UNHAPPY at work? Thinking of leaving?
Many of us have been there and felt that. Maybe once, twice, thrice or even more. We’ve all wanted to quit that job that had us feeling strangled and stagnant.
We’ve also had those sleepless nights despising our situation because knowing when it’s time to quit is not easy. It’s not as if an alarm would go off to signal that your time’s up and you need to move on to a better opportunity.
This is the story of 28-year-old Bea, a reporter who has been enduring years of inner battles like many workers. Bea, who requested that her real name be withheld to avoid sanctions from her employer, has been in her company for almost six years, and yet she remains uncertain about whether to stay in her job.
“I basically don’t enjoy or feel any passion for my work, but I need financial stability and structure,” she told republicasia.
Through the years, she has remained in the job because she hoped that it would lead to better opportunities, if not give her years of experience to add to her resume.
Her uncertainty about her job stemmed from her feeling that she never felt included or appreciated in her corporate environment, though she still made an effort to fit in.
It was also because of this that the thought of quitting never left her mind.
“I feel the urge to resign since I haven’t been promoted and was never even up for promotion. I feel there’s very little career progress in my job. Mistakes are often taken against me blatantly, while my efforts aren’t valued or appreciated,” she said.
“I’m grateful for all the benefits and growth I’ve had through my job, but I’m now more open to finding opportunities elsewhere,” she added.
Still, making that leap is not easy.
Why employees quit
If there is one person who gets confronted with daily workforce issues, that would have to be the Human Resources (HR) person.
Sabrina Catapang, a 35-year-old HR Supervisor at First Philippine Industrial Park Laguna, said that several factors often lead to an employee’s desire to quit his or her job.
The most common reasons include a worker’s skills and expertise being underutilized, the worker being grossly under-compensated, and the work itself not following the employee’s personal passion.
Ultimately, however, Catapang said the biggest factor for employees in leaving their jobs is no other than their boss. As they say, employees don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses.
While there are bosses who embody the word “mentor,” there are also those who not only seemingly enslave their people, they also treat them with utter disrespect and injustice, she noted.
“Employee motivation and attitude is a direct result of his manager’s attitude and capabilities to motivate the team members. Having a good relationship with the boss brings improved job satisfaction while the opposite causes team members to flee,” she said.
She also said that a superior’s leadership style determines an employee’s desire to leave or willingness to stay, regardless of the compensation offered.
“Employees work well in the organization if a good employee-employer relationship is evident,” she said.
Gen Zs most likely to leave
The study “Happiness at Work in 2023, a Study on Generation Happiness,” conducted by candidate assessment and recruitment platform Cangrade, found that workers from Gen Z are most likely to quit if they are unhappy with their workplace.
This could be because they have less to lose. They are also more self-confident and constantly seek new learning opportunities, the study said.
It also said one in four Gen Z employees are unhappy at work and about 20 percent consider quitting their jobs.
The study surveyed 600 respondents from across all age categories: Baby Boomers (approximately 1955-1964) Gen X (from around 1965-1980), Millennials (1981-1996) and Gen Z (1997-2012).
Out of these generations, Gen Zs proved to be unhappiest at work due to varied reasons. One is that they’re still entering the workforce and are in entry-level roles, and this can create job dissatisfaction. But the report also noted that “Gen Z may also be less happy in general than other generations.”
How to know when it’s time to leave
Quitting your job requires a massive assessment of the self and the situation.
Dr. Beverly Ongson, a registered psychologist, certified professional life coach and certified hypnotherapist from Dear Future Self Consulting PH, said there are certain assessment meters that a worker may consider when deciding whether or not to resign from his or her job.
- Culture misfit
The feeling of being unwelcome in a workplace takes a massive toll on an employee’s mental health and is reason enough to consider leaving that job, said Ongson. One of the foremost reasons why Gen Zs leave their jobs early is because they don’t feel that they fit in a certain environment, she said.
- Failure to perform the job
It is not only the company and the superior’s responsibility to assess the performance of an employee. Employees, too, can self-assess. The purpose may be more than just job improvement; sometimes, it could be eagerness to be more and do more, which would require a change of environment.
- Boredom
It may not sound that alarming, but when an employee feels bored at work, it could mean that the job isn’t exciting him or her anymore. On a positive note, feeling bored means possessing potential to be more, as the employee feels that his or her skills aren’t being maximized by the company.
- A change in plans
In many instances, workers yearn for more because along the way, their decisions or plans changed. There are those who got into the job because of a friend’s influence, or by accident, or simply because it’s what’s available at that time. When an employee decides to grow, he or she also decides to leave his or her comfort zone
- Abuse, like harming your mental health
If the environment is abusive and harms one’s mental and physical health, then this must be considered. Resigning is probably the best choice.
- A bad boss
Ongson clarified that having a tyrannical boss does not necessarily impact one’s mental health. In fact, others take it as a challenge to try to get the boss’ approval, and improve their mental strength in the process as well.
Bosses are naturally superior because of their position. However, if the boss’s tyranny is no longer justifiable and is in fact the reason for a team’s mental stress, then leaving the job might be the best option.
Ongson said stress at work should not be taken lightly. These work issues tend to consume workers to the point that it could affect their personal lives, especially with how they deal with family, friends and community, she said.
She also said this is why having an outlet is crucial, so that employees could get a breather. Employees could also seek psychological help from experts to mitigate the mental blows of stress at work.
But if these are not enough, then it may be time to say goodbye to that job.
