Off-topic: Resignation letter and advice

[Fantasmic23]

Hi DISers!

You all have been so helpful in the past with Disney-related questions, so I thought that I would turn to you with a non-Disney dilemna.

I currently work part-time as a recptionist/office assistant (5 days a week, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.). I started this position last summer (June 2007). This was my first job in nine years (since I had voluntarily left the "work force" when my first child was born in 1998).

When I was hired, my hours were 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. My mom watched our two children the entire summer while DH and I were at work. When school began in September, the after-school child care was not working out at all (long story short, we had no one to watch the kids between 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.; more on why to follow). DH and I had a long talk and we decided that the kids obviously came first and while the extra money I was bringing home was helpful, we would find a way to get financially by just as we had for the past nine years.

I was all prepared to go to my supervisor and propose a new work schedule and/or resign, but my supervsior miraculously came to me (literally seconds before I was about to knock on her office door) and told me that they wanted to offer me new hours (9:00 - 2:00) because she was finding that the company just didn't have enough work to keep me busy until 5:00 p.m. (which was true). Of course, I was more than overjoyed that I would be able to keep working, but still be there for the kids in the morning and afterschool.

Since mid-April, I've been trying to arrange summer care for the kids. I was hoping that my mom could help out again, but she is a teacher and has plans to teach summer school and home-tutor this summer. I've gone through every imaginable family member, but they're either working themselves or are simply uninterested (More of the long story short: My DS has type 1 diabetes and many people are understandably hesitant once they learn that checking blood glucose, operating an insulin pump, treating low and high blood sugar, etc. etc. is involved). Even though DH and I both work, we still cannot afford (nor rationalize) the steep fees of traditional sitters, day camps, day care centers. Some may not agree with me, but if I have to fork over half (if not all) of my paycheck for child care, then why work at all?

A few weeks ago, we finally found a family member who was willing to watch the kids for the 5 hours while I am at work (plus who was familar with type 1 diabetes). On Sunday night, the family member called and said she was sorry, but something had come up and she wouldn't be able to help out this summer. Again, DH and I have a long talk. Since my paychecks (no matter how small) do help, he suggested that before I flat out resign I:

A) Ask my supervisor if I can work 3 days a week (DH will arrange to have 2 days off during the week and my mother said she could watch the kids on her day off - which will be Thursday) and then ask if I can return to my normal schedule once school begins in the fall.

B) Ask if I can have the whole summer off (I do not think that my company would go for this) and then resume work once school begins. Personally, I don't think I would have the cajones to request something like this

C) Just resign.

Help! I have no idea what to do. The work-three-days-a-week sounds doable, but what will a supervisor think (I know, I know. I won't know until I ask)?

I've been searching the internet, but to no avail. Does anyone know how I would word a "May I request a new summer work schedule or I have to resign" type of letter? My supervisor is working this week, but she is at our sister office in another state. Do I email her with this (to give her a sort of "heads up") or do I wait until she returns to the office on Monday?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you in advance for any help, advice, suggestions, etc. you can give.

 

[Aliceacc]

I say avoid a form letter at all costs. There's no possible way it comes off as anything but canned.

I don't know the enviornment where you work. But at my job, the way to handle it would be a one-on-one conversation with my boss (I'm a teacher, so in my case it would be the principal.)

Conversations allow for give and take, for voice inflection, for points you may have forgotten when you wrote (Or borrowed from the internet) a letter. The come across as sincere, because you ARE sincere.

Make an appointment with your boss. Let him know what your problem is, and your proposed solution. Don't threaten to quit-- this isn't about threats, it's about a problem that needs a solution. Ask about cutting back on the days. Perhaps there's another employee in the same boat and you could share one job over the summer and hire temporary help or something??

But you won't know until you ask. Go in and make the appointment tomorrow for her first available time slot upon her return. If you wait much longer, someone is bound to end up stuck, and that can only lead to bad feelings.

 

[Fantasmic23]

I say avoid a form letter at all costs. There's no possible way it comes off as anything but canned.

I don't know the enviornment where you work. But at my job, the way to handle it would be a one-on-one conversation with my boss (I'm a teacher, so in my case it would be the principal.)

Conversations allow for give and take, for voice inflection, for points you may have forgotten when you wrote (Or borrowed from the internet) a letter. The come across as sincere, because you ARE sincere.

Make an appointment with your boss. Let him know what your problem is, and your proposed solution. Don't threaten to quit-- this isn't about threats, it's about a problem that needs a solution. Ask about cutting back on the days. Perhaps there's another employee in the same boat and you could share one job over the summer and hire temporary help or something??

But you won't know until you ask. Go in and make the appointment tomorrow. If you wait much longer, someone is bound to end up stuck, and that can only lead to bad feelings.

Thank you so much!!

 

[mommyaof2]

I would say ask for the adjusted schedule to 3 days a week first. Set a time up with your boss that will be good for both of you and just ask. Worse case scenrio, your boss says no and then you have to turn in your notice. If you really want to keep working though, it really doesn't hurt to ask. I hope everything works out the way you want it to. Trust me, I know how hard it is to work and have kids. I am very blessed and have my mom who takes care of them when I work. Good luck to you!

 

[TheLittleRoo]

I agree! You should talk to your manager looking for solutions to your challenges. One option you didn't mention is the possibility of working remotely from home. Calls can be forwarded, etc. You would still need childcare, but not impossible to find b/c you would be there to deal with any issues with your DS' diabetes, so potential babysitters wouldn't be so hard to find.

I would just let them know you really enjoy working there, you feel like you are helping the team and are part of the team, but that things have changed in your personal life that you need his/her help with to find a solution. Tell them what you've thought of, different hours or days, compressed work week, working remotely. You could mention that if none of these options are viable, you would understand if he needs to fill the position for the summer, and hopefully you could come back in the fall. He can read between the lines about you resigning if you can't reach an agreement that meets your needs.

Good luck! The good news is, if you're going in knowing that the worst that can happen is you resign? There's really no pressure on you because you can afford to leave, and your boss will know that too. The pressure's on him to find a way to keep you. Training a new employee will be a productivity drain. Unless they were really secretly thinking of downsizing (sounds like work is down) then he may say, no problem to your resigning and offer to pick you back up in the fall.

Let us know how it goes!