Voluntary Termination

It sounds like a euphemism for sticking your head in the oven. But a voluntary termination might represent the best day in a person’s life. The phrase basically represents corporate-speak for an employee saying “Take this job and shove it.”

In its fundamental form, the phrase refers to employee leaving a job of their own accord. The details vary from situation to situation. It can refer to the simple "I quit," along with the standard two weeks notice. Or it can apply to a complicated corporate transition involving golden parachutes and protracted negotiations.

It stands in opposition to involuntary termination, i.e. getting fired...like having a security escort out of the building and getting your belongings mailed to you after the company takes a detailed inventory.