Said It Here

Should I resign before my background check clears?

Submitting a resignation before a background check clears risks leaving you without income if the screening drags on for weeks or months. This gap prevents you from covering basic living expenses while waiting for the new employer to finalize your start date.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Waiting until all paperwork and background checks are fully completed before giving notice
  2. 2
    Talking to the HR contact or hiring manager about how to proceed
  3. 3
    Continuing to apply and interview elsewhere until starting the new job

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

Is it safe to submit my resignation at this point?source ↗

Lisa Ohls · The Workplace Stack Exchange · 25 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised