leaving your job-professionally

[soon2Brph]

I need some advice! I am newly licensed rph UNhappy with the retail setting that i am at...so i decided to take action and was extended an offer with another company (NOT retail) that i have accepted. That said, what is the most PC way to resign from my current staff pharmacist position...do i really need to give the "2 week notice"? who should i submit my resignation to? HR or the pharmacy sup? does this need to be done via telephone or can email work???????

I also do not want to disclose what company i am signing on with...how can that answer be avoided?

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[WVUPharm2007]

I need some advice! I am newly licensed rph UNhappy with the retail setting that i am at...so i decided to take action and was extended an offer with another company (NOT retail) that i have accepted. That said, what is the most PC way to resign from my current staff pharmacist position...do i really need to give the "2 week notice"? who should i submit my resignation to? HR or the pharmacy sup? does this need to be done via telephone or can email work???????

I also do not want to disclose what company i am signing on with...how can that answer be avoided?

Easy, don't tell them. Just say that the job isn't what you expected and that for both your good and the good of the company, you think its best to split ways now. Give you district manager a decent amount of heads up. 2 weeks is sufficient...and I'd recommend doing so.

 

[Glycerin]

I need some advice! I am newly licensed rph UNhappy with the retail setting that i am at...so i decided to take action and was extended an offer with another company (NOT retail) that i have accepted. That said, what is the most PC way to resign from my current staff pharmacist position...do i really need to give the "2 week notice"? who should i submit my resignation to? HR or the pharmacy sup? does this need to be done via telephone or can email work???????

I also do not want to disclose what company i am signing on with...how can that answer be avoided?

Not phone or e-mail. Write a letter and schedule an appointment with your supervisor. Give the letter to him/her as well as explaining that you're giving your notice. Keep a copy of the letter, also, but at least this way it can go into your personnel file.

I think a 2-week notice is the polite thing to do, especially just starting out. Pharmacy is a small world, and while some jobs are a dime a dozen, you don't want to burn bridges.

You are not obligated to disclose where your next job will be.

 

[pharmer27]

I guess, an e-mail should be good enough,give them 2 weeks notice, that's the minimum courtesy, your sup. will surely call you, let him know why r u resigning,be polite, no arguments and no fights, leave the company in good terms,pharmacy is a small world u never know u may need to contact him in future.

 

[cycloketocaine]

I guess, an e-mail should be good enough,give them 2 weeks notice, that's the minimum courtesy, your sup. will surely call you, let him know why r u resigning,be polite, no arguments and no fights, leave the company in good terms,pharmacy is a small world u never know u may need to contact him in future.

I think an email resignation is unprofessional. Have the courtesy (and the balls) to go tell him/her in person.

 

[Pharmavixen]

I have always resigned in person. It's uncomfortable as he!!, but it's the right thing to do. And giving them as much notice as you can is totally taking the high road.

I've been working two jobs, and have quit one of them because I'm going back to school part-time in September. I'll be working my last shift at the methadone clinic pharmacy in mid-Sept, but I told them a month ago because they'll have trouble replacing me (addicts are challenging clientele. And I'm pretty awesome 😛). Strictly speaking that much notice isn't necessary, but you can't go wrong over-doing professional courtesy.

 

[soon2Brph]

thanks for all the opinions...the only reason i am considering doing it over email is b/c i don't directly work with or see my pharmacy supervisor. he has only stopped in once since i started working there...and that was a quick hello. i dont even know how you can arrange an "appointment" to see them when they don't have office hours themselves--their office is their car. so to ask to "meet" with him sounds a little awkward and uncommon to me...

 

[bonvox]

Is it legal for a DM to fire you out of anger after you've given them 2 weeks notice? I'm just wondering... some DM's seem like big enough chach's that they would try something like that. What would be the legal recourse in such a scenario?

Also, a lot of these DM's don't even give out their phone numbers to the pharmacists in their district... so yes, e-mail is perfectly acceptable as a medium to submit your 2-week notice.

 

[pocohall]

No, they can't fire you after you quit.

Anything they do to you after you resign can be seen by the court as retaliation. A lawsuit can be brought against the company for retaliation.

Emails are acceptable and also are time stamped. Your DM could never deny that you gave a notice if you send an email. Make a copy of the email showing the time stamp. Also, when you send the email to your DM also forward the email to the corporate HR department. This will also prevent the DM from getting any ideas about inventing a story about your leaving that wasn't true.

Every pharmacist should familiarize themselves with the labor code and employment law in their state.

Good luck in your new job.

 

[gaba101]

to the OP...i dunno if this helps but i quit my retail intern job of a few years via email. i googled a generic resignation letter and just filled in the blanks in that letter 🙂 it was very succinct and polite. next day, i get a response from the DM and she said "Thank you [insert name], good luck to you!!". I approached the email method for the same reasons you want to pursue it--DMs rarely visit your store and are always on the go and in meetings. I'd say go via email. here's what i sent to my DM (filled in, of course):

[District Manager's Name]
[name of pharmacy] Pharmacy District Manager
[city] [state]

Dear [District Manager's Name],
Even though I have thoroughly enjoyed the past [#] years I spent as [position] at [name] Pharmacy, it is with regret that I write this letter of resignation due to [insert reason; be as generic as possible unless you want a lot of questions; best reason i have found for resignation or significant change in work schedule is family!! DMs don't know ab your family and don't NEED to know! family needs are sometimes out of an employer's control].

Working for [name of pharmacy] has enabled me to grow as a professional in the field of pharmacy and I am grateful for the valuable personal and work experiences that I gained at the company. I wish you and [name of pharmacy] success in all your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
[slave]

a few years of experience boiled down to just 3 sentences 😉

 

[ItsOverZyvox]

to the OP...i dunno if this helps but i quit my retail intern job of a few years via email. i googled a generic resignation letter and just filled in the blanks in that letter 🙂 it was very succinct and polite. next day, i get a response from the DM and she said "Thank you [insert name], good luck to you!!". I approached the email method for the same reasons you want to pursue it--DMs rarely visit your store and are always on the go and in meetings. I'd say go via email. here's what i sent to my DM (filled in, of course):

[District Manager's Name]
[name of pharmacy] Pharmacy District Manager
[city] [state]

Dear [District Manager's Name],
Even though I have thoroughly enjoyed the past [#] years I spent as [position] at [name] Pharmacy, it is with regret that I write this letter of resignation due to [insert reason; be as generic as possible unless you want a lot of questions; best reason i have found for resignation or significant change in work schedule is family!! DMs don't know ab your family and don't NEED to know! family needs are sometimes out of an employer's control].

Working for [name of pharmacy] has enabled me to grow as a professional in the field of pharmacy and I am grateful for the valuable personal and work experiences that I gained at the company. I wish you and [name of pharmacy] success in all your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
[slave]

a few years of experience boiled down to just 3 sentences 😉

Wow... if someone resigns through email, I would make sure that person is ineligible for rehire. 👎 Unprofessional to the max and it tells me the person doesn't want to face difficult situations.

 

[gaba101]

Wow... if someone resigns through email, I would make sure that person is ineligible for rehire. 👎 Unprofessional to the max and it tells me the person doesn't want to face difficult situations.

have you ever worked in retail? how often do you see your DMs? how often are you able to get a hold of your DM? 97% of my contact w/ the DM was via email (even before resignation--and I resigned because I got too busy with my schoolwork, not because I hated my DM)--the other 2% was via phone and 1% in person when he would show up at our store (when they go from store to store to visit). Most of hte time when I called him, he was driving to a meeting or said he couldn't talk because a meeting was about to start. How would you like it if you were a DM like him, about to start a meeting or are driving to one and your employee out of hte blue calls you to give you his/her resignation speech? kind of inconvenient and leaves the DM speechless, no? at least via email, he could have some time to think and prepare a good response. Most of the DM's time is spent in responding to calls, emails, visitng stores, dealing with problems, staffing, or meetings. Obviously you've never worked retail. Whatever, my DM and I had a good relation and judging by the response I got, I will be rehired should I want my job back.

 

[ItsOverZyvox]

have you ever worked in retail? how often do you see your DMs? how often are you able to get a hold of your DM? 97% of my contact w/ the DM was via email (even before resignation--and I resigned because I got too busy with my schoolwork, not because I hated my DM)--the other 2% was via phone and 1% in person when he would show up at our store (when they go from store to store to visit). Most of hte time when I called him, he was driving to a meeting or said he couldn't talk because a meeting was about to start. How would you like it if you were a DM like him, about to start a meeting or are driving to one and your employee out of hte blue calls you to give you his/her resignation speech? kind of inconvenient and leaves the DM speechless, no? at least via email, he could have some time to think and prepare a good response. Most of the DM's time is spent in responding to calls, emails, visitng stores, dealing with problems, staffing, or meetings. Obviously you've never worked retail. Whatever, my DM and I had a good relation and judging by the response I got, I will be rehired should I want my job back.

Actually...I have done retail and I have owned retail. And actually, my employees out of the blue call me all the time while I'm driving..flying...and running from meeting to meeting. And no matter how you put it, it's unprofessional to resign through email. And I guaranty you if you had a good relationship with your DM, you resigning through email just ruined it. Your DM is just being polite and not want to bother with it. And if your DM acutally hires you back, he must be desperate. You will always be remembered as the intern who resined by email. A label I wouldn't wish upon anyone. If getting in touch with the DM is impossible, you should have given a written resignation letter to the pharmacy manager while telling him/her face to face that you're resigning.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Actually...I have done retail and I have owned retail. And actually, my employees out of the blue call me all the time while I'm driving..flying...and running from meeting to meeting. And no matter how you put it, it's unprofessional to resign through email. And I guaranty you if you had a good relationship with your DM, you resigning through email just ruined it. Your DM is just being polite and not want to bother with it. And if your DM acutally hires you back, he must be desperate. You will always be remembered as the intern who resined by email. A label I wouldn't wish upon anyone. If getting in touch with the DM is impossible, you should have given a written resignation letter to the pharmacy manager while telling him/her face to face that you're resigning.

As if the DM would even remember....The revolving door that is Walgreens has so many interns and new grads coming and going i doubt he remembers his name most days.

With Walgreens and CVS all you need is a pulse and a license and you have a job.


Let me tell ya how retail works. Your DM deals with the Pharmacy managers. He barely deals with or cares about the staff pharmacists and could absolutly care less about interns or pharmacy techs. If you want to quit tell your Pharmacy manager and give him or her a letter or resignation. It is then up to the Pharmacy manager to forward it up the chain of command.

 

[ItsOverZyvox]

As if the DM would even remember....The revolving door that is Walgreens has so many interns and new grads coming and going. I doubt he remembers his name most days let alone how you resigned several years before as an intern.

With Walgreens and CVS all you need is a pulse and a license and you have a job.


Let me tell ya how retail works. Your DM deals with the Pharmacy managers. He barely deals with or cares about the staff pharmacists and could absolutly care less about interns or pharmacy techs. If you want to quit tell your pharmacy manager and give him or her a letter or resignation. It is then up to the Pharmacy manager to forward it up the chain of command.

And that's the world of profession you live in...so Enjoy !

 

[FruitFly]

Wow... if someone resigns through email, I would make sure that person is ineligible for rehire. 👎 Unprofessional to the max and it tells me the person doesn't want to face difficult situations.

I agree. I'm not a big fan of folks who hide behind emails, rather than take the time to write and mail a letter and follow up with a cordial phone call. No offense to anyone, but what has society come to?

 

[confettiflyer]

No, they can't fire you after you quit.

Anything they do to you after you resign can be seen by the court as retaliation. A lawsuit can be brought against the company for retaliation.

Every pharmacist should familiarize themselves with the labor code and employment law in their state.

Good luck in your new job.

To my knowledge this is incorrect. CA is an at-will employment state, meaning you can be fired for a good reason, bad reason, or no reason at all at any time. It also goes both ways, as you can quit for any reason at any time w/ no 2 week notice.

The retaliation that is inferred here is completely legal so long as it is not discriminatory.

As for the OP, there's plenty of great advice that's been posted. I strongly agree about meeting with your DM in person, handing them a paper resignation, and not burning the bridges by giving at least 2 weeks notice. If your DM is running around all the time, at least do it over the phone (email to schedule a phone call time). He/she will probably understand and can probably direct you to HR for the "see ya" paperwork involved.

 

[Gharver]

If you are going to resign, the most professional option is to do so in person. Even if they are not in agreeing to your reasoning, it's much more respectable to do it in person rather than by e-mail or phone.

 

[Megas]

I've been working for a month retail and have yet to meet my DM-our only communication has been via e-mail (one e-mail, the "welcome to the company, I think you'll like it here" one) or over the phone (two very brief conversations). For me it would be weird to initiate our first and possibly last face-to-face meeting for my resignation notification. I'd give my pharmacy manager, who I see in person daily, and who really cares, my two weeks notice and ask them how or when to contact the DM. Pharmacy is a small world, but our DM seems to only contact it by cell phone or e-mail.....my god, maybe they are not a real person at all!

 

[crossurfingers]

How about us floaters who generally don't report to a pharmacy manager or see the DM? I think I see him about once a year (when he gives me my eval). Either that or when I'm lucky enough to be working in one of the stores that he's inspecting for the day.

 

[bananaface]

I've always done a written letter so that it can go in my personnel file. It's easiest to leave it for a manager that you have regular contact with and check in with them once you think they should have gotten it to make sure that the notice was received. Yeah, they can ask questions when you check in with them, but it is alot more controlled conversation than if you just walked up to them and told them "um yeah...this is my 2 week notice".

If the DM is the one you report to I'd start hunting for a fax number. I'd fax a written letter to the DM (via the corporate office if necessary) and cc it to the pharmacy manager (paper copy). Even if the manager isn't your HR contact, they deserve to know you are leaving. You could contact them by e-mail to confirm that they got your letter if you can't get ahold of them by phone. But, like others have said, that's not a good way to quit.

 

[pocohall]

Yes, CA is an at will state. However, the firing must show "good cause." For instance, if I work somewhere for 10 years with good evaluations and I am terminated as a result of reporting unsafe working conditions then the court could find that my employer retaliated against me for reporting unsafe working conditions. The employer will argue that they can terminate under the "at will" law. Employee's counsel would argue that the employee was fired after the fact that unsafe working conditions were reported. Firing someone in CA for filing such a complaint is illegal. Therefore, retaliation does not have to be discriminatory.

 

[confettiflyer]

Yes, CA is an at will state. However, the firing must show "good cause." For instance, if I work somewhere for 10 years with good evaluations and I am terminated as a result of reporting unsafe working conditions then the court could find that my employer retaliated against me for reporting unsafe working conditions. The employer will argue that they can terminate under the "at will" law. Employee's counsel would argue that the employee was fired after the fact that unsafe working conditions were reported. Firing someone in CA for filing such a complaint is illegal. Therefore, retaliation does not have to be discriminatory.

What does reporting an unsafe working condition have to do with the at-will status of the employee/employer relationship? The firing does not have to be "good cause"...I think what you are trying to say is that firing cannot be "retaliatory."

There's a difference between "has to be" and "cannot be" with respect to at-will employment.

 

[codeman2012]

I cannot believe people said via e-mail. Hell, while your at it why not just text them? NO, NO wait.. Even better, leave it on the Dr.'s line! 😕

 

[bananaface]

I prefer YouTube.

 

[FruitFly]

Two words: Peace Out!