Most of my friends who are working and planning to quit will know that quitting a job is much harder than even finding one. At least you have nothing at stake and nothing to lose in the latter, that is, when you are looking for a job.
Most companies these days ask you to sign an employment bond when you join. Some also do it at a later stage. Employees have no choice but to sign on the dotted line. The linking words may differ, but in all cases they will act as obstacles to free mobility in jobs. Some of the typical clauses in a common job bond are:
1. If you quit your job, you will have to give 1/2/3 months notice.
2. You may not join a company that is engaged in a similar line of business. (How ridiculous! One will only join a company where one has work experience.)
3. You will have to pay the company a certain amount if you leave the organization.
If you plan to adhere to the company policy, you will continue to adhere to the company for so many years until the organization one day kicks you out. No, they may feel like keeping you if you’ve really beaten your boss.
These are the main reasons why it is so difficult to leave a job:
1. The companies you interview for will want you to join the position immediately. If you said your notice period was 3 months, they would rarely consider your request. (Isn’t that biased on the part of companies? They won’t let their own employees walk off without notice. But they will surely entice other companies’ employees to break policy.)
2. If you plan to quit on three months’ notice without a job available, is there any guarantee that you will get one after the notice period expires?
3. It’s hard to leave work [http://chronicleofmylife.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/disturbed-on-the-job-front] even if you plan to leave without adhering to the notification policy. Come let’s see how that can be problematic.
• Your organization sues you in court for breach of employee contract.
• All relationships with previous employer are broken and sour.
• You are prohibited from entering the organization once and for all.
• If you had any money owed on the organization, forget it.
• And the worst thing that can happen to anyone who plans to have a job forever: If any organization finds out that there is a case against you for breach of an employment contract, forget that they would give you a job. It’s rational of you: if you left your last organization, you may as well leave them. So why do they hire you?
So how do you get away without waiting forever and paying the huge amount of compensation? Here are some interesting ways:
1. Go beg the boss to let you go. There is a 50-50 chance that you will break free from the shackles of employment. A side effect may be that your employer learns of your intention to quit. From this day forward, he will keep an extra vigil over you.
2. It just disappears one fine day. Leave no trace of where you can be found. Do your homework first. Check that you have not left permanent addresses where any court notice can be sent. If you have a phone number, disable it. This is like when you escape from the police on murder charges.
3. Fight the case bravely. In India, most cases are in favor of the employees. Article 27 (sorry if I’m wrong in quoting the article) says that people have the right to choose their profession.
4. In addition, not all companies pursue cases of breach of employment contract.
So which method will you choose when leaving your job? I would have liked to go for the former, but don’t think my boss is so sweet. Even now he asks if there was an interview call if I take a day off from the office. Please suggest how I leave the job.