We all have been into that place where we want to quit a job, but we don’t know how to initiate the steps. It sometimes seems easy, just say to your boss, “I quit,” but we all know it’s not that easy.
Few employees think it is normal not to inform an employer without proper notification, and some believe they will stop going to work from tomorrow. But, these unprofessional and unethical methods can negatively impact your resume or future career path.
The above statement does not mean that you should always leave the job after informing the employer. So yes, you can quit a job without notice, and it’s not illegal.
The Steps to Leave a Job
Your first step should be to read your contract carefully, which you signed when you joined the company. If it’s mentioned that you have to provide a notice to them, then definitely you can’t leave an organization immediately. But if it’s not mentioned in the contract, you can leave the company immediately as per your wish. The main reason behind this is that your employer needs to be informed, as they will have to find a new candidate who can fill your job. In this case, we will recommend you to properly notify the employer by a formal email or a letter so that it wouldn’t create a problem in your future. It is unnecessary, but it is a traditional way of doing so.
If it’s mentioned that you need to inform a company one month prior or two months earlier before handing over the resignation, then you need to tell/report them. Not doing so can you lead you into legal trouble. There is another method to protect yourself from legal situations: handing over a one-month or two-month salary to the organization. This will also be mentioned in your contract’s terms and conditions part. If you don’t want to spend your pay or give up your salary, then you need to inform the organization. You should always mention the following information while writing a notice:
- What is the expected last working day?
- How much month notice are you given.
- You can also provide the reason or may not give the reason. This is entirely your wish.
Note: The day you give them the notice (resignation day) and the date of the expected last working day is known as the notice period.
It is essential to think carefully before making a critical decision and always behave professionally. This will influence your reputation and your professional relationship with the people in the industry.
1. What Should You do?
You may write a very professional letter, which can be termed an immediate letter of resignation to your employer for your immediate departure. As mentioned earlier, before writing this, you should go through your contract and then conclude. It would be better if you gave a 2-week prior notice to your employer so there wouldn’t be any big issue.
2. Valid Reasons to Quit Without Notice
There may be several reasons why you want to quit your job suddenly. A few of them that can be considered as valid reasons (if going to leave immediately) are listed down below:
Unless employed under a contract, most people work under the terms of at-will employment, meaning that neither the employer nor the employee has a legal obligation to give notice before terminating employment. While you may not be legally required /to provide information, most employers expect a message of two weeks or more to help them reassign your responsibilities and hire a new employee. This is not always possible, and there are a few situations where it’s acceptable and even necessary to quit without notice. A few of them are listed down below:
Unsafe Work Environment
The hazardous work environment can be anything, like suffering from discrimination based on gender, racism, cast, etc. The behavior of the colleagues with you is not suitable due to which you believe that it’s a very unsafe environment to work. In these cases, you shouldn’t be afraid of quitting the job or even giving notice to the employer regarding the behavior of your colleagues. If the company standards do not match the workplace safety standards that the government has highlighted, you should quit the job for your own mental and physical safety. Always note that your safety should always be the priority,
Hostile Work Environment
If your workplace culture is toxic, and you don’t feel respected, or you don’t feel like even going to that place again, then you must quit your job. In these cases, you may also face extreme abuse, worsening professional relationships, harassment by managers and coworkers, etc.
Family Emergency
Everyone has a family, and employers understand the obligations that a person can face. Whenever you feel that family members need you or you need to handle a family emergency, then it is ultimately a valid reason. In some cases, the employer may give you the holidays or leave as much as you want, but if you’re going to quit the job, go for it. The employer understands the situation, and definitely, they will do something to handle your work and provide help if you need it.
Personal Health
If you feel that there is way too much pressure in handling the work and face physical and mental depression, you should quit the job. Keep it professional, inform your employer about the difficulties you face, and convince them that you are improving to manage personal and work life. Also, you can say that you just want to focus on your personal life.
Fear of Retribution
If your boss regularly fires the employees without giving them proper notice and doesn’t give them a fair salary for their work, then it is a hint that you must quit the job. This may have happened with any other employee but may also occur to you. It’s better to find better opportunities than waste time in an organization that doesn’t give you a good salary or opportunities to learn.
Frequent Layoffs
If the company terminates an employee, then the company wants to reduce the cost. It is the right time when you can quit a job because they will not pay for the notice, and this works both ways. If you want to discontinue the job, and the company does not want to expend any money, then it is the right way to resign, which can happen professionally.
Better Opportunities
If you are getting better options and believe that this will help you in the future, you should quit your current job. It’s utterly dependent on you if you want to grab the opportunity or leave it. Make sure that you act professionally because this will also impact your reputation in the market. In this case, we will recommend you to give prior notice to the employer, or you can inform your new organization about the notice period so that they wouldn’t have any problem if you join late.
Lack of Work Opportunities
When you feel that you are not getting the suitable options or require or don’t think the environment is challenging, you must quit the job. It would be better to give prior notice so they can find another candidate. In case you have a good relationship with the manager. You can leave the company without notice because they understand you are not getting the best opportunities.
Short-term Employment
In some cases, an employee is hired and is still in the onboarding process, but somehow they feel that it’s not the work they wanted to do, then they can easily quit the job without even giving notice. You should inform your employer because they may be expending a considerable lot of money to review and provide the appropriate resources and training. So instead of wasting their money and time, inform them and then quit without any notice. It’s essential to have a friendly conversation and also about your expectations that you had and the differences you found in reality.
Ethical Challenges
If you have some moral issues like different cultures, languages, etc., you can also leave the job without giving any prior notice. The company should follow professional standards, and if you are facing a problem, they shouldn’t compromise it and understand your difficulties.
3. How Can you Professionally Quit?
Whenever you are quitting a job and do not want to give any notice, you must follow some procedure. A few of them are listed down below:
Before leaving the job, you should understand the risks and the possible outcomes. For example, if you have a better opportunity already in your hand, it’s good to go, but if you don’t have a chance and are quitting the job, you must think about your expenses and calculate it correctly. It’s best if you can survive with the money you have right now but be prepared that soon you have to look out for a job again.
Always go through the contract before you decide to quit the job. As we mentioned earlier, it’s legal to terminate an appointment without notice, only if there is no mention of a “notice period” in the contract.
You should always communicate with your managers and human resource employees clearly and let them know your expectations. Before joining an organization, every person has questions, and it’s normal to clear them out to avoid miscommunication and unprofessionalism. Your manager is the best person who can help you in any situation, so it’s better to let them know about your last day so that they may have the candidates who can perform your job.
Always use professional language while informing your boss that you are quitting. This shows dignity and supports the professional reputation.
Having a very positive relationship with the managers is always considered the best thing you can ever have, especially in this situation. Whenever you are informing, always recognize the problem and whether it’s a good time to talk about it. If you cannot figure out the situation, then after declaring your employer or manager, always apologize so that they can acknowledge it.
If you feel that your manager cannot help you, you can also contact the human resource representatives as they will also have a significant role in this process. Give them your updated contact information because they will send the papers and other required documents to that address. You should also ask them about the unpaid benefits you may have or shall receive while quitting the job.
Conclusion
Quitting a job can be a complex and challenging process. Going through the contract paper again, asking the managers and human resource representatives makes our approach much more hectic, confusing, and problematic. While you are quitting a job, always keep in mind that you must have enough money to survive without a job, or if you have a better opportunity, then congratulations.
The process becomes more complex when you don’t want to give the employer/company any notice and want to quit the job right away. We always recommend you go through the contract paper; if there is no mention of Prior notice, you are good to go, and you don’t need to inform anyone. But if there is a prior notice mentioned in the terms and conditions in the offered contract paper, then, in this case, having a good relationship with the employer, manager, or human resource representative can be a great advantage.
Behave professionally while informing them about your sudden resignation; you should always be polite and humble. Express your gratitude towards them, give them a proper valid reason so they wouldn’t take any legal action. If they find the reason reasonable, they might even help you throughout the process.
