Yesterday you were celebrating your resignation, but today circumstances have drastically changed and require you to backpedal… This scenario is quite spine-tingling; however, what else can you do except for trying to retract and explain your resignation?
Yes, it may be dead embarrassing, uncomfortable, and awkward, but there are two good things for those who are going through this situation now: you’re not alone, there are hundreds of thousands who have or had to do it too; you have just found an excellent guide that will lead you through an uneasy (spoiler: only at first sight) experience of retracting resignation.

Table of Contents

The Initial Decision

Let’s roll back to the starting point – talk about your decision to quit. What induced you to make one? A new job offer, relocation, or personal circumstances, like burnout… Whatever the reason, it’s always a good idea to measure twice before ‘cutting,’ that is, handing in your resignation letter to your current employer.

Resignation Letter: Weighing the Reasons

What does ‘measuring twice’ mean? First and foremost, ensuring that the reason for initiating resignation is valid. How to do it? Depends on the reason for resignation:

A better job opportunity. Under no circumstances should you announce your decision to leave your current job before you ensure that the new job is officially yours. Usually, it’s a job offer with the exact date of start. Before that, all their promises and talks were words written in water.
Moving places. Changing your location is both exciting and stressful; therefore, keep emotions from taking over and initiate the resignation in advance. The ‘discussion’ stage can hardly be a good reason for that – informing the human resources department makes sense when the decision is made, and severe preparation has started.
Personal reasons. Ensure you really want or need to erase work from your everyday routine. If it’s about being reluctant to work, reflect on the possible causes: unpleasant workplace situation, unhealthy working environment, or poor work-life balance. Taking some time off may be a good alternative for quitting, as it will give you space to understand what you want and not regret your decision made in the heat of the moment.

The Leap of Faith

It’s not a secret that some people use resignation as a means to get a promotion offer or pay rise. When a valued employee hands in a resignation letter, the employer will start panicking and try to retain them. Frequently, they offer more money, better benefits, or career advancement. If you are sure you’re a valued employee, you may give it a try. At the same time, be ready to bear the fruit of sorrow.

For how long does your financial situation allow you to remain jobless if something goes the way you don’t expect? Have you done market research to understand what potential opportunities and challenges you can have after your resignation? Finally, are you sure you are ready to burn bridges with your current employer and colleagues, or can you still be helpful to each other? Answering these questions will get you prepared both physically and mentally if your ‘leap-of-faith’ plan fails.

Dealing with the Aftermath

Let’s imagine you gave careful consideration to the matter and had a surefire reason for quitting your job, but fate played a cruel joke on you… Your circumstances have changed, and now you want your job back. It’s time to withdraw your resignation letter!

Of course, your resignation retraction success significantly depends on how the termination process between you and your employer was going. If you said your goodbyes on a positive or neutral note, the employer may well be cooperative. If not, you should sweat it out. Here are some tips on how to do it professionally.

Writing a Retraction Letter

Like any other business document, a resignation retraction letter has its writing standards. They include proper formatting (the same as your resignation letter), structure, and tone. The letter should look like this:

Address the receiver personally;
Clear retraction statement in the first paragraph (with the date when you sent your resignation letter);
Provide a valid reason for your decision;
Express gratitude and excitement about the possibility of staying with the company.

If your decision to come back is connected with the new offer retraction, think twice before stating it in your letter. We do recommend avoiding this information, as it’s not politically correct and even a bit disrespectful. Check our retraction letter example below to find out what reasoning you can use instead.

DD MM YY
Your name
Your job title
Receiver’s name
Receiver’s job title
Dear name,
This letter is to retract my resignation request sent on 01 August 2023. The reason for my resignation was a new job opportunity; however, the circumstances have changed. Luckily, I found out that my values align with our company much more than with the other one. I would appreciate the opportunity to continue working at Creative Solutions as an Art Consultant.
I apologize for the inconvenience I may have caused. I am sure about my decision to stay with the company and commit to my role in the long term for the prosperity of Creative Solutions Ltd.
Thank you for considering my resignation retraction. I’m looking forward to discussing our next steps. I am available anytime.
Regards,
Name

Communication is King

Of course, sending a letter is only 5% of your success. It’s a brutal truth, but your boss may even accidentally lose it among other emails. So your letter has to be backed up with your address to your direct supervisor. When requesting an appointment, follow these uncomplicated principles:

Initiate a meeting as soon as possible: Check your contract to determine if you are eligible for retraction and how much time you have to do it. Your boss may have already started looking for a new employee.
Be honest: You don’t have to share all the details, but at least provide some context. Firstly, it’s a simple sign of respect; secondly, your boss is unlikely to be heartless. We don’t recommend mentioning that you’re back because your new offer fell through. In this case, honesty isn’t the best policy.
Be ready to point out your value: Due to being stumbled with your “mood swings”, your boss may become a bit defensive and suspicious about your candidacy. Choose the language of facts to demonstrate your contribution to the company and, therefore, your value. The STAR method approach will be the most effective in this case.
Be realistic and know your rights: Check your company handbook to understand how things work for you and your employer. Ask a representative of the HR department to guide you through the issue. Usually, employers are not legally obliged to accept retractions; however, sometimes, the handbook requires them to.
Navigate your emotions: Being too apologetic may be suspicious, but acting arrogantly is not an option at all, even if you know what a valuable employee you are. Acknowledge the inconvenience you may have caused; say how much you appreciated the opportunity to be a part of the company; and finally, demonstrate excitement about contributing to the company’s growth in the future.

Getting Back on Track

Given that you’re lucky and your boss accepted you back, it doesn’t mean it’s time to rest on your laurels. They may still have suspicions regarding your impermanence. To help them release those, don’t stop showing your dedication and engagement. What you may consider doing:

Express the desire to master new skills or take up a professional development course;
Work hard, be always on time, and meet all deadlines;
Be proactive when it comes to helping others.

If Nothing Helped

If you have failed to get your job back, don’t fret! Accept your boss’s decision and try to finish cooperation on good terms – you still need a good reference for your future jobs. Facing unemployment may well be stressful, but, on the other hand, something made you resign in the first place. Do some self-reflection activities to grasp the reasons why you initiated your resignation. It can help you understand yourself better and define your genuine desires and career aspirations. Refresh your resume, give yourself some time to reload, and start a job search. This may be your chance to change your career life for the better.