When someone is thinking, “I want to leave my job but I'm scared,” the prospect of a different and unpredictable future is often a significant source of that fear. Social circumstances, varying levels of support, and peer pressure can also contribute to someone's hesitancy to leave a cushy gig.
Quitting can be scary, though, because it highlights what you stand to lose: the relationships you've cultivated with colleagues, the comfort of a familiar boss and organization, financial stability, sometimes even your sense of yourself as a gritty, resilient, loyal person.
Decisions like resigning from your job can sometimes come with emotional challenges, depending on the situation. In some cases, you might feel guilty about leaving your job and your team—maybe you personally enjoy your colleagues or you worry they'll face challenges if you leave.
Make a list of pros and cons on why you should leave. I listed all the reasons why I should leave versus why I should stay in the company. Turns out, I had more good reasons to leave than to stay. It made me decide the right way than decide impulsively.
Remind yourself that this happens all the time.
You're not the first person who's ever quit, and you won't be the last. So if you're scared your boss will be shocked, throw a fit, or be personally offended, take a deep breath and repeat: This is a totally normal part of the working world.
And, bosses all too often take quitting quite personally. Many bosses will interpret quitting as you abandoning them. In fact, many of my clients have experienced this very occurrence and find it quite traumatic.
Leaving a job can be an emotional experience for you and your boss. When you tell your supervisor you're quitting, you are essentially stating that you are firing him as your boss. He may feel shocked, angry, or defensive. He may have to answer to a superior about why you decided to leave.
This is totally normal. If you haven't been working for an utterly awful company in a completely miserable job, you're probably going to feel a lot of emotions about leaving—even if it's the 100% right move for you. Change can be hard, and it has a tendency to produce nostalgic feelings.
“Tears are sometimes inevitable,” says HR consultant and leadership and career coach Jenn McKay. That's especially true if you're leaving a place or people you like, a company that taught you a lot, or a boss you got along really well with.
Leaving a job is a fundamentally awkward circumstance. After all, your decision upsets the status quo and workload for everyone. Ideally, we'd like to hear our manager respond to our departure with unconditional support and say something like: “I'm so happy for you.
How are the pioneers of the Great Resignation doing? One – admittedly very small – survey this year suggested 80% regretted their decision; another last year highlighted a similar percentage (72%) who experienced regret or surprise after quitting for a different job.
Why you may regret quitting. You may regret quitting a previous job because factors that led to you leaving your position no longer are important. Finding a better opportunity, pursuing a college degree, relocating or dealing with a personal or family matter may no longer influence your career decisions.
Quiet quitting is when employees continue to put in the minimum amount of effort to keep their jobs, but don't go the extra mile for their employer. This might mean not speaking up in meetings, not volunteering for tasks, and refusing to work overtime. It might also result in greater absenteeism.
Employees coming and going is a part of every organization's life cycle. You'll be missed, and your coworkers will feel your absence, but in time, the disruptions caused by your departure will settle down. The company will survive—you can quit without presuming you're dooming them all.
Some folks will react the way one might expect they would. They'll be a little sad, maybe disappointed, but they'll be understanding and kind, maybe even happy for you. You may start to feel the relationship start to switch from work-friend to personal-friend.
"Don't use words like quitting or leaving when you tell your boss you're resigning, because they could make your boss feel like it's their fault you're vacating your position. Similarly, avoid phrases like “I've found a better opportunity” or “I've outgrown my position." Instead, let them down easy."
And here is a big WARNING for you: Don't share detailed reasons for leaving. Now, some coworkers may ask you if there is a specific reason for your departure or if you were dissatisfied with the company. Even if you are close with coworkers, your goodbye message is not the right time for you to air out your grievances.
The five stages of grief model (or the Kübler-Ross model) states that those experiencing grief go through a series of five emotions: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
While the concept may sound reasonable, this approach is more harmful than you might think. Quiet quitting isn't just disrespectful to employers and managers in the sense that employees aren't really giving their employers the chance to try and fix their problems — it hurts employees as well.
A ton of managers take resignations bizarrely personally — acting as if the person leaving has dealt them, and the organization, a callous and devastating blow. But people leave jobs! And sometimes they leave at times that are inconvenient for the employer. That's just a normal part of doing business.
They act defensive because they have a lot to defend.
Your boss's boss knows that the managerial relationship places a strong role in an employee's decision to leave, so your boss is now having to prove that losing a good employee isn't that bad after all. Unfortunately, you may get smeared during this defensive act.
Escalate the matter: If your employer is still not accepting your resignation or providing a relieving letter, you can escalate the matter to the HR department or higher authorities in the company. You can also approach a labour lawyer for legal advice.
It is best to resign in a face to face meeting, giving your current employer as much notice as possible. If you work from home and need to resign as soon as possible, a video call is the next best option. Choose a quiet, convenient time to meet with your manager before notifying your colleagues.