Why You Should (Almost) Never Resign-Make Them Fire You

fair dismissal

Make them fire you.

Don’t make it easy for them.

Let me explain.

If an employer dismisses you it must be a fair dismissal.

And if you bring a case for unfair dismissal the employer will have to prove the dismissal was fair and justified.

The burden of proof is on the employer.

And it can be difficult to justify a dismissal because many employers get the procedure wrong.

In fact, 80% of unfair dismissal cases are lost because of the absence of fair procedures in carrying out the dismissal.

On the other hand, if you quit because of what you claim is the intolerable conduct of the employer you must prove you had no option but to resign.

In other words, the burden of proof shifts from the employer to the employee.

And the standard of proof is pretty high too.

It is not enough to show that (s)he was unpleasant, or rude, or had rough and ready management skills.

No, you must prove you had no option but to quit.

However there are exceptions to every rule and there are two circumstances where you may well be justified in quitting:

  1. Where to continue on in the employment may be injurious to your health and well being or
  2. Where you can negotiate an exit settlement which is satisfactory to you and avoids the inevitable dismissal/termination.

Many employees come to me with serious problems that they are suffering at work.

And many of them are worn out with the anxiety and the hassle that they face on a daily basis at work.

So many of them quit and just move on. Regrettably they have just made things a lot easier for the employer.

It’s not impossible to win a constructive dismissal case. But it’s much harder than to win an unfair dismissal.

So if you are an employee and you are in a difficult situation in work, think long and hard before quitting.

In the short run it can be tough to hang in there.

But in the long run it may be your best option because it allows you to negotiate an exit or bring a successful case for unfair dismissal.

You can learn more about unfair dismissal and constructive dismissal here.

When You Should Resign

You should resign if you are happy to do so, and if you are resigning on terms which are satisfactory to you. This would be when there is a negotiated settlement agreement.

Learn more about negotiated settlements here.

What do you think? Are the issues above familiar to you? Let me hear your comments below.