So my uni has now included a “no resignation” clause in next year’s contracts. It’s my first year getting this type of contract, so maybe it’s always been there, but it seems strange – not to mention probably ultimately unenforceable.
I can’t imagine it’s enforceable, but maybe I’m wrong. I’ve never heard of other universities including it. It’s a real asshole move anyway though. Who tells someone they can’t quit?
Even more interesting, what are they planning to do to make people want to leave mid-year?
I’m not a lawyer, but in context and with the wording they’ve chosen, it seems that the worst they can do is to end employment of anyone who resigns – which would be the whole point in the first place.
Yeah… it’s weird. I don’t understand it.
That’s very odd. I think I’d start enquiring as to what the damages are - they can’t force you to work (slavery is still illegal) so do they intend to force you to pay the difference between your wage and the wage of whomever is brought in to fill the gap?
That’s a good question. I don’t see how, given the wording, they can do anything other than terminate the employee who’s resigning.
I’ve seen in my union agreements that we have clauses along the lines of paying out any of the extra costs put onto the university for dealing with spurious leaves or reduced hours, so I’d definitely look into that to see what kinds of enforcement they plan to take with this.
That’s part of the head-scratcher: They don’t have any repercussions spelled out. Under those circumstances, it seems that the most they can do is to terminate the resigning employee, which is the entire point of a resignation.
This kind of thing makes me wonder about “workarounds” I’d never otherwise consider, such as just not showing up. “I’m not resigning,” one could insist. “I just can’t make it in today. Or tomorrow. Or for the rest of the year.”
