What to Do if You are Forced to Resign from Your Job? EP #24

Being forced to resign can feel like a setback but it does not have to define your future. 

In Episode 24 of The Designers of Change Podcast, we unpack what to do if you are forced to resign and how to navigate this challenging moment with strategy, dignity, and clarity. 

This episode is designed to help professionals and leaders reposition themselves, protect their reputation, and turn a difficult experience into an opportunity for growth and reinvention. 

In this episode we discuss 

• How to respond when you are asked to resign
 • Protecting your reputation and professional relationships
 • Understanding your rights and next steps
 • Managing the emotional impact of sudden career disruption
 • Rebuilding confidence and clarity after resignation
 • How to reposition yourself for new opportunities
 • Turning a setback into a strategic comeback
 • Lessons in leadership, accountability, and resilience 

Being forced to resign is not the end. It is often the beginning of a new chapter if handled correctly. 

If you are navigating uncertainty in your career or supporting someone who is, this episode will give you the perspective and tools needed to move forward with strength and intention. 

Watch now and take control of your next move. 

Like, subscribe, and share with someone who may need this guidance. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Coming up on this episode of the Designers of Change podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:04

This is what I want to drive home to you guys. You when you lose your job or when you're asked to resign, right? If termination is to happen, there must be a breach somewhere. And that's why I say at the beginning, there must be documentation, proof of escalation, and you must go through the varying steps. Now it cannot be that because somebody hates your guts, then you're asked to resign from a job because there are no legal, you know, grounds right there for them to ask you to do that. So it must be that you have made up your mind that you want to exit this environment. Welcome to the Designers of Change podcast. And if you have a job, then that means this episode is one that you must stick and stay for. You want to hear about what to do if you are forced to resign. And I remember initially when I wrote an article about this topic, it was because of the constant questions that I would get from individuals. And so I said, you know what? Let me just do this thing in one go. Here I am, Jamar and I doing it again just for you. Now the Designers of Change podcast would not be possible without our sponsors. And so we have to take some time out to acknowledge them. Jace My Remedia, Mind Food International, Super Lative Auto, Grace Creates, Amanda's Kitchen, also SK Catering, Regional Consulting Services in K Man, also to Jesse's Home Decor, Mag247 Wrecking Services and the Self Care Bar. All of our sponsors make it possible for us to be able to do this production. So, Mr. Wright, we want to focus on what do people do when they're asked to resign? Why would somebody even be asked to resign by their employers? We want to dig into this.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

Yeah, I think I think this topic is your topic. You are the HR consultant, and you know, when you are working, we have seen it. We have people, we have friends, and you have written an article about it. They have been forced to resign. And when they are forced to resign, they still have their car payment, they still have their mortgage, they are without a job. And in my way, I think when somebody forces you to resign, is that they are saying it's a professional way of firing you. But the only thing you don't have on your and uh have on your file is that you are fired. You are fired, and so it can be a very painful thing when an employer asks an employee to resign from their position, and I know there are many, many different reasons why an employee may ax may force their employees to to resign. And so I want you to talk about that before we get into what can you do when you are forced to resign. So what are some of the and I think you need to get your pen for those are probably a go in truth, what are some of the um some of the issues why an employer might ask an employee to resign from their post?

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Absolutely. So there may be many things happening in the background of you know an employer wanting to even act such a bold thing because depending on where this company is, depending on the legal restrictions, depending on what is there set in stone in law, right? Or labor laws, it may differ from country to country, state to state. But you do have circumstances where you may have an employee in an organization and they may not be performing well. Yeah, they may not be performing well. There may have been attempts to assist this person performance-wise. Maybe they were put on a performance improvement plan. Maybe there are different varying things happening in the background. Maybe the employee themselves may have said, Boy, I I'm not enjoying this job anymore. I need to find something else to do. You know, it could even be an amicable discussion that I want to step away from this thing, or it may be a disciplinary matter, it may have gotten to the point where the company has all grounds to terminate, but yet still they say, I'm giving you the opportunity to resign.

SPEAKER_03 5:23

And and if it's a disciplinary um issue, that that's different. I know that's different from a performance issue. Yes. And as I said, labor laws are different differ from country to country. So wherever you are, no, when there is a performance, um, not performance issue, but a disciplinary issue, does um it should should it be should it go to a tribunal or before a company can force somebody to resign if it's a disciplinary issue?

SPEAKER_01 6:01

I want I want us to set some underlying principles. This conversation must be guided by what pertains in your labor law. So I know we have people watching from different countries: UK, China, you know, Japan, Singapore. It has to do with what your labor law says. And not just their labor laws, but the policy of the organization. What is the disciplinary code? What are the processes? So here in Jamaica, we know for a fact you cannot terminate someone without going through the necessary steps, right? You must see where the escalation has happened. There was a breach, there was maybe a letter written, maybe the person was verbally warned first, maybe it happened again, then suspension, it happened again, and now it's grounds for termination, right? But there must be some kind of hearing, and that individual, that employee, must get the opportunity to show up to that hearing with a representative, they must get feedback before that termination takes place. Now, you do have certain circumstances where the company will say, This is clear grounds for dismissal. However, we don't want to jeopardize your opportunity of finding another job because it's gonna be on a file, right? Once background checks are done, then they can simply state what took place. Maybe they don't want to put you through all of that. So they said, Well, we're giving you the opportunity to resign instead.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

All right, so there are different grounds, but we have to understand that each policy in the companies may be different, as well as the labor laws differ from country to country and state to state. So you have to know those things first.

SPEAKER_03 7:55

Yeah, so if you are forced to resign because there is a disciplinary reason or issue, ensure that due process is followed, is followed before you pin that resignation.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 8:10

I know I know there's another one, um, babes, because you have been through this redundancy exercise. A company can ask somebody to resign before um because of redundancy exercise. But I would want to say to somebody out there, I wouldn't want you to, if there's a company is going to make you redundant, should you resign because it probably forfeit some money.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

What absolutely so so naturally, um, if it is that you are asked, because a company can be going through a series of redundancy exercises, all right? Why? Because maybe the company is shutting down, maybe there's a merger, maybe there's a takeover, maybe you know, it could be anything, they're downsizing, so they know that eventually they're going to be cutting some positions from their org structure. Now, if it's a case where a meeting is held, they come to you and say, Hey, we're giving you guys the opportunity to resign if you don't want to necessarily wait until we start downsizing. You, I believe this option is always better for individuals who are younger, don't necessarily have the years of service. Yes. Right? Who, you know, you may not lose anything resigning and going into another job. However, if you have been at this company for a period of time and you know that the redundancy payment is going to be a good sum. A sensible sum, then it would not make sense to forfeit that kind of benefit, right? To just depart. It's best for you to wait until the redundancy exercise takes place. Right? And of course, for those who don't know, when a company makes an employee redundant, you will receive what is called notice pay. You will receive your whatever vacation leave is due. You also receive a redundancy payment, which is based on your your annual salary, all right, and the number of years that you've been working at the company. So you have to make sure that you are weighing your options correctly before you decide to resign. And also, you want to make sure that you're seeking some kind of legal advice, even if you're not necessarily going to an attorney, you can seek some kind of um HR or industrial relations um attorney, right? Not necessarily a lawyer, but it somebody in that field who can properly advise you. So you don't want to just jump off the ship and say, Oh, well, they're gonna shut down anyway, let me resign. No, allow the redundancy exercise to take place because you may be missing out, you're leaving money on the table after having had years of experience. So you talk to individuals about these things before you decide that you're going to do that.

SPEAKER_03 11:23

I love that. So if you are watching, if you are watching this podcast, whether you are watching it on YouTube, Caribbean Gospel TV, or you are listening on one of the various um streaming platforms, whether Apple um Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Amazon Music, if you if you are forced to resign because the company is going through a redundancy exercise, please do not resign. Unless you just start working at the company. But if you have if you have employed, been employed to that company for many years, you will forfeit those money. Benefits, yeah, benefits, health benefits, and your and your and your pay. So if you are forced to resign and a company is about to made your job redundant, please do not leave. Um speak to someone, speak to a union rep or a attorney industrial relations or a HR consultant. But please do not leave. Now, another thing that a company may force may ask you to resign. It's simple of office politics. Because we cannot get rid of politics. Anywhere, anywhere you go, there is always politics. There are always some level of human biases, and people will play politics to get promotion, to get power, to jackey for power, whatever it is. But what do you say about if if I'm forced to resign because of office politics? I mean, they're not going to come out right and say we are asking you to resign because of office politics, because that may lead to lawsuit. So, how do you navigate that? Because sometimes office politics is at play, but we we can't really pinpoint it, but we know that is office politics at play.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

Alright, so this one I'm gonna have to dissect a little bit. For one, um, it is very rare that a company will outright say we're we're we're asking you to resign because you can't get along with your supervisor or your manager. It's very rare that you find that happen, that that kind of transparency happens, right? Um, but more so there has to be some kind of breach. This is what I want to drive home to you guys. You when you lose your job or when you're asked to resign, right? If termination is to happen, there must be a breach somewhere. And that's why I say at the beginning, there must be documentation, proof of escalation, and you must go through the varying steps. Now it cannot be that because somebody hates your guts, then you're asked to resign from a job because there are no legal, you know, grounds right there for them to ask you to do that. So it must be that you have made up your mind that you want to exit this environment. Now, there are also situations where people want to exit a toxic environment and the employer also doesn't see it fit to continue the employment. So they may say, hey, here is six months payment for you to do the resignation, so that at least we're on reasonable grounds, meaning at least there is equitable exchange, right? So while you're in the process of finding another job, you know, at least you will have your salary intact. However, I just want to drive this point home. There must be due process that is followed if they are threatening to terminate you if you don't resign.

SPEAKER_02 15:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

All right? Yeah. And so you have to ensure that you have proper people in your, you know, in your in your background that is giving you solid advice before you take whatever option they are laying on the table.

SPEAKER_03 15:30

Yeah, and and as Nas said before, if it if it if if office politics is at play, no one is going to come out and say, office politics is at play, right? And so many times people might jockey for pollution. Um, we live in a world where people somebody might not like you by just seeing it. They may not they might not like you. Um, they might want advance, they might love all the way you get along with people. So they have there are a mirage of things that people can jockey for in an organization. And so if you realize that you are you are forced to resign or asked to resign and there is no legal basis on which they ask you to resign, ensure that you speak to someone who understand what the the labor law in your particular in your particular particular country and how you can address the matter. So do not resign unless there are legal grounds on which they ask you to resign. And I know sometimes you can you can contest a lot of things. Of course you can. There are due process. If I'm going to force to resign, there is due process, and I know exactly why I'm leaving. Yeah, sometimes a company can ask you to resign if they are going through a financial struggle.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Absolutely. That is true, and and especially in some very difficult economic landscapes, you will have uh companies who are going through some really tough times and they have to downsize.

SPEAKER_03 17:12

Yeah, a company may have to downsize.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

They may have to downsize and they may be looking at doing redundancy exercises, and they can also ask people who want to volunteer to resign. Because if you don't have a problem with exiting, um, they will take you up on that offer so you can go first. What it does is it buys more time for people who don't have other options.

SPEAKER_03 17:37

Yes, yes. I remember in um in the in the recession during the 2008, 2007, 2009, when that financial bus bubble burst in uh in America where um the subprime mortgage and 2007 went time when the subprime mortgage burst, and I think it affects Jamaica where we went into a recession. And I remember there are many companies in Jamaica, companies in Jamaica who were asking um top executive to volunteer to resign. And so because they were now feeling the pinch, because I say if if America sneeze, the Caribbean catch a cold. And so a company may ask you to resign during financial instability or a company probably saving themselves from bankruptcy, whatever that financial problem is. But do you resign if if they are forcing you to resign because it's a financial issue?

SPEAKER_01 18:39

You know, just before we get into that, into that, we wanna take a quick break and pay some bills and come back because that's a very important question, and I think it's best for us to start the second part on that note. So stick and stay, guys. We'll be right back. Amanda's Kitchen, SK Catering, also MAC247 Wrecking Services, the Self Care Bar, Regional Consulting Services Limited in Cayman, and also a huge shout out, Jesse's Home Decor and Caribbean Gospel TV. So Mr. Wright asked a really important question right before the break, and I and that's where we want to pick up. He asks, can a company really force you to resign from your job? And I have to answer that question outright to say no. They really can't because at the end of the day, it is a choice. Even if you are being faced with termination, there is due process that must be followed. You can choose not to resign. You can say, Well, I would prefer for the process to be followed. I prefer to see the sanctions, to go to the hearing, to do all these different things, to wait on the conclusion before anything happens. You don't have to resign. You can allow due process to follow. Now, here's a flip side to that. Due process may not be followed. You may be terminated on the spot, and at that point, you would definitely have to seek some legal advice because there may be some kind of um recuperation that would take place because the process was not followed according to law. And so you have to understand that resignation is a choice. You can choose to resign, right? If you even decide that, okay, fine, I was put in a position where I had to resign, you can still go and seek legal advice after that. Because if you were placed in that position, then that would seem as though you know it that the process was not followed as it was supposed to be, or it may be some kind of manipulation or intimidation, whatever the case is, you need to just seek advice.

SPEAKER_03 21:48

And so you'd and so all of the all of that, all of those are reason on which a company may ask you to to resign. But here's the thing now, we are getting to the Juicy part. What can we do now? Because that's what the listener and that's what the viewers want to hear. What can you do if you are forced to resign? So the first thing is, and we say it over and over, don't rush.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

Cannot rush it. This is a life-altering um moment. Moment.

SPEAKER_03 22:20

So don't.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

Because if you resign for one, you may not even know what you're going to be doing afterwards. Yeah. Right? You may be without income because not every situation comes with it some kind of package or you know, settlement. And so how are you going to pay your bills? So this is not a rush thing. You can literally say to your employer, I need some time to think this through. Yeah. Right. Or if something is placed on the table that you are not satisfied with, you can renegotiate so that it is at least convenient, more convenient to you, so that you're not in a less off state while you are out of a job. Yeah. And this is something that is quite natural. Alright. So don't rush, think it through. And we've mentioned this throughout the entire um discussion. You have to seek legal advice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:19

So seek legal advice. Before you resign, if your if your employer asks you or force you to resign, please seek legal advice. No and the grounds on which they want to terminate. And so when you seek legal advice, they put you in a in a better position to make decisions. To make an informed decision. So do not walk away. Do not put pen, do not put ink to pen. Right. And leave your job. Because sometimes we are very there are some instances where it can be very, very difficult to get back on your feet again. So please. Absolutely. So seek legal advice. Don't rush. So that's one that's two things. Don't rush. Seek legal advice. Think it through. You and your family need to think this through. Because if you are married, I don't know if you are single or married, but if you are married, you want to sit down with your with your spouse and you want to think this through. Is this a good reason for me to resign? Do I still need this job? But think it through. And the last one, do we talk about negotiate? You can negotiate.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

You can negotiate and renegotiate. And renegotiate. Whatever is on the table, it can be renegotiated. Alright?

SPEAKER_03 24:37

Yeah, first for example, let's say the company of different branch and they are telling you to resign from here. Can I go to another branch?

SPEAKER_01 24:44

Can I be transferred? So you ask these questions, and the final thing is you have to see opportunity in this challenge because not everybody has a problem with resigning. You have some people who are at their wits' end with the toxicity, with the manager, with the relationship with the manager, with the culture of the organization. So if you are in the position where you're saying to yourself, listen, I think I'd be better off finding something else, then you find the opportunity in the midst of this challenge. But this does not mean that resigning is the end of the world. You may actually be in a much better position taking up the offer. But again, a company cannot truly force you to resign. You have to decide to. So, guys, we're so grateful that you have stayed with us throughout this discussion. We want you to continue to follow us on all our social media platforms. Go check us out on YouTube if you're not watching, you're listening. And if you are watching, you can go check us out on the other platforms. But we're grateful to have you stick and stay for the next designers of change.

SPEAKER_03 25:58

And remember to subscribe. I know I cut you in your tracks. Remember, subscribe, guys. We want those subscriptions to go up. It's one of the reasons we pay our bills. And if you are forced to resign, rewatch this video or re-listen this podcast again. See you on the next episode.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

Absolutely. Thank you to our sponsors, Jace Myrie Media, Mind Food International, Grace Creates, Amanda's Kitchen, Jesse's Home Decor, SKR, Mag 24 7, uh Wrecking Services, Regional Consulting Services in K-Man, the Self Care Bar, and Caribbean Gospel TV. We thank you guys. See you again soon.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Thank you for joining us for the Designers of Change podcast. Join us on the next episode.