Has anyone retracted their notice? Successfully or unsuccessfully?

[NewMe2019]

A few weeks ago I was offered a new job. There were a few issues (pay) but I decided to go ahead as there were things I wasn't happy about in my current work place.

More issues have arisen and ever since I was offered the job, I've had a gut feeling, which I tried to ignore and put down to nerves. I've since discovered things about why the role is available and my gut is literally screaming at me that I'm making the wrong choice. In the meantime things in my current job have improved and ive been really happy there again.

I've asked if I can retract my notice, I am allowed to request this but the decision has to be made higher up. I am good at my job, this is acknowledged by everyone. It takes months for the recruitment process and there is staff sickness so we are short anyway. Potential spanner in the works is a colleague has asked for reduced hours and the plan was to add those to my post when advertised (I'm part time). So I don't know what the outcome will be.

Has anyone asked for a retraction before? And either got it or been turned down?

I fear I've massively fucked up and have no control over what will happen next.

My DH did. It was accepted.

That's good. At least it does happen.

I keep worrying they will just think 'sod her she wanted to leave' lol. Which is unlikely as they are professional and I have a tendancy to overthink things.

No, it costs my company 70k to employ someone (whole process end to end, recruitment agencies, HR, offer letters, interviewers time, decisions, referral rewards), they'll do anything to keep us

My organisation has a whole process for retracting your resignation, so it’s clearly possible and clear not unusual!

In my experience when employers allow this, frequently the person ends up resigning again reasonably shortly thereafter. There’s a reason they left in the first place and that reason has rarely vanished completely, so it’s often a case of the new job shows issues, so they get cold feet and stick around until they find a (better) new one.

It’s up to them whether they accept, all you can do is wait to here. But if they think you’ll just be hanging round a bit longer then off again, they may be reluctant.

It was useful for my DH as it meant they took him seriously as regards his levels of stress thereafter. He has now had his request to go part time next year accepted . It was rejected last year; he then resigned! He got cold feet and retracted. I think it opened up some honest conversations.

Yes I've noticed some of the things I had issues with have been much improved so maybe they took the complaints seriously (I wasn't the only one to bring these issues up).

I did a year or so ago. They let me retract it. I was under a lot of stress at the time trying to juggle two jobs.

I retracted it was accepted and I got a pay rise

It depends on the circumstances - most recently when someone tried to retract we said no as the very things she didn’t like (and had made her very negative) up to the resignation were not going to change so we were happy to let her go. In other circumstances we have allowed retractions. Depends on how good they think you are at the job I would imagine!

I did and retracted a day later. It was accepted and i stayed in the job. In my case it was a planned change in personal circumstances that made me resign in the first place, but once my resignation was in reality hit me and we changed our mind about our planned change in circumstances. I think in most cases it saves the employer a lot of hassle - unless they are keen to be rid of the person anyway, depends how much they value you.

Thanks everyone.

Retraction was accepted. Thankfully I am good at my job and my managers know this too so I expect they were relieved.

Good news for you OP!