Can an employer turn away my rescinded resignation after verbally saying it’s okay?
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Can an employer turn away my rescinded resignation after verbally saying it’s okay?
I recently provided my employer with a letter of resignation due to another job offer. I then spoke with the plant manager, who made me feel like a valued employee and insisted that my letter could be rescinded. So after thinking the situation over further, I decided to turn down the other offer and stay with the company, or so I thought. Now they have rejected my rescission and are instead honoring my resignation, even after leading me to believe that I could withdraw from it and be fine. Due to this being, I turned down the other offer. Now I’ll be unemployed with no type of employment in the works. Is that even legal to begin with? And can they hold me to an unsigned letter of resignation?
Asked on June 24, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Michigan
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
This is perfectly legal. There is no legal requirement for a written letter of resignation; or for such a letter, if you provide one, to be signed--all that's necessary is that you communicate or indicate that you are resigning, which you did. There is also no legal right to rescind a resignation. Given that all employment, in the absence of a still-in-effect (not terminated or expired) contract is "employment at will," and so there is no right to or guaranty of a job or employment, there is no liability for your employer due you having turned down another job, thinking you still have a job--that could happen at any time (you could, for example, be terminated at any time, without warning or prior notice, even right after you turned down some other offer).
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