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Those who had the pleasure of quitting a job know that it can be an awkward and extremely nerve-wracking experience. I, for example, felt so nervous and guilty about handing in my very first notice that I made up a whole story about how I got this new amazing opportunity when in reality I spent the summer relaxing and soaking all the vitamin D I could. But a great way to avoid the pleasantries and unpleasantries of announcing your resignation is to do it over a message. 

The Facebook page “I quit my job by text” has supplied us with many examples where people couldn’t be brave enough or bothered to hand in their notice in person. Even though it might not be the most professional way to do it, it can be a lifesaver for people who want to quickly get it over with, don’t care for the workplace anymore, or have extremely introverted tendencies, like the fear of confrontation.

To learn more about resigning over a message, we reached out to therapist, career and life coach, Helen Godfrey, and career coach Kacie Bail, who kindly agreed to tell us more about it.

According to 2023 October statistics, a whopping 3,628,000 workers in the U.S. left their jobs. The most common way to announce their resignation was in person (76%). 23% did so by email and 10% by text message. 9% went as far as leaving a handwritten note.

When employees hand in their notice, it seems to be brief. 43% who quit in person talked for a few minutes, while 1 in 10 people who sent an email or text wrote just a few words. 

#4

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"I just quit my job after a month of working 40+ hours a week along with a second job. I hope she enjoys finishing truck by herself!"

I quit my job by text Report

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#5

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Quit a job where I was overworked and underpaid, and found a more stable better paying job. Manager texts me months later

I quit my job by text Report

#6

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"So this just happened and I’m almost numb atm. I hope I don’t regret this tomorrow as I do enjoy my job."

I quit my job by text Report

Interestingly enough, in the UK, people favored quitting in person less. Almost half (47%) have quit a job via text, email, call, or voicemail. The majority of them were younger folks (64%) aged 25-34. 

Even though resigning by text may be easier than having a face-to-face conversation, this doesn’t prevent people from ghosting their employers altogether. 29% of workers left work and never came back without saying a word. This is the second most common way to quit in the UK. Meanwhile, in the US, the no communication method comprised 19% of all quitting cases. 

#7

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Context: I was a great waitress, I had worked there over a year, made a slightly higher tip percentage than the other girls (tips were pooled), was always on time, and had NEVER no called-no showed. To give “proof” that I was a great waitress, I had JUST been given a raise (base pay) and been promoted to a shift lead position of sorts. The restaurant had planned a Halloween party (Oct, 22nd 2022) quite a bit in advance, we were all supposed to dress up and had a special menu planned. I was excited for it! I went costume shopping with my boss in the text so she knew I was planning on going. My grandpa was on hospice during this time period and unfortunately passed away. As soon as I knew when his funeral was I asked if I could have the day off. They said NO (insane) because “all waitresses” needed to work the Halloween party. Later on however, they let a girl take the night off because she’d been there a month and she “wasn’t comfortable working a party yet” ??? That trumps funeral?? I was upset but because the funeral was in the morning I figured it would be okay. Well flash forward to the day of the funeral and I just could not bring my self to rush home, put makeup and slutty costume on, and go be high energy with strangers, a mere three hours after burying my grandpa. I texted this at 1pm and the shift starts at 5pm. It was rainy that night and from what I could see from their instagram it wasn’t the absolute mad house that needed everyone on board they thought it would be. It was really unfortunate because I considered my manager a true friend but this really showed their true colors

I quit my job by text Report

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#8

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Got my boss to admit to wage theft

(my employer is rounding down my hours so he can pay me less.)

I work for a very well-known corporation as a server/bartender. My shift usually starts at 4:00 pm.

The time clock rounds my hours to 15-minute intervals. If I clock in at 4:01, I don't start getting paid until 4:15. If I clock in at 3:50 and start working immediately as expected, I don't get paid for those first 10 minutes. I know if I clock out at 10:40 it doesn't round to 10:45. It gets rounded down to 10:30. My general manager confirmed that over text. This means I lose up to 28 minutes in my wages every shift.

I know this is wage theft. They did not notify me that they changed the time clocks. When I was first employed, I was paid from when I clocked in to when I clocked out. I wasn’t aware that it was rounding down my hours for a few months. I believe that I'm owed a couple of hundreds of dollars in unpaid wages. I'm planning to send these screen shots to the labour board but I'm not very hopeful anything will happen

I quit my job by text Report

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#9

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I literally just got home from my first day of work

I quit my job by text Report

However, therapist, career and life coach Helen Godfrey, and career coach Kacie Bail recommend against quitting over text.

"I would not recommend resigning over text because it would come across as unprofessional," says Godfrey.

"If you’re thinking about resigning over text, please consider writing an email instead since it is a more formal way to communicate such important news," adds Bail.

#10

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For context my previous job treated me like shit and eventually got sued by a bunch of companies and lost a lot of its business. They paid bad and tried to seem perfect to the public, but no one was fooled by them except for a few people. They were sued for animal mistreatment and abuse. There was a lot of messed up shit that took place there. Of course my Mom couldn't be happy for me. She honestly never cared, she even kicked me out of the house a week after I turned 18 in April. I now live a much more happy life at my Dad's house. (My Mom and Dad got divorced when I was 3 and a half.)

I quit my job by text Report

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#11

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The truly sickening practice is the companies that purposely destroy food to prevent/deter dumpster diving... you're literally throwing it away because you didn't sell it but the homeless people referred to in this image are PAYING CUSTOMERS!!

I quit my job by text Report

#12

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My gfs job gave her a fake raise

So about a week ago my girlfriend was excited to tell me she had been given a raise at her job. Apparently raise has a different meaning now than more money in your paycheck. Since when does anyone appreciate a recognition card.

I quit my job by text Report

"Some potential consequences of resigning via text message include burning bridges with your employer, seeming unprofessional, and unintentionally conveying your resignation with a tone you didn’t intend," says Bail. "If your resignation message is seen as unprofessional or misunderstood, it may negatively affect your chances of securing a positive reference, a referral in the future, or returning to the company later."

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#14

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Oof... Perfect reason why you should always discuss your wage with coworkers

I quit my job by text Report

#15

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"Quit my job yesterday because I was tired of the unprofessional environment - got this text from my supervisor today."

I quit my job by text Report

However, despite this, there are still circumstances when resigning by text may be appropriate. One of them is feeling not safe with your manager, says Godfrey.

"In that case, I would recommend having a conversation with your human resources (HR) department. Otherwise, typically, you will want to give 2 weeks’ written notice. Written notice is a typed letter or email of resignation. You will generally want to have a conversation with your direct supervisor first and follow up with your written resignation letter after your conversation," she explains and notes that the letter should be gracious, as shown below.

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"Thank you for the opportunity. Wishing you the best in your future endeavors.”

#16

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How my boss asks me to work 21 days straight.

We have 7 routes and 11 drivers. These guys thought it was a good idea to let 3 drivers take a vacation spanning over 3 months. All 3 will be gone at the same time over the next month. So what's their plan? Try to make other drivers work for almost a month straight to pick up the slack. Needless to say, it hasn't gone over well. Now the boss and production manager get to drive a couple nights a week as well as work the day shift.

I quit my job by text Report

#18

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"Tried to re-enter my trade with a part time opportunity. Apparently this guy pays glaziers less than I already get as a gas station attendant."

I quit my job by text Report

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Handing in notice via email may also be fitting if the manager is not available for an in-person meeting or a call in a timely manner, says Bail.

"If you’re trying to give 2 weeks' notice and your manager says the next available time they can meet in person is 2 weeks from now, I would recommend calling them or emailing them to give them adequate notice," she says.

#19

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My dad had a stroke and I took my vacation at work to help care for him. He's not doing too good, and my SO and I are moving to help him and my step mom, and I had to give a 1 week notice (not ideal, but better than none imo). Got this text from the owner of the store.

I quit my job by text Report

As a last last resort, like in the case of family emergencies or other extreme cases such as those mentioned above, Godfrey proposes to formulate the text like this:

"Thank you for the opportunity to work at ABC company. Due to personal reasons, I will not be able to return to work, effective immediately. Thank you for understanding.”

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"Depending on your relationship with your manager, you may choose to share more details and you may even be able to negotiate some flexibility instead of resigning," she notes.

#20

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Last ditch effort or I quit tonight
I have been trying to communicate to my bosses basically since I started (Nov 2023) and I am ignored, not taken seriously, or gaslit and manipulated. This is my last attempt at getting some peace and control over my job. If this conversation doesn’t go how I want it to, I’m quitting in the middle of my shift and reporting them.
Context: I am a bartender and the owners/my bosses have no problem putting my license and career at risk

I quit my job by text Report

#21

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for context I 22F work in a kitchen. The previous 2 weeks i was out of work in mourning because I unexpectedly lost a family member. Our kitchen is only open 4 days a week, I asked last week (2 days before open) could i come back because i was ready to get out of my rut, they made me wait an extra week. This is me asking about the schedule because they’ve scheduled me like this before (only night shifts) And i think it’s unfair especially without letting me know any schedule corrections and they know my situation. This isn’t a corporation it’s a family owned restaurant.

I quit my job by text Report

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To resist the urge to quit over text, the experts provided some recommendations that can make in-person resignation less nerve-wracking and awkward.

Godfrey strongly suggests being prepared beforehand. "Practice what you are going to say. Type out your script and say it out loud 2-5 times before you meet with your manager. Focus on the positive aspects of your job and everything you’ve learned. Thank your manager for helping you grow as a professional," she said.

#23

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Employer didnt contact all weekend regarding monday work

My employer didnt contact me at all this weekend for work (i am a renovations contractor, monday to friday work schedule). I texted him this morning, and this was the conversation i had. This is the second time ive had to message him to figure out where im working and i have only been working for him for 8 days. In those 8 days, hes told me he restructured and fired all his staff 6 months ago and was working on a new team. Also told me he expects us to use personal vehicles to bring materials to site. A coworker was then told to pick up 10 bags of concrete in their vehicle.

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"You can then let them know you are taking on a new opportunity that you feel is right for you at this time in your career," adds Bail. "Finally, let them know you’re willing to do what it takes to make a smooth transition out of your role. If you have this conversation coming from a place of gratitude and a willingness to have a smooth transition, your manager will most likely take the news well and support you as best they can in your final days."

#25

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"They weren't paying us an hourly, they have never paid their taxes, they let this one drunk bitch do whatever she wants because she's been there since it opened. Just very problematic and stressful"

I quit my job by text Report

#27

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Hold your ground with this predatory hiring bosses and don’t fall for their tricks. The change in the work place starts at the hiring process.

I quit my job by text Report

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Bail concludes by saying, "If you tend to feel bad or guilty about resigning, just remember that your company WILL be able to find a replacement. Also, try putting yourself in your company’s shoes. The company will do what is in their best interest to stay in business, even if that would mean letting you go. Therefore, it is perfectly valid to do what’s in your best interest too.

From my experience though, there is a way to communicate this in a respectful way that facilitates a smooth transition for both parties involved and doesn’t include burning any bridges."

#30

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Made an enemy on my first day of work

I quit my job by text Report

#31

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My gf has asked for reduced hours at her work for 2 weeks and they’ve been ignored.. today she asked to come in late and this was the “manager” replied

I quit my job by text Report

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#33

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Because how dare an employee attempt to maintain a work-life balance when you're not even paying him overtime

I quit my job by text Report

#35

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Company not allowing home cook food

Today morning, my company HR announced staff not allowed to bring food in to company. Regardless of bought from shop or cooked from home. Company is indirectly or directly forcing us to buy and eat food from in house canteen. Why? I don't know...but looks like want to the canteen profit to go up?? I bring my food from home as I am living with a budget. Is this legal and is there a way I can go about not following this rule

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#37

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got fired over $5

for context: i work at a small sushi restaurant. we have two ways to give tips, one being on the receipts and one tip jar on our sushi bar (which you’d think would be for the sushi chefs). BTW all of our kitchen/ sushi workers are immigrants. typically we give all the tips from the jar to my manager at the end of the night when she closes, and i had been under the impression for two years that she had given the sushi bar chefs (which is one guy who has consistently stayed and carried the restaurant) their righteous tips. that’s what she told me, until i started counting tips myself, also in more recent months i had been told by my coworkers about their actual pay, and how they do not receive their given tips.

anyways, we had a $5 tip from someone the other day and were closed yesterday, so i had the super wonderful great idea that i should give my coworker his tips this time. not to mention it was the middle of our shift which wasn’t really smart. i had done this one other time with i think $2 months ago.

i got a call from my manager this evening, and she prefaced the call saying “is there anything you need to tell me?” i didn’t hide the fact i had given the tip to my coworker after it seemed like that’s what she was alluding to, still “naively” under the impression that they get their due tips, even though i was told they don’t. i’d never heard her so confident in speaking the way she did to me, it was like ballsy taunting. she asked me what i thought should come of us, and i told her i didn’t think it was fit for me to think of a consequence since i was the perpetrator, to which she said “no what do you think should be the next step now?” i said maybe a deduction in pay or to take away the amount i had given to him. at this point i was still unable to really form any concrete sentences, i guess that was part of not realizing the depth of what i had done. she told me she would talk to me on my next shift with the coworker i had given the tips to, and i told her it would be more appropriate about how to go from there at that point instead of over the phone.

then i got this text

my whole heart just sank. i’ve been working at this job for 2 years, my manager was like a sister to me and all my coworkers and i were so close as well. i’ve picked up for when half of the staff was in korea, my manager even told me she had entrusted me with her shifts while she took months long breaks for more personal time even though i’m the one with two jobs (one is more voluntary) and school. i had just been the main trainer for two new consecutive workers the past few months. this week they had me work when i strep and i had even scheduled extra shifts prior to this week for them. i had just gotten a raise as well which felt like a scapegoat for my manager giving me more days to work. i don’t know what to do. this felt like losing my second family. i know what i did was wrong and got caught in the spur of the moment as it had felt right.

i can agree i didn’t act in the most conventional way over the phone, but i really just didn’t know what to say and couldn’t think. i just let the questions air out and thought of short witted responses.

if anyone has experienced getting fired from a job they love, please tell me how you moved on. best to you all

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#38

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Their response cracked me up 🤣 I'm 33 years old I'm not doing a group interview ever again. They're embarrassing and insulting. It's literally the company saying flat out that candidates are numbers they're just shuffling through that day. So while they "respectfully disagree" I will no longer be lowering myself for any company that can't be bothered to one on one interview people. Pathetic.

I quit my job by text Report

#39

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"The GM of my now ex-job who cannot rely on the other 6 managers to help him run the store."

I quit my job by text Report

#40

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Fuck this place. Went and got a better job 3 days later. Let them fire you in these situations! You'll bury them with OSHA fines.

Changed our pay date without notice. Proceeded to claim it will be on the same 2 week interval next check. It wasn't. This is the text exchange with the GM that followed. Turns out she didn't like the owner and corporate supervisor knowing she's been selling expired food.

I've been a GM at 4 locations and over a decade with the company. I wanted to focus on a different career and deliver pizzas while doing online school. Couldn't stand working in this environment any longer though. Went and got a manager job at a not big 3 pizza place for 63k/ year 3 days later.

I should have let her fire me though. Turns out these OSHA fines can completely bury these franchise locations/small businesses. I called the owner following the texts to let him know I'm stepping away. Letting her fire me would have been the best way for them to realize how bad she is at her job.

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#41

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My boss didn’t put me on the schedule this week, when I asked why she told me that she doesn’t need me on the days in my availability and to change it to having the weekend’s off instead of what I had previously been approved for. I had been getting scheduled in this availability for a little over 2 months, and before that I had an open availability for 9 months. I ended up moving around my schedule outside of work to accommodate and told my boss I’d like to be put on the schedule next week. This was her response

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