Lovewell's logic: What constitutes a good resignation?

In the age of the Great Resignation, it seems that some employees are looking for alternatives to the traditional resignation letter. Greetings card retailer Funky Pigeon this week launched a resignation card which simply requires an individual to fill in the blanks in a template resignation message.

But what message does this type of resignation send to an employer? While it may seem like an easy option for employees who are not used to writing a resignation letter, or who are struggling with what to include, is this actually a relatively impersonal approach? Regardless of an employee’s reasons for leaving, does communicating this to their employer via a standardised card suggest a lack of engagement?

While employee engagement became high priority for many organisations during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, issues such as stress, burnout, dissatisfaction with factors such as pay, and a move to new working arrangements have since impacted how engaged some staff are with their employer. Keeping their employee engagement strategy under review and adapting when necessary, therefore, will help employers to ensure they are addressing the issues likely to contribute to staff becoming disengaged.

Cost-of-living payments and benefits tailored to specific workforce demographics, for example, menopause support or parental benefits, are just some of the initiatives currently being put in place by a number of employers.

Research published by global HR and payroll firm Remote found that more than three-quarters (77%) of respondents felt that flexible-working opportunities were the most important benefit when considering a potential job move.

Of course, even the most engaged employee will inevitably leave an employer at some point during their career. A strong engagement strategy, however, may mean their employer is more likely to receive personalised notice of their intent to resign, and leave a positive lasting impression on their staff, present and past.

Employee engagement, motivation and recognition is one of the conference streams that will be featured at this year’s Employee Benefits Live on 5-6 October. The full agenda and speaker line up has now been announced, so do not miss the opportunity to register to attend. View the agenda.

Debbie Lovewell-TuckEditorTweet: @DebbieLovewell