How to resign from a job remotely
Congratulations, friend! Whether you’re leaving under the best or worst of circumstances, you deserve a safe, productive, supportive work environment.
In my opinion, it’s easier to have hard conversations on Zoom than in person. Hanging up on video is much, much cleaner of a break than having security walk you out with a stapler and a houseplant in a box. Instead of driving home in a panic, you get to walk outside, take a deep breath, and face the sun. You are human, you are not your job, and you have the rest of your life ahead of you.
If you aren’t finding what you need in your current role, if your boss is a narcissist, or if you’re burned out, you may have decided it’s time to leave.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare. Here’s how.
The two things I put in my cardboard box
Before quitting, do your due diligence for 30 days
Yeah, Imma ask you to wait. Why? “Due diligence” is just part of life. Anything that carries risk requires thoughtful deliberation.
Unless you’ve been having open communication and two-way feedback the entire time, start by having an honest conversation with your boss about what’s wrong. Collect some vibes:
Are they reasonable?
Could they be open to giving you more responsibility, more opportunities for leveling up, and a clearer path toward long-term growth and success in the company?
Could they talk to management about improving systems and culture?
If the issue is… well.. them, are they open-minded to changing their own behavior after honest feedback from you?
…Are you? (Yes, some bosses are just tough)
“This isn’t sustainable”
My script usually involves using my secret weapon word: unsustainable. No one can argue with you when you point out that a system is unsustainable.
“It’s hard for me to give honest feedback like this, so I’m so thankful you were open to hearing me. Well lately, I’ve been noticing issue X. Unfortunately, I tried Y different solutions including XYZ, but I cannot seem to resolve [issue X]. Unfortunately this situation will quickly become unsustainable for me, so I am hoping to work with you on a resolution.”
When you have this (admittedly hard) conversation, it will require you to actually think about what is within you and your boss’ control to change or improve, and discuss it in a productive way without emotion.
If you lay it out for them, give them a chance to improve and make it right
Then, check in every week on each item. By the end of 30 days or four honest, productive, 1:1s, you’ll know if they made any progress or not, and that typically is enough to reveal whether they do or don’t have a genuine interest in making sure you’re supported at work.
You will feel better knowing that you did what was right, were forthright and proactive, and tried to help improve the situation before deciding to leave. (Same goes for relationships but whew is that another post or what)
This 1 month “vesting period” of due diligence is crucial because:
Bluffing is not OK
Make sure you’re 100% ready to resign. Have another job in place, or if you are financially able, a plan to bridge the gap and potentially weather a long job search. The more senior you are, the more risk that you’ll go through 6 months of an emergency fund or potentially more while you compete for roles. It’s getting harder and harder for companies to recognize and recruit good talent, and job searches are getting longer.
If your current situation could be tenable if a few key things change, then you may want to give your supervisor a chance to make progress toward those changes.
Just like you shouldn’t apply for a job if you aren’t willing to do it; don’t tell your boss you’re gonna quit and then not quit. It’s not a tool to leverage to get things.
You will forever be a bluffer, a cry-wolfer, a flight risk
That distrust will carry over to everything. If you do it more than twice, you’ll feel it when you start to get passed over for more responsibility. If you’re not careful, they’ll do it for you and lay you off before you become a problem to them.
How to resign from a job remotely:
Write a formal resignation letter or email: It’s standard to submit a written resignation letter to your employer. Be sure to clearly state that you are resigning, the date of your last day of work, and a (if you’re comfortable) brief statement explaining your reason for leaving. You don’t need to weave a trilogy of a narrative, but you may want to explain why you’re leaving the company to find your replacement, especially if its to take another role, and even if it’s “personal reasons.”
Send it during work hours: Send the email first thing in the morning to your supervisor and HR, and then DM them on your company chat app so they know you emailed them and you are available to speak with them when they’re free.
Schedule a phone or video call with your supervisor: A call provides an opportunity for you to express your gratitude for the opportunity to work with the company and privately with your manager.
Prep your talking points and mantras if you have to: This is the part where you don’t burn any bridges. My recommendation is that even if you have to accept that some things you cannot change, it’s worth it to keep (at least the perception of) those bridges intact, for you never know what might become an opportunity or an obstacle in the future. When I say that, I mean that they may express disappointment when you were expecting gratitude for your contributions. Don’t expect anything, especially a party, and you won’t be disappointed.
Prepare. Your manager will likely ask you if there’s anything they can do to change your mind. Consider this question before the meeting, and prepare a careful, honest answer. You don’t owe anyone an explanation, but if you had a good relationship with your manager, honest feedback can be really helpful.
Consider the timing: It’s “standard” to offer 2 weeks of training and transition help. However with most states at-will, and especially if you have access to secure information, you may find that the day you put in your notice becomes your last day. If you were planning to overlap more closely with your new job, you may find yourself on a 2 week vacation.
Wrap up what you can: Even though it’s deuces for you, be a good human and transition tasks to the next project owner or create documentation for when it is determined who that is. If you were documenting your role the whole time, this should be more of a handover process. The chances that they’ll find a replacement within 2 weeks is slim to none, so make sure you create documentation for everything you do.
Keep communication lines open: Keep communication lines open with your supervisor and HR representative during this process.
Start looking for your next thing: A door closing is an opening window. This chapter is over, but there are plenty of legit remote companies where you can start over, or do something entirely new.
To record or not to record: Consider carefully
I recommend that you DO record within legal guidelines, just for posterity and insurance. If you think something sus is about to go down, open your voice memo off to the side of your laptop and hit start. You never know what kind of messed up stuff some people will say while they try to wiggle out of doing the right thing.
Rightfully, there are 38 states that allow one-party consent to record, as well as federally; meaning that you don’t need the other party’s explicit consent to record a conversation. There are 12 states that require two-party consent: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Be aware that your company policy and company tech may be monitored
And, as there has been a rise in HR meeting recordings going “viral” on social media, don’t be surprised if your benefits or severance becomes tied to your social media behavior after leaving the company.
The law protects you from retaliation for speaking out about working conditions based on your honest experience. This means you can write a Glassdoor review without legal fear that the company will accuse you of violating a nondisparagement clause.
What they write in their contacts and what you choose to sign, is another question entirely and one we have not seen a lot of precedent for in the court system yet in terms of benefits and severance packages.
We know there’s a huge gap between employment law and the level of enforcement across organizations because there are enough loopholes to crochet a clapotis scarf. So even if the law protects you, a company may make a bet that you don’t have enough money to pursue them legally.
Email template for resigning remotely
Hi [manager’s name],
I’m writing to inform you that I am resigning from the role of TITLE at COMPANY NAME today, TODAY’S DATE. I can provide two weeks of transition time so my last day will be DAY, DATE.
I’ve enjoyed working for the company and all of the projects I’ve worked on, and it’s time for me to move on to a new chapter. I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had and will continue to speak highly of my time here and my colleagues. I’ll be available to wrap up all of my projects, hand them over, and create documentation before my last day.
Thank you for this opportunity and for supporting my growth.
I will be available for a call or an exit interview if that’s necessary. I’ll also reach out on Slack if you have any questions.
I wish you and the team all the best.
Sincerely,
Your name and non-work contact information
