How to Protect Yourself During Resignation

It’s tempting. When you realize that where you work is at least dysfunctional, and at worst toxic - to want to run for the exits. But take a beat. It’s important to strategically plan that exit. First and foremost, you must emotionally “break up” with them. You don’t need to tell them immediately. But you do need to plan your path to resign successfully. To do this, you must resolve that this job, company, role, or brand, no longer serves your higher aspirations. Then you build a bridge to arrive on the other side – the exit. That will involve networking with those you feel can keep your confidence. It will involve creating a narrative for why you are leaving, that does not involve the dysfunction or toxicity you are currently managing. (Nobody really wants all that detail). And it will involve regaining what you lost, by staying beyond the expiration date – your confidence, your mental health, your remembrance of what a healthy and rewarding environment feels like. It’s hard not to get caught in the power dynamics at play in a dysfunctional work environment. Seeking support to extract yourself is primary. Speak with a mentor. Hire a Coach. Take action – but keep complacency at bay. The risks are too high. Take it from someone who resigned not from one, but from two roles without another lined up. The first time, I planned my exit to have a soft landing. The second, I did not. (Fortunately, I was gainfully employed within a month, but the first time was a better landing because my planning was better). Regain your agency. Protect your boundaries. Strategize. Take an action. And deep breath. 10 Signs You Work for a Dysfunctional Company 1)       You and your colleagues constantly temperature check your boss’ mood first thing in the morning. 2)       Your boss surrounds themselves with “yes” people who support their alternative realities. 3)       Individuals leading projects have suddenly been left off meeting invites without explanation to the collective team. 4)       You have been asked to keep secrets by superiors, from other superiors. 5)       Your direct report tells you that they must “break you,” because you disagree with them. 6)       Your boss tells you that they are “wired that way,”  to give themselves permission for bad behavior. 7)       Leadership meetings devolve into unproductive weekly sessions on how to manage certain employees who constantly take to social media with every minor complaint. 8)       Your boss shares intimate details about their sex life with you and asks you about yours. 9)       Your direct report takes their entire family on work-related business trips, and expenses the entire trip, and keeps this tidbit from finance. 10) You wake up in the morning and realize you spend 60% of your time managing up someone else’s erratic behavior, versus doing your actual job. #Coaching #Work #Careers

A friend called recently with a tough dilemma - their organization gave them a choice: be fired or resign instead. Forgetting the reasons for the termination for a minute (allegedly performance-related), their question was which is better - resign or wait to be fired? This is a deeply personal decision and the “right” answer will be different for each person, but here are the thoughts I shared with my friend: - Think about the financial implications. Oftentimes the offer to resign in lieu of being fired comes with severance pay, but keep in mind that in many states, resigning may result in forfeiting your unemployment claims (caveat: plenty of states treat resigning in lieu of termination as an involuntary termination and you'd still be eligible). - Decide if you want to fight your termination in court. If you believe your term is because of a protected class (e.g. race, gender, etc.) or in retaliation for reporting discrimination, harassment, or whistleblowing, then you could file a complaint against your employer. - BUT severance pay or benefits are usually given in exchange for releasing your employer of any claims you might have. This might be fine by you, but if you truly believe you’ve been wrongfully terminated, you should consult an employment lawyer before signing. - Evaluate how this affects your mental health. Regardless of how wrong you think your employer is, you may just want out of the situation through the path of least resistance. No shame in that. - Along the same lines, you might feel like a firing will affect how you view yourself. Note: it shouldn’t! It’s a very normal part of being employed for most of your life! But I get we all process differently. It might just make you feel better to resign. That's ok too. - Think about those remaining on staff who might have less positional power. In many cases, “fighting the good fight” against a wrongful termination could greatly help those left on staff. That’s not necessarily a reason to do it or to sacrifice your own needs, but something to keep in mind. If there’s a team you care greatly about, you may decide to fight the termination. - Being fired does NOT mean you’ll be blacklisted forever in your industry (unless you did something illegal or unethical, like embezzle money or sexually harass your employees). Hell, the CFO of Enron got a job at a law firm and as a speaker after serving prison time… You being fired for poor performance (according to your employer) is not a death sentence. I promise. - You personally might still feel more comfortable resigning so you don’t ever have to say you were fired, but I do think people fear this more than they should, and it should be your lowest priority in making this decision. - If you opt to sign a severance agreement, you may want to negotiate. Your employer wants you to sign and release any claims. So you have leverage to counteroffer for more money, extended benefits, how reference checks will be handled, etc.

HR is not on your side (yes, this is coming from someone that works in HR - I’m breaking Omertà sharing this!) One of the most unfortunate misunderstandings in Corporate America™️ is the assumption (by employees) that HR is there to protect them. As the recent investigation into the (allegedly) toxic work environment at ‘The Tonight Show’ uncovers, staff that tried to alert HR at NBC to what was happening were either targeted with corrective action, or were fired. In another example, also reported this week, HR at Fox News conducted an investigation into an executive, found ‘problematic’ stuff, but cleared the executive anyway. The person that made the complaint ended up leaving the network, whilst the executive went on with their career. It was only a decade later, after an investigation by an outside law firm, that Fox took any action. Unfortunately this is not unusual. HR are there to protect the business (and the leaders of the organization), not the employees. So what can you do if you’re experiencing a hostile work environment? 1. If you have the option, join a union (unions are on your side, which is why so many businesses try to dissuade you from joining them) 2. Collect as much evidence as you can (copies of emails are best, detailed contemporaneous notes next best) 3. Get outside counsel (speak to a lawyer) who can advise you on your situation, and what the likely outcomes are 4. Ask for a witness when you do meet with HR (eg a union representative, or a leader from your ERG) The unfortunate truth is, most of the time, raising a complaint to HR will not end well for you, so make sure you’ve sought advice before making any irrevocable steps. To be clear, no one should tolerate a hostile work environment, please just ensure you’re protecting yourself during the process. ******** I post long-form careers / job search advice every Thursday - hit the 🔔 next to my name if you’d like to receive notifications I also publish a complete guide of everything you need to know to optimize both your job search and your presence on LinkedIn - you’ll find the link in the comments 😎