights into what's truly important. There is much to be gained when times are good. There is even more to be gained when times are tough. Resolve to persevere and grow stronger through whatever difficulties may come. Although the difficulties will eventually end, the treasures they compel you to create can often last a lifetime.

-- Ralph Marston

Have FUN!! and ENJOY LIFE!!!!

Regards,
Rekha

Thank you very much, Rekha. I have received the offer letter from the other company on Friday evening, but I am still undecided. I don't want to put any of the companies in a difficult situation. I am still unsure about submitting my resignation.

Aarti, you should resign from the company without any hesitation because this organization does not understand you, and there is no guarantee they will fulfill your requirements in the future when you need. So, resign from the company as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Sandeep Bhardwaj
HR, Gurgaon

Hi Arti,

From my point of view, first, give the resignation. Go to senior management and talk about your work profile here, as you have been free for a long time, and ask them for pre-relieving you from your job. If they agree, then go and change your job. Otherwise, if you think the new job is better, go for that and get paid for two months here. :)

Hi, I would not suggest you spoil your relationship with the organization. Try to contact HR or your manager and convince them.

Regards,
Anushree

Hi Aarti,

I have read all suggestions, and I'm sure some might have served as morale boosters for you. One of my colleagues in the present organization had faced the same scenario and passed through it successfully. Note down the following steps:

- Call the HR of the company from where you have the offer letter. Ask them if they could extend your notice period as you may need a few more days to get relieved from the current employer.

- Don't discuss your existing problems with them. Just mention that you need to impart your knowledge to the new hire or provide any reason that comes across as genuine.

- Tender your resignation by stating that you have nothing concrete to do and learn from your current profile, and you wish to leave.

- Speak with your manager before resigning to assess how bad the situation might become.

- Align yourself with managers or seniors by speaking up.

- If the situation worsens, directly approach senior management. Senior management members do not want anybody to stay without productivity or tasks, as they are concerned about expenses and prefer employees leaving voluntarily. Take this action if there is no solution from managers.

A few guidelines:

- Check the notice period clause in your appointment letter. Understand what it states.

- If there is an option to pay for the notice period and leave, consider it as the first step.

- You may have the option to adjust the notice period with paid leave balance. Find out if this is possible.

Dear Aarti, no one can stop you from leaving the organization without your consent, and no one can force you to serve the notice period unless you agree to it. Never agree to evil or misconduct; face it as a challenge.

Follow my advice step by step, and I am confident it will work for you.

Best of luck,

Taru

Hi,

What I would suggest is, as you don't have any project in hand, your present employer would be able to relieve you soon without any hassles. If there is a two-month notice, the offer that you have in hand is enough. Put down your papers and don't think about anything.

Pramesh Iyer
09986021975

Hi Aarti,

I still do not know the other side of the coin (the company). I feel that this is a decision you need to make no matter what the world says. Everything hinges on the contract or terms & conditions. No company holds any grudges against their employees. I don't think you even need to give an explanation. It is your individual right (I hope so) to inform them about your personal endeavors. So, my suggestion is to write a simple resignation letter with one paragraph on how good the company was to you, one paragraph on how you contributed, and one paragraph on how you would want to move on due to your career plan. Afterward, leave it to the company to fill in the blanks. If they say they won't pay you for the last month, muster the courage to say OK and move on.

Personally, I feel the ball is in your court to muster your strength to make a decision and stand by it no matter the outcome is good or bad. Sometimes in life, things don't happen the way we want them to, and all it takes is to face it, no matter what the end result is. I hope and pray that God will give you the wisdom to take the right step.

Call it GROWING PAINS :)

Stay Blessed,
Hepzi

Hi Aarti,

Take my previous advice for any situation. The company has a bag full of projects that you can work on; the company may have no projects to work on; it doesn't matter, the decision should be the same. You have to convince yourself, not the company, that you are moving not because the company has no projects, but because you need to move on. If you do that, you will not have the dilemma that you have now. Your moves should always be consistent with your career plan, regardless of the company's situation.

Stay blessed,

Hepzi

Hi Aarti,

I've gone through your posting, other replies to it, and your concerns mentioned further on. It seems that either this is your first job or that you are confused and scared. I will give you my own example, which might be a lesson for you:

I was working with a company as MD's Executive Secretary. In the appointment letter, it was written that I had to give them one month's notice if I wanted to leave. The company could give me either one month's notice or payment in lieu of it. Now, after 3 years, I started my own company in another trade. I kept some staff to run the business. I had taken a loan to start this business. Since I was getting a handsome salary in this company, I didn't want to resign (but I had high ambitions, so I started the business). Now, after 3 months, things in my business started going out of control, and I had to personally look into the matter. I went to my MD and other directors and told them of my dilemma. I told them to give me a 3-month break so that I could concentrate on my business and later sell it to somebody. However, our management did not accept my explanation. They informed me that they could not grant me the required leave. When I explained that I would resign with immediate effect (by giving them one month's notice or payment in lieu of it), they mentioned that, since I was MD's ES, I would have to provide them with a three-month notice (which was different from the appointment letter). Due to this and also due to my shrinking business, I started getting tensed, lost sleep, and everything around me was going blur. I was getting frustrated with myself and the company I was working for. Day by day, I started losing my business, and one day, I just gave up my job without informing the company. They searched for me, but I was not available. Unfortunately, I lost my business forever as well as my job. If I had made this decision earlier, I would have saved my business. It's been 3 years now, and I am working in another organization.

So, the moral is: follow your heart and mind if you find the future offers (or even business ventures) prospective. Don't get confused; just act. Don't waste time because, as in my case, you may end up with neither.

Hi,

For everyone here, I wanted to clarify that this is not my first job. Also, as mentioned by Saby, things went wrong when you spoke to management about leaving early. Had it been a negotiation on a 2-month notice period, I would still have managed. But leaving with immediate effect, especially when your project is in transition and you are a critical resource because of the work you have done in the past, becomes difficult.

I fully agree with you, but when I joined, I had a good long-term plan with the company. It all went upside down when the company was not getting any projects and started losing its biggest projects. There were also major resignations at the management level. More than my manager, it's the RCM and HR that decide your notice period. It's easy to convince my manager, but not the recruitment team. They are the real pains.

Dear Taru,

There are many people in this company who are getting paid without working. I have seen people on the bench getting promoted within 2 months. That's why I am confused about how the management would react to it. I guess this is one of the major drawbacks of MNCs. Since there was a layoff last month, the situation is very critical. No company likes to admit that they are at a loss and are not getting any good projects to generate revenues.

Thank you.

How important is it to have a relieving letter? How would my new organization look upon me if I leave my current job (after having paid out my notice period)? Just in case my organization decides to slap a case on me, would they have enough meat to chew on?

Case II: Can my organization refuse to: a) accept money in lieu of the notice period even if it is clearly mentioned in my terms, b) relieve me quoting absurd reasons?

Thanks to all of you.

But this is not my problem. I said that I did MBA in Marketing (major) and HR as a minor, so I don't get any opportunity for working in HR even at the entrance level. So, my question is, after doing a one-year specialization in HR from distance education, can I get an opportunity in HR?

Hi there,

Hello sir/madam,

My name is Santosh, pursuing MBA III semester. Well, my senior is stuck with a problem. She is currently in Jodhpur, completed MBA in Marketing and HR, and has secured a good job. However, the company is asking her to sign a bond for 2 years. She is not willing, but feels she has no other choice. Please suggest what she should do.

Her name is Rashmi Singh, an MBA graduate with 80%.

Her email address is ask_rashmi@yahoo.co.in.

Thank you.

Hello Everyone,

I finally made up my mind and resigned from my present company. I am required to serve a one-month notice now.

Thanks to all of you for the advice and suggestions.