Comic strips and television shows depicting the inane hilarity of life inside the office cubicle have long been popular. Much to the chagrin of weary workers, office politics, backroom romances, and bizarre bosses who have no clue continue to grace corporate offices around the globe. Sometimes it becomes so frustrating and intolerable the words, “I Quit!” are right on the tip of the tongue. But before taking that road, the full range of consequences must be thoroughly considered.
Common Reasons for Job Dissatisfaction
The position may be stressful, but an employee should never make a hasty decision based solely in anger and frustration. More often than not, an overbearing, irrational boss is the main factor in the decision to quit. However, salary is often a deciding factor as well as workload. If the worker feels like the workload is too heavy and the compensation too low, it becomes tempting to seek employment elsewhere. Other reasons include boredom, poor benefits, and cutthroat coworkers.
When to Quit a Job
Resigning must never be taken lightly. Today’s recessionary labor market doesn’t offer much solace in the way of job-hopping and salary increases such as was the case during the tech boom of the late 1990s. Recent reports have shown unemployment on the increase, not the other way around. Times are tough.
First, the person must be absolutely sure quitting is the right decision because most often there’s no going back. Can issues with the bad boss be worked out? Can the worker seek help in how to deal with difficult personalities from a psychological and professional perspective? Is it possible to negotiate a higher salary, and to speak with management regarding a more even distribution of projects so no one person is overworked?
Some would like to quit their job because it has become too boring or repetitive, and something new would definitely be more fulfilling. If another job offer comes along, that’s great. But if the person’s health is declining due to too much stress, a coworker sexually harasses, the boss asks employees to behave unethically, or the company appears to be headed for bankruptcy, it may be high time to seek employment elsewhere.
Preparing for Resignation
Before writing the letter of resignation, be sure to have another job offer in hand. Give the standard two week’s notice. Don’t burn any bridges by gossiping and complaining about higher-ups and how poorly the company is run. In the letter, thank the company for the experience and maintain positivity. Get personal contact information from trusted coworkers for future references. Always maintain a positive attitude and walk out with dignity.
Consequences of Quitting a Job
Keep in mind that upon leaving the company, corporate perks such as health insurance, 401(k), and bonuses are no longer on the table. Neither are unemployment benefits, which are not available to those who have voluntarily left a job. Thus, the resigned must be sure to have at least six months of living expenses in a savings account. It is never recommended to dip into the retirement plan early for this or any other expense.
So often in today’s hurried, stressful corporate world it becomes tempting to throw in the towel and quit the job. While there may be good reasons for doing so, the pros and cons must be thoroughly considered and the resignation plan appropriately executed. Otherwise, it may easily result in the proverbial shooting of the employee in his or her own foot.
Daniel Gansle - Daniel J. Gansle is the author of 2012: Day of Reckoning, graduate of Anthropological Studies and expert in ancient Mayan culture.
