how to resign from work: leaving on a positive note

How much notice do you have to give before resigning?

Depending on what kind of job you have (casual, part-time, full-time) you may need to give your employer notice of your intention to leave. The first thing you should do is check your employment contract as required notice periods are often set out in this document.

If you can’t find any information in your employment contract you could look at the Fair Work website. This Notice and Redundancy Calculator can also be helpful if you weren’t given an employment contract and are not sure how much notice you should give.

It’s also important to know that your required notice period may be determined by the length of time you were employed there, and that an employer can choose to reduce or remove your notice period. If you feel comfortable, consider speaking to your employer about what notice period would suit both you and them.

How to tell your supervisor that you're leaving your job

It can be hard to tell your boss that you want to leave; you might be worried about how they will react, or nervous to take this final step. Even if you don't like your job or your boss, it is important to be professional and polite, ideally letting them know face to face if possible. You may need an employment reference for a new job, and it can be handy to maintain those professional relationships throughout your career – you never know when you might need them again!

If your manager asks why you're leaving, emphasising the positives will show your manager that you want to leave on good terms.

• Organise a one-on-one meeting. Arrange to meet with your manager in a private space if available and take your resignation letter with you.
  
  
• Bring a support person. Generally, you are allowed to bring a support person with you to meetings with your employer. However, check with your HR department to see what their policy or agreement says, because there may be restrictions on who your support person can be.
  
  
• Keep it professional and positive. Leaving on good terms has a lot of benefits, for example that employer may be happy to be a reference for you when it comes to looking for another job, or potentially provide a future opportunity.
  
  
• Try to avoid talking to other co-workers about your resignation before speaking to your boss. Whether you work as part of a small team or a big team, word can spread quickly throughout the workplace. Your boss would much rather hear it from you than from someone in the lunchroom so be mindful who you discuss this with beforehand.
  
  

If your manager appears unhappy with your resignation at first, try to understand their perspective of the situation. Your manager may feel more comfortable with your resignation if they can see that you value the company and what you've learned while in that position. If your boss reacts badly, this does not mean their concerns are your fault, or that you shouldn’t be resigning from the role – you can stick to the decision that’s right for you. Check out this article from Indeed for more information on what to do if your boss takes your resignation badly.