How to hand in my resignation ?

Pickle49

You may have seen a thread I posted a couple of weeks ago about what to wear for an interview....anyway, I must have got it right as I was offered the job.
Now for the tricky bit...
I've worked for my current employer for 6 years. It's a small family run business and there are 7 of us working there including the boss his wife and daughter. I mostly get on very well with my boss but he is known for his dramatic outbursts and his woe is me attitude when things aren't going his way. We have struggled in the last few years as many small business's have and there have been several times when he has threatened to close it down unless figures and sales improve.
Things started to go wrong recently when our only full time worker announced that she was pregnant and would be leaving in June for a years maternity leave. This was the worse news that he could receive as we are stretched to the limit with the few staff that we have and would find it difficult to employ anther person whilst still covering her maternity benefits....this was his attitude and reaction not mine. Anyway, for a couple of weeks things were very difficult with him threatening to close the business as he couldn't see how we could carry on. Eventually he came out of his gloomy mood and said that he would try to employ somebody else as maternity cover but we may all have to pull our weight and do a few extra hours to cover until we found the right person.....I have to say at this point, I have been very accommodating over the last few years and done extra hours and indeed changed them when we have had other problems, I've definately done my share of pulling my weight.
So twelve weeks on he hasn't done a single thing about it. I think he is relying on us ..and it will be mostly me as I know more than the others ( not meant to sound arrogant or conceited ) just to all muck in, change our lives and do all the extra hours.
I've decided that I have had enough, saw another job, went for it and have been offered it and I have accepted. My big problem is...I think that when I hand my resignation in, he may well close the business putting several people out of work. I think it could well be the straw that breaks the camels back. How do I tell him, can I do anything to soften the blow ?
If he is angry can he refuse to write me a reference ? I'm willing to serve my months notice during which time I can train one of the other girls to do my job but when someone left a few years ago he told her to just leave straight away...if he said that to me does he still have to pay me wages as if I was working out my notice ?
Sorry for the long post, I was trying to keep it to the essentials but a certain amount of background was probably needed.

smileygill

You're entitled to pay in lieu of notice if he says; "go now". I guess you need to put across that you have your own responsibilities and have to think of your own future first, and you hope he understands that if the boot was on the other foot...

Your concern for the others is admirable, but in reality it's every man for himself and if they'd had job offers, d'you think they'd have turned them down for your sake?

Didn't think so.

You've only got one life. There are lots of jobs. Which matters most?

ValHaller

Pickle49 wrote: »

My big problem is...I think that when I hand my resignation in, he may well close the business putting several people out of work.

If he might do that when you leave, he is almost as likely to do it if you stay. So moving on is a good idea.

Pickle49

Thank you smileygill and valhaller. I do have my own responsibilities ( which is what led me to this website in the first place ) I have recently confronted my debts and all the problems that come with them, and am determined to pay them all off. I have a goal in mind of 3 to 4 years to pay them off and am doing ok so far, but I need to be in employment to be able to continue to pay them.

He is due to retire in two years anyway, the lease on our business premises also runs out in two years, there is no-one in sight to take over the company....so even if we make it through the next few months with lack of staff and not a lot of money coming in, it's still only a matter of time before he closes anyway. He has said several times that he will always do whats best for him and his family, our pregnant lady has also made her life choice ( I don't blame her for one moment, but he is very resentful and thinks that she should have warned him that she is trying for a baby :shocked: mind you he hasn't done anything about it since he's known so I don't see what difference knowing earlier would have made ) anyway....all I'm trying to say is ..everybody does whats best for themselves don't they ? Your absolutely right Gill..any one of them can come in to work at any time and say they've got another job (morale is low, they could well be on the lookout ) and the result would be the same.

You have all these worries in your head, you deal with them, you move on and a short while later they aren't even worries or important anymore. I'm not going to look back in 6 months time and say I was wrong, I should have stayed for everyone else's sake

Funky_Bold_Ribena

All you can do is mak sure you take most of your personal possessions home first, and then hand your notice in. If he rages, just say you are going back to work until he has calmed down.

Pickle49

Thank you Funky. I have decided that I am going to try my best not to get involved in any war of words and raised voices. I am going to be dispassionate and calm...or try to:eek: