A staff member filmed himself submitting a two-week notice by email in a now-widespread TikTok, suggesting a larger trend of remote resignations.
In a video posted by Clara Sterling (@thatclarafied) on Aug. 18, she said she wrote her resignation email, sharing the risk she was prepared to take, to bring it to her boss.
“All I had to do was hit the send button. I just had a one-on-one conversation with my boss and didn’t give her any indication that I was quitting,” she says in the clip. “No, I don’t have a new job. Yes, I’m going to lose my health insurance. It’s a calculated risk.”
At the end of the clip, Sterling emails and celebrates quitting his job.
The STYO previously reported that Sterling’s former employer decided to hire six different workers to cover her duties rather than meet her salary and job title requirements, which she detailed in her now re-uploaded TikTok.
@thatclarafied ♬ original sound – Clara
As of September 7, the video had more than 215,000 views, with users sharing words of encouragement in the comments.
“I did this two years ago and quit retail. It was a leap of faith. Today I am an enterprise project manager. Trust me, it will be fine!” wrote one commenter.
“I quit my job 3 weeks ago and haven’t got my job set. It was the best decision and I felt so relieved when I handed in my resignation. Good luck,” another said.
Sterling didn’t specify the exact reason for her resignation in the video, but in another TikTok, she hinted at how her employer allegedly deprived her of paid vacation days and put her in a job for five people for just more Pay her $1.74 an hour more than a new employee.
In the update video, Sterling explains that the organization is going through some restructuring, which isn’t working for her. After expressing her concerns six weeks ago, Sterling said no solution was offered, leading her to resign.
“It’s just a matter of time,” she says in the clip.
@thatclarafied Reply to @Me Now my last day is next week #greatresignation #jobsearch ♬ Original Sound – Clara
While the increase in remote work during the pandemic has given way to workers actually being fired or fired, Sterling’s video is part of a trend of other workers sharing their “remote quit” experiences on TikTok during the Great Resignation.
In an Aug. 1 TikTok post by Brittany Van Horne (@brittanyvanhorne), she shared how resigning remotely is different from leaving the office to work.
“It’s so weird to quit working remotely because today is my last day and I’m not going to pack up the office and leave at the end of the day,” she said. “I’m just going to log out of slack and never log in again. Like, I’m going to quit a job like I ended all my Tumblr friendships in 2007.”
@brittanyvanhorne #remotework #tumblr #corporatetiktok ♬ Bad Habits – Steve Lacy
The STYO reached out to Sterling via TikTok comments and Van Horne via email for this coverage.
Rebecca Harding
Rebekah Harding is a freelance journalist for the STYO. She has digital and print bylines at Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, SheKnows, and more.
I’m a dedicated content creator and researcher with a strong passion for technology, innovation, and digital culture. At Howh.net, I focus on delivering well-researched, accurate, and engaging articles that help readers understand complex topics in a simple and practical way. My goal is to inform, inspire, and make reliable information