27.

You have accepted Reg's resignation and in a month he leaves. A week or two later a company writes to you for a reference and you give one that says nothing of the last month or so. Reg rings you later to say thanks for the reference and to tell you that he is taking a week's holiday before starting work with the new company.

Well, that's the end of that, for you at least. But was it the best solution? Reg had five years of Civil Service experience - how much will it cost to train someone else to his level? If you think you could have found a different way out of this maze, go back to the beginning and re-think your decisions. Or discuss any jobs you have had where you felt promotion was difficult. What did you do (or what are you doing) about the situation?