Ever had someone quit without notice? It’s inconvenient, annoying, and often expensive, especially if they have a responsible position. How can you reduce the drama, and the frequency? You can improve your systems and culture, so people are more respectful and it happens less often. Staff resignations will happen, but you don’t need to be at the effect of them
Fewer surprise resignations leads to a happier and more stable team, and customers will notice. It also reduces the cost of advertising, onboarding and training.
A friend recently found out that her operations manager was leaving, and the news came out accidentally. The woman was someone trusted like family, but she had still told others first – it happens. My friend moved quickly to fill the gap, and reflecting on it later, said, ‘Part of the problem is that most staff don’t know how to resign, or handle these situations in a professional way. Most of them have not worked where it’s done the right way.’ Many people assume it’s OK to walk away without notice, just like ghosting is common on dating apps – delete, without even a goodbye. Not cool.
No one ever wants staff resignations, or good people to leave, but if it must happen, let’s make sure it’s well-planned, with plenty of notice. If staff know what’s expected, they are more likely to do it right.
Make plans for fewer surprise resignations
Show staff the right way to resign. It’s probably in the Staff Manual, but it can also be discreetly posted on the noticeboard: ‘If you are planning to resign, permanent staff are expected to give 4 weeks notice. We need 2 weeks’ notice from part-time or casual workers, or more if possible. We don’t want you to leave, but if something needs to change, we’ll make sure it works for everyone.’ Even though a casual worker can technically quit on the spot, the request is for two weeks, and the good ones will respect it. They also need information on return of uniform, keys and company property, and when they receive their final pay.
Regular reviews pick up dissatisfaction. Whether it’s a formal Performance Review or a regular ‘How’s it going?’ chat, a private conversation with employees gives them the chance to be honest and share hopes and plans. How long since this happened? Even a short Performance Review Form, based on duties in their Job Description, can be useful – let them fill it out in advance. They may let you know they plan to travel in three months, or will be moving for study. Three months is a good amount of notice!
If a person disappears and can’t be contacted, this is called Abandonment of Employment – it needs to be handled with care. Understand the situation for Australia and in New Zealand.
You may decide to give the person a Statement of Service (a letter with start and finish date), or they may ask for an Employment Separation Certificate for social security purposes.
Think about ‘succession planning’. It may be corporate jargon, but every job needs someone else to cover for it, either permanently or short term. The calmest owners have a Plan B for every position. Your managers and supervisors can all be a part of the planning process – there will be a lot to talk about, and it’s a positive conversation.
Wear your neutral face. Your staff know what happened, and some may know the ‘real reasons’. Now is the time to keep your cool, even if you’re hurt, angry, or even relieved. No tears, rage, or celebrating.
Ask the manager in charge what happened.
Was the wrong kind of person hired, which made it inevitable they would fail?
Did we hire out of desperation instead of choosing someone competent?
Is the job too dull, too hard, or too stressful?
Was the training too short or too complicated?
Can we modify the job or add better systems so we don’t repeat this?
Do things need to change at the management level to stop this happening again?
What doesn’t work in your business? After two young men quit their jobs in my cafe, saying, “It’s time to move on”, I found out about some bad harassment. Neither of them ever told us the real reason, but we had suspicions and eventually found out the truth. In retrospect, I should have noticed the signs much sooner. How good is your “intelligence network” or staff radar when it comes to things like this?
A positive staff culture is like a magnet – good people are attracted to it, and want to stick around. If you have constant staff resignations, work through the issues causing it quickly and methodically – it’s rarely about ‘bad people’ but usually workplace issues that need to change. Here’s to your stable, happy workforce!
Want to get some 1 on 1 help on staffing issues? Talk to one of our coaches
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Ever had someone quit without notice? It’s inconvenient, annoying, and often expensive, especially if they have a responsible position. How can you reduce the drama, and the frequency? You can improve your systems and culture, so people are more respectful and it happens less often. Staff resignations will happen, but you don’t need to be at the effect of them
Fewer surprise resignations leads to a happier and more stable team, and customers will notice. It also reduces the cost of advertising, onboarding and training.
A friend recently found out that her operations manager was leaving, and the news came out accidentally. The woman was someone trusted like family, but she had still told others first – it happens. My friend moved quickly to fill the gap, and reflecting on it later, said, ‘Part of the problem is that most staff don’t know how to resign, or handle these situations in a professional way. Most of them have not worked where it’s done the right way.’ Many people assume it’s OK to walk away without notice, just like ghosting is common on dating apps – delete, without even a goodbye. Not cool.
No one ever wants staff resignations, or good people to leave, but if it must happen, let’s make sure it’s well-planned, with plenty of notice. If staff know what’s expected, they are more likely to do it right.
Make plans for fewer surprise resignations
Show staff the right way to resign. It’s probably in the Staff Manual, but it can also be discreetly posted on the noticeboard: ‘If you are planning to resign, permanent staff are expected to give 4 weeks notice. We need 2 weeks’ notice from part-time or casual workers, or more if possible. We don’t want you to leave, but if something needs to change, we’ll make sure it works for everyone.’ Even though a casual worker can technically quit on the spot, the request is for two weeks, and the good ones will respect it. They also need information on return of uniform, keys and company property, and when they receive their final pay.
Regular reviews pick up dissatisfaction. Whether it’s a formal Performance Review or a regular ‘How’s it going?’ chat, a private conversation with employees gives them the chance to be honest and share hopes and plans. How long since this happened? Even a short Performance Review Form, based on duties in their Job Description, can be useful – let them fill it out in advance. They may let you know they plan to travel in three months, or will be moving for study. Three months is a good amount of notice!
Understand the legal issues.
Fair Work Australia explains the rules for resignation, the amount of notice, and any pay owed or held back. Information also at Employment New Zealand.
If a person disappears and can’t be contacted, this is called Abandonment of Employment – it needs to be handled with care. Understand the situation for Australia and in New Zealand.
You may decide to give the person a Statement of Service (a letter with start and finish date), or they may ask for an Employment Separation Certificate for social security purposes.
Think about ‘succession planning’. It may be corporate jargon, but every job needs someone else to cover for it, either permanently or short term. The calmest owners have a Plan B for every position. Your managers and supervisors can all be a part of the planning process – there will be a lot to talk about, and it’s a positive conversation.
Wear your neutral face. Your staff know what happened, and some may know the ‘real reasons’. Now is the time to keep your cool, even if you’re hurt, angry, or even relieved. No tears, rage, or celebrating.
Ask the manager in charge what happened.
Was the wrong kind of person hired, which made it inevitable they would fail?
Did we hire out of desperation instead of choosing someone competent?
Is the job too dull, too hard, or too stressful?
Was the training too short or too complicated?
Can we modify the job or add better systems so we don’t repeat this?
Do things need to change at the management level to stop this happening again?
What doesn’t work in your business? After two young men quit their jobs in my cafe, saying, “It’s time to move on”, I found out about some bad harassment. Neither of them ever told us the real reason, but we had suspicions and eventually found out the truth. In retrospect, I should have noticed the signs much sooner. How good is your “intelligence network” or staff radar when it comes to things like this?
A positive staff culture is like a magnet – good people are attracted to it, and want to stick around. If you have constant staff resignations, work through the issues causing it quickly and methodically – it’s rarely about ‘bad people’ but usually workplace issues that need to change. Here’s to your stable, happy workforce!
Want to get some 1 on 1 help on staffing issues? Talk to one of our coaches
Check the other useful blog posts on the Foodie Coaches website…