How to Handle Resigning

Today’s blog post comes to you sandwiched between last night’s RicePowWow and today’s office party (followed by my football team’s Christmas drinks) so please forgive me if I sound kind of distracted. And husky. Why do these things always require so much talking?

Not that many of you will notice, given how many seemed happy to persist with celebrations post-PowWow, and no less than three recruitment firms whose own Christmas do’s blended into the tail end of last night’s shenanigans too.

Talking of notice, I’d like to dedicate today’s post to those poor souls out there currently being “forced” to work out their notice periods. This is a popular time of year to resign ahead of starting a new role in January and it’s fair to say that many do so with the hope, and sometimes expectation, of being put on “gardening leave” and enjoying some summertime r ‘n r on their past employer’s payroll.

This is certainly true of recruiters. We work in a competitive industry and generally (if any good at our jobs) are also in possession of important IP. In our brains that is. Some are also in possession of printed out client databases but I certainly wouldn’t recommend doing that. So anyway, the general rule of thumb with recruiters is that a resignation is swiftly followed, usually within minutes, by a firm hand in the back while being ushered out of the building.

But recruiters are a funny lot. We had one in tears in one of our offices this week when we rumbled a lie about them being on gardening leave already, while telling us they were still working at the previous firm. And another who had all but planned a jolly summer holiday for gardening leave, only to be dismayed upon resigning to be told that they would be required to work out their notice period after all.

This is the trap many recruiters fall into, and I know there are many of you out there planning to resign in the coming weeks, if not already. Never bank on being put on gardening leave. Seemingly it’s only temps and Prime Ministers who only have to give one week’s notice. The usual in New Zealand is 4 weeks and you should be prepared to work it.

You can also be called back into work at any time during that period, even if you are initially put on gardening leave. Your old paymasters are still making deposits into your bank account, after all.

Resign with integrity, don’t begrudgingly work your notice, even when asked to while away the 4 weeks with data entry and database cleansing tasks, and eventually leave with your head held high. But if you are immediately sent out on garden duties after quitting, then enjoy the bonus time off. I hope the sun comes out for you again soon!