‘Never Lose an Employee Again’ was the headline in an advertisement I saw this week. They weren’t talking about not losing someone on a walk, they were saying with their training, the childcare provider would not have an employee resign. Some claim!
A degree of labour turnover is good. Good for the individual and the organisation. Without any turnover, an organisation can become stagnant, too stuck in its ways and, in some cases toxic, as quiet quitters stay and ruin the workplace culture.
Equally, too high a level of turnover means that quality falls through the floor and parents and children don’t form effective relationships.
Many will resign with notice, often as is stated in their employment contract. Resignations can come out of the blue and in the ‘heat of the moment’. A resignation should be requested in writing, via a letter, email, text and, occasionally, a WhatsApp message.
Resignations where someone works their notice is an opportunity for the organisation to learn about their decision to leave through an exit interview and for their colleagues and the families to say goodbye. You may have time to recruit their replacement during their notice period, but that has become increasingly a challenge.
When someone resigns without notice, we can be concerned that this is a sign that someone with qualifying service will claim constructive dismissal at an employment tribunal. Sometimes, that is not their intention.
Some resignations can be worded as grievances. We recommend you seek advice on how to best handle this before the matter becomes one for ACAS or an employment tribunal.
An employee may resign then change their mind and ask their employer to allow them to retract. For resignations in the heat of the moment, we may recommend the employer allows retraction. However, there is no unilateral right to withdrawa resignation, and employees can find that their employer refuses the request.
