How to withdraw resignation?
Withdrawing resignation and retracting your resignation letter is a very weird thing to do, but it does not mean this won’t happen. And it happens for a reason. For someone who has actually done it before, I believe it’s not the worst thing in the world. But question might linger in your head: how to withdraw resignation?
Sometimes, you realized you have made an incongruent decision in tendering your resignation. It could be that your state of mind has been unconsciously driven into confusion. Part of your mind wants to leave but your heart says otherwise. Later you wish you didn’t rush into making that decision to leave.
Or, sometimes this can happen after your employer countered with an offer too sexy to decline. But this would be ok. Since your employer shows its keen interest to keep you, there’s not pretty much work you would do to officially withdraw your resignation. If there is, it would be smooth, and very minimal.
If you need to do this – withdrawing your resignation, first, talk to your manager and clear the air. If you have come into an agreement whereby it is necessary for you to write a letter withdrawing your resignation, by all means do it. It does not have to be a letter with lengthy explanation, suffice to make a formal statement of your intention.
The company, however, is not under obligation to accept your withdrawal from resignation, especially when damaged was done on your part. This is probably arising due to the legal limitation by your employer, which may mean you will have to undergo a normal resignation procedure, and if you’re to work again, a usual hiring process will ensue.
I would like to know your expert opinion on a problem faced by a colleague of mine. She has accepted (signed the offer letter) an offer by company B. Then she handed her resignation letter to our boss. After talking with the boss, my friend decided to stay with our company and retracted her resignation letter. Then she called co B to tell them she has decided not to join co B. The HR person of co B was not satisfied with my friends’s reasons and asked her to reconsider. So later she told our boss that she needed black and white of what our boss has counter offered her and the boss promised to get HR to prepare the letter ( I assume it should be similar to an offer letter). At the same time she also called and told co B that she has decided to join co B after all.
Both companies are having the impression that she is joining/staying with their companies. In reality, she is still contemplating her final decision. So if her final decision is to stay with current co, could co B take legal actions considering she has signed the offer letter ? What if the situation is reversed, if her final decision is to join co B, can her notice period be considered to start on the day she handed in her resignation letter although she actually has retracted the letter (just by taking back the letter, no wriiten communication on withdrawal of the resignation letter)?
Appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
I believe the predicament is best solved through negotiation and discussion. Regardless of the final decision, there is bound to be an unhappy employer but it is better to make an informed decision rather than leaving one of them high and dry.
If she decides to stay, by all means do it but inform B tactfully. They will frown upon it but it is unlikely they will pursue with legal action and go down the lose-lose way which consumes time and resources. Similarly, if she decides to go down, explain to A she’s moving on, and negotiate the best possible resignation notice to serve.