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Morally, should I resign early to save someone else from being laid off? [closed]
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I manage a team of 5, and my company needs to downsize it to 4.
I have been planning to leave my job in a couple months time (moving overseas), but no one know this. Me leaving early would likely mean that no one needed to be laid off.
There is one obvious person to lay off, but this is no reflection of their work. This person is a good worker and has a very young family (2 kids under 3yrs).
I feel bad about laying him off, considering that I already plan to leave and would be ok with resigning earlier.
Morally, should I resign early to save this person's job?
resignation layoff
asked Feb 1 '16 at 11:28
MakkyNZ
1294
closed as primarily opinion-based by Stephan Kolassa, nvoigt, gnat, Dawny33, Adam V Feb 1 '16 at 17:15
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
I manage a team of 5, and my company needs to downsize it to 4.
I have been planning to leave my job in a couple months time (moving overseas), but no one know this. Me leaving early would likely mean that no one needed to be laid off.
There is one obvious person to lay off, but this is no reflection of their work. This person is a good worker and has a very young family (2 kids under 3yrs).
I feel bad about laying him off, considering that I already plan to leave and would be ok with resigning earlier.
Morally, should I resign early to save this person's job?
resignation layoff
asked Feb 1 '16 at 11:28
MakkyNZ
1294
closed as primarily opinion-based by Stephan Kolassa, nvoigt, gnat, Dawny33, Adam V Feb 1 '16 at 17:15
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Do you have another job to go to?
– Jane S♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:35
No, because I am moving overseas, back to my home country
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:42
2
The most important question: is there someone in your current team who is an ideal candidate to take over your position? Not someone who'd be merely acceptable or competent or is good at his current job, but someone who would be the best person for your position even if you were interviewing external candidates. If there isn't then you leaving doesn't solve the problem.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:44
Yeah there is someone in my opinion. I'm not sure if the company feels the same. They could promote this person to my position.
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:47
11
Instead of resigning early, do you think you can give notice for several months away without being pushed out? In this situation it makes more sense to contact your management, announce your plans to leave and suggest this person from your team as a replacement. The main risk is that they terminate your employment sooner or immediately but you're best placed to judge how they will react.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:58
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
I manage a team of 5, and my company needs to downsize it to 4.
I have been planning to leave my job in a couple months time (moving overseas), but no one know this. Me leaving early would likely mean that no one needed to be laid off.
There is one obvious person to lay off, but this is no reflection of their work. This person is a good worker and has a very young family (2 kids under 3yrs).
I feel bad about laying him off, considering that I already plan to leave and would be ok with resigning earlier.
Morally, should I resign early to save this person's job?
resignation layoff
asked Feb 1 '16 at 11:28
MakkyNZ
1294
I manage a team of 5, and my company needs to downsize it to 4.
I have been planning to leave my job in a couple months time (moving overseas), but no one know this. Me leaving early would likely mean that no one needed to be laid off.
There is one obvious person to lay off, but this is no reflection of their work. This person is a good worker and has a very young family (2 kids under 3yrs).
I feel bad about laying him off, considering that I already plan to leave and would be ok with resigning earlier.
Morally, should I resign early to save this person's job?
resignation layoff
asked Feb 1 '16 at 11:28
MakkyNZ
1294
edited Feb 1 '16 at 11:43
asked Feb 1 '16 at 11:28
MakkyNZ
1294
asked Feb 1 '16 at 11:28
MakkyNZ
1294
asked Feb 1 '16 at 11:28
MakkyNZ
1294
1294
closed as primarily opinion-based by Stephan Kolassa, nvoigt, gnat, Dawny33, Adam V Feb 1 '16 at 17:15
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
closed as primarily opinion-based by Stephan Kolassa, nvoigt, gnat, Dawny33, Adam V Feb 1 '16 at 17:15
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Do you have another job to go to?
– Jane S♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:35
No, because I am moving overseas, back to my home country
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:42
2
The most important question: is there someone in your current team who is an ideal candidate to take over your position? Not someone who'd be merely acceptable or competent or is good at his current job, but someone who would be the best person for your position even if you were interviewing external candidates. If there isn't then you leaving doesn't solve the problem.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:44
Yeah there is someone in my opinion. I'm not sure if the company feels the same. They could promote this person to my position.
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:47
11
Instead of resigning early, do you think you can give notice for several months away without being pushed out? In this situation it makes more sense to contact your management, announce your plans to leave and suggest this person from your team as a replacement. The main risk is that they terminate your employment sooner or immediately but you're best placed to judge how they will react.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:58
 |Â
show 2 more comments
Do you have another job to go to?
– Jane S♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:35
No, because I am moving overseas, back to my home country
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:42
2
The most important question: is there someone in your current team who is an ideal candidate to take over your position? Not someone who'd be merely acceptable or competent or is good at his current job, but someone who would be the best person for your position even if you were interviewing external candidates. If there isn't then you leaving doesn't solve the problem.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:44
Yeah there is someone in my opinion. I'm not sure if the company feels the same. They could promote this person to my position.
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:47
11
Instead of resigning early, do you think you can give notice for several months away without being pushed out? In this situation it makes more sense to contact your management, announce your plans to leave and suggest this person from your team as a replacement. The main risk is that they terminate your employment sooner or immediately but you're best placed to judge how they will react.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:58
Do you have another job to go to?
– Jane S♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:35
Do you have another job to go to?
– Jane S♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:35
No, because I am moving overseas, back to my home country
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:42
No, because I am moving overseas, back to my home country
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:42
2
2
The most important question: is there someone in your current team who is an ideal candidate to take over your position? Not someone who'd be merely acceptable or competent or is good at his current job, but someone who would be the best person for your position even if you were interviewing external candidates. If there isn't then you leaving doesn't solve the problem.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:44
The most important question: is there someone in your current team who is an ideal candidate to take over your position? Not someone who'd be merely acceptable or competent or is good at his current job, but someone who would be the best person for your position even if you were interviewing external candidates. If there isn't then you leaving doesn't solve the problem.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:44
Yeah there is someone in my opinion. I'm not sure if the company feels the same. They could promote this person to my position.
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:47
Yeah there is someone in my opinion. I'm not sure if the company feels the same. They could promote this person to my position.
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:47
11
11
Instead of resigning early, do you think you can give notice for several months away without being pushed out? In this situation it makes more sense to contact your management, announce your plans to leave and suggest this person from your team as a replacement. The main risk is that they terminate your employment sooner or immediately but you're best placed to judge how they will react.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:58
Instead of resigning early, do you think you can give notice for several months away without being pushed out? In this situation it makes more sense to contact your management, announce your plans to leave and suggest this person from your team as a replacement. The main risk is that they terminate your employment sooner or immediately but you're best placed to judge how they will react.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:58
 |Â
show 2 more comments
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
10
down vote
accepted
Questions of morality are always going to be partly opinion based, but if you actually have hard plans in place to move and it's simply a question of altering timings by a few weeks, then you should at least consider approaching your seniors; tell them the position and see if they will consider deferring the layoff.
Present it as an economic decision - having an extra member of staff for one more month is clearly going to be cheaper than laying someone off (with the legal costs), then hiring your replacement and training them up, especially if there is a risk that the victim will not come back to fill the gap willingly - either he gets a job elsewhere in the meantime, or takes the news sufficiently badly that his trust in your company is broken.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
2
If you tell your company you are leaving, there always is a risk they'll fire you on the spot. Especially when it's an economic decision: they might need to reduce spendings NOW, so it's either fire him or fire you.
– Konerak
Feb 1 '16 at 12:10
Or fire you first, fire him later.
– gnasher729
Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is most likely that your company has a lot more money than you do. If you give up your job now to help someone, that's your money gone, and there is no guarantee that it will even help another employee. Instead your company could keep employing that person; they will benefit from it (because he will continue doing work from the company) whereas you have no benefit. And they have more money than you do.
So no, morally there is no reason whatsoever not to put your own interest first. How hard would you kick yourself if you gave up your job, then ran into some financial problem which means you can't take off to your home country, and then they fire that guy anyway?
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Morals are a personal code of conduct that you've adopted. No one but you and your clergy can advise you on morality.
Ethically, I think you are on the right track. If you are a manager, a private 2-month warning to your director is probably a good idea, but it depends on your relationship with the company.
If you have a good relationship, talk with your director about your concerns. If I were he (no gender inferred, but just for convenience), the next thing I would ask you is if you feel any member of your team is ready to take over your role. From his point of view, he can lose 1 person with knowledge of the operation, or two. Training up new hires is a HUGE investment in time and resources. Anything I can do to avoid that is worth considering. 2 months' salary of a line-level developer is pretty darned cheap compared to training up a new employee.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
suggest improvements |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
10
down vote
accepted
Questions of morality are always going to be partly opinion based, but if you actually have hard plans in place to move and it's simply a question of altering timings by a few weeks, then you should at least consider approaching your seniors; tell them the position and see if they will consider deferring the layoff.
Present it as an economic decision - having an extra member of staff for one more month is clearly going to be cheaper than laying someone off (with the legal costs), then hiring your replacement and training them up, especially if there is a risk that the victim will not come back to fill the gap willingly - either he gets a job elsewhere in the meantime, or takes the news sufficiently badly that his trust in your company is broken.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
2
If you tell your company you are leaving, there always is a risk they'll fire you on the spot. Especially when it's an economic decision: they might need to reduce spendings NOW, so it's either fire him or fire you.
– Konerak
Feb 1 '16 at 12:10
Or fire you first, fire him later.
– gnasher729
Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
10
down vote
accepted
Questions of morality are always going to be partly opinion based, but if you actually have hard plans in place to move and it's simply a question of altering timings by a few weeks, then you should at least consider approaching your seniors; tell them the position and see if they will consider deferring the layoff.
Present it as an economic decision - having an extra member of staff for one more month is clearly going to be cheaper than laying someone off (with the legal costs), then hiring your replacement and training them up, especially if there is a risk that the victim will not come back to fill the gap willingly - either he gets a job elsewhere in the meantime, or takes the news sufficiently badly that his trust in your company is broken.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
2
If you tell your company you are leaving, there always is a risk they'll fire you on the spot. Especially when it's an economic decision: they might need to reduce spendings NOW, so it's either fire him or fire you.
– Konerak
Feb 1 '16 at 12:10
Or fire you first, fire him later.
– gnasher729
Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
10
down vote
accepted
up vote
10
down vote
accepted
Questions of morality are always going to be partly opinion based, but if you actually have hard plans in place to move and it's simply a question of altering timings by a few weeks, then you should at least consider approaching your seniors; tell them the position and see if they will consider deferring the layoff.
Present it as an economic decision - having an extra member of staff for one more month is clearly going to be cheaper than laying someone off (with the legal costs), then hiring your replacement and training them up, especially if there is a risk that the victim will not come back to fill the gap willingly - either he gets a job elsewhere in the meantime, or takes the news sufficiently badly that his trust in your company is broken.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
Questions of morality are always going to be partly opinion based, but if you actually have hard plans in place to move and it's simply a question of altering timings by a few weeks, then you should at least consider approaching your seniors; tell them the position and see if they will consider deferring the layoff.
Present it as an economic decision - having an extra member of staff for one more month is clearly going to be cheaper than laying someone off (with the legal costs), then hiring your replacement and training them up, especially if there is a risk that the victim will not come back to fill the gap willingly - either he gets a job elsewhere in the meantime, or takes the news sufficiently badly that his trust in your company is broken.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
answered Feb 1 '16 at 11:49
Julia Hayward
12k53438
12k53438
2
If you tell your company you are leaving, there always is a risk they'll fire you on the spot. Especially when it's an economic decision: they might need to reduce spendings NOW, so it's either fire him or fire you.
– Konerak
Feb 1 '16 at 12:10
Or fire you first, fire him later.
– gnasher729
Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
suggest improvements |Â
2
If you tell your company you are leaving, there always is a risk they'll fire you on the spot. Especially when it's an economic decision: they might need to reduce spendings NOW, so it's either fire him or fire you.
– Konerak
Feb 1 '16 at 12:10
Or fire you first, fire him later.
– gnasher729
Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
2
2
If you tell your company you are leaving, there always is a risk they'll fire you on the spot. Especially when it's an economic decision: they might need to reduce spendings NOW, so it's either fire him or fire you.
– Konerak
Feb 1 '16 at 12:10
If you tell your company you are leaving, there always is a risk they'll fire you on the spot. Especially when it's an economic decision: they might need to reduce spendings NOW, so it's either fire him or fire you.
– Konerak
Feb 1 '16 at 12:10
Or fire you first, fire him later.
– gnasher729
Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
Or fire you first, fire him later.
– gnasher729
Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is most likely that your company has a lot more money than you do. If you give up your job now to help someone, that's your money gone, and there is no guarantee that it will even help another employee. Instead your company could keep employing that person; they will benefit from it (because he will continue doing work from the company) whereas you have no benefit. And they have more money than you do.
So no, morally there is no reason whatsoever not to put your own interest first. How hard would you kick yourself if you gave up your job, then ran into some financial problem which means you can't take off to your home country, and then they fire that guy anyway?
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is most likely that your company has a lot more money than you do. If you give up your job now to help someone, that's your money gone, and there is no guarantee that it will even help another employee. Instead your company could keep employing that person; they will benefit from it (because he will continue doing work from the company) whereas you have no benefit. And they have more money than you do.
So no, morally there is no reason whatsoever not to put your own interest first. How hard would you kick yourself if you gave up your job, then ran into some financial problem which means you can't take off to your home country, and then they fire that guy anyway?
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
It is most likely that your company has a lot more money than you do. If you give up your job now to help someone, that's your money gone, and there is no guarantee that it will even help another employee. Instead your company could keep employing that person; they will benefit from it (because he will continue doing work from the company) whereas you have no benefit. And they have more money than you do.
So no, morally there is no reason whatsoever not to put your own interest first. How hard would you kick yourself if you gave up your job, then ran into some financial problem which means you can't take off to your home country, and then they fire that guy anyway?
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
It is most likely that your company has a lot more money than you do. If you give up your job now to help someone, that's your money gone, and there is no guarantee that it will even help another employee. Instead your company could keep employing that person; they will benefit from it (because he will continue doing work from the company) whereas you have no benefit. And they have more money than you do.
So no, morally there is no reason whatsoever not to put your own interest first. How hard would you kick yourself if you gave up your job, then ran into some financial problem which means you can't take off to your home country, and then they fire that guy anyway?
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
edited Feb 1 '16 at 16:14
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
answered Feb 1 '16 at 14:03
gnasher729
70.9k31131222
70.9k31131222
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Morals are a personal code of conduct that you've adopted. No one but you and your clergy can advise you on morality.
Ethically, I think you are on the right track. If you are a manager, a private 2-month warning to your director is probably a good idea, but it depends on your relationship with the company.
If you have a good relationship, talk with your director about your concerns. If I were he (no gender inferred, but just for convenience), the next thing I would ask you is if you feel any member of your team is ready to take over your role. From his point of view, he can lose 1 person with knowledge of the operation, or two. Training up new hires is a HUGE investment in time and resources. Anything I can do to avoid that is worth considering. 2 months' salary of a line-level developer is pretty darned cheap compared to training up a new employee.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Morals are a personal code of conduct that you've adopted. No one but you and your clergy can advise you on morality.
Ethically, I think you are on the right track. If you are a manager, a private 2-month warning to your director is probably a good idea, but it depends on your relationship with the company.
If you have a good relationship, talk with your director about your concerns. If I were he (no gender inferred, but just for convenience), the next thing I would ask you is if you feel any member of your team is ready to take over your role. From his point of view, he can lose 1 person with knowledge of the operation, or two. Training up new hires is a HUGE investment in time and resources. Anything I can do to avoid that is worth considering. 2 months' salary of a line-level developer is pretty darned cheap compared to training up a new employee.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Morals are a personal code of conduct that you've adopted. No one but you and your clergy can advise you on morality.
Ethically, I think you are on the right track. If you are a manager, a private 2-month warning to your director is probably a good idea, but it depends on your relationship with the company.
If you have a good relationship, talk with your director about your concerns. If I were he (no gender inferred, but just for convenience), the next thing I would ask you is if you feel any member of your team is ready to take over your role. From his point of view, he can lose 1 person with knowledge of the operation, or two. Training up new hires is a HUGE investment in time and resources. Anything I can do to avoid that is worth considering. 2 months' salary of a line-level developer is pretty darned cheap compared to training up a new employee.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
Morals are a personal code of conduct that you've adopted. No one but you and your clergy can advise you on morality.
Ethically, I think you are on the right track. If you are a manager, a private 2-month warning to your director is probably a good idea, but it depends on your relationship with the company.
If you have a good relationship, talk with your director about your concerns. If I were he (no gender inferred, but just for convenience), the next thing I would ask you is if you feel any member of your team is ready to take over your role. From his point of view, he can lose 1 person with knowledge of the operation, or two. Training up new hires is a HUGE investment in time and resources. Anything I can do to avoid that is worth considering. 2 months' salary of a line-level developer is pretty darned cheap compared to training up a new employee.
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
answered Feb 1 '16 at 17:07
Wesley Long
44.7k15100159
44.7k15100159
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
Do you have another job to go to?
– Jane S♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:35
No, because I am moving overseas, back to my home country
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:42
2
The most important question: is there someone in your current team who is an ideal candidate to take over your position? Not someone who'd be merely acceptable or competent or is good at his current job, but someone who would be the best person for your position even if you were interviewing external candidates. If there isn't then you leaving doesn't solve the problem.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:44
Yeah there is someone in my opinion. I'm not sure if the company feels the same. They could promote this person to my position.
– MakkyNZ
Feb 1 '16 at 11:47
11
Instead of resigning early, do you think you can give notice for several months away without being pushed out? In this situation it makes more sense to contact your management, announce your plans to leave and suggest this person from your team as a replacement. The main risk is that they terminate your employment sooner or immediately but you're best placed to judge how they will react.
– Lilienthal♦
Feb 1 '16 at 11:58