There comes a time when you know it´s right to move on. Whether you love your current job but need new challenges, or you feel your job isn´t the right fit for you anymore. But how to quit your job when you work remotely? What are the best ways to avoid making it awkward by Zoom?
Read on as we have all the advice you need to learn how to quit a remote job professionally.
How To Quit A Remote Job? 9 Effective Steps
1. Are you Sure?
Before you burn any bridges, are you really sure that you want to resign?
Don’t do it in the heat of the moment, no matter how frustrated or upset you are. If you are thinking about resigning with a cool head, then is now the right time to do it? Do you have a written job offer from your new place of employment, or contracts in place if you’re going freelancing?
Also, be honest with yourself about whether you genuinely want to quit, or you just want to say that you are to make a point. If it’s the latter, think very carefully before speaking as we’re generally a lot more dispensible than we’d like to admit.
2. Check your Contract
Your next step should be to go back to your contract of employment. Read it closely tounderstand what your notice requirements are, and if there are any clauses that might impact where you go next. For example, your contract may prevent you from working for competitors, or going freelance in the same market for a period of time.
Once you’ve done your research, work out what your last working day will be, keeping in mind any holiday that you have to take.
3. Have a Meeting with your Line Manager
While you can’t just pop into their office in a quiet moment, you should still try and have some face time with your manager, if you can.
Drop them an email or direct message and ask if you have some time; if you think the conversation might be a long one, then set that expectation. If not, a quick five minutes should suffice. Make sure they know it’s important, so they don’t bump your meeting if things get busy.
4. Prepare What you Want to Say
Wondering, ‘What do I say when I quit my job?’
Well, unfortunately, there is no one size fits all answer to that. Your opening sentence should lay out your plans, ‘I’ve decided to move on from this company, and I’ll be sending my resignation letter later today.’
Where the conversation goes from there will depend on your line manager. They may want to go into your reasoning, so consider whether you want to go into that or hold off until your exit interview.
Remember, you will (probably) have to work out your notice period, so if you can avoid making things awkward, do so. If you’ve had issues with your line manager and you would prefer not to speak to them about it at all, schedule time with HR or their superior instead.
5. Write the Resignation Letter
Once you’ve given verbal notice, it’s time to follow that up with your formal resignation letter.
The best practice for resignation is a short and professional typed letter, but how do you submit your resignation when working remotely? The solution is to create the letter in your word processing application of choice, then send it to your line manager or HR attached to an email.
Resignation Letter Sample
Date
Dear Managers Name,
Please accept this letter as X weeks notice of my intention to resign my position as Job Role. (You can leave it here if you like, there is no need to go into detail). My last working day with the company will be XX/XX/XXXX.
Include a thank you note, even if you’ve had a negative experience – make the thank you for a positive experience or use ‘woolly wording’ for politeness and say something like, ‘Thank you for all the positive experiences I have had during this time.’
Kind Regards
Your Name
6. Tell Your Co-Workers
While you might have already confided in your work wife or husband, you will still need to let the rest of the team know. Your manager may have suggested a way to handle this, and it’s certainly best if you can work out how that will happen together. How do you tell your coworkers you’re leaving remotely? Mentioning it as part of a regular meeting is the best way to keep it casual.
Do keep in mind that if you’re discussing things over chat, you might feel more comfortable sharing information than you would face to face, so watch what you’re saying. You may be 100% in the right, but you are perceived as stirring up trouble that might impact any references that you get given going forward.
7. Work your Notice
There may be cases where you don’t have to work your notice, depending on your role and your sensitivity. Instead, you may be placed on ‘garden leave’ where you get paid but don’t have to work. If you do have to work your notice, prepare yourself for an awkward, if not stressful, time.
You might need to train someone to take over for you or make sure that documentation is in order to hand over.
If you are in a customer-facing role, you might be asked not to share that you are leaving with clients that you have established relationships with, but if you’re asked to do so, then you must. Again, depending on your role and where you are moving in your career, you may find that you are excluded from certain meetings that are commercially sensitive. Just remember that none of this is personal or a reflection on you as an individual; it’s just the company trying to protect their business.
8. Virtual Leaving Drinks
No, it’s not the same as all heading to a bar at the end of your last day, but having some sort of virtual leaving event is still a great way to mark your leaving and recognize the importance of the relationships you’ve made with your remote colleagues.
Hopefully, your manager will organize these for you, but if they don’t, then be proactive and make a calendar event yourself.
9. End on a Positive Note
Sometimes we just find ourselves in the wrong job, whether it’s the responsibilities or the corporate culture. It’s a rare experience that doesn’t have something positive about it, though – even if it’s just that you have learned what you don’t want for the next job!
Focus on the positive and leave with a good reputation; you never know when people might come back into your life.
And that’s How to Quit a Remote Job!
Changing jobs can be a stressful time, and you certainly want to leave your old job with the best impression possible. If you follow our advice above, then you should be able to resign from your remote job with a smile and a great reputation to follow you to your next role. Good luck!
