What actually changed in 2025
The four Labour Codes in force, and the one section that matters on the day you resign.
The pre-exit audit
Nine things to check before you send the letter, because six cannot be fixed afterwards.
The resignation letter
What it must contain, what it must never contain, and how to send it so it counts.
Notice period: serve, shorten, or buy out
Three routes, what each costs, and the negotiation that actually works.
Counter-offers and the 45-day stall
What is really being offered, and how to break the silence with arithmetic.
Your full and final settlement
Eleven components line by line, with a worked example and a net payout.
Gratuity: the five-year question
Who is covered, the 15/26 formula, forfeiture, the 30-day clock and 10% interest.
Leave encashment and the Rs 25 lakh rule
How it is calculated, when a policy can cap it, and how much is tax-free.
EPF and EPS when you leave
Forms 19, 10C, 13 and 31, the unemployment advance, and the TDS you can avoid.
Relieving, experience and service certificates
What is a legal right, what is only a custom, and the three-step escalation.
Bonds and liquidated damages
Two tests courts apply, the 2025 Supreme Court ruling, and how to answer a notice.
Non-compete, confidentiality, moonlighting
What survives your exit and what is void the moment you leave.
The document vault
Eleven documents to save before your laptop stops working.
Background verification
The two checks that sink offers, and how to pre-empt both.
When they do not pay
A five-rung ladder from one email to a recovery certificate, with the forum for each claim.
When you are pushed out
Retrenchment, layoff, closure and the resignation you were talked into.
Edge cases worth knowing
Withdrawing a resignation, absconding, rejoining, acquisitions and dual employment.
The 30-day exit plan
A dated sequence from the audit to the last document.
Templates you can copy
Six letters, written to be sent, not admired.
Quick reference and sources
Every deadline, every figure, a glossary, and the full source list.
