You’ve had enough. You just can’t take any more of your idiot boss (goodness knows how he or she got the job) or your inane colleagues whose faces and stupid remarks are driving you crazy. No matter what you are paid, it isn’t enough and you’ve just got to quit.
The trouble is that, once you’ve made the decision to go, it is so easy to be hot-headed about it. The relief you feel at having the burden lifted: the end of an unhappy phase of your life, can induce a euphoric ‘superhuman’ feeling. You can believe that all you have to do is to sail into the boss’ office, plonk a note down on the desk and proudly say, “Take your job and stick it”.
Unfortunately this act will come back and bite you in the rear end. Without doubt, you will live to regret it.
So, how should you leave a company that you have grown to despise?
The first thing to remember is that what matters most is you. Scoring points is of limited use (in a few weeks’ time no-one will recall your witty ripostes) but you must go on. You may feel invincible but you aren’t.
OK, under the politically correct society we live in, an employer is now unable to give bad references, but they can:
- Tell the truth about you.
If you do or say something which can be proven to come from you then there is nothing wrong with an employer reporting that to other interested parties. Slander is only slander when what is being said is either untrue or cannot be proven. The fact that you don’t like it is irrelevant – proof of culpability is everything. Your new employer may not be impressed with your exit tantrums and antics. - Speak volumes by omission.
For example, the reference form from your new employer asks about your abilities, your timekeeping and your relationship with other staff. The answer comes back from your former employer, “X is very competent in his/her work and can be relied upon to perform to a good standard.” From that one might assume that X’s timekeeping was lousy and no-one wanted to work with him/her.
Remember, you don’t hate everyone. There will be people in the company or suppliers or clients of the company with whom you get on well. Don’t let them down. If you just walk out or use your notice period to disrupt and sabotage, they will suffer. Not only that, it’s a small world and you may find yourself working with the same suppliers, contractors etc as you did with your old company. It is very easy to end up carrying your past with you wherever you go.
So, how should you quit a job you hate?
Leave with dignity. Even if you loathe the sight of them all, it won’t be for much longer. Speak to your manager and agree a list of tasks that you will complete before you go and also a handover programme for your ongoing workload. Be cool, polite and matter-of-fact. You are a professional, even if the boss isn’t.
If you do that, then it will be helpful for your replacement. After all, that’s the one person you can’t have a beef with. Why make it extra hard for them?
Another reason why walking out doesn’t look good is because it can appear like you’re attempting to demonstrate constructive dismissal. This is where a company makes life so unbearable for an employee that they have to quit. In doing so, the company is guilty of a serious breach of the contract of employment and must reinstate and make reparations to any affected employee. OK, that isn’t your intention but it might make a future employer wary.
Tell your boss quietly and calmly that you are handing in your notice and present them with a pre-written letter that just says:
Dear Sirs
Please take this as formal notification of my desire to terminate my employment with you. Under the conditions of my contract, I hereby give you x weeks notice and confirm that my last day of employment with you will be <insert date>.
Yours faithfully
Hopefully your boss will behave as professionally as you. Whatever you do, though, don’t use a notice to quit letter as a way of attempting to push through a pay-rise. On television, the boss caves in and, suddenly, great promotion prospects open up. In real life, the only thing that opens is the door to the car park.
So, no matter how bad it is, don’t tell your employer to stick their job. Keep your thoughts to yourself and contemplate the fact that, in a very short time, you will be free of them for ever.
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