30 People Share Breaking Points That Mean You Need To Quit Your Job
Interview
If you are on the fence about your job, some HR specialists recommend something called the Sunday evening test. The simplified version goes like this, if you start to have a gentle feeling of dread for seemingly no immediate reason on a Sunday (assuming you don’t work weekends), it might mean you really need to start applying to other places.
Some internet users shared their own stories in this online group. We reached out to Alan at Undercover Recruiter to learn some more about red flags when searching for a job, to hopefully avoid some of the problems listed by internet users here. And if you want to keep reading job horror stories, Bored Panda has you covered, check out our other articles here and here.
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When you dread going to bed because you know you have to get up and go to work tomorrow.
My sister recently said she was having panic attacks that she thinks is related to anxiety and work related stress. She spoke about getting signed off by the doctor, and thought two weeks full paid sick may alleviate the problem. If it is genuinely work related then no amount of time off (paid or otherwise) will help because you would be constantly thinking of the day you have to go back in. I hope she will come to the same realisation.
When the new person who was just hired is making more money than you.
I was having a root canal. The doctor asked why I was smiling. Told him because I wasn’t at work. That’s when I knew it was time to quit
We asked Undercover Recruiter about some potential red flags in the job application itself. “This is a tricky one, because what makes a workplace terrible for one person might make it a great place for someone else. For example, the phrases 'like a family', and 'highly social' suggest that it's the kind of company where they hold a weekly potluck, and a 'happy hour' after work every Friday.”
“Some people love that. For an introvert, though, that kind of place would be horrible. A lot of very formal, bureaucratic language in a job posting - more like a job description than an advertisement - suggests that the company is highly structured, with a lot of processes and procedures. That's great if you enjoy working in those kinds of environments. If you thrive with more flexibility, though, it's probably not somewhere you'll enjoy working.”
When the paycheck is late or bounces
When you find out the insurance payments coming out of your checks haven't been made for months.
On Thursday my boss let me know I have to prove I’m worth my barely livable wage, so we’re going to have a meeting every day next week to see how I’m going to make the company more money. I had two interviews today.
I don't know about making money, but if I quit, I can save you money! And you can do that with ALL your staff. Fire them all and do all their work yourself, and you will save so much more money!
If they refuse to respect your health or your family’s.
That was what caused me to leave my last job. They tried to use the threat of having to go back to the office during the pandemic to get me to work harder. I lived with my immunocompromised mother at the time, that was effectively telling me "work harder or we'll kill your mom". Line freaking drawn.
“Generally, though, there are a few things that almost always indicate problems. A really vague job description - one that leaves you wondering what the actual duties are - is a bad sign. When a company is hiring, they should have a very clear idea of what they want the person to do, and should be able to articulate that. Spelling and grammar mistakes aren't a good thing. It suggests disorganization and a lack of attention to detail, in a public-facing place where everything should be pretty much perfect. Lastly, I'd recommend avoiding a company that emphasizes 'future earning potential' over the current compensation. Even in a sales position where commissions are part of the package, an initial offer should still be competitive,” they added as something to be on the lookout for.
When you dont care if you get fired.
Man l'm HOPING to get fired from one of my jobs. That sweet severance money and not having to see my arsehole boss ever again.
When they say “and if you don’t like it, there’s the door.” I always take the door. It’s my hard red line.
When there is a reorganization, and you are told "Fit In or F**k Off".
When none of the employees have been there a year, but all the managers have been their 20+ years.
Big red flag. There's always a reason behind high staff turnover and it's never good.
Now, what about if you are already in a job, what might be some danger signs that it’s time to leave? “The big one to watch for, particularly at a time when we're (possibly) heading into a recession, is silence. If owners and managers begin having closed door meetings and hushed phone conversations, this can be a warning sign that the company is in financial trouble. This doesn't guarantee that your job is in jeopardy, of course, but this would be a good reason to at least keep your options open.”
I'm a mechanic. One day I was at a yard sale, looking at some old tools. I started chit-chatting with the seller and he asked me where I worked. I hesitated for a minute, then said "I work for ...... one of the local tree services". He replied "You work for (company name), don't you?" I replied "Yes, how did you know?. He said "You were too ashamed to admit it".
He was right. I put in my notice the following week.
Oh yes, remember that. Dreading the introduction round on parties, because I knew as soon as I'd give my company's name (phone and internet provider back in Germany), at least one person would be at my throat for some s**t they were going through thanks to the company not paying for proper customer support. I'd always give them my phone number at work and ask to call me next Monday, then sort out whatever their problem was. But that shame...ewww. These days, I proudly say my company's name and what we're doing. Much better feeling!
I am OUT if someone in authority has anger issues / yells at employees.
I had started a new job at a major international security company, had only been there a week and my direct manager walked in and started screaming at everyone in the control room calling us c**rd ect my response was to grab all my belongings and quit. I also took them to tribunal and ended up with a years worth of wages for a weeks work. I'm still proud of myself twenty years later.
When they start giving you more responsibilities with flashy new title, without any raise in pay.
Yay! Now I'm The Official Chairmaster of Disposing of Waste and Trash instead of Garbage Man! Wait... no raise?!
“On a similar note, a lack of feedback at an individual level can be a warning sign that you're about to be let go. It might not be because of your job performance; the company might just be looking at cutting back in some areas. But if your manager seems to be avoiding you - giving you no feedback at all - it can be a sign that they're starting to cut ties. In that case, it's best to address it directly with your manager. To specifically ask for feedback on your performance, and 'read between the lines' for things you should be concerned about. Finally, a mass exodus at the management level is almost always a bad sign. If two, three, or more executives suddenly depart, and there's no good explanation for it, that's a good time to start brushing up your resume. People in management have the inside take on what's happening with the company. If they're leaving en masse, they probably know something you don't.”
When a customer talks to you like garbage/sexually assaults you/does anything to treat you like a non human and management does not do anything about it.
I've only ever walked out from 1 job. I decided to quit when I started getting to work early but ended up late because I would sit in my car dreading to go in.
The dread never gets better, no matter how much you lie to yourself!
Invasive thoughts about work while at home and off the clock.
Alan was kind enough to share some other details and tips for those either looking for a new job or planning to leave their current employer. “First, no matter how bad a workplace was, remember that in future interviews, it's best to avoid being too negative. Complaining about your previous managers, or the company as a whole, can come off the wrong way. You can mention issues, of course (nobody leaves a great job that they love, after all), just remember that you're best to temper those with some positive attributes about the job. Secondly, when you're looking for a job and worried about 'red flags', review sites like Glassdoor are great... when you use them correctly. Remember that disgruntled employees are more likely to leave a review than happy ones. So just because a company has negative reviews doesn't mean that it's necessarily a bad place to work. Instead of just looking for the number of good vs. bad reviews, read a bunch of them and look for themes. If there's a common thread - employees being expected to work consistently long hours, to be available all hours of the day, for example - you'll pick up on it.”
When they layoff the nicest, most loyal and experienced person in your department. That told me it was about his salary and nothing more. If they are cutting costs like that…time to go. It’ll only get worse.
When my boss doesn’t trust me to do the job they hired me to do without breathing down my neck or micromanaging me. If you don’t trust me to do the specific thing you hired me for then do the s**t yourself.
I went through this at a previous job. My manager even micromanaged how I organized my notes, recorded the conversation when she called me from her desk without notifying me and went through my emails with I wasn't at my desk.
When you absolutely dread getting up in the morning, or are so stressed in the evenings that you can't sleep.
We also reached out to Nidhi Nagori, a career and finance expert to ask some more questions about bad workplaces. "The job description should not be very demanding. Candidates must match the job expectations with the pay being offered and the designation, and must analyze if the role is actually doable by one person. I've seen organizations dump too many responsibilities in one role, making it overwhelming for one person to perform. So always match the role against pay, doability, and seniority. If they are asking for too much, no matter what the pay on offer, it is not a good role because they are setting you up for failure," was what she recommended people look out for when assessing a potential job.
When I am stressing my family because I cannot stop venting about how work is stressing me.
When you have to be heavily medicated with anti depressants and multiple different anxiety meds. That's the boat I'm currently in
Pass me the other oar, I'll help you row. Same boat different ship wreck.
She also had some other tips for people job-searching. "As important as salary is, do not make your job about it. I have done it and suffered. Chase good people. Because good people attract growth, evolution, and money. This could mean people who can teach you, are invested in you, respect you, intellectually stimulate you, and make you believe in your career more each day."
We also asked her what might be some danger signs people should look out for while they are at a company. "If you are always looking forward to the weekend, have no interest in knowing how the top management is running the business, do not enjoy the company of your colleagues, feel extremely demotivated on Mondays, do not feel your supervisors are looking after your growth, do not align with the objectives of the organization - a mix of these is a good time to move out."
When your boss happens to ‘forget’ about your planned vacation and wants you to work. Especially when it was discussed months ahead of time.
F**k Dat. Vacation is essential. Back in the day, kept getting mandated to extra shifts-- turned out my supervisor was banging my wife.
Getting gaslight by a boss and seeing management close ranks to protect each other.
When you are bringing home your frustration and it's impacting your personal relationships.
When your boss keeps coming into your office to unload his/her personal problems, and treats you like a therapist, getting in the way of you doing your work.
When I start absolutely hating even waking up in the morning…I don’t like working in general, but when I start hating life every single day, I’m leaving.
When things don’t change, there’s no progression in your position, and those with less experience are getting promoted to better positions over the ones with experience.
Hence why I submitted my request for a lay off this afternoon.
Too many options out there to stay stagnant
One of my previous companies used to have a 'skip with the VP' session every quarter. Which was nothing but a tick box activity. We would put across our complaints, the VP would ask his PA to include it in the MoM, tell us that he will get back to us. Same process in the next meeting. We were always short staffed and they never had an answer for why aren't they hiring. People would leave because of too much work. That's when they would hire. But the exact number as the ones who left. Not one person more
When all you can think about is how frustrated you are, or how much you wished you weren’t there, or how much you hate your coworkers.
Everyone should be looking constantly just to see what the market currently is.
Money wise I'm leaving as soon as I can make a significant amount more than I currently do unless I really like everything else about my job then I'm going to try and get a raise and see what happens.
Other than money the fastest way I'm looking for a job is when management starts going on a micro managing crusade.
I don't need you hovering over me all day. Give me some metrics to hit and leave me to do my job.
Management changing hands constantly.
Especially when the new management immediately sets about changing the previous management policy to "cut costs and make things run more efficiently". That's inept management talk for "screw over the long-timers enough to get them to quit so you can hire new people for less money".
Note: this post originally had 52 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I was at a job a few years ago where a lot of these things happened. I didn't quit because I told myself that the same stuff happens everywhere and I just had to learn to deal with it. Many panic attacks, antidepressants, therapy, and a new, awesome job later, I know it doesn't happen everywhere.
I was at a job a few years ago where a lot of these things happened. I didn't quit because I told myself that the same stuff happens everywhere and I just had to learn to deal with it. Many panic attacks, antidepressants, therapy, and a new, awesome job later, I know it doesn't happen everywhere.
