Navigating Employee Resignation Acceptance: HR Role and Best Practices

Hi Everyone,

Can the HR of the current employer be of any help in getting the resignation acceptance letter? Or is it in the hands of the superior only? My friend has not yet approached his HR as his superior does not want him to do that. He submitted his resignation 2 months ago, personally handing it over to his superior.

Thanks and Regards,
Yash

Mr. Yash,

Resignation should be given to your superior and forwarded to the HR Department on the same day as they will take care of the notice period and legally relieve you.

Regards,
Ramkishore

In Germany, your resignation is sent to the HR department. They inform the superior. I find that better because it helps the company take a professional stand when an employee wants to leave.

In the case above, the superior will try to gain from politics and probably handle the situation less professionally. It's a risk because most managers might not be trained in HR, and resignations are a core HR area.

In most companies, the practice is to send a copy of your resignation letter to the HR department on the same day. If you are submitting your resignation through mail, then it is always advisable to cc the HR department. Now, in this case, speak to the senior about the resignation letter and ask him in writing about your relieving date. Once you receive the reply, inform the HR department about the whole scenario.

Regards,
Archna

That's good thinking, Archana. To consider the worst-case scenario, if he doesn't have an acknowledgment and his superior denies the claim of his resignation, we might have a different situation brewing up :-)

I'm sure Nikhil, this is exactly what's going to happen. He may not have the acknowledgment. :)

The resignation should be routed through HR. If anybody submits the resignation directly to the superior, then the individual should inform HR at the earliest. Alternatively, the superior should send the resignation to HR or share all the situation. HR, in true spirit, has to play the role of a bridge between the employee and employer/management.

If the case has not been settled and the individual has informed HR regarding his pending resignation decision, then I think HR should ask the superior about the fate of the resignation. Nobody can put off the decision pending for long, as that goes against natural law.

Sincerely, Tanveer A Malik

In Kenya, the practice is to send the letter to HR and a copy to the immediate superior. HR will handle the issue of acknowledgment after a discussion between the superior, employee, and HR. HR is the experts and is more able to handle the issue professionally.

Regards,
Odhiambo Ooko

Subject: Re: HR Role in Resignation Acceptance

Resignation letter should be submitted to HR, and acknowledgment should be taken. HR will inform further developments regarding acceptance or any other decision of the management.

Regards,

P S S

In my view, a resignation letter should be received by the immediate superior and forwarded with specific remarks to the HR department for further processing. The HR department needs to review everything before either accepting or rejecting the resignation letter. In case of termination (due to various reasons on genuine grounds), the immediate superior can convey his remarks to the HR department to expedite the process.

With profound regards