Do you skip resignation announcement if you are advised to do so?

Question

I am quite on a predicament here. So I resign on my current job. My immediate supervisor asked me if I plan to announce it with my workmates. At the time I was nervous and very careful with my words, so I said I haven't figured what to do about it yet and that I planned just to send email as a courtesy to those whom I worked with.

My supervisor said that if I am unsure, I shouldn't do it. Also he told me that it is best that I should not mention it so that I will not demotivate the team.

I left my job because I am not fit for it and I find it not suitable for the skills that I have. I've been wondering what he meant by the comment. Is it unprofessional if I leave unannounced as advised? I am starting to believe this is just the of culture in the workplace. I am trying my best not to burn bridges. Though I am more inclined to let everyone know.

Answer 1

Is it unprofessional if I leave unannounced as advised?

Yes, generally. Leaving unannounced gives the impression you were fired, which while not burning bridges, causes your coworkers to view you negatively (though it might cause your boss to be viewed more positively).

Personally, I would tell some of the people on your team anyways. They need to know you're leaving so that they can plan with that in mind. The wider company does not need to know. And once your last day comes (or perhaps the day before), then send out the email thanking everyone for their help. An email can't lower morale more than your desk being empty without explanation.

Answer 2

In the end of the day your manager doesn't want a mass email/announcement going out as if enough of those go out then it will lower morale.

Imagine if every week someone shouted out "I'm leaving" everyone would think they were on a sinking ship.

However, you still have to say goodbye to the people who would start saying "where's X?" Both out of respect to them and yourself. Your manager will know this, in the end of the day he would be the one being asked!

So mention it to the people in your office or take a few people out for a pub lunch or invite them out for a leaving do, either way, tell the people you want to tell and give them your professional reason in the most positive way. Basically your manager will be happy if you get across the message

"I'm leaving but you don't have to!"

And that comes across a lot better from you then it ever could from him.

If you think he will have any kind of problem with you telling co-workers your leaving, then you could send him a polite email (an email can be better to get a concise message across in delicate situations) saying that you don't want people wondering where you have gone and him getting asked awkward questions (basically explain you have morale in mind too) this way you don't burn any bridges :)

(If your supervisor still had a problem with you after taking all this care to leave gracefully, then frankly I wouldn't worry about that particular bridge being burnt)

Answer 3

It depends on how close a bond you share with your colleagues , also on how long you have been there . If you have been since the company started , and if there are people you daily communicate with then yes ...do let them know . If there are a selected few , who do care about your presence then you can take them out to an outing on weekend and then break the news to them . Else there's always the old faithful email which can save you the trouble of saying it out loud . Choice is yours :)

Answer 4

Announcement is a really loaded world. In a corporate world announcements usually apply to senior management only and issued by hire-ups of the departing manager.

You, probably, should just send a simple "Good bye" e-mail, that is sent on your last day in the office and just to your direct contacts at the company and serves the following three purposes:

1. Let others know that you no longer perform functions that they were used to and provide name(s) and contact information for your "replacement(s)".

2. Thank them for whatever you are grateful for.

3. Let them know how to contact you should they want/need to in the future by providing your private e-mail address or any other way to reach you.

Keep it nice and short. Do not discuss your reasons for leaving or where you are headed to (if you already landed another position). This is not an exit interview - you're just saying Good bye.

If you present it this way, I do not believe your supervisor will have any reasons for disapproval.

Answer 5

"Also he [the supervisor] told me that it is best that I should not mention it so that I will not demotivate the team." Which part of your sentence don't you understand? Why are you making something complex out of something that's simple? Why do you feel a compelling need to second guess your supervisor?

Unless your supervisor's judgement affects the company adversely - in which case, you escalate to upper management, this type of judgement calls is his prerogative to make as long as he takes responsibility for his judgement calls. Make sure that you can contact them on LinkedIn so that you can ask them to act as references if need be and email them that you left after you're gone.

Your desk being empty without explanation is the responsibility of the supervisor's responsibility to address since he was the one who told you not to say anything in the first place. I sat once next to a kid who vacated the premises without saying a word. Twenty minutes later, the CEO came to our open office and announced to everyone that he had fired the kid. If a supervisor tells me not to say anything on the way out, I take it that he will handle the issue and any fallout deriving therefrom himself in his own style at the time, place and circumstance of his choosing. If the supervisor makes a hash of handling the issue, that's his problem.