Is it common to resign via email?

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The other day my boss forwarded me an email with an individual's resignation. She forwarded it as this person reports indirectly to me so it was important for me to know.

Basically the email itself was the resignation letter. Is this normal now? This is the first email resignation letter I have seen. Any others (and I have resigned and had reports resign as well) I have seen are all typed, printed and personally handed to the manager with at least a short discussion in person.

Just wondering if this guy is an idiot (well I actually have an opinion on that ie - their loss is our gain), or if people are really becoming that unprofessional that they resign via email? For background -- this is a professional fulltime job where you are supposed to have a college degree or equivallent and x number of years previous experience.

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 7,130 • Replies: 38

@Linkat,

Quote:

manager with at least a short discussion in person.

You are assuming that beside the email there was no discussions over the matter with the manager?

In any case, why would a printed hard copy letter be any better then an email with the same information on it?

The only question and or concern about the matter would be that normally such emails are not sign as is a printed letter of resignation, however if that is a concern there are ways and means to sign such a email using public key encryption and a company HR could set up such a protocol to cover such situations.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

No - I talked with my boss. He sent it and she forwarded it letting me know that he didn't come in - I was going to see today if she actually talked to him since.

Quote:

why would a printed hard copy letter be any better then an email with the same information on it?

Because email is informal and a hard copy letter is formal. Anyone in the business world should understand the difference. It is also professional respect.

Is it then appropriate to email someone to let them know they are fired or laid off?

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@Linkat,

Quote:

Because email is informal and a hard copy letter is formal. Anyone in the business world should understand the difference. It is also professional respect.

I disagree. And I fail to see why this matters at all.

What matters to the employer is that the employee give reasonable notice (generally two weeks) and takes the time to leave their work in a good state. What does "professional respect" have to do with anything. Are we really worried about the employer's feelings getting hurt?

An employee getting fired or laid off is a completely different thing than a employer losing an employee. When you get laid off, you are losing your only job and usually your only source of income. When you lose an employee it is a minor inconvenience. This is why firing someone is much more delicate than leaving your job.

The last job I left I went and told my boss in person. That worked well for me. He asked for an email just to have a record.

A hard copy letter is an anachronism and a useless waste of paper.

3 Replies

I wonder about the circumstances.

If I were seriously enough pissed-off, it's something I might do.

I have always submitted a hard copy letter of resignation, but I'm old-school.

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@maxdancona,

I agree an to me and I was born way way way before the internet/email age that there in nothing more respectful or professional about a hard copy then an email.

They are one and the same thing.

1 Reply

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

The other day my boss forwarded me an email with an individual's resignation.
She forwarded it as this person reports indirectly to me so it was important for me to know.

Basically the email itself was the resignation letter. Is this normal now?
This is the first email resignation letter I have seen. Any others
(and I have resigned and had reports resign as well) I have seen are all typed,
printed and personally handed to the manager with at least a short discussion in person.

Just wondering if this guy is an idiot (well I actually have an opinion on that ie - their loss is our gain),

That is unclear.
He IS an idiot ?

Linkat wrote:

or if people are really becoming that unprofessional that they resign via email?
For background -- this is a professional fulltime job where you are
supposed to have a college degree or equivallent and x number of years previous experience.

A resignation is a refusal to work
and a refusal to continue a commercial relationship.
He who refuses and walks away can say nothing
or say anything as he leaves. I dunno what is normal now.
I 've been retired for too long to know that.

For some folks, naked abandonment of their jobs
is their only resignation. Suppose that a guy hits the Mega Millions.

David

1 Reply

I've confirmed that there has been no verbal conversation between employee and manager as of just a little bit ago.

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@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

I agree an to me and I was born way way way before the internet/email age
that there in nothing more respectful or professional about a hard copy then an email.

They are one and the same thing.

R u ready for our foray into a restaurant of Florida ?

David

0 Replies

@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

I disagree. And I fail to see why this matters at all.

What matters to the employer is that the employee give reasonable notice (generally two weeks) and takes the time to leave their work in a good state. What does "professional respect" have to do with anything. Are we really worried about the employer's feelings getting hurt?

I've taken many training classes via my employer and other similar places of employment and all state in such training classes that email is an informal means of communicating. That you should be careful when you use verses speaking with a person.

I have no issue with the email itself -- just there has been no verbal conversation at all. It is not typical in the business world and will reflect upon the inidividuals values/business etiquette. In other words - almost like you said elsewhere you want to leave on a good note by maintaining your professional appearance until your last day. That includes treating others professionally.

It is though no surprise to me as this individual does not normally act professional and has been on the outs in a sense. He does lack in his day to day job professional attitude and quality work (or lack there of). To me this is more a reflection of him and typical of his work ethic.

1 Reply

Curious as to see if I was too old school and it was acceptable to resign via email - everything I read said you should resign in person with a follow up of a hard copy letter. There was one that said depending on the circumstance you may have to resign via email or phone call. Not sure what the circumstances are that are referring too (tried to find it).

Here is one link:
Notify your boss in person. The type of organization you work for and position you hold may dictate a different approach to how you break the news, says Sue Fox, author of "Business Etiquette for Dummies." But generally, it's best to schedule a meeting and let your boss know in person. "It just makes a better impression," Fox says, adding that it "shows respect, self-confidence and that you have strong interpersonal skills."

http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2013/08/12/8-ways-to-graciously-quit-your-job

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@OmSigDAVID,

Quote:

He IS an idiot ?

Yeah he has done stupid things - some things defy logic and common sense.

He emailed a former worker - this employee used to report to me and for good reasons this former employee gave his notice and moved to a better level, better paying position - I do not blame him at all. This employee resigned with me - he asked to meet with me and he personally told me and handed me his official resignation.

Any way I was cc'd on email he sent to this individual's new place of employment. In the email it was apparent my former report asked this person for my email so we could stay in touch - all quite appropriate as always good to maintain professional contacts.

However at the end of the email - this "idiot" asked him if they had any openings. What sort of person would do that while knowing they are including a higher up in the email? I, of course, let others know and my boss wanted to see the email. As this idiot had not asked me to keep anything in confidence I had no problem forwarding it.

But that is just one example -- I have a boatload.

1 Reply

@Linkat,

U can hire someone smarter.

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Yes - that is the plan. It wasn't a bad loss -- in the long run we will be much better off. I did wish him well today when I saw him.

0 Replies

@Linkat,

Quote:

I've taken many training classes via my employer and other similar places of employment and all state in such training classes that email is an informal means of communicating. That you should be careful when you use verses speaking with a person.

I have had a lot of these silly training classes too. I didn't think there was anyone who takes them seriously.

0 Replies

@maxdancona,

You know, I am wondering that when the typewriter was a new device in the 1880s was there people who was claiming at the time that a type letter was far to informal for a letter of resignation.

As far as talking to your manager/supervisor that seems a good and proper kind of behavior however if the letter itself is in the form of a hard copy or an email I do not frankly see how it matter.

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I supposed if he stayed in his PJs and decided to let everyone know that he wasn't coming in, then it all make sense.

(You did say that "he wasn't coming in." )

0 Replies

@Linkat,

Not really common yet, but not rare.

The funniest (IMNSHO) was a guy who sent a text to our v.p. at noon:15 on his first day to say he wouldn't be back. The job wasn't what he felt he'd been promised and he saw no point in coming back after lunch.

Apparently he'd spent 11:30 to noon on the phone with his former employer, getting his old job back.

0 Replies

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

are really becoming that unprofessional that they resign via email?

job offers are made by email regularly (and have been for some time) - why wouldn't this be the next normal step?

1 Reply

Actually, I think it's not the norm. I work in a library and just got a new position. The process: I met with my current boss to let her know I was applying for Job B, I supplied a resume and cover letter to HR, then I interviewed in person with the manager at Job B, and then I was informed by telephone and mail by HR that I got the position, and then got a welcome email from Job B Manager. So… I think email resignations and offers might be okay in some cases, but it certainly isn't in our outfit. Maybe at McDonalds??

The problem with email is how do you know the guy actually wrote it?

I think it's akin to breaking up by text. Just not professional or courteous. And I'd be passing that on to his next employer if asked for a reference.

2 Replies

Is it common to resign via email?

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