April fools joke that went wrong

I used to work at a marketing firm. On 1 April, I played an April Fools’ joke on my employer by pretending to resign immediately. Later that day, I informed them it was just a joke, but they had already hired someone else to replace me. Now, they say I am no longer employed. Can they do this? Please guide me.
SJ, Dodoma

While April Fools’ jokes are meant to be lighthearted, they can have serious consequences—especially in the workplace. Resignation is the voluntary act by which an employee ends their employment relationship, similar to a termination of employment. In Tanzania, the Employment and Labour Relations Act, Cap. 366 [R.E 2019] and the Employment and Labour Relations (Code of Good Practice) Rules govern employment termination. Under the Employment and Labour Relations Act, resignation procedures typically follow the rules regarding notice periods, similar to termination by an employer.

According to section 41 of the Employment and Labour Relations Act, if an employee is paid monthly, they must provide 28 days’ written notice before resigning. If an employee is paid daily, weekly, or bi-weekly, they must provide 7 days’ written notice. Furthermore, an agreement may stipulate a notice period that exceeds the statutory requirement, provided that the notice period is equal to that of the employer and employee. An employee may also resign immediately, but they may be required to compensate the employer for the notice period.

Resignation is a formal act that, once communicated to an employer, is generally considered binding. If an employee voluntarily resigns—whether intentionally or not—the employer is not legally obligated to reinstate them. Since the employer acted on the resignation by hiring a replacement, they may argue that the employment contract was effectively terminated. However, if the resignation was not in writing or did not follow proper procedures, there may be room to challenge the termination. The Employment and Labour Relations (Code of Good Practice) Rules, requires fair procedures in employment termination; if the employer fails to follow due process, the employee may have grounds to dispute the decision.

To avoid such situations, employees should exercise caution when engaging in workplace pranks, especially those involving serious matters, such as resignation. You have placed yourself in this predicament, so consider discussing the matter with your employer or seeking legal advice to explore possible remedies. Your lawyer can guide you further.