Key employee about to resign..I will end up stuck with his job

[suckered]

So let’s call him John. He told me in confidence that he has a better offer and is about to resign. We are a team of 6, but I’m the only one with similar background and skills as John. So the extra work will 100% go to me. This is not something people can get trained in quickly either.

 

John and (myself) have a rare skilkset and John’s role for example took 6 months to recruit. I’m currently overloaded with work to the point where I can’t take anymore. I already often have to finish work in my own time.

 

The thought of this extra workload when I’m barely coping has upset me so much. I have started job hunting. I’m overreacting? Is there anyway I can just tell the boss that I can not accept extra workload?

[basil67]

Your management have done a poor job in not upskilling others in your team to help out when needed.

 

Anyway, if you have a life or family then you can't reasonably do all his job and yours. And if the bosses won't take No for an answer, then they'll have nobody to do the job. Hopefully they can find a contractor with a view to permanency.

[Art_Critic]

maybe you should say something to your superiors to see if there is something that can be done to save this employee...

 

This idea he told you in confidence is BS, you have to work there too...

 

I personally have caught wind of unhappy people before and done something about it, back in the day before I had my own employees I went to my business partner who was in charge of hiring and firing and the times I found out something like that it was an employee who was told something...

 

Other than that the workload can't all go to you in the same deadline timeframe as you can't do it all... things will have to change in your office and workstream to allow enough time for you to do the things

[ChatroomHero]

Breaking his confidence is about the most selfish thing you can do. It could have bad consequences for him and you and you'll obviously break his trust.

 

 

This issue is if you can't say "no" and mean it, then you'll always have issues. It's not really hard to say...I'm already doing work on my own time and I am not going to take any more on...that's it. It's a statement and not a request and you are not asking if it is ok. You are telling them you are not going to take more on.

 

 

Now maybe they can lessen your current load, give you a buttload of comp days, drastically increase your salary where you'd be ok taking it on for a couple of months, but bottom line is you have to tell them no. If they say, too bad. Everyone has to work extra now, you say nope. If they say they will fire you if you refuse, you say, oh, in that case, super nope.

 

 

As long as you are clear that is not going to be an option and you are not going to bend, they can't put a gun to your head and force you to do it. I wouldn't stress it, you just have to be able to say "no" and actually mean it and support it by your actions. If it is going to take months to replace him, how long would they have to "not fire" you before they could replace you both?

 

 

You might be surprised if you refuse, bosses can be understanding human beings and they do often accept when they cross a boundary. They just won't always worry about the boundary until you clearly define it for them.

[Art_Critic]

It could have bad consequences for him

 

 

Like what ?

[Ronni_W]

I’m overreacting?

Yes, you are. Wait to see what happens after John hands in his resignation.

 

After that, of course you can (and should) tell your boss that you do not have the time and other needed resources to take on any more responsibility without

also getting a better support team behind you.

 

Assertiveness, conflict resolution and being able to have difficult conversations (EQ) are equally important work and life skills, to help you achieve and maintain that

seemingly elusive 'healthy work-life balance'.

[ChatroomHero]

Like what ?

 

 

It will obviously get back to his co-worker if they even proactively try to keep him, or else the company may tell the co-worker he is fired because they found out he was leaving. Co-worker doesn't get to give two weeks and loses two weeks pay or generally gets pre-emptively screwed by the company before he can tell them on his own terms. Now co-worker is no longer friend.

 

 

Co-worker may be going to a better job and thinking of getting OP in there too for a better opportunity once he is there. His co-worker is no longer his friend so he may bad mouth him in the industry and definitely won't mention OP when his new company asks if he knows anyone else looking. Co-worker would be mad about betrayal of confidence, before he leaves he might tell other co-workers that are good friends of his that OP is a rat and not to trust him.

 

 

Either way, it will get back to the co-worker. Now co-worker knows OP cannot be trusted in confidence...and for what? Because OP sells him out to tell the company for his own gain? It's not like if the company was going to make him a better offer he would accept, that the company wouldn't make the same bid when the guy turns in his notice on his own time.

 

 

Think about it, if you told a friend in confidence that you were quitting in a couple of weeks and had planned your leaving based on when the other job starts, or when you accrue vacation pay due to you, but he or she ran to your boss and told them behind your back, how mad would you be? Then how mad would you be if you were going to quit the day after you accrued a week of vacation and they fired you before that?

 

 

What if he had a bonus or secret negotiated bonus that he was due from last year if he was employed on March 1st of this year and he was planning on turning in his two weeks on March 5th?

 

 

What if the offer for the next company falls through and they rescind the offer before the co-worker planned to turn in his notice? Now he really screwed up the guys life.

 

 

I can think of several more bad things that can happen when you betray something told to you in confidence by a co-worker.

[Art_Critic]

A person leaving the team no longer wants to be on the team and no longer cares for the company or their coworkers anymore, hence their looking for a better offer and resigning...

 

It also could have positive effects as well...

I have had this happen in my own company and had the unhappy employee stay for an extra 15 years after...

[Cersei]

Well until actual resignation notice is given do nothing. People often say they are leaving but don't follow through.

 

If the coworker does leave and you are approached about his/her tasks you could just say something like "My day is already completely full with xXxX, xXxX, and xXxX. If you can pass that work onto someone else then I will have adequate time for those duties. Otherwise it won't all get done. There just isnt enough time in a day."

[Simple Logic]

Easy answer, start job hunting. Maybe network the coworker leaving for a job.

[Marc878]

You are not tied to any job or company.

 

I got this early on. I give 100% but if I feel I'm underpaid, overworked that's my problem to solve.

 

I don't wait around fIf upper management to get it. I fix it myself.

 

If you're tied to a specific location that can be a problem

[preraph]

Tell the employee that he needs to give enough notice that HE can train his own replacement! If he won't agree to that, go ahead and tell the boss what is coming and he can get the ball rolling and make him train a replacement. At least get someone started on what they can.

[ChatroomHero]

A person leaving the team no longer wants to be on the team and no longer cares for the company or their coworkers anymore, hence their looking for a better offer and resigning...

 

It also could have positive effects as well...

I have had this happen in my own company and had the unhappy employee stay for an extra 15 years after...

 

 

Your last sentence kind of contradicted your first, but...

 

 

You also skipped the point where the employee leaving wants to leave on his own terms, as you would if you were planning to leave your company. Many times as soon as a company gets wind someone is planning to leave, they fire them immediately as company policy. If a bonus is due or vacation is due, they will let him go in such a way that he may not be able to collect that bonus or vacation. He may lose vesting in a 401K, or they may play games with his last pay check.

 

 

What if the new job gets delayed or the start date is June 1st and he is planning on giving the two weeks in May and the company fires him right away? You're ok with him basically losing his job for the next 4 months because you THINK you might be negatively impacted somehow, even though it hasn't happened yet?

 

 

This is between the co-worker and the company, not OP. Just because OP is making the ASSUMPTION that it will negatively impact him, betraying a confidence to tell the company is really selfish. Let that get around to your other co-workers and you'll lose their trust too.

 

 

If the company wants him to stay and makes an offer and he wants to take it and stay 15 years, that still is between him and the company. Plus if he stays, guess who he will know sold him out? OP.

 

 

The easy solution is not to say a word, it is not OPs business. If and when the time comes they try to add the workload to OP, all he has to do is say "No". It's very easy once people get past the irrational fear of saying no.

[edgygirl]

I was once in a job where the Executive Director above me left. I ended up doing my job and his job for 4 months, working extra hours, etc. No one ever came to say thank you, not even his boss, a SVP - of course, cause I did it all and there were no issues!

 

When they didn't promote me and instead hired an outsider who knew nothing about the industry, and I realized I would also have to teach him (!!!) his job, that was enough for me. It didn't end up well.

 

What I learned is whenever someone important in the team leaves - better start looking for a new position just in case before the bombs start exploding.

[Tagalz]

So let’s call him John. He told me in confidence that he has a better offer and is about to resign. We are a team of 6, but I’m the only one with similar background and skills as John. So the extra work will 100% go to me. This is not something people can get trained in quickly either.

 

John and (myself) have a rare skilkset and John’s role for example took 6 months to recruit. I’m currently overloaded with work to the point where I can’t take anymore. I already often have to finish work in my own time.

 

The thought of this extra workload when I’m barely coping has upset me so much. I have started job hunting. I’m overreacting? Is there anyway I can just tell the boss that I can not accept extra workload?

 

It’s a little bit overreacting just because you get more work. I see where you come from but if you want to tell the manager say that you want a raise on your salary or you could say that the work should be even to everyone (:

 

Other way you can go is to not tell the manager and just write down when you’re done. You get overtime pay.

 

On a postive note you get atleast more money (: