Asked to resign

Xandos

Xandos

Xandos

Associate
Joined
19 Aug 2006
Posts
596
Hi guys, do to various reason I shan't pretend aren't my fault, my company wish me to leave (in no way gross negligence, just indescressions and attitude). Sat me down with all the directors, and told me to leave. My general attitude has been 'well, if that's what you all want then I guess there's nothing I can do'. I believe I said "there's no other options on the table it seems", to which one of them said "well, there's another way where things get nasty".

I got an email this morn:

"Thanks for attending our meeting this afternoon, during which you indicated that your intention is to resign. We would appreciate your assistance delivering the current project that you are working on (__________). So, in return for your full commitment to its successful conclusion, we are prepared to offer you a further one month notice on top of the contracted single month. It is estimated that there is around 3-4 weeks work remaining on this project, during which we will endeavour to be flexible and support you in your efforts to find another position. Once _________ is delivered and signed off, we will permit you to concentrate for whatever remains of the two months on finding a new role, without coming into the office.
To confirm, we will also act as employment referees for any offers you may receive.
Also, please could you provide us with a letter of resignation asap."


First off, what are you guys' reaction to this? I'm not so hot on my employment law/rules/etiquette.

Another thinking was, as I'll be looking for a job, in a hard industry, I'm not expecting anything straight away - I guess me 'resigning' would affect benefits and stuff. (blah blah dole scrounger etc).

Any words of advice greatly appreciated, thanks

(Oh yeah, company doesn't have HR as far as I'm aware)
 
Thanks for replies...

Sorry, I've worked here for just shy of 2.5 years.

I do feel a bit sick in my stomach, mainly irritated with myself for allowing this situation to happen. I'll look up a terms of compromise agreement...
 
Sorry, what I did wrong, is basically be myself. But myself can be a bit irritating and headstrong. I deal with managers who know nothing about what I work with, and I say it how it is; which has led to an image of me being a difficult, negative employee.

One of the directors also heard me talking a bit of **** about how things work etc. down the pub, and probably another person or two will have forwarded some drunken ramblings...

Not defend-able I know, but understandable... haha

So, basically, been told 'it's a bunch of reasons' 'we don't think you fit what we want'...

[edit]
Insofaras the threat comment, it didn't come out like an outright threat - though I guess it was...
 
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Aside from obviously feeling a bit weird about working somewhere where you know you're not wanted, I guess a concern is the 'glowing' reference... Presumably if I decline the 'offer', any reference would kill me..?

What's to stop them giving a poor reference despite what they've said?
 
A friend of my brother is a barrister, he's apparently in court at the moment but can hopefully get some advice out of him later.

So, I just put them off and not write a resignation letter yet? Just say 'uhhh, I'm looking into it' or something?
 
Well, the pay isn't as good as it could be, hence part of my air of dissatisfaction - however, in most other respects it's a great job, and I'm unlikely to get anything as good any time soon... Oh, done the whole apologising grovelling thing too.
 
So, the whole references thing....

I work as a 3d animator, and this has been my first 'real' job, would any bad blood between me and this employer impact my future?
 
Yeah, the above was kinda what I was thinking. I could tell someone I thought their friend was a complete ______ depending on how I said I didn't want to say....
 
Thanks for the reply slade.

My problem here is that my difficulty to be worked with has been mentioned at my last annual review, but never as an actual warning so to speak, more like highlighting a flaw. During this process it has been mentioned several times that I've it'd come up in the last review and hasn't changed by now. There's never been any warnings about pub conversations... But basically, I can see where they're coming from, I'm not sure I wouldn't be doing the same thing in their position - just that it doesn't seem like something to get fired over, or maybe I'm being naive...

I shall call ACAS, I've tried calling the local CAB, not got through.

I phoned housing benefit and they said that resigning wouldn't affect that, but could there be anything else that would hinder that? Some clause or another?

Thanks a lot for the support guys.
 
Thanks guys, there is some real sympathy and care, more so than I would have expected from gd ;)...

Thanks wolfe, for the general words... I have indeed been being quite harsh on myself about this, as I am with everything else hence this whole problem... I guess I need to learn to get over that, the past is the past, I can only learn from this, and there are many positives to take away from it.

Though it's certainly true that this experience will have an outcome on who I am, in a future office job I'm sure I would wear a work face, and not try to fully naturally fit in (as I do have somewhat of a caustic outlook, until you get to know me). Either that or be my own boss indeed! I'm very open to the world of freelance work, just need time to get my cv/portfolio and stuff up to scratch. Though, it's harsh times, so I'm not feeling hugely confident.

I spoke with the brothers lawyer friend, didn't constitute legal advice of course but was quite illuminating into the whole processes of how these things work, and did think that, perhaps with another employee, their approach could land them in difficulties, though was very inconclusive about my position given my honest recounts of mistakes made. He suggested that should I wish to stay, which in a perverse way I do, I should write a letter expressing that I wish to deal with and fix the issues there are, to become a decent employee dealing with their criticisms. Trouble is with some of the things I've done/said he thinks it would be easy to show trust between employer and employee has been eroded so further productive work may not be an option.

If I were to choose a militant course it's possible, but a lot of headache, and I'm not sure that my heart is in it. I haven't received a written warning about anything, which could play to my favour.

All in all, I still don't know how I feel. Sure, I feel it's unjust - but I'm sure that if I pushed them they could, and would find things to pin on me, I'm sure it could happen, and they would likely take resistance very fiercely.

Which sort of leads me to negotiating a better settlement package... Although I'm not really sure how to go about this! Lawyer friend seemed to think that to get a better deal one would need to get a bit more confrontational, and that would maybe mean a whole argument and proving points and stuff....

So, I'm a lot further along in knowledge and no further to a conclusion, really. I should be negotiating my severance before giving them a resignation right?!? (stupid question I'm sure, just checking) Would the details of the parting of ways be hashed out more fully afterwards? Though presumably if you've given away your hand then you have no power.

And then come all the other life questions from that point. The whole supporting myself thing being one, as I believe that if I resign then I couldn't get any benefits for 3 months at least, which would take like £2000 off my modest savings paying for a house in london with no income. Which is pretty bad. Another option would then be going travelling, which is something I've been wanting to do, and coming back a few months later when time has seen to it that that issue isn't still a problem. But then, does leaving to go travelling in such a fast moving industry mess up my prospects even more....

Well, I'm aware that this has turned into fairly unrelated rantings, if you read this far down this post you should probably be finding better things to be getting on with...
 
Hello again folk. So, minor update - I say update, everything remains the same really.

I didn't hand in my resignation yet, and went for a coffee with a director yesterday morning. It was a 'friendly' chat, I raised concerns... That it seemed a bit wooly, the fact that as last thing was worded I could have to work my 'free' month etc, the fact reference hasn't been decided on and also that as I'm 'voluntarily leaving' I could be illegible for benefits should the worst happen. The guy said, about the DSS stuff, that it's easy for him just to say to them when they contact him that I was made redundant... Which seems cheeky, unlikely, and not like something I'll ever get in writing from him....

Anyway, got a message last night:


"Hi, I can confirm that if you decide you wish to resign and let us have this in writing tomorrow, will pay you to work out your 1 months notice period. During which time you can work on the __and __ projects and complete them if there's time, if not help with the hand over to someone else to finish them.

We will then pay you for an additional 1 month during which time you will not be expected to come into work.

___will provide a favourable reference to any future employer, word your decision to move on in a favourable way and assist you with any other claims you need to make.

It is hoped we can make this as amicable a parting as possible."

So, a timescale eh?
 
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Just spoke with a normal lawyer, who basically said that it would/could get very dirty, complex, and just turn into a general nightmare, that given my current salary (low) isn't really worth it...
 
Robbie G said:
It might look better, but if the director doesn't stick to his word and fib to the DSS about OP being made redundant, he's up the creek financially.

Also there is a question as to whether or not they can fire him as he would mother love them in the tribunal from the sounds of it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's exactly it... Do we (the collective) know if that fib is even possible? It doesn't like link up to some kind of all-knowing centralised system...?

As to whether they could fire me... I don't really think so, although I know they'd go all out to try if I kicked up a fuss... I wouldn't be surprised to see dishonerable tactics etc.

Anyhow, it is certain they've made a work situation which I can't feasibly tolerate...
 
Westyfield2 said:
:)You were the one with an attitude problem and talking **** down the pub though...
Click to expand...

Yes yes, a bit of pub talk, nothing too bad even - should be expected really.

I'm aware of my own culpability, though that culpability is more of a personal thing, than a professional thing. So in 99% of jobs, not something that I could be let go for.

Interesting comment lawyer made was am I autistic (he does know me, by the way). I wouldn't be surprised actually, as I seem to find all this social politics harder than most. Did a stupid on-line test and came out borderline :P...

[edit]Oh, I forgot to mention, I phoned my previous employer, did some freelance 3d stuff for him, and he seemed glad to hear from me, in the process of arranging a meeting next week. When I quit that job 2.5 years ago for the one I'm being forced to leave from, I took a 50% pay cut.. That could explain a little of the overconfidence/attitude.
 
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vonhelmet said:
You do if you can show that you were only jumping because you'd have been pushed otherwise.

They can't make him redundant if he isn't redundant. They can just fire him though.
Click to expand...



So what would one need to show that? Think I've got enough evidence already? Would it be feasible to get director to basically write, you're leaving to save us firing you... Would he even write that? (as it could put him in murkier water maybe?)
 
Hello again folk.

So, to update you guys...

I tried to smooth things over, with promises of a new me, etc. Although basically once the decision is made there's no going back. I have now handed in my resignation, after getting things clearly in writing, there being no workable alternatives from what I can see.

I can basically write my own reference, and it be covered under a compromise agreement, apparently.

So, it's off into the world for me, been dusting off my showreel and looking at updating my CV... Been working on some personal things to put into the reel.. Phoned an old employer (company I left for this one) who seemed keen on meeting up to discuss future potential projects etc - meet him on Tuesday.

I think next up once I get my CV and portfolio up to scratch in some form is to start with the specialist agencies, then make a list of all potential employers I can find and start ringing them up, or popping into their offices.

I'm a bit worried as to whether anything will turn up, although I seem to be a lot better than all the freelancers this company hired so one must be optimistic!

Worst comes to the worst then I sublet my house, and go on some travels, crash at my parents house working on my portfolio for a couple of months till something turns up... Not the end of the world I suppose, though it's definitely a stick in the spokes of life!

Thanks again for all the advice, support, off topic rambles etc!
 
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