Resignation Laws and Regulations

Avoid costly lawsuits when you understand resignation laws and regulations

By Michele Vrouvas

Employers and employees alike should familiarize themselves with resignation laws and regulations. Employees should know that some jurisdictions allow them to receive state benefits even if they resign from their jobs. Employers should know that they are not always legally required to accept when an employee decides to withdraw his resignation.

Resignation has not only been the subject of federal and state laws. It is also regulated by certain unwritten laws that human resource professionals regard as well accepted standards. These standards include how much advance notice to give your employer, whether to first advise him verbally of your resignation plans and whether to offer assistance in finding an acceptable replacement. Key points to keep in mind as you search for resignation laws and regulations are:

1. Become informed of resignation from work standards that human resource professionals adhere to.

2. Get resignation information from employment lawyers so you can avoid being sued by your employer.

3. Access federal laws on work resignation.

4. Read court opinions and legal websites to understand state laws on job resignation.

Find out what HR professionals consider to be sound resignation from work standards

This practical HR advice reveals the standards for making the resignation decision, delivering the message and even writing the letter of resignation that HR managers themselves follow.
Try: Quint Careers explains the importance of using resignation letters to resign with class so that you do not leave any job on bad terms. Commentaries on the Mums in Science blog offer practical tips on how to notify your boss face to face about your plans to resign. Read U.S. News & World Report to learn about the standard procedure for resigning from your position with grace. The Job Employment Guide explains how professionals respond to counteroffers.

Learn resignation laws and regulations from practicing employment attorneys

HR professionals will want to know whether employees can legally back out of a resignation they may have given in haste. They may also wonder about the legality of mass resignations by a group of employees who believe the company has violated certain provisions of their employment contracts.
Try: Read Macon to learn about real life cases in which the failure to understand resignation laws can result in litigation. Read My Employment Lawyer for professional advice on how businesses can refuse to allow employees to back out on resignations. Read about en masse resignations at Law Memo.com. Read Adjunct Law Prof Blog to find out whether certain public employees are allowed to withdraw their resignations.

Understand federal laws regulation job resignation

Federal laws differ from state laws when it comes to work resignation. Federal employers should pay special attention to laws relating to a federal employee's resignation from a public employee union.
Try: Use Fed Smith.com to access articles explaining resignation laws for federal employees. Workers Independent News discusses how to respond when your boss violates the federal labor laws you were hired to enforce. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation explains the federal and state right to work statutes.

Get details on state laws relating to work resignation

As you research work resignation laws on the state level, pay special attention to how job resignation information might impact upon state employee benefits.
Try: FL Employment Law Blog explains when an employee who resigns is entitled to unemployment benefits. New York Public Personnel Law relates to constitutional protections for employees who resign from their jobs. Find out from Rominer Legal how New Jersey courts respond to employers who retaliate against employees who resign. Read Business Management Daily to find out whether Massachusetts employers must provide FMLA to employees who resign.