Should I accept the withdrawal of resignation?

Undervalued

I agree with the majority who say that it would generally be unwise to allow the withdrawal of an employee's resignation.

A compromise would be to re-employ the employee after a break of at least one week. That would break their continuity of employment meaning that their services could easily be terminated if their commitment was in any way lacking.

goater78

Undervalued said:

I agree with the majority who say that it would generally be unwise to allow the withdrawal of an employee's resignation.

A compromise would be to re-employ the employee after a break of at least one week. That would break their continuity of employment meaning that their services could easily be terminated if their commitment was in any way lacking.

No employee would accept that. 

SensibleSarah

Just to add a voice from the other side... a former colleague of mine left the business a few weeks after I arrived. He went to a direct competitor - basically for the same fairly junior job but a slightly higher salary. Within two weeks, he had rung up the MD of the original business and asked if he could come back. Apparently the grass wasn't really any greener! They agreed to give him his old job back as they hadn't had any joy recruiting anyone for the role at that point. It was a risk - he could have just left again if he got a decent offer. 
That was in 2008. He's still at the original company nearly 15 years later and is now on the board of directors. 

I do expect that he's the exception though - if the reasons for leaving are not ones that can be easily resolved then you're just kicking the problem down the road a bit. 

Mands

From my discussions with him it seems that the new employer originally agreed for him to start in April but has now moved his starting date to September. Of course I’m only hearing one side of the story, the new employer’s version of the story might be different. I have already agreed with him that we will extend his leaving date to end of July (gives me more time to find a replacement at least), it was a few days later that he told me he doesn’t want to leave at all.

My feeling is that he has become disillusioned with the new employer (them moving the start date) and that’s why he is having second thoughts. Of course if he finds another potential employer in 6 months time (or whatever) there’s nothing stopping him resigning again. 

 

Your employee is having second thoughts about their new employer. They aren't having second thoughts about still wanting to work for you. 

They were looking for a new job for a reason, and that reason hasn't changed. If they stay with you my money is on you getting another resignation letter before the end of the year.

theoretica

Would it be realistic to point out to the employee that he has the option to apply for other roles your company advertises?  If indeed there is likely to be recruitment he would be eligible for.  Accepting his resignation does not mean he cannot progress in your company if he really wants to.

Sea_Shell

I've been on a similar receiving end as the replacement employee.

Took a job in good faith.

The lady I'd replaced asked to come back, they let her, so my new job no longer existed, and so I was managed out within 12 months ☹️

Marvel1

Sounds the only reason he wants to stay is his new job start is in September so he will be left with no job a few months.

You have started the recruitment process, so his resignation stands.

MalMonroe

Hi,

You have actually told this employee that he can stay until July so how can you now turn around and say he can't, as others are seeming to suggest. Even if it's only verbal, there's a contract here. He could make things very difficult for you. I mean, far more difficult than he's made things already.

You said of him "He’s a good employee, so it’s a shame he’s leaving."

Is there anything you can do to make his job more rewarding? Are there any incentives in your workplace? Do all employees feel as he does? Maybe there's some training he could do to enable him to gain a promotion. It's not all the employee's fault here. 

He may have realised that the other job's grass is not greener and he was better off where he was. But whatever, you've said he can stay and so you will have to revisit the position in July. 

I'm really not trying to be funny but I feel that you could also do with some management training, since you are asking a bunch of strangers in an online forum how best to do your job. 

There's some info from acas here - 

https://www.acas.org.uk/search?keys=management+training

For example, if you are not up to date with current employment law, you could inadvertently land yourself and your company in a very difficult position if you don't handle this carefully. 

Just my own opinion, of course but I do think that the company you both work for could do with a bit of a shake up - and this situation could just be the wake up call to precipitate that.

goater78

MalMonroe said:

Hi,

You have actually told this employee that he can stay until July so how can you now turn around and say he can't, as others are seeming to suggest. Even if it's only verbal, there's a contract here. He could make things very difficult for you. I mean, far more difficult than he's made things already.

You said of him "He’s a good employee, so it’s a shame he’s leaving."

Is there anything you can do to make his job more rewarding? Are there any incentives in your workplace? Do all employees feel as he does? Maybe there's some training he could do to enable him to gain a promotion. It's not all the employee's fault here. 

He may have realised that the other job's grass is not greener and he was better off where he was. But whatever, you've said he can stay and so you will have to revisit the position in July. 

I'm really not trying to be funny but I feel that you could also do with some management training, since you are asking a bunch of strangers in an online forum how best to do your job. 

There's some info from acas here - 

https://www.acas.org.uk/search?keys=management+training

For example, if you are not up to date with current employment law, you could inadvertently land yourself and your company in a very difficult position if you don't handle this carefully. 

Just my own opinion, of course but I do think that the company you both work for could do with a bit of a shake up - and this situation could just be the wake up call to precipitate that.

I think you may have misunderstood the timeline. The OP’s employee resigned as they were due to start a new job in April. The new job put his start date back until September so the employee asked if his notice period could be extended so he worked until end of July. That was agreed. 

After this the employee has now asked to retract his notice. If the OP refuses he will leave end of July as already agreed. 

There is no need to handle this carefully. A resignation has been issued and a leaving date agreed. 

El_Torro

Good discussion so far, thanks for that. 

I agree that the most likely thing is that he will quit anyway before the end of the year, once he finds a new company that doesn't mess him around with regards to starting dates. Of course there's a possibility that he stays and in a few years time progresses to become my boss  I think this is unlikely (the possibility of him staying for years, not the possibility of him outpacing me in his career).

As I said in an earlier post I'm still leaning towards him leaving in July. Despite what I said earlier I haven't actually agreed to this yet, still waiting for HR feedback. In theory his end date is still in April. I am happy for him to stay until July though, even though that might mean I lose the candidates that I have already interviewed. I think it's best for both parties that he doesn't stay any longer than that though.