What not to say when quitting?

Alvera Hamill
2025-07-14 20:03:37
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You might also call it 'quitting', 'leaving your job' or 'handing in your notice'.
If you're considering resigning because of a problem at work, you might be able to resolve it and avoid leaving your job.
It's usually best to raise the problem informally first.
If you cannot address it informally, you can raise a grievance.
This is where you make a formal complaint to your employer.
If you resign without having another job to go to, it could affect your entitlement to benefits or other financial support.
You can find out more about: final pay when someone leaves a job calculators to help work out benefits you're entitled to on GOV.UK
Your notice pay might be affected if you resign while you are: off sick on holiday on maternity, paternity or adoption leave or shared parental leave
If you resign when you've been told your job is at risk of redundancy or that it will become redundant, you might lose your entitlement to redundancy pay.
You should speak to your employer to try to come to an agreement.

Wilson Schoen
2025-07-14 19:26:02
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Don't just stop showing up, as not showing up without notice is unprofessional and leaves your team scrambling. Telling off your boss might feel satisfying in the moment, but it’s a terrible long-term move. You never know when you’ll cross paths with former colleagues again—or need a reference. Publicly quitting in a viral video might get you attention, but it will also make future employers wary of hiring you. Posting about your workplace frustrations might feel cathartic, but once it’s online, it’s forever. Even with privacy settings, screenshots can spread quickly. Future employers might see your rant and worry that you’ll do the same to them.

Charlotte Roob
2025-07-14 19:09:16
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Don’t use words like quitting or leaving when you tell your boss you’re resigning, because they could make your boss feel like it’s their fault you’re vacating your position. Similarly, avoid phrases like “I’ve found a better opportunity” or “I’ve outgrown my position.” Resigning is business, and there is no need to apologize if you handle it in a professional manner. Putting yourself in an apologetic mindset may lead you to offer more than you intend. Stick to the facts, and if they express disappointment or anger, keep bringing the focus back to the transition. Going into emotion is rarely helpful. You are not responsible for how they feel. The important thing is to act according to your values and in a way that honors the experience you’ve had. Avoid phrases that may be taken the wrong way, such as sharing news like this via email or Slack.

Kiley Paucek
2025-07-14 17:08:07
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Telling co-workers that you’re leaving before telling your boss is a mistake, if you tell peers first and your boss hears that you’re leaving from someone else, your boss is going to feel sidelined and disrespected, which could undermine your ability to get a good reference. Saying too much at your exit interview is also something to avoid, whatever your reasons are for leaving a job, don’t treat an exit interview with HR as a time to slam your boss or talk trash about a co-worker. You can still be honest and constructive in an exit interview, take a balanced approach by sharing things that you love about the company, in addition to some constructive feedback. Leaving without a notice of resignation is another mistake, unless your work environment is so toxic that you feel you have to get out of there to save your sanity, you should give two weeks’ notice. Offering no help to your successor is also a bad idea, any work that you have in progress should be documented clearly, make sure all of your work files are updated and readily accessible on the company’s intranet. Leaving personal files on your work computer is also a mistake, your company owns whatever is on your work email and work computer, so you may want to wipe those clean before you leave.

Charlene Dooley
2025-07-14 15:14:44
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Don’t bash your employer. Even if your manager asks why you’re leaving, just tell them that you need a change. Pointing out areas where they could improve might be useful, but there are some things that should be left unsaid. You don’t have to tell your employer where you’re going to next, unless you want to. Don’t make any promises. You don’t want to answer their calls three months from now when you have a whole new job to focus on. Don’t tell them how long you’ve been looking, you can say, ‘Oh, I only looked at occasional opportunities that came along and this one was perfect for me.’ Don’t agree to a counter offer, just tell them: “I’ve already accepted the job offer and signed an offer letter.”
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