How to Resign from a Casual Job

Sometimes, you need to change. When you’re doing something for hours and hours as a long-time casual employee, it can get tedious fast – even if you do have irregular hours. You’re not alone: more than half of Australians are unhappy with their career (Survey Sampling International on behalf of SEEK learning).

So, we’ve already established that you’re ready to leave your casual job. Where do you even start? Even though it may seem like you can leave on a whim, there’s a specific procedure you should follow.

Here’s a step by step guide that will help you finally resign from your part-time or casual job.

Your ‘5 step’ checklist to quitting your casual job:

1. Consider your decision
2. Give notice
3. Write a resignation letter
4. Hold a meeting
5. Ask for a letter of recommendation (optional)

1. Consider your decision

Before you do anything, take a step back and check whether or not this is something you absolutely want. Is this the right time to do this? Do you have another job lined up? Why exactly are you doing this? Is it because perhaps you aren’t getting enough shifts?

Talking to your manager directly might help, but if that doesn’t work for whatever reason, then consider meeting with human resources to discuss your issues.

Essentially, you should ensure that you’ve exhausted all your options before you leave. I’m sure that I don’t need to tell you that it’s pretty challenging to find another job, even on a casual basis.

2. Give notice

While you might feel like leaving as soon as possible, you want to ensure that you give notice, so your employer can find someone to replace you. You want to leave on good terms.

Even if you don’t add your manager as a reference, a potential employer might contact your previous manager and ask for their opinion of you. The last thing you want is your manager to dislike you because of something you could have easily done. Also, it’s just a nice thing to do. when it comes to your professional relationships, it’s best not to leave people in the lurch.

Anyway, let’s move on to the notice period. How much notice should you give? Well, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman, it depends on your employment contract. It can be a two week’s notice or a month’s notice, but it’s usually the former for casual employees.

There may be certain situations where you absolutely can’t give notice, such as if you’ve been harassed or threatened. Notice is not required by law. Your boss can’t stop you from leaving.

Remember, your safety is more important than general sensibilities. However, if you can give notice, then you absolutely should.

3. Write a resignation letter

While this isn’t essential, again, it’s a way to leave on good terms with your boss. A resignation letter should include your notice period, including the date when you finally resign. It should be straightforward and polite, but not emotional. If your reasons are fuelled by negative feelings, then definitely don’t add that. In fact, you don’t necessarily have to give out your reasons for leaving, or where you’ll go from here.

Here’s a simple checklist that can help you out:

• A clear statement that you are resigning
• The end date of your casual employment
• Thank your boss for the experience
• Ensure that your letter is positive and expresses gratitude

Download resignation letter templates and samples.

To really seal the deal, when you hand over your letter of resignation, you should also arrange a meeting with your boss.

4. Hold a meeting

In the meeting, explain why you’re leaving, or at least provide a convincing explanation if your reasons boil down to hating your job. Your manager will likely press you on the issue, and if you don’t give them a reason, they will most likely assume the worst.

You don’t have to go into detail. For example, if you want to leave your job simply because you want something new, you can mention that you’ve found a job that might be a better fit for you.

Again, it’s best to keep it general; you don’t want people to think that you’re bragging.

But what if you can’t meet with your manager face-to-face? If your plans keep on falling apart, you can try calling them and emailing your resignation instead. Again, I must emphasise that it’s best to do this face-to-face, but there are other options if you need them.

5. Ask for a letter of recommendation (optional)

If you have a job lined up already, and you want a letter of recommendation from your boss, email your boss about it afterwards. Thank them again for the experience, and ask if they’re happy to write one up for you.

Even casual jobs can affect your career down the line. When it’s time to leave your casual job, it’s best to handle the situation professionally.

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