How to Get out of a Temporary Position without Souring your Contract?

How to Get out of a Temporary Position without Souring your Agency Contract

To people, leaving a temporary job for a better job or greener pastures is what they yearn for. We will discuss how to get out of a temporary position here. Some choose to leave and get started with another job without giving notice, while some choose better ways. For many reasons, you will find yourself leaving a job. It might be due to lack of job satisfaction, getting a better job, going back to school, leaving to start your own work, among others. Choosing the right way to leave is necessary, and leaving your position or work agency can be challenging, especially if you had assigned an agreement or work contract. Therefore, a well-planned resignation is necessary to avoid getting into a scuffle with your agency or employer in general.

Here are the main reasons why you need to have a well-planned resignation plan:

  • To leave respectfully without burning bridges. You may need a reference from your employer in the future to look for better work opportunities. Therefore, do not burn the bridge. You might need to put your employer as a referee to seek the desired job in the future. It is advisable to leave your job on good terms with the agency.
  • To avoid scenarios that could come back to bite your back after you leave. For example, lack of following the stipulated resignation process and getting sued for breach of contract.

Turning in your resignation isn’t always easy and here are ways you can respectfully and successfully leave you job agency:

Review the contract you signed with your agency. Most agencies have an outlined policy on how to go about resignation or termination of a contract. Carefully reading through your contract will ensure that you do not miss any detail which can get you accused or sued of breaching policies that you had agreed upon. Once you signed the contract, you agreed to the policies that were outlined in the contract. Therefore, you are bound by the contract, and you must follow the policies even at your exit point. The contract outlines the procedure and to who you are supposed to hand in your resignation.

Reviewing your contract will also help you draft and come up with a comprehensive resignation letter that covers all that is required by your agency in the contract that you signed. In most cases, the contract will stipulate that you give reasons for resignation. In which case, you should avoid airing the agency’s dirty linen in your resignation letter or expressing your personal discontentment with the agency. Some people leave their job because they hate it, and hating your job is not a reason good enough to put in your resignation letter. The letter should briefly show that you appreciate that they allowed you to learn, work and gain more experience.

Contact your agency and inform them about your decision. This can be done by hand in a letter of resignation to the respective person in charge. In most cases, the person in charge of dealing with resignation or any matter regarding the workforce is the Human Resource Manager. Contacting your agency is necessary, especially if you are leaving before your contract period is over.

Most companies require that you give a notice period. Two weeks is the standard notice period, but it also totally depends on what was stipulated by your agency in the contract. Some employers may terminate your contract immediately after you give notice, while others may need you to work all the way through your notice period. The notice period enables them to find a replacement who will take over your position once you leave. The main reason behind it is to ensure a smooth transition and avoid lagging in work performance and delivery. If the notice period is too long and you are receiving pressure from the new job, you can negotiate it with your current employer to make it shorter. It is also advisable to let your new employer about any contractual obligations that you might be under to avoid them pressuring you to start immediately. This will give you enough time to give your notice and leave smoothly. It also shows the new employer that you regard and respect protocol and assures them that you will not ditch them ungracefully in the future once you get a better opportunity.

Follow up on your resignation process. This is to ensure everything is processed and handled properly on time. Before you leave for your new job, you need to be cleared by the agency and have a signed agreement that states you have terminated your contract and you are under no binding terms with them. You should make sure that the written document clearly outlines the valid reasons as to why you are leaving. Without a written or signed agreement that they have let you go, the company can always come after you or sue you for breach of contract. You should also follow up on any monetary compensation, benefits, or allowances due before you leave. Make sure there is an outlined and written agreement on how you are supposed to receive them. In some companies, those who quit or resign do so voluntarily, and therefore, they are not entitled to any benefits. This is always stipulated in the contract, and you should always check your contract to ensure you do not ask for benefits when you are not eligible for any. 

Organize your handover materials. This makes it easy for the person who will take over your position. They will be able to know where to pick it up once they start the job. It is also an act of respect to your employer instead of leaving things pending. You would also love a smooth transition to your new job, so why make things impossible for others? You can also clear your personal stuff from the working area. For example, clearing out your desk and documents from the workplace computer. Ensure that your project reports or any tasks you had been assigned are up to date and make them accessible to the respective supervisor or the authority in charge of overseeing your work.

Prepare for the exit interview in case your agency or company invites you to one. In most cases, the company uses this as a chance to get feedback on your experiences during your working period with them. They also use it as a chance to gauge your achievements or level of productivity during your tenure. This does not sound like something to look forward to, but you can use it as a chance to leave a good impression behind by showing your value and what you managed to achieve for the organization. Provide constructive feedback and avoid using it to spill your negative comments, such as hate the agency. Leaving a good impression and on good terms will also ensure that you can get help from them in the future, in case you will need it.

In some cases, you may be required to train and orient your replacement for a smooth transition. Do so in the best professional way possible and make sure you give accurate information. Do not give misleading information or instill fear and doubt in their ability to do the job. You can provide your contacts with how they can reach you if they have questions once you leave.

It is okay to ask for a reference from your employer. You can add it to your resume or your social media profiles, such as LinkedIn. Establishing a network will help you advance to top positions in your career.

It is also okay to accept or turn down a farewell party in case your colleagues are organizing one.

How to Get out of a Temporary Position without Souring your Agency Contract?

Do’s and Don’ts when quitting your job

  • Do not quit through the phone unless you in a position where you can’t quite personally. In this case, you should also proceed to write an email to your employer after you break the news on the phone. Writing a follow-up email shows respect and diligence.

  • Do not tell your colleagues that you are leaving or resigning before you let your employer know. Breaking the information to your employer first shows respect and courtesy.

  • In the movies, we see people writing notes and leaving them by their employer’s desk to notify them that they have quit their job or resigned. Please do not do that. It is rude and very informal.  It only happens in the movies, and it should not be done in the real professional and corporate world.

  • Do not insult or pick fights with the co-workers you will leave behind. Many take the exit as a chance to speak their minds and poke on those they had personal issues against, spew words of hate or disapproval and shake up the dust at the workplace. After all, they are leaving. Please avoid this. It not only leaves everyone annoyed with you but also ruins any chances of getting a recommendation or future reference from your employer or the respective agency, in case you will need it. The polite thing to do is to thank your colleagues for their support.

  • Do not steal from your agency. Be it money or physical material property that belongs to the company—for example, books, paintings, and decorations such as wall hangings or clocks. Do not carry them as longs you did not purchase them with your own money and bring them to your workplace. Theft, petty theft included, could ruin your profile and career.

  • Do not leave your projects unfinished, or in case you have to do leave without completing them, give a full report on your progress, detailing what has been done, what is yet to be completed, and how it can be completed the person who will take over. Some people make sure they lose or delete some files to make it hard for those who will take over intentionally. This is totally uncalled for.

  • Do not leave your workstation or workspace messy. Do clean it up and leave everything in its respective space.

  • Do not talk about how happy you are to leave or incite others to leave no matter how much you hate your job. Others twist the story and reasons why they are leaving, just to bad mouth their employer. Incitement will earn you a bad review, and it may ruin your chances of getting to high positions in your career.

  • Please do not use your resignation as a chance to negotiate or manipulate your employer for a pay rise or job promotion because it might not work. Although in some cases, the employer or agency might give you a counter-offer to make your stay. Do not use it as a way to lead them to such a negotiation because it might backfire, and you might end up losing your job. It would not be perfect to lose your job while that was not the initial plan. That level of trickery does not always work.

  • If you are unsure about the process or clauses about leaving your job in the contract you had signed, it is wise to seek professional or legal advice to ensure you do not make mistakes that might lead to you getting sued for breach of contract. You should also carefully read through any document provided before you sign it. Some employers might be against you leaving, and they might go as far as twisting the termination documents to make you stay. If you are provided with such a document that you are not confident in, it is advisable to seek professionals who can spot loopholes in the document and advise you accordingly.

The corporate and business world has been termed as a small world. You could easily cross paths with your former employer or colleagues. How you leave, quit, or resign your job speaks in volume about your character and personality, and it is also a great determinant of your future success in your career path. Therefore, it is necessary to leave on a good note and in the right way. Make sure you do so.

Also read General Contractor Job Description, Salary, Duties

How to Get out of a Temporary Position without Souring your Contract?

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