Is It Better to Resign or to Get Fired?

Joe Weinlick
Posted by in Career Advice


What do you do when your boss asks you to resign from your job? Do you wait to get fired? Do you try to negotiate for something better? How you play out this scenario may depend on what you want with your career moving forward.

Future employers often ask what happened in this situation either way. Someone may ask why you were fired from such a great position. Yet, a hiring manager also wants to know what caused you to resign from your job in the first place. Both circumstances create dilemmas later, but you have a few advantages in either scenario.

Ask yourself questions first before you decide what course of action to take. If your company wants you to resign from your job, there must be some future benefit for the firm. Perhaps the business does not want a long, drawn-out process regarding disciplinary action against you. Maybe the company already has someone in mind to replace you and they feel you may "take one for the team." The firm may not want a lengthy legal battle if you sue to get your job back if you were unjustly fired. A company cannot fire you in retaliation for following the law.

Remember one important fact when your firm asks you to resign from your job. Upper-level staff should have a reason, so you can leverage this into getting something in return for your acquiescence. The company clearly wants something out of your resignation letter, so negotiate with human resources for some kind of deal.

Severance pay normally does not occur with a resignation. However, this represents a perfectly valid option for someone who signs a general release in which you agree not to sue the firm in civil court for damages. That release may be worth a few months' pay.

Keeping a good reference for future hires remains a good reason to accept the company's offer to resign from your job. However, similar to the severance pay issue, you can get that in writing. Your boss and the HR manager should both agree to stipulate a neutral tone in your permanent record while saying good things about you on the phone to future employers.

The other side to the resignation versus firing debate revolves around unemployment benefits. If your company fires you for a good reason, you cannot claim unemployment. Therefore, it may be better to resign if you already have several disciplinary actions against you. Some companies simply do not want to pay unemployment, or perhaps you do not feel you need that kind of benefit moving forward. Whether you receive this benefit depends on if you were fired due to no fault of your own.

Consider all of the options before you resign from your job or wait to get fired. The most important detail to think about remains how you want to leave. It's your life and your career, so you should leave on your terms.


Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Teri so sorry that you got fired but thrilled to know that you will be getting unemployment. Although it's not the same as a regular paycheck, it will help you until you can find another position! We wish you all the best.

  • Teri Cravens
    Teri Cravens

    They fired me for no good reason and I am getting unemployment.

  • Glaphyra Jean-Louis
    Glaphyra Jean-Louis

    No William. Only when you get fired can you receive unemployment.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @William I am not totally sure of this answer. I think it depends upon your state. I reigned while in good standing and was not able to collect unemployment. I tried to fight it but I lost. If I had been fired, for cause, I could not have collected unemployment either. If the company willingly lets you go, then you should be able to file. Make sure that you discuss your options with HR before taking any action. This way you will be covered. And yes, the next hiring manager is going to ask why you resigned from the company. Be careful how you respond. If you say it's because of a supervisor or co-workers, the hiring manager could think that you are bad news and the interview is over and so is the job. We wish you all the best.

  • WILLIAM B.
    WILLIAM B.

    Can you file for unemployment if you resign while in good standing, and have declined to do any sort of agreement with the company?

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