When Leaving a Job, What You Say Has Consequences
Tempted to go out with a bang on the last day of a really bad job? Think again before you open your mouth.
Who hasn’t wanted to tell a scheming, incompetent manager or boss just what we think of them while clearing our desk and walking out of an office that had become toxic, emotional poison?
If there were no consequences, giving them a piece of your mind might feel good, “But the operative word here has only two letters and is the most powerful in any language,” states Lyle Sussman, Ph.D., former Chairman and Professor Emeritus of Management, College of Business and Public Administration at the University of Louisville.
“That word is if. What if there had never been a Napoleon, a Hitler, a Stalin or Winston Churchill? How different would our world be, today? Especially now, ‘Telling them what I think as I walk out’ has a greater potential for causing lasting harm than ever before,” Sussman cautions.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Will I Cross Paths with This Employer in the Future?
“Before saying anything of a critical nature,” he underscores, “ask yourself this question: ‘How likely is it that I will cross paths with this employer in the future?’
“If you can guarantee the probability is 100% that you never will, then being relatively candid is OK. So, if you think the person is a real jerk and that you have been treated as a second-class citizen, you can say it.
“But this is only if you are absolutely sure that you will never cross paths with that person in the future — that you will never need them or their organization as a reference or want to work there again.”
Nothing Gets Deleted Anymore
To Sussman, today we are living in a different world — a world that doesn’t forget, in large part due to social media.
“Five or six years ago I would have said that candor and honesty is good for the soul and might even help the other party. Now I am much more reluctant to recommend this because there are no secrets. We are living in a world where nothing gets deleted anymore. Sure, hit delete and you don’t see it anymore, but it may still be out there, somewhere.
“We have all said things at some time in our lives which may have been justified and proper then — or just plain silly — which we have forgotten, but which have the power to come back and haunt us when taken out of context, especially by someone or some group with an agenda. As Google never forgets, a search may bring up old information from 10, 20, 30 years back — events that are irrelevant to your life today and your accomplishments.”
And his conclusion about candor when leaving a job?
“Unless the person decides that they are going to sell seashells in Margaritaville and never return to society, you’ve got to be very cautions.
“Err on the side of disclosing less than more. Be civil and concentrate on moving forward with the assumption that you may need this person in the future again. Shake hands, smile and say, ‘Thank you for the opportunity of working here and learning so much.’”
Just ask Comedian/Actor Kevin Hart about the Power of the Past
If you want an extreme case of how old words can come back to haunt you, take the example of comedian and actor Kevin Hart, says Dr. David D. Schein, Associate Professor at the Cameron School of Business of the University of St. Thomas in Houston and author of The Decline of America: 100 Years of Leadership Failures.
Ten years ago, as part of Hart’s standup act, he made what were characterized as anti-gay statements. After he was named host of this year’s Oscars, videos of his act and anti-gay tweets circulated across the Web. He responded by saying that he is not homophobic and that this was part of his comedy act at that time. Yet, he still ended up declining to be the prestigious Master of Ceremonies.
Schein sees, “something dangerous happening to our country. We are losing our sense of humor and shoving freedom of speech into the freezer when we punish a comedian for his 10-year-old monologue. Think of Don Rickles, Joan Rivers and other amazing comics who found funny things about all of us. The public laughed with them and made them famous.
“It is important to grow up as a society and respect who people are today. To penalize someone for something they said 10 years ago as part of a nightclub act is more than unfair. It is dangerous. A tyranny of political correctness is suffocating common sense and free speech in America.”
While you may never be up for hosting the Oscars, remember that what you say can be held against you for years, and possibly even decades, to come. Keep that in mind the next time you’re walking out the door on the last day of work.
To continue reading this article
please register for free
This is different from signing in to your print subscription
Why am I seeing this? Find out more here
After attending Loyola University School of Law, H. Dennis Beaver joined California's Kern County District Attorney's Office, where he established a Consumer Fraud section. He is in the general practice of law and writes a syndicated newspaper column, "You and the Law." Through his column he offers readers in need of down-to-earth advice his help free of charge. "I know it sounds corny, but I just love to be able to use my education and experience to help, simply to help. When a reader contacts me, it is a gift."
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Soar Amid Strong Earnings for Big Tech
Equities ended the week on an up note thanks to some of the market's biggest names.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
Earn Delta SkyMiles Worth Up to $1,800 with an AMEX Business Card
Delta SkyMiles and American Express offer 150,000 on business credit card for new cardholders.
By Ellen Kennedy Published
-
How Annuities Can Help You Retire Early and Delay Social Security
Waiting until 70 to claim Social Security benefits can pay off, so how do you bridge the gap between giving up your paycheck and filing for benefits?
By Ken Nuss Published
-
How to Get Your Kids to Step Off the Gravy Train
A surprising number of young adults live with their parents. Setting some financial ground rules could get the kids out on their own faster.
By Neale Godfrey, Financial Literacy Expert Published
-
Spring Is a Good Time to Clean Up Your Finances, Too
While you’re decluttering your home for spring, consider also taking a crack at cleaning up your finances and old paperwork.
By Tony Drake, CFP®, Investment Advisor Representative Published
-
Is Your Retirement Solution Hiding in Plain Sight?
Here’s how to use your home equity in combination with an annuity contract to produce late-in-life income.
By Jerry Golden, Investment Adviser Representative Published
-
How to Choose Your Trustee or Executor of Your Will
Above all, you should choose someone you trust, keeping in mind that acting as a trustee or executor can be a complex, thankless and sometimes long-term job.
By John M. Goralka Published
-
Three Steps for Women to Take Control of Their Finances
These strategies are especially for women who are new to managing their money because of divorce or the death of a spouse.
By Emily Glassman Published
-
How AI Can Help Take the Emotion Out of Investor Decisions
AI-driven recommendations can complement human judgment, leading to more rational choices that aren’t as influenced by biases and blind spots.
By Francis Geeseok Oh Published
-
Can You 1031 Exchange into a REIT?
No, you can't, but two other REIT-like alternatives let you defer capital gains taxes while giving you exposure to institutional-quality real estate assets.
By Daniel Goodwin Published