I am moving on from my job

At some point in our working lives, we will all leave a job. Sometimes, when resigning, perhaps to go to a new job, or retiring, it’s our decision. Sometimes the decision is forced upon us by our employer for reasons of redundancy or dismissal. Whoever makes the decision, preparing for and leaving a job may cause a lot of anxiety.

This section offers some resources to begin to prepare yourself to leave your job and to move on to the next stage of your life.

Over my working lifetime of 40 years, I believe overall that work has been a positive thing for me

It may help reduce anxiety if you make some preparations when you start work or move to a new environment

Resigning is your decision to hand in your job. But there may be an alternative such as a career break or unpaid leave if you just want a temporary break from work.

Resigning is your decision to hand in your notice and advise your employer that you want to end your employment contract and leave the organisation

There are many reasons for resigning:

  • You’ve been offered another job you prefer
  • You are starting a college course or full-time training
  • You don’t like the job
  • You can no longer do the job
  • You have found something better
  • Your personal circumstances have changed
  • You are going for a complete career change

Your contract will say how many weeks’ notice you need to give before you leave. You must give at least one weeks’ notice if you have been in your job for a month. You do this by handing in a letter of resignation which can be an email, or letter. You can do it verbally, but it is much better to have a written copy. Normally you would send your resignation email/letter to your line Manager.

You will be expected to continue to work during your notice period  unless the company has told you not to.

Before you resign, think VERY carefully as your employer does not have to take you back if you change your mind

What you should include in your resignation letter:

  • Your name, job title and contact details
  • The date
  • Your manager’s name
  • State that you are resigning
  • Say when your last day at work will be
  • If you want to explain, use a second paragraph to say why you are leaving (you do not have to, and in some cases it may be better not to, especially if you think there’s any chance you may one day regret it)
  • Say thank-you for the time you have had with the company and the opportunities you have been given

Wherever possible, it is important to remain on good terms with your employer. You never know when you might want their help – for example you might need them to give you a reference in the future.

Alternatives to resignation  – career breaks and unpaid leave

If you don’t want to leave your job but your personal circumstances have changed, ask whether your employer may allow career breaks or extended unpaid leave, and whether you would qualify. In larger companies you could ask your Human Resources or Personnel department if there is a policy covering these situations. If they do, the policy should state:

  • Who is eligible?
  • How much notice you must give?
  • Whether your contractual terms and conditions such as leave and pay increases continue whilst you’re on leave
  • How to apply
  • How much time is allowed?

Be aware that career break or unpaid leave arrangements are not legally binding, and do not guarantee that you can go back to the same post or even a similar job

Moving on

Once you have decided that you are leaving and you have formally told the company, one option is to simply slip away quietly. However, it is more usual to take time to tell your colleagues. If appropriate, you should thank them for being a colleague for the time you have been with the company and to let them know who will be doing the work when you leave. This may be your line manager if you don’t know who is taking over from you.

Most workplaces have their own routines for when someone leaves. Ask your line manager or mentor what normally happens, but you may find you need to:

  • Bring in cake to say thank you and goodbye
  • Arrange leaving drinks for close colleagues
  • Receive a leaving card at a presentation in a meeting
  • Leave quietly without anyone noticing

Sometimes, a celebration or ‘leaving do’ will be arranged by your manager or other members of the team.

If any of the usual leaving celebrations make you very uncomfortable, you can ask for a quieter alternative as you are the primary reason for the event!

Managing the transition when you leave a job

Changing your working routine is hard. Just how much changes as a result of your decision, will depend on whether you have a job to move on to and whether it’s similar. Even within the same company, different teams have their own rules and ways of working. To make sure that you understand the etiquette of the new team, ask what happens in your new team.

Do what you can to make the transition easier. You might like to review our section on starting a new role.

If you do not have a job to move on to, see our section on looking after yourself while not working.

Leaving your job is not always your own decision. There may be many reasons for this, but it is important that you understand what you can do if this happens.

If a company decides you are unable to do the job they employed you for, they may dismiss you.  This is also called being ‘fired’, ‘given the sack’, being ‘dismissed’ or ‘having your employment terminated’.  Losing your job can be a big shock and have an emotional as well as financial impact. You should get support from family, friends or your GP if you are struggling to cope as a result.

When reading advice online, in this website and in others, you must judge for yourself what is useful and appropriate for you

If you are unwell you should consider whether you should seek advice from your doctor or NHS 111

If you have any urgent concern please see the following list, where help and support can be accessed from the following organisations:

See also our information about Health and Wellbeing for other support services.

If you lose your job, you will have less money for a while – you may need to cut back on any non-essential spending until you have more money coming in again

Check that you are being paid all of the money that you are entitled to including:

  • Wages or salary
  • Holiday pay for holiday you haven’t taken
  • ‘Pay in lieu of notice’ if you are not working your notice out
  • Any bonus, commission or expenses you are entitled to

The best way to move on from losing your job is to get another one as soon as possible. Whilst you are looking, you will need to check what benefits and tax credits you are entitled to. The Money Advice Service can provide further information.

If you were sacked it is likely that you were not happy in the job, so it can be a blessing in disguise. Enjoy the relief of knowing you won’t have to do it anymore.  Take time to look at the situation and work out what did not work for you, so that you can learn from the experience. Be honest with yourself and think about how much of it was your responsibility and work out what you would do differently next time.

You will need to explain what happened on your next job application. Describe what happened as straightforwardly as you can without blaming your previous employer. Show how this new opportunity is different and what you learned through the experience.

Was it an unfair dismissal?

An employer is allowed to dismiss people, but if they do it unfairly, you can challenge that dismissal

You must challenge the decision within 3 months. To find out if it qualifies as an ‘unfair dismissal’ you will need to check:

  • Your employment status – you will need to be an employee of the company. You are not an employee if you are employed by an agency or are self employed for example.
  • Whether you have been employed by them for 2 years or more
  • If the law says that the reason for your dismissal was unfair.

If your dismissal was unfair, most people can take your employer to an employment tribunal. (unless you are in the armed forces, police, working overseas for a foreign government or are a share fisherperson). If you think this may apply to you, seek specialist employment law advice, or consult the Citizens Advice service.

Losing your job can be ‘automatically unfair’ if you have been dismissed BECAUSE you are:

  • are pregnant or on maternity leave
  • have asked for your legal rights at work, e.g. to be paid minimum wage
  • took action about a health and safety issue
  • work in a shop or a betting shop and refused to work on a Sunday
  • are a trade union member and took part in trade union activities including official industrial action or you were acting as an employee representative
  • have reported your employer for wrongdoing, which is called whistleblowing

Or if you were discriminated against, and were dismissed BECAUSE you are:

  • disabled
  • pregnant or on maternity leave
  • from a particular race, ethnicity or country
  • married or in a civil partnership
  • a man or a woman
  • lesbian, gay, bisexual
  • transgender
  • have a particular religion or set of beliefs
  • older or younger than the people you work with

You can be dismissed legally if you are in any of the categories above, but it cannot be the reason WHY you were dismissed.

You would have to show how you have been treated differently to other employees in similar situations, that the employer has tried to help you overcome any issues and if they have followed a fair process in deciding to terminate your employment.

Your local Citizens Advice may be able to advise if you have a legal claim.

 

Constructive dismissal

Constructive dismissal is when you’re forced to leave your job against your will because of your employer’s conduct

The reasons you leave your job must be serious, for example, they:

  • don’t pay you or suddenly demote you for no reason
  • force you to accept unreasonable changes to how you work – e.g. tell you to work night shifts when your contract is only for day work
  • let other employees harass or bully you

 

Your employer’s breach of contract may be one serious incident, or part of a series of incidents that are serious when taken together.

You should always try and sort any issues out by speaking to your employer to solve the dispute

You should not stay if it continues, as you may be seen to have accepted the treatment. Proving constructive dismissal is not easy and not many claims are successful, so you should seek advice before acting.

Redundancy is a form of dismissal that comes about because an employer needs to reduce the number of people in their workforce.

Redundancy is not a reflection on you or your performance – if it was, you would be going through a disciplinary or dismissal process

Redundancy is a change in company circumstances that unfortunately impacts your role. Being made redundant can be a very emotional experience, even when it’s carried out fairly.

You can be made redundant without the company running a selection process if:

  • your employer is closing down a whole operation in a company and making all the employees working in it redundant
  • you’re the only employee in your part of the organisation

You may be offered a different job if one is available. Where a team is reducing in size, you can also be asked to reapply for your own job but will not be redundant unless you are unsuccessful and until your employer makes you redundant.

Fair selection

Your employer has to apply a fair and objective way of selecting you for redundancy. They could select people by:

  • last in, first out (employees with the shortest length of service are selected first)
  • asking for volunteers (self-selection)
  • disciplinary records
  • staff appraisal markings, skills, qualifications and experience

Unfair selection

There are a number of reasons why you CANNOT be selected for redundancy

You cannot be selected for redundancy for a number of reasons including the following:

  • gender
  • marital status
  • sexual orientation
  • race
  • disability (including autism)
  • your membership or non-membership of a trade union
  • health and safety activities
  • working pattern, for example part-time or fixed-term employees
  • whistleblowing, for example making disclosures about your employer’s wrongdoing
  • taking part in lawful industrial action lasting 12 weeks or less
  • taking action on health and safety grounds

If you were selected for redundancy for any of the above reasons you may have a case for pursuing a claim for unfair or constructive dismissal.

If you are undertaking an apprenticeship, your training provider or the employer may help you to find another employer to complete your apprenticeship.

Consultation

You are entitled to be consulted about the redundancy – this means your employer should speak to you about why you are being made redundant and any alternatives to redundancy

When more than 20 people are being made redundant, the process takes longer, and different rules apply.

‘Suitable alternative employment’ – Your employer may offer you another job as an alternative to being made redundant. If you turn down this offer you may lose your entitlement to statutory redundancy pay. Whether a job is suitable depends on:

  • how similar the work is to your current job
  • the terms of the job being offered
  • your skills, abilities and circumstances in relation to the job
  • the pay (including benefits), status, hours and location

If the company has a suitable alternative job and does not offer it to you, it could be ‘unfair dismissal’. You have the right to a 4-week trial period for any alternative employment you are offered, which can be extended if you need training. You also have the right to take time off for job hunting or training. See https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights/suitable-alternative-employment for details.

Redundancy Pay

You qualify for redundancy pay if you have a contract of employment and have been working for your employer for over 2 years. See https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights/redundancy-pay for details.

Notice periods and pay

You must be given a notice period of at least:

  • one week’s notice if employed between one month and 2 years
  • one week’s notice for each year if employed between 2 and 12 years
  • 12 weeks’ notice if employed for 12 years or more

Although your employment contract may offer more, you cannot be given less. You should be paid through this period or be paid in lieu of notice including any extra benefits in your contract such as pension contributions and private healthcare.

Help finding a new job

The help you get will depend on where you live

In England – You can get help from the Job Centre Plus if you are made redundant. They can help you:

  • write CVs and find jobs
  • find information on benefits
  • find the right training and learn new skills
  • organise work trials (if you’re eligible)
  • get any extra help at work if you’re disabled, for example Access to Work

In Scotland – See My World of Work for details

In Wales – See Employment Support

In Northern Ireland – You can get redundancy information or seek help from a careers advisor

Other resources  on this website which can help include: preparing to look for work and applying for work.

Retiring – leaving work – is a huge life change for anyone, but especially for an autistic person. Much of the structure which you will have relied on during your working life will have gone. You will need to set your own structure and routines up so that you continue to feel safe.

Retirement is defined as to “withdraw from one’s position or occupation or from active working life.”

For most of us, this comes at a certain age, and/or when we reach a level of financial security that means we no longer have to work to earn money.

We no longer have a default “retirement age” in the UK – instead, we have a “Pension Age” which is the age at which you can claim your state pension

Your pension age will vary between 65 and 68 depending upon when you were born. You can work beyond your pension age, and further information about your pension can be found from the Pension Advisory Service.

You will need to be aware that your income is likely to change and to take than into account when planning your commitments and activities. You might like to work out how much you will get in pensions using the Money Advice Service or check the government advice . You need to plan for your retirement as early as possible.

Plan your retirement in advance and build up to it, so that you have some consistency through the transition

You might like to try the following suggestions:

  • Find a club or group that follows your special interests that you can join when you retire.
  • Try a new hobby.
  • Sign up to learn something new related to things you love. Adult education courses can be a great way to learn new skills and meet new people in a controlled environment.
  • Increase your exercise. Increase your current exercise or start up a new one. Anything that gets you out of the house on a regular schedule is helpful.
  • Schedule your week. Try to have an activity each day.
  • Volunteer to help other people. You could do this through a church, charity, library or garden centre. Many organisations can only run because of the role played by their volunteers.
  • Create a check list or set yourself alarms in the house or on the phone to remind you to when to do things (like eat) if you are likely to forget.
  • Go out to a friendly restaurant or café to eat. When you become a regular the staff will smile and say hello more often and stop you from feeling too isolated.
  • If you have family or friends locally, spend time with them. Offer to help out if you can.
  • Get into gardening even if it’s only a window box. Growing things is one of the most popular hobbies in the UK and is good for mental health.

Whatever you choose to do, try to get out and walk each day and make contact with other people, even if it is just to say hello.

Retirement can be the beginning of a delightful period of freedom, so choose the activities that make you happy and help you continue to grow and learn