When you are unsatisfied with your work, leaving without notice seems tempting. Why bother with a graceful exit when you can move on to greener pastures ASAP, after all?
There’s a good reason to make a clean exit. Absence without official leave (AWOL) is a serious misconduct that has several consequences.
Defining AWOL
Absence without leave (AWOL) includes unapproved absences from duty or resignations. This gives employers the right to terminate their employee’s services as long as they comply with due process.
As an employee, however, the termination of your contract is the least of your worries. Abandoning your job without official notice affects two things: your current and future career path.
Effects on Current Employment
Official Resignations Come with Financial Benefits
Most companies have policies on back pays, which tackle the cash conversion of unused leave credits. Other forms of official termination entitle employees to termination pays, which are equivalent to at least a month’s worth of salary for every year of service.
Going AWOL automatically disqualifies you from enjoying the financial benefits of an official resignation.
Employers Have the Right to Sue
For many companies, depriving AWOL employees of back pay is punishment enough. Other employers are not as lenient; they could choose to involve the law and doing so would be well within their rights.
Furthermore, although the fine print could vary from company to company, Article 285 of the Labor Code of the Philippines states that employees must give their employers a written notice of resignation at least one month in advance.
Employees who fail to tender their resignation notice break the code. This gives their former employers the right to sue for damages. Failure to give due notice also counts as a breach of contract, which is against the law.
Effects on Future Employment
Effects on Future EmploymentYou Can’t Escape Breach of Contract
Failing to render an official resignation equates to breaching your contract, which bars you from receiving good reviews from your previous employer. This leaves the status of your prior employment in question. Some ex-employees sidestep queries about former employment by not mentioning their AWOL status in their employment history.
Omitting it from your resume or evading the question during interviews does not absolve you from the issue, however. Vigilant recruiters can still look into your background and previous employment record before they hire you. They can easily track your employment history by checking your TIN, SSS/GSIS, PAG-IBIG, and Philhealth records.
These discrepancies will result in potential employers questioning your credibility.
A Ruined Reputation
Abandoning a prior job raises the question of personal trustworthiness and loyalty. How can potential employers trust you not to do the same in their company? Businesses want to work with people they can trust; your AWOL status invalidates that trust.
Good talent can only get you so far. Even when you are the most qualified candidate for the job, if you have a known history of abandoning your job, then the chances of you landing the position are slim.
When work problems become too difficult to handle, going AWOL is never the solution. Instead, make a clean break by filing your resignation properly and serve the number of days stated in your contract with integrity. Should waiting not be an option, consult with your human resource department and superiors on what your next steps should be. It’s best to leave properly than deal with the fallout of a rash decision, after all.
If you still have more questions on employee etiquette or career path suggestions, get in touch with Truelogic today.
