Il contributo costituisce la parziale anticipazione di un saggio destinato al volume Le dimissioni di lavoratori e lavoratrici. Libertà, eguaglianza, conciliazione tra lavoro e famiglia. Obiettivi, tecniche, protagonisti, a cura di G. DE SIMONE, in corso di pubblicazione presso Giappichelli. E’ stato elaborato nell’ambito del progetto PRIN (2010-2011) LEGAL_frame_WORK. Lavoro e legalità nella società dell’inclusione, coordinato da D. GOTTARDI (per una panoramica sull’intera ricerca cfr. il volume LEGAL frame WORK, a cura di D. GOTTARDI, Torino, Giappichelli, 2016).

The essay reconstructs the legal rules about resignation and consensual resolution of women and men employees. Particular reference is made to the evolution of controls against possible abuses by the employer. An empirical research about the functioning of the most important of these control techniques – the mandatory validation of resignation by the employment inspectorate, foreseen for working parents – shows its multi-purpose nature. A guarantee against abuses and discriminations but a support to work-life balance rights too. The research takes into consideration recent years statistical data (up to 2016 ones published in summer 2017), as regards resignations and consensual resolution of mother and father employees.