How Can I Secure a Relieving Letter After Leaving My Job Abruptly? Seeking Advice

I worked at Sutherland Global Services from 2012 to October 2014. Since I was not interested in continuing to work at that company, I informed them that I was going to resign. They suggested that I stay on, citing potential for growth. Reluctantly, I decided to stay, but later felt that they were trying to coerce me to remain as a manager or team lead. Feeling uncomfortable, I chose to abruptly stop going to the office, ignoring their calls.

After persistent attempts to reach me, they eventually messaged that my manager wished to speak with me. I returned to the office, only to be met with further attempts to persuade me to stay, including lifting my hold. I resumed work for two weeks, but then stopped attending due to family issues. The payroll cycle typically ends on the 25th of each month, with salaries credited at the month-end. I received my October salary accordingly.

Despite my reluctance to return to the office, my friends advised me to secure a formal relieving letter due to my years of service. I reached out to the program's HR via email today, offering to pay one month's salary in lieu of notice. However, I was informed that they are unable to provide any documentation and that payment cannot secure a relieving letter. They also mentioned that no termination letter would be provided. I am in need of assistance regarding this matter as I am seeking my relieving letter.

Well, as you served for years in the company, it would be better to serve the notice period to validate your point to future employers, even if they do not provide you with a relieving letter. This way, you can demonstrate to your new employer that you properly resigned on a specific date and either completed the notice period or paid the amount in lieu of not serving the notice period. You can do this by providing proof of your joining and the proper way you left the company.

If you were not interested in working at that company, then why did you stay a second time? Did they promise a pay raise or promotion? I am afraid to say that neither you nor your manager showed professionalism. If you were not interested in the job, you should have served your notice period and left. What is the point of staying again and again? On the other hand, your manager also lacks a professional attitude. If he wants to retain you, he should offer some more benefits to you. If you still do not want to continue your job, then he should provide you with an experience and relieving letter.

I think there is no use blaming anybody, whether it be your manager or yourself. It is proper for you to tender a formal resignation. Make sure it is documented as emails and verbal resignations are unprofessional.

Regards

Further to what the other members suggested, you haven't mentioned why you didn't want to work in this company. While everyone has the right to make personal choices, one should also remember that they ought to follow the rules of the game.

Going by what you mentioned, you don't seem to be clear in your mind as to why you want to leave or your next step. Otherwise, your decision to stay back and work again for two weeks doesn't make logical sense. By absconding, I'm not sure what you tried to achieve—except complicating the issue.

Please note that the concept of paying salary in lieu of notice period is bi-directional and mutual—not just because it suits you. Please go through the relevant clauses in your Appointment Letter.

Without sounding judgmental, I suggest trying to learn to take responsibility for your actions. Otherwise, you are bound to have more such situations in your career.

What to Do Now

The only way is to sit coolly with your HR and/or manager and resolve the issue—if you want the Relieving and Experience Letters. There's no point going on an 'ego-trip'—it's you who will be affected, not the company.

All the best.

Regards,
TS

Totally agree with TS here. Here's my point-by-point take on it.

1. You didn't want to continue working there. You haven't given further details. Was it relocation due to marriage, a better job, a bad boss, or something else?

2. You seem to have worked there for quite a bit of time, but the management/your boss must have been irked a little by your behavior while leaving.

3. You are right in wanting a proper relieving from them. Hence, it is prudent to sit down with them and talk. Swallow your pride if you have to and admit to your mistakes.

4. I will even say that it is alright to be unclear about what you want to do for the future. Yet, you will have to figure out a future course of action after leaving Sutherland. Getting a decent job in the current market is difficult, especially in HR.

5. Consider all these things and decide if you want to leave or stay.

6. I have made these observations based on the brief you gave. I can only say that don't do anything that doesn't seem right. Think long term.

I worked at Sutherland Global Services from 2012 to October 2014. Since I was not interested in continuing to work for the company, I informed them that I intended to resign. They advised me to stay, citing potential growth opportunities. Consequently, I decided to continue working. However, I soon realized that as a manager/team leader, they were making efforts to retain me. Feeling uncomfortable, I chose to abscond and stopped going to the office for work. They attempted to contact me daily, eventually texting me that my manager wished to speak with me. Upon visiting the office, they made further attempts to convince me to stay, releasing my hold. I resumed work for two weeks but then faced a family issue, leading me to be absent from work starting on October 19.

Our payroll cycle ends on the 25th of each month, with salaries being credited at the month-end. I received my October month's salary. Despite not intending to return to the office, considering my years of service, friends advised me to obtain a proper relieving letter. I emailed my program HR today, explaining the situation and expressing my willingness to pay one month's salary in lieu of the notice period. However, the HR response stated that they could not issue any documentation and emphasized that payment alone does not guarantee a relieving letter, nor would they provide a termination letter.

I informed my Team Leader and HR yesterday that I had relocated, making it impossible for me to continue working with Sutherland. Unfortunately, I was informed that they could not provide a relieving or termination letter. I also have 15 days of leave balance. Should I attempt to return to work there?

Dear Radhika,

From your problem, I gathered a few points which I would like to present below and try to suggest remedies. See if they suit you.

1. You are not satisfied with the career growth as expected by you. If yes, please meet your HR Manager, Unit Head, or Head of Department (as per the system in your establishment) and try to convince them that you deserve more than what is being given, provided rules of the establishment permit such an out-of-turn hike or promotion.

2. You have taken it for granted that you will get a more suitable job elsewhere. If yes, please ensure your alternate job first and then tender your resignation and serve the notice period, or if Standing Orders or Rules permit, deposit money in lieu of the notice period.

3. You have some personal issues with some of the peers or other fellow employees or bosses. If yes, I would very humbly suggest that you keep away ego and try to bring harmony in personal relations. If you are serious about serving, you will have to learn adjustment, the sooner the better. There is a saying: "If you and the boss are good, you are lucky. If you are good but the boss is not, the boss is lucky." The boss has the authority to change you, but you don't.

You will find similar situations in most offices where things are not as you had expected. How many times can you go for a change? Plus, as you wrote, your company and the managers are willing to let you continue, but you are the one who is absconding from your work. This does not speak well of you, whatever might be the reasons. Being an HR personnel, I request you to go to some counselor who will appreciate your problem better face to face.

In any case, I wish you a happy and bright future ahead.

Regards,
AK Jain
HR Personnel
NCL, CIL

All the thoughts you share here seem disconnected because I do not understand why anyone would want to keep them in the company if they did not want them. It would be interesting to note what the terms of the appointment were too.

In continuation of what Taj Satesh and Adityaoak have responded to, I have not been able to gather enough data to offer any thoughts. If you want quality inputs, I suggest you respond to the following questions:

1. Is this your first job?
2. How many years of experience do you have?
3. How did you learn about the Southerland job, and when you took the job at Southerland Global, what position were you recruited for?
4. Did they provide you with a Job Description (JD) and your Key Result Areas (KRA)?
5. What is it that you wanted, and what is it that you got?
6. What made you take up the job, and now, what makes you want to leave the job (genuine reason, not the one you tell them)?
7. Are you considering another offer?

I hope these questions help in providing a clearer picture. Let me know if you need further assistance.

Best regards

Hi, thanks for your reply. I spoke to my Program HR regarding this, and he told me nothing can be done. Since you did not turn up to the office from Oct-19th, which is almost a month, we have processed your separation as Absconding. What shall I do now? All I need is my relieving letter and experience. I am even ready to pay one month's salary, but he is not accepting. It is a private concern, a BPO firm.

Regards.

Resignation Letter and Notice Period Payment

Now, send a resignation letter expressing your willingness to pay the notice period and kindly request them to release you. Sometimes, verbal communications may not be effective, especially in BPOs where HR personnel can be quite inflexible.

Regards,
Pon

Hi, thanks for the reply. I would like to mention that it is a private BPO concern. If an employee wants to resign from a job, he/she has to serve a 30-day notice period, which I did not. I have not been to the office since October 19, 2014, which is almost a month now. When I spoke to my HR on November 14, all he said was that since I did not serve the notice period nor formally resigned, they have processed my separation as Absconding.

The genuine reason behind this is that I got a job in another company, but without the relieving letter from my current employer, they will not consider my experience. I have worked with Sutherland for 24 months, and October marked my 25th month. In this situation, my mind is totally blank, and I don't know what needs to be done.

Just send your resignation addressed to the "General Manager-HR or Manager-HR" with the complete address of the company. Send the resignation only through registered post. Don't forget to mention your complete and correct address on the application along with your mobile number.

In your resignation, state that you are leaving your services on a specific date due to some personal problem, and you were unable to serve the notice period. For this reason, you are willing to choose the PayBack option. Request them to settle your Full and Final (FnF) account and send the settlement statement; you will send them the recoverable amount via cheque in the company's name. After that, kindly request an experience letter.

Once you receive the FnF statement from them, half of your problem will be solved. Simply send them the settlement amount and request the issuance of the experience letter.

Hope this information helps you.

Regards,

All the esteemed members here have found fault with the way you parted ways with the employer. It would have been proper to have exited as per the guidelines of the company. If they tried to retain you without force, they were only fulfilling their professional duty. But whatever has happened is history now. Under the circumstances, it is advisable for you to meet up with the HR people and find a way to document your exit and patch up. You will have to meet them, though.

Request for Relieving Letter

Dear HR/General Manager, I am writing to request a relieving letter from the company. Kindly advise on the process and any specific details required from my end. Your prompt assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this request.

Sincerely

Regards

The resignation letter should be sent to those signatories who issued your appointment letter/email unless otherwise indicated in your Terms & Conditions of appointment as a Competent Authority. However, it is desirable that it should be routed through the immediate reporting officer, but an advance copy should be sent to the Appointing Authority directly as well. In whatever mode it is sent, an appropriately acknowledged communication will work best.

The action taken by them is appropriate as you have displayed a lack of professionalism by abruptly stopping going to work. An employer has the right to treat an employee as absconding if no contact is established for three weeks or more despite reminders sent.

The option of paying money and getting an early release is at the employer's discretion. I am afraid you will have to let go of the letter with this employer. You should learn from this experience and avoid such behavior in the future.

Regards,

I quite agree with what Ms. Divs. Sanil writes here. However, I would still impress upon you to seek an audience with the people concerned, tender a heartfelt apology, and plead that they provide you with the service certificate. Otherwise, you will not be able to include this in your CV at all and will have a lot of explaining to do unless you want to change your career path entirely.

Take some time to think it over and make this attempt; you might succeed. After all, those in responsible positions cannot be mercenaries, and remember, they should not treat you as if you have committed a crime. You have made a mistake, there is no doubt, but you should not be condemned; that would be unfair.

If you are in Hyderabad, like I am, and you would like to speak to me, I would welcome it, as I do know some people in Sutherland. For that, I would need more details such as your Employee Number, Period of Service, Department (HR or Operations), the name of your reporting boss, etc.

Best wishes.

Warm regards,
TSK. Raman

[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Resolution for Relieving Letter Issue

Hi, thanks for your reply. I spoke to my Program HR regarding this, and he told me that nothing can be done. Since you did not turn up to the office from Oct-19th, which is almost a month, we have processed your separation as Absconding. What shall I do now? All I need is my relieving letter and experience. I am even ready to pay one month's salary, but he is not accepting it. It is a private concern, a BPO firm.

Actually, what companies do all the time is they don't accept our resignation because they want a proper reason. What we have to do is wait for our relieving letter because experience is more important than money. If you have a bond, you can break it by maintaining the terms and conditions, then only you will get your proper relieving. I think it's important to wait for the relieving letter. Don't quarrel with them, just be patient because there may be a chance of being blacklisted. I hope this will help you. Bye, take care.

Hi, thanks for your reply. I spoke to my Program HR regarding this, and he told me nothing can be done. Since you did not turn up to the office from Oct 19th, which is almost a month, we have processed your separation as Absconding. What shall I do now? All I need is my relieving letter and experience. I am even ready to pay one month's salary, but he is not accepting. It is a private concern, a BPO firm.

Understanding Company Policies on Resignation

Actually, what companies do most of the time is they don't accept our resignation because they want a proper reason. What we have to do is wait for our relieving letter because experience is much more important than money. If you have a bond, you can break it by maintaining the terms and conditions. Then only you will get your proper relieving. I think it's important to wait for the relieving. Don't quarrel with them, just be patient because there may be a chance of being blacklisted. I hope it will help you. Bye, see you.

Regards,

Resignation Process and Full and Final Settlement

Just send your resignation addressed to the "General Manager-HR or Manager-HR" along with the complete address of the company. Ensure you send the resignation only through registered post. Don't forget to mention your complete and correct address on the application along with your mobile number.

In your resignation, state that you are leaving your position on a specific date due to personal reasons and that you are unable to serve the notice period. For this, you are willing to choose the PayBack option. Request them to settle your Full and Final (FnF) account and send the Settlement Statement. You will send them the recoverable amount via cheque in the company's name. After that, kindly request an experience letter.

If you receive the FnF Statement from them, half of your problem will be solved. Then, send them the settlement amount and request the issuance of the experience letter.

Hope this helps you.

Hi, I sent a letter but there was no response. So, I met a recruitment HR in person. She asked me to contact the settlement department via email. I contacted the settlement department again, but there was a delay. Therefore, I contacted them via phone. They asked me to pay $5599 since I did not serve the notice period. I paid them in the form of a draft. After that, I received an email stating that I would get a service certification with the reason mentioned as termination. Why should I pay an amount to get a termination letter? Please help me with this.

Dear Radhika, I feel you slightly departed from the very good suggestions given by my fellow members. Although your company believes and works along with the culture of email, the law needs proof, which I hope email is not such a proof.

Please take it that you have not committed any crime, and to my knowledge, they cannot terminate you all of a sudden. The law protects employees from the high-handedness of employers when and where required.

If your employer is about to issue you a termination letter, they may run into trouble. Termination is a lengthy and cumbersome process that has to be adopted only in situations where there is no other option.

If you are not interested in the activities of your previous employer, you are fully within your rights to approach the Labour Department. If you are in Chennai, it is located at Nandanam. There you will receive fair treatment. Although the majority of errors seem to be on your side, it does not give the employer the upper hand. In a way, I feel like it's an "unfair labour practice."

However, my humble suggestion is to adhere to the company's policies, wherein you may avoid issues and can pursue your career growth peacefully.

Resolution for Absconding and Obtaining Relieving Letter

Hi, thanks for your reply. I spoke to my Program HR regarding this, and he told me that nothing can be done. Since you did not turn up to the office from Oct-19th, which is almost a month, we have processed your separation as Absconding. What shall I do now? All I need is my relieving letter and experience. I am even ready to pay one month's salary, but he is not accepting. It is a private concern, a BPO firm.

Radhika,

If you want to disregard the two years of service with the previous company and are capable of joining any new assignment without any experience, you can proceed. Please note that for any future employment, your service or experience certificate is very much essential. Since your relationship with your previous company is not cordial due to your personal factors, the broken relationship needs to be rectified. In the meantime, try to meet the HR manager and persuade them to accept your resignation letter as per the company's policy or guidelines. If this fails, legal remedy is the best solution. Engage a good lawyer expert in service matters with all your documents related to your service in the previous company and do not hide any information.

I feel other than the above, you have no shortcut approach.

Regards,

Proceed to issue a legal notice by a lawyer to protect your constitutional legal right of freedom of work and to address any hurdles created on your intellectual property right.

Thank you.