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A voluntary quit is when an employee leaves an organization by choice as opposed to when an employee is let go and asked to leave. When an employee voluntarily leaves an organization, the company may have a number of matters to address, including handling the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), delivering the final paycheck, coordinating the return of company equipment, and maybe even planning a “sendoff” party for the departing employee. The company may also want to conduct an exit interview.
Scope
Any employee can choose to voluntarily leave the organization they work for at any time for any reason, although management, work conditions, new opportunities, and daily responsibilities are some common reasons for a voluntary quit.
Regulatory citations
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Key definitions
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Summary of requirements
Exit interviews. It has been said that employees do not leave companies, they leave managers, so conducting an exit interview might be a good idea to gain new insights. When employees choose to quit, they may have valuable information about improvement opportunities. Exit interviews are conducted with those leaving the company or a particular department or area to gather information on such things as organizational management that may not always be accessible or gathered during employment tenure. Perhaps the employee simply moved to a better opportunity, or is following a spouse who was offered a great opportunity. Or perhaps the employee was unhappy with the working conditions at the company. No one will know the reason for the employee’s departure unless the company asks.
Knowledge transfer. Another issue is addressing the transfer of knowledge and job responsibilities. If the departing employee has been with the company for a long time, that employee may possess knowledge that has been of great value to the organization “behind the scenes.” It is also possible that the individual knows certain procedures or processes better than anyone else, and the company may want to spend the last few days (or weeks) of employment trying to capture this knowledge.
Training a replacement. In today’s economy, many employees are “knowledge workers” and training a replacement could take weeks or months. Until that person gets up to speed, the company may face a skills gap — especially if the departing employee’s specialized knowledge wasn’t captured.
Checklists. The transition to a new opportunity is usually an exciting time for an employee, but it can be a challenging time for the employer who is losing a valued worker. Consider developing a checklist for departing employees to help smooth the transition and fill in gaps before the employee leaves.