How to resign without burning the bridge

Before you say anything

Have the new offer in writing and signed before you resign. A verbal offer can fall through, and when it does you no longer have the old job. Confirm the start date, pay, schedule and whether there is a probationary period.

Be clear about what you give up: a voluntary resignation means no severance under Act 80, and as a general rule no unemployment either, because unemployment is for people who lose work through no fault of their own. There are limited exceptions for causes attributable to the employer, but do not count on them without getting advice first.

The resignation letter

Short, no complaints. Three lines: that you are resigning, your last day, and thank you for the opportunity. No explaining why you are leaving, no settling scores. That letter stays in your file, and it will be read by whoever answers a reference check five years from now.

Two weeks' notice is the custom in Puerto Rico, not a legal obligation in most cases, but check your contract or collective bargaining agreement in case it sets a term. Deliver the letter in writing and keep a digital copy, even if you also say it in person.

• Signed new offer before you resign
• Short letter with your last day
• Keep a digital copy of the letter
• Ask in writing for payout of accrued vacation
• Download your pay stubs and personal documents before your last day
• Ask for a reference letter while they still remember you well

What they owe you on the way out

Accrued, unused vacation is paid out when employment ends. Accrued sick leave, as a rule, is not paid out on separation unless the employer or the collective agreement provides for it. The Christmas bonus is prorated based on hours worked in the applicable period if you meet the requirements.

Ask for everything in writing and check it against your pay stubs before signing any settlement document. If they hand you a release of claims, do not sign it the same day: you are entitled to read it carefully and get advice.

If you are a public employee: ten days, and it can be refused

Everything above is private-sector practice. In Puerto Rico's government, resignation has written rules, and they are in **Section 6.6 of Act 8-2017**. Start with the good part: **every career employee may resign their position freely and voluntarily** through written notice to the agency's Nominating Authority.

The notice has a number. That communication is made **no less than ten (10) consecutive days before your last working day**, although the Authority **may discretionarily accept** a resignation submitted on shorter notice. It is not anyone's two months or the office custom: it is ten consecutive days, and shortening them depends on their accepting it.

And here is the part that surprises everyone: **your resignation does not take effect merely by handing it in**. The Nominating Authority **must notify you in writing whether it accepts or rejects it**, and the statute gives one concrete ground for rejection: **that reasons exist justifying an investigation of your conduct**.

If it is rejected, it does not hang in the air indefinitely. The Nominating Authority **must conduct the investigation in the shortest possible term** to determine whether to accept the resignation or **file charges**. Put another way: resigning does not close a disciplinary file that was already moving.

So the practical advice changes considerably from the private sector. Submit the resignation in writing and **keep proof of the date**; count the ten consecutive days; and **do not assume you are out until the written acceptance reaches you**. If you are thinking of resigning while an investigation is open, that is a conversation to have with someone who knows your case before handing in the paper.