Aug 28 2008
How to tell your boss you’re leaving
Photo by BigGolf
Unless you’ve been freelancing for a while, chances are that at some point you’ll need to tell your boss and the people you work with that you’re leaving. Your colleagues may be surprised at your decision to travel - some may think you’re mad to be throwing away the security of a regular pay check, but most will probably admit that you’re doing what they always wish they had. You may even inspire a few to follow your example and leave on an adventure of their own.
When preparing to leave your job it’s important to plan for the least disruption to the people around you as possible. If you hate your job and can’t wait to throw the towel in, it may be very tempting to disappear overnight or tell your boss exactly what you think of him before you leave but you never know when you might need that reference. Being sensitive to the needs of the company you work for may open doors for you in the future - you may even be offered the chance to work remotely or come back to your job if things don’t work out. It pays to be professional, however excited about your trip and fed up with your current situation you may be.
Ensure you give your manager plenty of warning that you’ll be leaving. You may only have a 4 week notice period or less, but giving a longer notice period will allow them more time to find a replacement for you, start planning to distribute your workload to other members of the team and generally prepare for your departure.
Explain your reasons for leaving. Your boss may be shocked that you’re giving up your job for such a frivolous reason or they may be pleased that you’re leaving in order to ‘live the dream’ rather than because you can’t stand working there and can’t wait to leave. If your decision to leave was prompted by other reasons that made you unhappy in your job then you should take the chance to explain this in a fair and balanced way. It may be hard to remain objective but getting angry and leaving on a bad note will only burn bridges and possibly make things difficult for you in the future. Choose your phrasing carefully - “Recently I’ve not been finding my work challenging and feel it’s time for me to make a change” sounds better than “I’ve been getting really bored and I can’t take it any more!”
Be professional. It may be tempting to start winding down once everyone knows you’re leaving but if there’s work to be done, make sure you finish it properly before you leave. Do a proper handover with your colleagues or replacement before you finish working and consider writing up a handover manual that can be referred to when you’re gone.
Be flexible. You need to be prepared for the possibility that you may be offered an incentive to stay. Don’t be too suprised if you’re offered a payrise or a sabbatical. Take time to consider these offers before you turn them down or snap them up - will a payrise really make your job bearable enough to stay for a year? Will you be content with travelling for six months and then returning to your job? On the other hand if your travel plans aren’t set in stone, it may be worth staying a little longer if this will enable you to save a lot of money - it will come in handy when you have no regular income!
And finally… try not to gloat too much. your colleagues will soon get sick of hearing how you’ll be sitting on a tropical beach in a few months time!
If you’re still lacking courage, try reading Penelope Dullaghan’s story of how she resigned from her day job to become a freelance illustrator - very inspiring for those of us still chained to a desk!
