The hardest part about quitting your job can be figuring out whether you should leave or not. Here are ten warning signs telling you it’s probably time to move on.
Human resources expert, Susan M. Heathfield says stress levels and poor office relations are among the top reasons why employees quit work. In her essay, “How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit Your Job?” she says if the following situations cannot be resolved, the time to leave may have arrived:
1. Your stress levels are so high at work that it’s affecting your physical or mental health and your relationship with your friends and family.
2. Your relationship with your manager is damaged beyond repair. You have sought help to mend the relationship but you know it is too damaged for recovery.
3. Your company is experiencing a downward spiral, losing customers, losing money, with rumors of possible closure and bankruptcy.
4. Your life situation has changed. Perhaps you have married or had a baby, and the salary and benefits no longer support your life needs.
5. Your values are at odds with the corporate culture. Your company is hierarchical and you want to influence every aspect of your work.
6. Your company is ethically challenged. Managers lie to customers about the quality of the products or the day the product will ship. “Whatever the issue, don’t stay in an organization where your ethics are out of sync with the company,” Heathfield says.
Psychologist Ronald E. Riggio PhD, states in “Cutting Edge Leadership” that there are two further warning signs which may indicate it’s time to go:
7. You have no possibility of promotion. You have “topped out” because only family members are promoted to levels beyond your current one.
8. Your workplace environment is toxic. The atmosphere at work intimidates you. Dr Riggio says: ” No one should endure a toxic workplace where bullying or harassment occurs.”
Finally, career planning expert, Dawn Rosenburg gives two extra reasons why you might need to quit in her essay subtitled “Knowing When To Say Goodbye” :
9. You find yourself being marginalized. Your boss has taken away many of your responsibilities. You’re treated like the invisible man/woman and are not included in important meetings.
10. You’ve outgrown your job. You may have started your job as a novice but now you have a lot of experience. Rosenburg says: “If you can’t utilize your experience, it’s probably time to start looking for a job where you can put your skills to use.”