Threatening to Resign - Accepted!

 There was a time when employees could use resignation as a form of leverage without truly intending to leave their jobs. During those days, bosses would often persuade such employees to reconsider, resolving the issues at hand and canceling the resignation. This approach likely played a role in retaining talented individuals by setting egos aside and addressing underlying conflicts.

However, times have changed. Today, using resignation as a threat no longer works. If an employee attempts this tactic, it is often met with immediate acceptance, leading to their departure the very next day. Resignation threats are no longer a tool for negotiation.

A good friend of mine experienced the consequences of this paradigm shift. Frustrated with his boss, he impulsively told him that he would resign. Before his friends could dissuade him, he had already communicated his intention. His boss, instead of persuading him to stay, asked him to submit a resignation letter, which he did in a fit of anger. Within days, his resignation was accepted, and he was out of the job.

He then ventured into business but failed. His marriage fell apart, and while he remarried a younger woman out of spite rather than love, his life was never the same.

The issue today is that we are losing valuable employees, partly due to the ongoing Australia exodus and, more significantly, due to the unwillingness of bosses to address conflicts or allow resignation threats as a form of expression. When employees use resignation as a threat, it often reflects their frustration and a desire to feel valued. If handled with tact—by showing consideration and perhaps allowing them to boast about being “asked to stay”—it could boost their morale and help retain experienced talent.

Another friend of mine, unhappy with routine instructions, often spoke of resigning. Recognizing his intent to merely vent frustration, I advised him to stop using resignation as a threat, warning him of the likely consequences. He took my advice and avoided making that mistake.

The  era when resignation threats could be used as a negotiation tool is over. In today’s workplace, no one is considered indispensable, and if anyone tries to use resignation letters as a threat, it can be accepted immediately. Those who attempt to use resignation as a threat must understand that it might result in an unplanned farewell. The ocean may not notice the loss of a few droplets initially, but the impact will be deeply felt when it’s too late to recover them. 

May the droplets be retained. (The seasoned bosses of the past had the tact and wisdom to retain employees, skillfully discouraging premature retirements, especially when such decisions stemmed from ego clashes).