Background: I live in Finland, and I've worked over three years for Company A, but I'm about to transition to Company B, operating in a completely different industry starting next month. I've been transparent with my boss (located in Sweden) from the moment I received the job offer from Company B, to ensure a smooth transition. I have no intention of severing ties, as my working relationship with my boss has always been very good.
Our division operates globally, and as a result, most of the colleagues I interact with in my day-to-day work are dispersed across various countries. As a result of this, I only have the chance to meet them in person 2-3 times a year. One of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year is the annual “Sweden Gathering” (4th-5th of October) where all members of our division come together in one location. I was looking forward to this event as it presented the last opportunity to see everyone in person. Additionally, there was significant excitement surrounding the Sweden Gathering, with nominations in various categories, including my own nomination for “Teamplayer of the Year.” The winner was to be announced during the dinner on October 4th. Me and some colleagues had decided to arrive on the 3rd of October because of convenience, the bus leaving for the Sweden Gathering left early in the morning.
Here's a timeline of events over the past 2-3 weeks and how everything went down the drain. Since I live in Finland and my boss in Sweden a lot of these conversations have been held over teams calls / teams chats.
Friday, September 22: During a Teams call, I informed my boss about the job offer, which I was going to accept.
Friday, September 29: In another Teams call, I explained to my boss that it might take some time to finalize the contract due to background checks and other procedures required by Company B. I also expressed my understanding if he preferred, I not attend the Sweden Gathering. However, my boss assured me that it was not a problem and encouraged me to use the event as a “opportunity to say goodbye to everyone”. I also said that I will not discuss my resignation until management deemed it the right time.
Monday, October 2: I sent a Teams chat message to my boss, stating that I would receive the contract Monday or Tuesday. Boss read message and did not reply.
Tuesday, October 3: In a Teams message, I informed my boss that I had signed the contract. His response was that it was poorly timed and that I needed to formally resign through the company's formal process, with plans to discuss it in Solna (Sweden office). I signed the contract while in a taxi en route to the airport for the Sweden Gathering.
Tuesday, October 3 (Live): Upon arriving in Solna, I had a meeting with my boss. He said I needed to do the formal resignation through our intranet, and I said that I’ll do it later in the evening at the hotel. My boss appeared visibly annoyed and pushed for an immediate resignation. Since I’ve always trusted my boss and never had any issues I agreed. Immediately after completing the resignation process, he informed me that I would not be permitted to attend the Sweden Gathering, as the discussions at the event was about Company A's future, and since I had resigned, I had no place there. This shocked me since my boss had ensured me earlier that there wouldn’t be any problem. There I am sitting in the office in Solna and being told I need to go home. It was ridiculous but I chose not to react and to rather think about the situation. Not only was I lied to on Friday 29th of September but I was also deceived into resigning on the spot so that my boss would have a reason for uninviting me from the event. I felt like I 100% got played.
October 5 (Phone call): I expressed my frustration, feeling misled and uninformed, as I had been under the impression that I was welcome at the Sweden Gathering. My boss explained that he didn't intend to deceive me but rather wanted the “formal process out of the way”. Boss says he would do all the decisions all over again and in the end says he’s sorry but more in the tone of “Sorry that you are upset”.
October 5 (Teams Chat with team member): The cherry on top of the cake is that a colleague revealed that the management had manipulated the results of the “Teamplayer of the Year” award, ensuring I wouldn't win, as I had already resigned and was absent. The same colleague also mentioned that management had said “This event is to celebrate Company A’s future and OP has nothing to celebrate since he resigned”. This colleague sat next to the boss of my boss who seemed to be very open about the whole situation.
This was the last straw for me. I have always been the nice guy and don’t like the drama. Not only was I open and honest but I also added one extra week to my resignation voluntarily since I thought that my two weeks was too short. After talking to HR and my friends I decided to do a new resignation with only the two weeks, as I did not feel welcomed or respected at Company A.
October 5 (Intranet): I formally submitted a new resignation with a two-week notice period.
October 5 (Teams Chat): I messaged my boss, expressing my disappointment and feeling disrespected, that being removed from the possibility to win “Teamplayer of the Year” was the final disrespect.
October 6 (Teams Chat): My boss emphasized the need for me to understand that there are different perspectives and that we should talk next week.
To be continued?