How to Resign When Working From Home

Are you thinking about quitting your job but don’t know how to go about it? It’s important to know what steps you need to take when it comes time for your resignation, especially when you’re working from home.

According to career experts, here are ways to approach this situation:

Jeff Kartheiser

Jeff Kartheiser

Managing Director, GattiHR

Work together with your manager on how you will spend the remainder of your time

Resigning from your company while working remotely can be an uncomfortable conversation. However, if you plan and prepare, it can be less painful than you think.

The reality is that quitting while working from home might not be too different than quitting in person. However, you always want to make sure to leave on good terms. We have all heard the saying, “don’t burn bridges,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Once your decision has been made, it is important to keep your composure, remain professional and continue to be productive in your current role until you have officially had the conversation with your manager. Once you speak with your manager, you can work together on how you will spend the remainder of your time.

Here are a few tips to ensure a smooth transition:

Keep it confidential

A lot of us build strong relationships and even long-lasting friendships at the workplace.

However, this is a big change in your life, and it can be tempting to share the news with your coworkers.

Whatever you do, don’t let the cat out of the bag. As tempting as it is for you to tell someone, it may be equally, if not more tempting, for them to share the news with others. Word can travel fast in the workplace, and the last thing you want is your manager to hear the news before you have a chance to tell them.

Have a plan

Once your decision has been made, it is important to be prepared:

  • Type out a sentence or two on what you plan on telling your manager. Practice it and have it memorized.
  • Make sure you have time to give at least a two-week notice before starting your new endeavor.
  • Prepare to have a conversation about a counteroffer. Many people don’t think about this, but it is very common for companies to make counteroffers once you give notice. Most will tell you it is not wise to accept a counter, and I couldn’t agree more.
  • Be ready to have a productive conversation on your exit interview. This is an opportunity to help your soon-to-be past employer on how to improve their organization. Be honest but keep it PC.

Making a move can be stressful, but if you are prepared, this can be a painless transition.

Melanie Pump

Melanie Pump

Business Leader | CFO, Brane Inc. | Author, “DETOX: Managing Insecurity in the Workplace

Resign with respect and within the terms of your employment agreement

No matter the location, when you are resigning, it is important to do so with respect and within the terms of your employment agreement.

A good reference is important for any future job searches, and the way you leave your company can influence your past employer’s willingness to provide a reference.

Here are a few tips to depart your job on a positive note:

  • Check your employment agreement for the required notice period. Typically, notice periods are two weeks. However, some employment agreements specify unique terms. To ensure a good reference, you should meet the notice period in your agreement.
  • Book a time with your leader to provide your resignation verbally over video. It shows respect for your boss if you personally let them know that you are leaving the company.
  • Follow up with an email documenting your resignation and final date of employment. Send this to your leader and Human Resources: Providing verbal notice shows respect, but you must also officially document your resignation to ensure your communication was clearly understood. If your organization has an HR department, the email should go to them so they are aware and can process your resignation.

Related: 20+ Best Subject Lines for Resignation Email Messages

If you follow these steps, and of course, continue to do your job to the best of your abilities until your last day, you will leave on a good note and with a reference for the future.

Ewelina Melon

Ewelina Melon

Head of People, Tidio

Don’t burn all bridges behind you

A work resignation is undoubtedly extremely tough for everyone – your manager, a team leader, colleagues, never mind you.

What is crucial in that stressful moment is not to let emotions take control of your actions. Being calm, honest, and deliberate is vital if you don’t want to burn all bridges behind you.

Make your team leader be your first point of contact

Before deciding on a drastic step and, for example, sending a resignation email to everyone in the company, talk to your team leader about your decision.

Calmly explain all the reasons standing behind it. After it, you can prepare the official resignation email and send it to your team leader and dedicated HR person.

While the resignation process begins, discuss with your manager all the formalities, such as the notice period, tasks, and projects you are currently working on and set up the best time to tell your colleagues about your decision.

Say goodbye to your colleagues and make a good last impression

Prepare a few warm words to say goodbye to your teammates. If you feel comfortable with it, you can briefly explain why you made this decision.
Discuss and prioritize tasks you need to finish and do your best to make as much as possible before leaving to help your colleagues as long as you are with them.

During the last day of your work, say goodbye to the rest of your colleagues in the company. For example, you can send a goodbye email or use the slack channel, wishing them all the best – you never know when your paths cross again.

Erica McCurdy, CMC, PCC, YPF

Erica McCurdy

Certified Professional Coach

Offer a “consultancy rate” to help out anytime they need your expertise going forward

In your resignation, take time to recognize that your absence may result in a lot of little questions that might be easier for you to answer than for the team to try to figure out for themselves.

An open offer to “answer any questions they might have” can end up with you giving away your expertise for free. Don’t let the company doubly take advantage of you.

Instead, offer a “consultancy rate” to help out anytime they need your expertise going forward. You never know, you may end up picking up a little extra cash here and there doing something you already know how to do without all the drama that caused you to leave in the first place.

Refrain from complaining

Remote workers don’t have the same opportunity to build personal connections as teams who are physically together. Try to stay positive when you resign.

Focus on your future and how you are going to be looking for new opportunities, challenges, benefits, and such. Your manager may also change companies, and they will carry their impression of you with them as they progress in their career.

Take the opportunity to leave well. You never know when the two of you will cross paths again.

Diane Gallo

Diane Gallo

Human Resources Executive

Employers should have a confidentiality policy that every employee signs

These put the employer at a disadvantage because they have someone who no longer has any skin in the game. I would expect that notice periods may not always be accepted by the employer and that a quick departure and loss of system access would be imminent.

If unable to immediately let the employee go, I would assign someone to shadow them virtually to both learn the job and deter any conscious or unconscious compromise of data.

Equipment recovery may be difficult, and after several tries, with self-addressed boxes from the employer, I have seen litigation threatened. The worst one I heard about was someone who quit but kept the company car for several weeks.

Obviously, it is easier to get a car back than a computer, and I have rarely seen a complete lack of accountability to the employer, but the condition of the equipment is often not as it was when received.

Employers should do a couple of things:

  • Have a confidentiality policy that every employee signs.

If someone takes proprietary information to a competitor and is aware of it, the new hire would most likely be terminated, which can also deter data theft.

  • Do an equipment survey, so you know what piece of equipment is where.

Many laptop users also brought home large monitors to work more easily during covid, and other equipment may have gone into homes. It is important to know what was taken home so when an employee leaves remotely, a letter requesting everything that was responsible for can be generated.

The good news is that most employees are respectful of data and equipment they have been entrusted with. If some of these measures are taken it’s critical the employee knows that it is a COVID remote policy and doesn’t reflect any question of their integrity by the company.

Bartek Boniecki

Bartek Boniecki

Head of People, Passport Photo Online

Inform about the resignation in an appropriate manner

Informing about resignation is never comfortable. As professional relations are between adults, both sides should behave as befits and take responsibility.

Even in the case of working remotely, you should stay classy. It’s not only a matter of good manners but pragmatism as well. You’ll never know who you are going to meet in the future, many professionals know each other, and this is why it is worth leaving a good impression.

If you are determined to leave, make an appointment with your boss or manager for a phone call. Communicating your decision and justification in this way is a sign of courage and maturity. Remember, your supervisor should be the first person to inform about your resignation.

Related: How to Tell Your Boss You’re Quitting

Complete the formalities

Informing your supervisor is just the beginning of the process. For the resignation to be valid under the law, you must follow the appropriate procedures.

Ask the HR department what the company policy is.

You may need to write a resignation letter. Ask IT so that they can close your corporate accounts and arrange for the return of the corporate hardware (if applicable). It’s a good idea to ask your manager for written references. They can surely come in handy in the future.

Ask and give sincere feedback

Feedback is a gift. Don’t hesitate to give one and ask for it. We can only improve if we know what exactly needs to be improved. This applies to individuals as well as teams or companies.

Honest feedback from the departing employee can contribute to the proper development of the company. And, of course, it also works the other way around. The references are more official and confirm the skills. This is important for future employers. The feedback, on the other hand, is personal and thought-provoking.

Clayton Hasbrook

Clayton Hasbrook

Attorney at Hasbrook & Hasbrook

Find an appropriate time to get on the call with your boss in their less busy hours

When working from home, the situation surrounding your resignation is quite different.

You don’t have your boss around you to discuss the situation with them since this is the usual way of resignation. The change in work culture and a sudden adoption of remote work culture have left many people confused about a lot of processes.

Here are a few points on how you can resign when working from home:

  • You can start by writing your resignation letter and saving it in drafts.
  • Now you need to take some time and prepare yourself for a conversation with your boss so go through everything you have to say.
  • Find an appropriate time to get on the call with your boss in their less busy hours and tell them everything you want.
  • Finally, email the resignation letter and make any changes if you wish to after the conversation with your boss.

What you write in your resignation letter and how you discuss the resignation with your employer remains unchanged. However, having the courtesy to call them and letting them know about your decision is essential, or the resignation would come off as a surprise to them and leave them worried.

These practices are essential to maintain a healthy relationship with your employer so that you can consider rejoining them in the future if it suits you.

Kevin Valencia

Kevin Valencia

Head of People, Livestorm

Resign just as you would do for an in-office resignation

Just as you would do for an in-office resignation—set up a meeting with your manager, give them the heads up, and formalize with an email.

It’s all about communication and being open to resigning respectfully. It’s important not to rush the resignation by taking the time to set a meeting with your manager and HR. Explain the reason why if you feel it could benefit others.

It’s good to keep in mind to always leave on a good note.

As some notice period differs from one job to another or from one country to another, give as much notice as possible to accommodate your current company. I would recommend leaving on a high note. You never know what the future holds. Maybe you’d like to go back at some point or get to work with your current manager again.

If you are resigning because of a toxic environment and not to pursue another job, then you definitely should get HR involved—a toxic environment should be called out and deal with. Sometimes your HR department just needs one alert to get the process going and start an investigation.

Joe Wilson

Joe Wilson

Senior Employment Advisor, MintResume

Coordinate with HR for the turnover of your company’s equipment

There is not much difference in the steps you need to take when resigning from a work-from-home job.

The most important thing to bear in mind is to exit gracefully and practice professionalism at all times, regardless of the location/setup of your work.

  • Send a resignation email to your superior. No need to specify why you are resigning. Just thank the company for the opportunities that were provided to you.
  • Prepare your files for turnover. To help your replacement, you can create a file tree that includes all of your files, locations, and links for easier access.
  • Coordinate with HR for the turnover of your company’s equipment. Ensure that all has been arranged before your last day so as not to cause any inconvenience to either party.
  • If you can, ask for recommendation letters from your superior and other people you have worked with.

Daniela Sawyer

Daniela Sawyer

Founder, FindPeopleFast

A resignation letter is required whether you resign remotely or in person

It’s not simple to leave a job. It’s considerably harder now with remote teams. It’s nerve-wracking having to plan and time how and when to approach your leader to go. Virtually doing it can feel impersonal, unprofessional, and odd.

Whatever your reasons, understanding how to quit gracefully is vital. While this is simpler in the office, it is not the same when working remotely. Here’s how to politely stop while working remotely:

  • Resignation letter: A resignation letter is required whether you resign remotely or in person. It is an official document that records your intent to depart the company. You can cover:
    • Resignation plan
    • Last day of work
    • Help with all leaving procedures and formalities.
    • Thank you for your stay with the company.
  • Email your manager for a conversation: In your email, you should invite a video or phone conversation to discuss your resignation. Informing your boss in the person of your plans to leave is polite. Alternatively, a phone call is the next best alternative. Send an email in the morning with a time to chat during the day.
  • Prepare your remarks: Preparing your resignation letter will help you relax. Here are some suggestions for your resignation letter:
    • So you can focus on informing your supervisor about your resignation, avoid casual discussion.
    • Reasons for leaving: While not always required, it is nice to have something ready to discuss if your supervisor asks.
    • It doesn’t matter whether you joined the company recently or were recently promoted; you should thank your Manager for both.
    • It is to reassure your boss that you will adequately hand over the job and possibly train the replacement if one is hired in time.
    • Pre-departure formalities: your Manager or HR should advise you on these.
    • While this is stated in your resignation letter, it is helpful to have it ready if your Manager asks.
    • After this call, you will email your resignation letter to your supervisor, telling them to forward it to their lead or HR.
  • Take the call: Make sure your internet and phone work. Turn off or mute background apps to eliminate notification sounds. Sit in a quiet room away from the noise. Keep in mind that your boss cannot see your body language when you call.
  • Resignation through email: After the call, email your resignation letter to your supervisor, referencing your recent phone call. If ever questioned, the email will serve as confirmation of your resignation date and time. Your boss may react to your resignation letter to officially accept it and wish you well.

Mladen Maksic

Mladen Maksic

SEO consultant and CEO, Play Media

Tell your boss what your intentions are and why

Resigning is never easy, regardless of how much bad blood there’s been or how unhappy the employee has grown. Unless the workplace has been absolutely hostile, most employees feel a shred of compassion for their about-to-be-previous employer and coworkers and prefer dignified and professional resignation over unnecessary drama.

The same is true for remote employees, with one major exception.

Since they work from home and often feel no real connection to their employer or the company, they’re more commonly tempted to end their employment unprofessionally and disrespectfully. It’s wrong, no matter what happened to cause them to want to leave.

Instead, it’s better to resign just as you would if you spent your work hours surrounded by your coworkers and people who depend on you.

Draft a resignation letter

Despite working remotely, you should still draft a resignation letter stating your intent to resign and outlining your last day of employment.

An empathetic resignation letter should also offer a hand in exit processes and express gratitude for a chance to work at the company. However, don’t send the resignation letter just yet.

Schedule a call

You could either schedule a video call or a phone call with your boss. In any case, you should pay attention to do so during work. You are trying to do the right thing after all, and contacting your employer outside work hours isn’t really painting the best picture about you.

Prepare for the call just as you would for a regular meeting. That means finding a quiet room for the conversation where you won’t be disturbed and preparing what you’re going to say beforehand.

During the call

Don’t beat around the bush. Tell your boss what your intentions are and why. When describing the reasons for leaving, focus on personal growth rather than all the downsides of your current position. That’s also an essential part of being professional and courteous.

Be ready to answer questions regarding your last day and your help in training your replacement.

It’s a sign of good faith to help the company train your new replacement, but you shouldn’t do it at the expense of your future employment. Let them know that they have until your last day to find a replacement (or an entire week preceding your last day). You shouldn’t stick around longer than that.

Finalize your resignation

Send your resignation letter immediately after the call with your boss. Email it to them, fulfill your promises given to your boss and stated in the letter, and you’ll have resigned from your remote workplace like a real professional.

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Kim Chan

Kim Chan

Founder and CEO, DocPro

Check your contract for your notice period, garden leave, non-compete, and unusual term

Whether you are resigning when working from home, you should go through the normal process:

  • Check your contract for your notice period, garden leave, non-compete, and unusual term.
  • Give the full notice period under the contract.
  • Prepare a resignation letter.
    • Clearly state that you are resigning and the expected leaving date.
    • Clearly state the position you are resigning from and the company’s name.
    • Include a statement of gratitude: explain how thankful you are for the company and your regrets for not being able to work together anymore.
    • Give a simple reason for your leave.
    • Offer assistance for training your successor and finishing your current projects.
    • Sound as positively as possible even you are dissatisfied with your job and can’t wait to leave.
    • Sign your resignation letter.
  • Act professionally. This is particularly important when working from home. Make sure you are still logging in every day and do your work. So HR would not be able to challenge whether you have been working during your notice period.
  • Handover properly. Prepare a handover note for your successor and colleagues to provide them with in-depth information about the company and/or the work you have delegated to them. Here are some elements that you should include in your handover note:
    • Description of your daily tasks
    • Project deadlines
    • Contact details of clients, superiors, colleagues
    • Login usernames and passwords
    • Housekeeping matters
      • If you are unsure about how to draft a handover note and what to include, you may use this template
  • Calculate your final pay. Go back to the office on the last day to sign the paper work and do the exit interview, plus collect any outstanding pay.

Nicholas Rosenfeld

Nicholas Rosenfeld

Director, Making a Will

Request a meeting with your boss at least two weeks in advance

When you’re ready to inform your employer that you’re leaving, you should schedule a time to inform them, whether via video, in-person, or over the phone.

You always want to leave a company feeling grateful for your time there, so have that courtesy conversation with your manager. You must communicate your intention to leave your job and inform your employer of your intended last day (two weeks is customary).

Then, ensure that you follow up in writing with a formal notice that includes gracious thanks, a final date, and any key deliverables you’ll provide prior to your resignation.

Resigning via phone

Before you call your boss, it’s essential to have a plan for what you’re going to say. Prior to making the call, prepare and practice. Your preparation work should include responses to questions such as:

  • “Is there anything we can do to convince you to stay?”
  • “How did you decide to leave?”

Create a list of bullet points or an outline to help you stay focused and on track. That list will help you stay focused, ease any nervousness, and help stop your manager from leading you down any animal trails.

Resigning via Zoom or video calls

Mention that you’re giving notice at the beginning of the conversation, along with your last day, and dress professionally. If you’re concerned about becoming distracted or anxious during the video call, keep your thoughts straight by using a digital note application or word document.

  • Avoid distractions: Make sure that you are fully dressed and use a clean background (neutral wall or a blurred background) to avoid drawing your manager’s attention away from what you’re saying.

Akram Assaf

Akram Assaf

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Bayt

As our company and many others have transformed into a remote working system, there’s a certain etiquette that needs to be followed when resigning.

Make your resignation personal

An email will not suffice in this situation. In order to leave on good terms and follow business etiquette, you should make your resignation personal. The ideal situation would be to schedule a video or audio call with your boss and break the news in person.

During this call, you should:

  • Thank your boss for everything they’ve taught you.
  • Highlight a few things you can take away from this experience, thanks to them.
  • Give a reason why you’re leaving. It can be another opportunity that will benefit your career, family issues, relocating, or whatever your situation is.

Alina Clark

Alina Clark

Co-Founder & Marketing Director, CocoDoc

Craft an email to your boss about your resignation and be ready to have a conversation about it

Contrary to almost every commonly held belief about working remotely, tendering your resignation while working from home is harder than most people think it is. Regardless of all the circumstances, knowing how to deliver your resignation with grace is crucial.

It’s easier to be graceful about resigning if you’re working from an office. That’s not the same if you have to do it via email or chat.

So how should one go about it?

Create a good resignation letter

Even if you’re resigning from home, you’ll still have to tender a resignation letter in order to make everything official.

The resignation letter should be brief yet weighty in the same instance. You can put in the reasons why you’re resigning, the last date of employment, and express gratitude to the company for having you for the period you’ve worked.

Even then, you shouldn’t hand in the letter of resignation until you have a conversation with the boss or the person in charge of personnel. This is crucial for your future relationship with the company.

Craft an email to your boss about your resignation, and be ready to have a conversation about it

Informing your boss about your resignation is a professional courtesy at its best. The email sent to them shouldn’t be your resignation as such. Rather, it should be an invitation to them to engage you via call on the same.

Sending an email when your boss is available is a great way to go about this, then get ready with the things you need to say.

Send in your resignation letter after the conversation

Sending your resignation letter is the penultimate step, just before handing everything over.

The preceding conversation with your boss should not only make the sending of the letter easier, but it also creates a friendlier environment for you when you’re clearing out, even if you’re working from home.

Rahul Bhargava

Rahul Bhargava

Partner, PurpleCrest Management Consulting

I have seen plenty of employees resign for a variety of reasons. We identified three tips that employees can follow to leave a lasting impression, regardless of the reason behind their departure:

Schedule a video conference

A face-to-face conversation is ideal. If possible, one should resign face-to-face. The Covid-19 pandemic makes this difficult. But, it’s professional courtesy to quit, and a video call is the closest you can come when working from home.

Prepare your replacement

Leave your job in excellent hands. During the transition period, it’s essential to help your manager for the next 30 days in helping to train or finding your reinstatement. You will not only leave in good impression but secure a return pathway if needed to come back.

Ensure minimal disruption

Minimize disruption by being prepared. Make sure your employer’s work is not getting disrupted by the leave. Assist in a smooth transition by giving a two-week prior notice to transferring information to your replacement. Prepare a list of documents and other instructions needed to hand over before leaving.

Gemma McBride

Gemma McBride

Small Business Founder | Blogger, This Work From Home Life

Do not send an email or text about your resignation until after the meeting with your manager

Resigning from your job when you work from home may seem like a simple concept at first, but the lack of face-to-face communication can make this difficult to navigate.

Tips for resigning from a remote job:

  • Do set up an appointment (if possible) with your manager as soon as possible. A telephone or video call is the best way to have this kind of conversation.
  • Do not send an email or text message of any kind about your resignation until after the meeting with your manager, as they may be blindsided by an email, and it could cause problems, especially if they hear from someone else.
  • The next thing to understand is that you should arrange to tell your coworkers and clients so that you can get any contacts you need before you leave.
  • In my experience as a remote worker, your system access is often abruptly shut off and not necessarily at the end of the day. This means preparing yourself with a personal laptop and cell phone if you don’t already have one.
  • Remember that you will need to ship all company equipment and supplies back, so make sure to wipe all personal items from your computer and phone before you hand in your resignation.

Aaron Case

Aaron Case

Content Writer & CV Expert, CV Genius

Be ready to negotiate

Give at least two weeks’ notice

Although you’re working remotely, the in-office custom of informing your employer you’re resigning at least two weeks in advance still applies. It may be tempting to simply ghost your boss, but remember that you may need them to provide a good reference in the future.

Schedule a video call with your boss

If you were working in the office, you’d meet with your boss in person to discuss your exit from the company. The WFH equivalent is requesting a video call. Avoid resigning by email or text message because it comes off as impersonal and rude.

Be ready to negotiate

With the Great Resignation in full swing, there’s a good chance your boss will offer you incentives to stay on board. If you’re ready for that pressure going into your resignation call, you’ll be able to stand firm and resign as planned. Alternatively, you can negotiate a raise or promotion to make staying preferable to leaving.

Email your resignation letter

Write a resignation letter that includes:

  • today’s date
  • your boss’s name and contact information, and your company’s address
  • a polite salutation (for example, ‘Dear Mrs. Jones,’)
  • a paragraph or two explaining when and why you want to resign, and thanking your employer
  • a professional closing (such as, ‘Sincerely,’)
  • your typed name

You don’t need to print and mail a copy of your resignation letter — attaching it to an email is enough.

Rodney Yo

rodney-yo

CEO & Founder, Best Online Traffic School

Make sure that you’re following the proper chain of command

If you know you’re leaving and have a plan in place, you’ll need to figure out how to inform your employer of your departure.

Do not immediately inform your teammates that you will be leaving first. As the message spreads through the grapevine, things can get nasty. Make sure that you’re following the proper chain of command. Make an effort to meet with your boss or a human resources representative. This might be a video conference call.

Don’t let your emotions get in the way. During the leaving interview, you can discuss any difficulties with the human resources representative. If you’ve been having problems at work, here’s a piece of advice; Put your ego and any conceivable attitude to the side.

It’s easy to get caught up in your feelings and express them during your encounters. However, this may add a layer of complexity to the situation beyond what is required. Do all it takes to maintain a neutral mood during the conversation.

Pay attention to what others have to say. We frequently want to answer without truly listening. Everyone else is wrong, and we are correct. If you take the time to assess the circumstance, you are more likely to make the optimal decision.

Communication might sometimes be challenging due to cultural differences. Maintain your neutrality, pay attention while listening, and leave any extreme beliefs at the door.

Finally, poor communication might be caused by a lack of interest and motivation. In any event, we can become overwhelmed and lose our mojo at any time. That is normal; but, when we discover this, we must proceed with caution.

Any of these factors, alone or in combination, can be hazardous. We must practice taking responsibility and accountability for what is happening to make the best decisions possible, especially if we want to depart on good terms.

Anthony Martin

Anthony Martin

CEO & Founder, Choice Mutual

You must be very cordial and careful in your process

The first factor you need to consider is whether you started this job remotely or started in the office and then switched to working remotely during the pandemic. It doesn’t make too much of a difference in the process of resigning; it just helps you define the extent of your goodbyes.

If you belong to the former category, you must be very cordial and careful in your process. In certain industries, you are bound to come across former bosses or colleagues sooner or later. You want to leave pleasantly to avoid awkward encounters for the rest of your working life.

This involves going into the office personally, if possible, or getting on a zoom call to explain the situation. Also, this is very important; you must avoid leaving your company high and dry and give them adequate time to replace you. This being said, you cannot work there forever, and a three-week notice period is enough.

If you have a difficult boss, you should involve the HR department in every step of the process. If your boss wants to complicate things for you, the presence of a third party will help mediate the process.

You have to send the same emails to your boss and HR department with clear terms of when and why you are leaving. CC the mail so that both parties lose the luxury of deniability in case things go wrong. A specific date of termination is important.

A job that was remote from the very beginning is simpler to handle. Use the channel of communication that you usually use for daily communication and then send a formal email. So if you communicate via Zoom calls usually, use that channel to get in touch with your superiors.

You don’t want to send an email and randomly disappear; don’t burn any bridges if you can help it.

Harriet Chan

Harriet Chan

Co-founder, CocoFinder

Request a formal sitting

It is a good idea to have your resignation email sent as it would be the norm for such a situation, but requesting a formal sitting allows you to explain your reason for quitting much better.

Request your boss for a video or phone call and courteously explain to them your wish to quit.

Doing this allows you to add a human and professional touch to what you are about to do, which is crucial for maintaining work relationships even after leaving a remote company.

Beware of the counteroffer

Counteroffers are appealing and may seem like a good reason to change your mind on the decision to quit.

However, counteroffers, when you are quitting, are always late-timed and will only dissuade you while you continue to endure challenges you face in the job you want to quit.

Respond respectfully to the counteroffer and proceed to turn it down with an explanation that you would want to push through with your earlier decision.

Kristen Bolig

Kristen Bolig

Founder, SecurityNerd

Make sure you properly dispose of any sensitive, confidential company information

Remote work has introduced a number of cybersecurity challenges to many industries, so when resigning from a remote position, you should always consider proper security protocols.

Make sure you properly dispose of any sensitive, confidential company information.

As a remote worker, it is very likely that your computer will be filled to the brim with company data and information, so it is important when leaving your remote position to figure out how to keep it all as safe as possible. With data being shared over a larger landscape due to constant digital transformation as a response to the pandemic, keeping track of it all is crucial.

Data breaches and cybercrimes are becoming more common than ever, and the last you want is to cause issues with your company 6 months post-resignation. If you keep sensitive material on your home computer, there is way more of a risk of it being hacked.

This all depends on your home network security and overall knowledge of cyber security risks.

If you have any physical documentation that is deemed important by the company, make sure you use a shredder to dispose of any important information. When it comes to online information that is deemed sensitive, make sure you erase any USBs or smaller hard drives.

Also, do a clean sweep of your entire personal computer and throw anything confidential in the trash.

When you’re leaving a job, the whole goal is to start fresh. Most people don’t consider company safety and security when resigning, but keeping that as the main focus could mitigate the risk of any headaches in the future.

Dorota Lysienia

Dorota Lysienia

Community Manager, LiveCareer

Talk to your manager first

Remote work has changed the way we communicate with each other. We use different platforms like Slack, Skype, Hangouts, or Zoom to work effectively with our team and maintain social interactions in the workplace.

While these tools are excellent for team collaboration in a virtual environment, they should be used carefully when discussing important topics like resigning from your job.

When you decide to resign from your job when working from home, think of ways to handle the situation in the most professional way possible.

First of all, you want to show respect toward your colleagues and avoid the situation when your manager finds out about your decision from some random Slack conversation. That’s why you should talk to your manager first before speaking with anyone else in your organization.

It’s a good idea to schedule a 1-on-1 meeting with your manager to inform them about your resignation and prepare a plan for your departure.

Whether you work remotely or not, it’s essential to leave your workplace on a good note and maintain good relationships with people you’ve worked with.

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