Resigning is a major life decision for most workers. This goes for folks who work at Amazon facilities such as fulfillment and sort centers as well as delivery stations. It is therefore important to learn best practices when it comes to leaving your job.
Warehouse workers leave their jobs for various reasons – two of the most common being mental health and burnout.
How to Resign the Right Way
As with every job, there is a right way and a wrong way to leave. Leaving your job the right way (i.e., professionally) at an Amazon facility is what is referred to as voluntary termination.
Contrary to popular belief, you DON’T need to give two weeks notice to leave Amazon.
The following methods are recommended for resigning from your job (voluntary termination):
Inform Your Local HR Office
You have the option to go to your facility’s HR office and let them know of your intention to resign.
After informing your HR officers, you may get some paperwork to sign after which you will be free to leave.
Another option is to call your HR person. You can find the HR number at the bottom of your A to Z app as shown below.
The whole resignation process will be handled over the phone after which you will be released from your job.
Use the A to Z App
The A to Z app also allows you to resign from your job. Just follow these steps to do so:
- Log in to the A to Z app
- While in the home screen scroll down to the bottom where you will see the following text: “Thinking of living Amazon? We don’t want to see you go, but we can help you resign. Learn more.”
- Click the “Learn more” link and proceed to fill out the form that you are presented with.
Please note that you cannot resign through the A to Z app if your are a level 3 (and above) worker. At this level, recommended way is through your HR office.
4. Submit the form after filling it and you will be presented with a resignation confirmation (yes, it is that easy).
Take the Yearly Resignation Offer
Some Amazon facilities offer an annual resignation bonus (aka “The Offer”) that ranges from $1000 to $5000 depending on how long you have worked there.
If you are planning on resigning but can wait a bit longer, look out for this offer on January since that is when it is given out.
There are some caveats with the “pay to quit” offer, however:- You will never be hired by Amazon or any of its affiliates (such as Zappos) ever again.
- It’s taxed at 30%, so for example if your bonus is $1000, your take home will be $700.
Benefits of Voluntary Termination
There are a few advantages of leaving your Amazon job in the right manner.
- You get the opportunity to be rehired quicker should you want to go back. If you quit without any policy violations you may be eligible for immediate rehire. How long you wait before rehire depends on the location but in some sites, it is as soon as new open positions are announced.
- If you got fired from the job, it can take as long as 90 to 365 days before you are eligible for rehire.
- If you are fired for more serious reasons such as harassment or damage of property, you are not eligible for rehire.
- You may be eligible to collect unemployment if you leave your job through no fault of your own, e.g. due to health issues.
- Note that if you get fired for low performance (for example having high TOT), you are not eligible for unemployment.
What Happens After You Resign?
After resigning, you will receive your voluntary termination email in a few days.
Depending on which state you are in, you may get paid your accrued PTO and vacation hours after resigning.
Examples of states in which you will be paid for accrued vacation and PTO are Colorado, Massachusetts and Michigan.
Alternatives to Leaving Your Job
If you have doubts about whether you want to leave for good, maybe you should consider these alternatives that allow you to spend some time off work while still remaining employed.
Take a Leave of Absence
Fulfillment and sort center associates have the opportunity to take leaves of absence for medical, parental, family assistance or other reasons.
Most of these leaves are unpaid, however, except for a few such as parental leave.
You can request a leave of absence from your manager or local HR office. You may need to provide paperwork for proof, approval and documentation purposes, though.
Use Your Unpaid Time Off (UPT)
Blue badge associates get 20 hours of UPT each quarter. If you have accrued some UPT points, you can use them to take a break while deciding on whether you want to resign from your job.
A good thing about UPT is that you don’t need to get approval – you only need to request it through the A to Z app and it will be automatically accepted.
Always monitor your points, however, because negative UPT means you’ll get a write-up which can lead to termination.
Use Your Paid Time Off (PTO)
Amazon associates have access to PTO. PTO is accrued at the end of every pay period.
If you still have some PTO points left, use them before resigning. That way, you will still be getting paid before you make your final decision.
Use Your Vacation Benefits
Like PTO, vacations at Amazon are also paid. Take your vacation if you are eligible and use that time to recharge and think about your goals.
If you are still set on leaving even after the vacation is over, then you may proceed to submit your resignation.
Use the A to Z app to submit your vacation request. It is usually approved within 24 hours; if not, talk to your manager.
During MET seasons, vacation requests are usually denied due to the increased work load.
Other Ways You Can Leave Your Job
There are other ways to leave your job which are not recommended but we list them here since they’re not illegal, just unprofessional.
- You may just leave in the middle of your shift by walking off and never coming back.
- You may also choose to not come back again after clocking out at the end of your shift.
With these methods, you will get flagged for job abandonment and eventually receive an email notifying you of your termination.
Due to family illness unable to continue my position at Amazon.