How to quit a job after we agreed to an arrangement

Question

I've found similar questions here, but mine is a bit different, if not please correct me. Right now I presented a resignation letter where I stated that because of my university studies schedule I had to resign because time wasn't proper. I didn't talk to my boss or human resources deparment because some months earlier they told me policy was if they gave me hours for studying I should recover them on another day, but that wasn't possible because I required at least 8 hours permission, and that is a work day.

Boss told me I should have talked to him before presenting him the resignation letter, and two days later they proposed to keep me employed discounting the hours I took from paycheck. After thinking about it, I agreed.

It was fine but a week have passed and pressure is rising, because I have to rush on tasks to complete them with less hours at work. I want to present a new resignation but I don't know how to handle this, since they aren't proposing this arrangement to anybody else.

Answer 1

So basically this company is bending over backwards to accommodate your study schedule, however you're finding that you simply don't have enough to time to both study and catch up on work hours/projects.

It is what it is. As well meaning and open to compromise as your boss may be, it may simply not work out for you. Be flattered and thankful that you've received such special treatment, however express that at this point in your life you need to focus on your school, and must move on.

If these people are mature they will understand that you're being honest and with them and not hold any grudges. Unfortunately that's not always how these things work out however, so once you've made up your mind to go understand that you can't keep accepting new compromises, because people's patience is going to run out.

Now, from what you're telling us there seems to be some political undertones to your quitting, such as possibly making your boss look bad after he went to bat for you. It makes me wonder if he is making these compromises for your sake, or for his own (maybe they really need your experience? Who knows).

You should talk to him first and clearly/confidently express your situation. Don't accept a middle ground, and don't compromise: you've done this already and it hasn't worked out. You can't keep playing with people's expectations.

Express yourself clearly, and present it as a decision you've made, so that he doesn't try to find more compromises which don't work out and end up disappointing everyone. You want to avoid letting yourself be guilt-tripped back into a situation you're going to regret just a week down the line.

Whatever is said stick to your guns, hand in your notice, and be very thankful/polite.

Answer 2

Doesn't sound quite fair to me. If they agreed to less hours per week and the commensurate reduction in pay, they should have expected less work per week.

This is something that should have been part of the discussion with your boss and HR when the accommodations were being made. I would suggest that you discuss that with your manager and HR together. Unfortunately, the fact that a new opening has been posted may mean your fate has already been sealed.

Answer 3

So you turned in your resignation letter. Your boss offered to make accommodations to try to keep you, and you agreed. So you stayed. Now, you are finding that the accommodations are not working out as well as you hoped. I hope that summarizes everything.

Go you your boss. Tell him that you really appreciate them trying to work with you on your schooling and very much appreciate the accommodations they made, but that it isn't working out as you had hoped and that you would like to resign. Bring with you another resignation letter.

There are many different ways your boss may respond. He may become defensive, he may be understanding, he may make new promises, etc. It would seem however, that even if new accommodations are to be made, it is very unlikely things will change. So stand firm and put in the resignation. You have already decided that school is higher priority. You have tried to make it work. It isn't working.

Answer 4

I would recommend a new agreement with your boss -- a fixed number of hours per week with a fair pay rate for those hours.

If they go for that, then get back to work -- but leave at the end of the day, and whatever doesn't get done in that time, doesn't get done. Without rushing through your work like it will be the end of the world if you don't put in 40 hours of work in 30 hours time, just do what you can.

If you miss deadlines or don't keep up with the work being assigned to you, just say while you are happy to give them however much work each week as you agreed to, you just can't work a full-time schedule anymore.

And congratulations for finding a job where they are willing to accomodate you.