It’s safe to say that many of us don’t like to be the bearer of bad news. However, when it comes to being professional at work, it’s in your best interest to be a good communicator. That means when an uncomfortable issue arises, be it canceling an interview or quitting a job, ghosting is not a wise solution.

Besides being unprofessional, ghosting an employer can affect your reputation moving forward. It may come back to bite you in the future. For instance, let’s say you stop showing up for work and take on a new position elsewhere. You report for work at your new job and discover that someone from your former company is working at this company and they’re aware of your abrupt disappearance. Bad news can travel fast among co-workers or supervisors.

Or perhaps you walk into an interview for a new position only to discover that the person interviewing you knows what you did because they have colleagues at your former company. You’re now in an awkward position. You thought no one would ever know about your ghosting, but your reputation precedes you.

What can you do to maintain a professional and reputable reputation? Here are some suggestions based on three different scenarios:

1. You need to cancel an interview. As soon as you know you want to cancel, be upfront and let the potential employer know of your intention. It helps to relay why you’re canceling, but it’s not required. You can share that while this may not be the right time, things could change in the future so you’d like to keep the lines of communication open.
   
   Demonstrate respect and courtesy by sending a simple email or pick up the phone and call. Who knows? Somewhere down the road you may end up in a situation with the same person who remembers your professionalism.
   
   
2. You’re sick and can’t make it for your shift. If you ghost your employer, you’re not only leaving them in the lurch, but it affects your colleagues who end up having to cover for you unexpectedly. Consider reaching out to a colleague first, explaining your situation, and asking if they can handle your shift or trade shifts with you.
   
   Then, once you’ve got your shift covered, let your employer know you’re calling in sick, but found a replacement. They’ll be pleasantly surprised that you took the initiative to provide a solution instead of ghosting them, which leaves them clueless as to why you didn’t show up for work.
   
   If you can’t find someone to cover for you, don’t wait until the last minute to tell your supervisor. In addition to being respectful, giving him/her notice makes it possible for you to work together on coming up with a solution. You may find out that 1) your supervisor appreciates that you’re not going to show up at work and spread germs that affect others, and 2) your absence may not be detrimental in the long run. If you ghost your employer, you may find that you won’t have a job to return to once you’ve healed.
   
   
3. You want to quit your job. Leaving a job can be uncomfortable, but giving your employer two weeks notice is a professional way to step down. If you’re going to be seeking employment elsewhere you want to keep your reputation intact (especially if you’ll need a letter of recommendation) and ghosting is a sure-fire way to blemish your record.
   
   As mentioned previously, you never know if someone from the job you left shows up at a new place of employment either as the interviewer, a supervisor or co-worker. If they know about your ghosting situation, it’s a strike against you and you don’t want to start out on the wrong foot.

Ghosting may feel like the easiest solution when you don’t want to face an uncomfortable situation, but it’s not the best path. Think about how it feels when someone – personally and/or professionally – has ghosted you. It leaves you wondering what happened and the same holds true for an employer. They want to give you the benefit of the doubt, thinking that you had an emergency, but when they discover otherwise, it’s hard to make a comeback from that. Keep your professional reputation intact. Communicate openly, honestly and with integrity. You’ll feel better about yourself in the long run for doing so.