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How do I unresign?

18 replies

howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 14:37

I work at a fully remote high growth start up. I was personally recruited not long after they started up by the man who is my manager, who I knew in a professional capacity beforehand. Two years on and the company has expanded by about 4x and he is on the senior leadership team.

Not long after I started I realised that he and I do not have similar professional styles. He is the living embodiment of the Peter Principle, a very charismatic and a brilliant showman, but lacks strategic thinking, leadership ability and management skills (first time manager, no formal management training). There have been a couple of incidences where I've covered for him, when I've pointed out risks, he minimised and then I was left to deal with the fallout.

In mid-Feb, I highlighted something that was going to blow up in the near future (we are expanding a function, which leads onto a function in my area, which needs scaling to cope) and again got told to ignore it. This time I just kept pushing back, leading to a bit of a row.

Since then he has been making veiled digs in public team meetings (I dont think the other team members pick up on them, but I do), actively undermining some of my work, in petty and "funny" ways and implying in private meetings on a number of occasions that I am only experiencing issues because I have mental health issues (I dont actually have MH issues, I just find stressful things stressful). and its clear that he would prefer someone else in my role

I approached the Head of Staffing at the end of March, saying that I needed more support, that I didn't think my current role was right for me, and that I felt that I needed to transition to a new role or organisation. She immediately offered me a senior position in a related area that they are recruiting for. I turned it down, as I didnt feel I was in a place to take it on, so she then instigated weekly meetings with my manager for "support". I dread these these meetings, they are the polar opposite of support. I had only been coping up to that stage by minimising interactions, my self-confidence is shredded every single time.

Last week, he sent me a meeting invite to discuss my role. The meeting on Monday started with him telling me that HoS had mentioned that I was thinking of leaving and had I given it further thought. I said that I wanted to transition out by the end of Summer (what i regret leaving unsaid tho, was that I was hoping that something suitable came up internally in the interim). His response was "Well, that makes this very easy then", and immediately jumped into offering me a reference, and general off-boarding, suggesting that it was a good idea that I took some time out and "dealt with my issues".

I messaged HoS after a few hours confirming that I was leaving (I kindof wish I hadnt but I just cannot work with him). She said manager had already told her this, and that they had discussed timings. We met on Wed and she said they had agreed mid-May as a leaving date and we started going through off-boarding admin. I was a bit blindsided tbh, and just went along with it.

I am really very upset. There is now a new person in the role that I was previously offered, and at a team meeting on Thursday, they mentioned expanding his area, (which I was kindof hoping would happen and I could nab a role in that area under his management).

TBH, I feel like I've been constructively dismissed in quite an underhand way and from a few comments that the HoS said, I am 99.9% certain that my manager has implied to HoS that [personal reasons that I dont want to share with her but have told him about] are why I am resigning.

Am I too far gone to explicitly ask for a role change under different management and walk back my resignation?

OP posts:
Haveallthesongsbeenwritten · 29/04/2023 14:39

is there scope for unfair dismissal you think? See what a solicitor think maybe.. some may offer an hour free advice.

howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 14:41

There is no scope for unfair dismissal. Its a foreign company. And its not exactly dismissal, seeing as I've resigned.

OP posts:
Shoelacesundone · 29/04/2023 14:44

Omg it's like I wrote this.

Did you resign in writing? It is a US company? Are you an employee or contractor?

Who is there more senior than your boss who rates you? And are there any peers you trust?

Gnoblin · 29/04/2023 14:55

I think the problem is that, based on what is known officially by the company they have been very fair (although it’s clearly not feeling like that in reality).

I needed more support - scheduled weekly support meetings

that I didn't think my current role was right for me - offered you a different role - a promotion no less

and that I felt that I needed to transition to a new role or organisation - took you at your word when you confirmed this feeling with a timeline of your choosing.

Saying that it doesn’t hurt to ask. Given how accommodating they’ve been (horrible manager aside) it suggests they value you and may well want to keep you. Other than a dent to your pride what do you have to lose by asking?

Quveas · 29/04/2023 14:55

UK employment law (assuming you are in the UK) still applies to foreign companies (assuming you are an employee). And you seem to have two years service...

But... You resigned. Constructive dismissal is exceptionally hard to prove, and one of the first tests is about what grievance procedures you have followed to try to resolve the problem. But you could only withdraw your resignation with their agreement, and I am sorry but they aren't going to agree - that much is clear. Even if they agreed - you have no right to a role change. You would be asking to go back to the job that you are currently doing and with the same manager. It really wouldn't have mattered if you had said that you were hoping something else might come up internally. You can't "half-resign". You resign. I'm afraid you are stuck with your decision. They moved quickly when you said you would resign, and that would indicate that, for better or for worse, they had decided that they had exhausted their options for you.

CharlotteDoyle · 29/04/2023 15:01

From what you've described, it sounds like the job wasn't a good fit and that everyone agreed on that.

But what's not clear is: did you intend to resign or not? If yes, I don't see the problem. If not, why didn't you speak up when they started shuffling you out?

TeenLifeMum · 29/04/2023 15:08

Can you just write an email clarifying that you are keen to stay within the company but move to a different department?

howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 15:10

Yes, I'm a contractor for a US company.

Its in writing, but not "formal" just slack messages. I (stupidly) also messaged the founder confirming this. He responded saying that HoS had informed him, that this made him sad and wishing me the best for the future.

My performance reviews are consistently excellent (360 feedback), but I am acutely aware that my performance has dipped in the last few months.

There are also a couple of things that have come up this week that have made me realise that my lack of confidence is probably one of the biggest problems in this.

On Tuesday, I spotted what I thought was a security flaw. I would usually have highlighted this to my manager, but I knew he would tell me that it wasnt my problem (which strictly speaking it isnt), so I engineered getting someone else to look at the code under a different pretext. They spotted the flaw...and it turns out it was a much bigger risk than I had realised, putting tens of millions of dollars at risk. It would probably have been picked up without my intervention, but at the same time, this was a critical security issue.

On Thursday, in the first group meeting with the new manager, he raised the scaling issue that I had brought up in Feb....and suggested exactly the same solution that I had, to nods of approval and appreciation of picking something up that no-one else had spotted. (I had a little cry after that one).

OP posts:
howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 15:28

CharlotteDoyle · 29/04/2023 15:01

From what you've described, it sounds like the job wasn't a good fit and that everyone agreed on that.

But what's not clear is: did you intend to resign or not? If yes, I don't see the problem. If not, why didn't you speak up when they started shuffling you out?

I genuinely dont think that my current job is the best role fit - difficult manager aside - and I do think that the area that I was offered the senior position in would be better, but at the same time I dont have the confidence for that level of seniority, and I know that it would create issues with my existing manager if I had accepted, as we would have been working closely together.

I do take on board that ...yeah, I resigned, and its kindof textbook management - offer a new role, offer weekly support then offboard, but the "support" offered hasnt been supportive in the slightest, and my self-esteem is in shreds.

OP posts:
Shoelacesundone · 29/04/2023 15:34

howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 15:10

Yes, I'm a contractor for a US company.

Its in writing, but not "formal" just slack messages. I (stupidly) also messaged the founder confirming this. He responded saying that HoS had informed him, that this made him sad and wishing me the best for the future.

My performance reviews are consistently excellent (360 feedback), but I am acutely aware that my performance has dipped in the last few months.

There are also a couple of things that have come up this week that have made me realise that my lack of confidence is probably one of the biggest problems in this.

On Tuesday, I spotted what I thought was a security flaw. I would usually have highlighted this to my manager, but I knew he would tell me that it wasnt my problem (which strictly speaking it isnt), so I engineered getting someone else to look at the code under a different pretext. They spotted the flaw...and it turns out it was a much bigger risk than I had realised, putting tens of millions of dollars at risk. It would probably have been picked up without my intervention, but at the same time, this was a critical security issue.

On Thursday, in the first group meeting with the new manager, he raised the scaling issue that I had brought up in Feb....and suggested exactly the same solution that I had, to nods of approval and appreciation of picking something up that no-one else had spotted. (I had a little cry after that one).

I do a spookily similar job. If you messaged the founder and he replied like that...you're leaving.

As a contractor you're not going to able to pursue constructive dismissal.

Every ounce of me feels for you but you need to move on. Keep it friendly. Get the reference. These things happen. Find something else (you can have my job I hate it x)

Shoelacesundone · 29/04/2023 15:36

As for your confidence, it'll return in a less toxic environment. Expecting to be able to stay and handle the psychological.pressure better isn't realistic. That's no failing in you but this hasn't worked and they're not trying to keep you. More than anything they hate distractions and uncertainty so if you've quit, they'll regroup rather than try to keep you then go through the whole cycle again.

howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 15:48

"More than anything they hate distractions and uncertainty so if you've quit, they'll regroup rather than try to keep you then go through the whole cycle again."

Yeah, that was kindof my thinking.

I have no doubt that I'll find something else and I can take my time in finding something suitable, but I really would rather stay. I'm also just a bit angry at myself for allowing this to happen.

OP posts:
Shoelacesundone · 29/04/2023 15:57

Honestly DM if you want to chat I've done EXACTLY what you've done...quit when I didn't want to, wanted to claw it back, felt like id self-sabotaged.

The way they operate doesn't bring put the best in you and some instinct in you is protecting yourself. US fully remote start up is a fucking tough culture...and only really doable if you have a great boss or peer you can be frank with. You don't have those things.

This might feel quite shitty for a hit. Especially and friends and family might not understand why you quit without a new job to go through.

But legally you can't do much and they don't care about the rights and wrongs.

Keep it friendly. Go out with your head held high. They can be good at making you feel like you're the one that lost but your manager is going to struggle without you.

I've had the same vague allusions to "my issues". It's disgraceful. And textbook. Just make it really clear to everyone you're having a lovely holiday and weighing a couple of options you can't say too much about right now but want your next move to be somewhere truly great. No one will believe his lies.

Honestly. Been through this EXACTLY.

howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 16:05

I've DMed you.

I know he's going to struggle. He's quite lazy, doesnt have a handle on half the stuff I do and is very much style over substance.

I dont really care about the legalities of it tbh, I knew when I took it I had basically no legal employment protection and even if I had, I wouldnt invoke it. Its more just that I have poured my heart and soul into this company for 2 years, working 16 hour days, frequently covering his back and its a massive wrench.

OP posts:
Shoelacesundone · 29/04/2023 16:07

I've replied x

Honestly it's you not them and once you're less exhausted from the overwork and psychological warfare you will feel this more. But it is very, very hard

Paq · 29/04/2023 17:00

Honestly, you're better away from such a toxic environment and person. Leave and don't look back. I've been in a place where my face just didn't fit and it's impossible to succeed in such a situation.

Mortimercat · 30/04/2023 04:28

howdoIunresign · 29/04/2023 14:41

There is no scope for unfair dismissal. Its a foreign company. And its not exactly dismissal, seeing as I've resigned.

A foreign company is irrelevant. A company operating in the UK is bound by UK employment laws. That said, it doesn’t sound like unfair dismissal because it sounds like you resigned.

Paq · 30/04/2023 08:59

I know how it must feel when you have poured your heart and soul into a job only for it to go sour. Which is why I advise people to be detached enough to walk away when they have to.

You're stuck in sunken cost fallacy right now. Completely understandable but just focus on the experience and skills you have gained and get out there to get another brilliant job.

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