Facing an Unexpected Job Exit? Here's How to Prepare and Protect Yourself

Preparing for an Unexpected Job Transition

It is often that an employee is caught totally unawares when he/she is asked to put in his/her papers and quit. This is the time when all goes berserk, and he/she leaves in a huff. I have listed below the actions to be done as soon as you come to know that you are likely to be quitting (for whatever reason):

1. Start discreetly reaching out to your network.
2. Prepare your spouse.
3. Investigate your company's severance policy.
4. Begin taking possession of your personal belongings, personal files, and e-mail addresses.
5. Update your resume.
6. Re-establish ties with executive recruiters.
7. Use websites to help you explore HR job opportunities and produce job leads.
8. Hold off on long-term financial commitments.
9. Use your employee benefits before you lose them.

The list above, by no means, is sacrosanct but will surely give you a fair idea and maybe save an embarrassment. Please let me have your kind views.

Sincere regards,
Sandeep

Dear Mr. Sandeep, nicely, you have delved into checking behavior while approaching the "quitting" stage. However, you have forgotten to include some other important details from a bird's-eye-view perspective:

- Considering a leave of absence to travel
- Deciding to gather as much data from the company as possible
- Dealing with commotion in the routine/daily schedule at the office
- If difficult colleagues contribute to a challenging work environment, it is valid to either confront the issue or hand in resignation immediately.

In my opinion, even if one chooses to behave in such a manner, it is essential to consider that the way an employee quits will have a lasting impact on colleagues and management. Such actions not only lead to restlessness but also may prompt the employer to convince the employee to stay for a longer notice period.

I hope this helps clarify the importance of handling the quitting process thoughtfully and professionally.

Sincerely

Dear Mr. Sharma,

Thanks for your input. One thing you may have overlooked is the question of whether the employee should maintain the same level of performance he/she has demonstrated in the past until the exit or take a more casual approach.

Preserve the Meaning: While correcting the grammar and spelling, make sure the original meaning and tone of the message remain unchanged.

Regards,
[Name Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Ms. Sharmila Das,

I have a different view on "gathering as much information as possible" from the company. I do not understand why someone has to carry information from one company to another. It is not required. If you/we are well-equipped and well-groomed, I do not think carrying any material/information is necessary.

I remember my school day lesson "Tempest" at this point in time, the nucleus of which is reproduced here: Tempest was a well-known poet and novelist who was traveling on a ship with other people. Due to a heavy storm, the ship had trouble sailing, and it started sinking. All passengers were sure that survival was going to be difficult. Co-passengers started gathering their valuables and took those items with them as they jumped into the sea. While everyone was in a panic and started jumping off the ship, Tempest was standing atop and watching all this. A man approached him and asked whether he was not collecting his valuables and getting ready to jump off. He replied nonchalantly, "My valuables are here" (showing his head - meaning he had the skill to script any novel, poetry, play, etc.), and I do not require to carry anything. Finally, Tempest too jumped off the ship and reached the shore, while some of them could not swim with those heavy luggages and perished halfway.

So also, the HR people. Knowledge is Power. A powerful person is a knowledgeable person. As long as you are powerful (an HR person), you are not required to carry any information from the current company.

Secondly, once it is sure that you want to relinquish or the company does not want you, there is no point in criticizing or talking ill of anyone. Simply quit. That is the best way to address the current scenario.

No one can take away someone's legitimate credit. Even if you are denied in the current company, God will provide you with what you deserve to get. Hence, you do not require to be very keen on those benefits.

Regards,
V. Balaji

Many thanks! What I would like to very respectfully submit is the fact that, in the last analysis, you have to be friends with yourself twenty-four hours a day. A situation like LEAVING AN ORGANISATION must be treated like a SITUATION ONLY. Sometimes in such situations, one tends to slow down or become casual. Sometimes your own colleagues say, "At least take it easy now," sometimes your own friends criticize you, and sometimes self-criticism takes a grip on your actions. Acting on any kind of criticism is never good.

But what I also feel is that if you run counter to others now and then, you will have enemies, and life would become unbearable if you thought about it all the time. You have to ignore what people say or even your negative thoughts. Sometimes it may be unjust and bring the individual a certain amount of bitterness, especially on the note such as exit, but I think any sensible person soon learns to recover from the bitterness and to ignore the cruelty and injustice done to him.

To spend your life, however, thinking about "what will be said if you continue working with the same zeal and vigor till your last day," would result in a completely unprofitable and embittering existence. Since one of the important things that a professional can do to be helpful in life is to be cheerful, it would indeed be foolish to dwell upon the criticism of those who know little about you, who do not take the trouble to verify their facts, and who frequently have ulterior motives for the things they say or write.

Do not be bothered by or act in a diplomatic manner by what people say as long as you are sure that you are doing what seems right to you, but be sure that you face yourself honestly.

After all, friendship with oneself is all-important because, without it, one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.

Kind regards,
Sandeep Sharma

Please avail all your vacations and vacation money if you have any. Though they have asked you to resign, give one month's notice to receive your full end-of-service benefits. Mention in the notice that since you have been asked to resign, you expect your full end-of-service benefits, salary, and other entitlements. Let the HR department acknowledge it, and you should keep a copy of the same. This will prevent any discrepancies during the sign-off process and assist you in collecting all the settlements. Note that this does not apply in cases of sudden terminations.

Best Regards,
John

Be Prepared for Leaving a Company

Might I respectfully suggest that no one should ever be caught off guard when it comes to leaving a company—whether by your choice or management's choice. None of us, anywhere, has any right to expect a job for life. The world changes, and we need to be prepared for that. We might decide to leave for something better, the organization may be sold and new management take over, or the organization may just collapse and go out of business. None of these scenarios should come as a surprise to anyone. They happen every single day.

You should always be prepared for that eventuality.

• Network and maintain contacts all the time, not just when you need a job.

• ALWAYS keep an up-to-date copy of your CV in your bottom drawer. You never know when a golden opportunity will come.

• Keep personal stuff to a minimum at work. In some organizations, you can be escorted off the premises with no time to collect personal things.

• ALWAYS keep a bank account specifically for an emergency fund of 3-6 months living expenses and continue to build that fund.

• Maintain accurate records of your entitlements, leave, etc., and verify periodically with HR, so you know your position at any point in time.

• Make sure you have accurate up-to-date information about notice periods, bonds, etc.

• Always make sure you keep all company-owned material, laptops, phones, etc., together so it can be easily returned.

• If it can be avoided, never have any company information, files, etc., at your home. Keep work and home SEPARATE at all times.

• ALWAYS be very vigilant about any issues involving a conflict of interest. They can come home to bite you later.

• Above all, no matter what the circumstance of leaving is, hold your head up high, maintain your dignity, and never badmouth the previous employer, no matter how badly they treated you.