How to resign when your boss is impossible to reach?

Question

This isn't my first time resigning a job, just the first from such a strange place . . . My workplace is highly disorganized and the leadership not very clear-cut. My group has a couple "task masters" who are functionally on the same level as our actual supervisors without actually being titled such. The supervisors are in turn under a manager. None of these people are ever very accessible and whenever a work-related question arises it's not only not clear whose attention it should be brought to, but typically takes multiple requests to get any assistance from them.

I want to give my 2-week notice with the most professional and favorable impression possible, but given how hard it is to find anyone to talk to and never knowing who is going to be on-site when, doing so in person would be basically impossible. Would a well-written notice by email suffice? And is it enough to inform just my immediate supervisor, or should it be copied to the other "supervisors" as well?

Thank you for any help . . .

Answer 1

In some jurisdictions, the physical copy is the required document to show you've fulfilled your contract, so make sure you provide this ASAP. Note that the notice is in effect the date that your notice is delivered to the company or placed on your manager's desk, not the date your line manager reads it.

If you can't get a physical copy of your notice to the manager quickly, send the email now stating when your notice period ends (2 weeks from the date the email is sent). Make the contents of the email the same as a physical copy (minus addresses/headings etc), and note in the email that you've put a physical copy of the same on their desk. In the physical copy, note that you've also sent the same document via email, that way there's no confusion. By sending the same document via email and physical copy, you continue the same level of professionalism (if not more, as you've shown you're both continuing to do things "by the book", while assisting the company by getting the information to them ASAP)

An email to your line manager (this should be stated in your contract, but that doesn't mean it is) may be the only way possible to get your notice in quick enough to move on in 2 weeks, if you have a new role lined up.

Your line manager is your direct superior and may be your supervisor, manager, or the CEO/Managing Director, depending on the company - it's likely to be the first person above you who has the authority to summon you to a meeting, fire you, discuss pay etc...

Answer 2

Since you can't get hold of any of them, a well-written email should suffice. Make sure you spell out when your last day of work will be, if you are meeting your notice period, and get them to acknowledge it, through a follow-up email or badgering them in person (whenever you see them) until they do. If they are typically unreliable in responding to emails, a read-receipt on your resignation email will be useful to have in case anyone asks.

Your immediate supervisor should be enough, but if you are concerned about their availability or them ignoring your email, it is acceptable to cc in other supervisors, particularly if you work closely with them, or your supervisor's manager.

Edit: Also, although it's admirable that you want to leave a favourable impression, they're clearly not extending the same courtesy to you. Don't worry too much about leaving a particularly amazing impression - just leave a professional one.

Answer 3

Regarding sending an email, one thing to bear in mind is that in some jurisdictions, the resignation letter must be signed and dated to be valid. You could scan in a signed letter and send a PDF or similar via email to get around this, rather than just copying-and-pasting the contents of a letter into an email.