Last year I had enough of working in an environment that didn’t suit my wants and needs. I had been in the medical field for quite some time. I was moving from job to job trying to keep up with expenses but making sure its time well spent. I was recruited to what I thought was the best job of my life. They offered the most money I’ve ever made. I was paid by the hour unlike other massage therapists who work in some spas. I had the freedom of decorating my massage room at their expense. I was “unsupervised” for the most part. I worked directly with a chiropractor and had zero competition. I was also able to leave early to go to school. All of these were some great perks.
However, I wasn’t heard. I couldn’t voice an opinion. I couldn’t tell them what I needed. I felt like my voice was muffled and my efforts and cries for help went unheard or unseen. I worked at this facility for a little over a year and I’m so thankful it wasn’t longer. In that time, I had lost weight, had two elbow injuries, had no time for myself, dreaded getting out of bed and I stopped doing the things that made me happy.
One thing I always complained about was the heat in my room. The industrial vent didn’t have the option to close so my way of asking for a quick fix was to ask for a fan. Unfortunately, when I got it, the winter season was over and it really didn’t help. It just blew hot air around an already hot room. I had asked over and over for them to fix the vent. My boyfriend and a patient at the time found a solution online and I sent the link to my supervisor. Patients started complaining. It really was an issue but management didn’t show much interest in my problem.
The day before Thanksgiving, I decided I wasn’t going to work in a hot sauna anymore. My supervisor turned on the heat after I turned it off because it happened to be 70 degrees outside. I marched into her office and asked that the heat be turned off or I’ll be massaging my patients with the door open to allow airflow. A short time later, a co-worker asked me what was wrong. Clearly, it was written all over my face. I explained to her why I was upset. Upon walking out of the room, another supervisor told me to “Stop complaining about it” with a nasty attitude. I explained to her in a not so subtle way that I didn’t tolerate being spoken to that way. She yelled her response at me when another co-worker halted the altercation.
That event happened at 11 am. My supervisors didn’t call me into their office until 15 minutes before it was time to leave for the day. They handed me a “write-up” to sign for having an attitude but I refused to sign something so subjective. They told me that the offer of the raise they made me the prior week was no longer on the table. I told them, “You should have lead with that. You can consider today my last day.” I walked away with lighter shoulders and a lighter heart and their jaws were left on the floor in shock.
In no way do I recommend leaving your job the way I did because I truly believe it is important to not burn bridges or cut ties completely with past employers. However, I do recommend leaving if you have any of the problems listed below. These are all valid reasons for leaving your job because these things can take a toll on your health and sanity. You should want to wake up every morning to do the things you love. Life is too short to wake up hating what you do or who you do it with. Believe it or not, some people don’t believe that these are valid reasons to leave a job.
I don’t like my boss and co-workers.
I don’t like my job.
It’s not a great company.
I don’t like being bored.
I don’t like the hours.
I think these are huge reasons to pinpoint when considering leaving your job. Who wants to spend years going to the same place 5 days a week and spend all of daylight with people they don’t care for? Who would want to go to school for their passion to spend the rest of their career stressed out? I don’t and I hope my readers don’t either. You can work just as hard if not harder in a non-stressful environment. That’s the option I chose.
Here are some common reasons why people leave their jobs.
You have a bad boss.
Your boss is addicted to gossip. Bad bosses tend to have a favorite. The favorite may be someone who is willing to report anything and everything about other employees.
Your boss is a child. Bad bosses often act like children. Kids give you things and take them right back. Ever had a boss offer a raise and then take it back? Kids yell at you when they want something done. Ever had a boss raise their voice at you in front of your co-workers? Using harsh discipline techniques only hinders the relationship between staff and management.
Your boss doesn’t communicate. A bad boss usually won’t tell you when you’re doing right or wrong. Some don’t know how to explain rules. Imagine only being told the rules when you’re getting in trouble for breaking the rules. Others fail to include the team in anything. They don’t hold team meetings and they definitely don’t share progress about the company.
Your boss doesn’t listen to you. If your boss doesn’t communicate, they probably don’t listen either. Bad bosses don’t like to hear your opinion or negative feedback. Have you ever been so overworked that you feel like breaking down but you can’t talk to your boss about it? Or, maybe you have but they didn’t provide a solution or value your concern.
Your boss doesn’t motivate you. Your bad boss doesn’t even meet company standards so how can they inspire you? They command and delegate all day and can’t lead by example. These types of bosses don’t know what it means to be a team.
You are treated poorly
Discrimination - You do your job very well and are treated differently than others because of your character. Some offices are extremely cliquey and feel like some co-workers aren’t good enough to fit in their group. The workplace is not suitable for teenage drama. Some people are discriminated against due to: Race, age, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation, religion, physical, intellectual or mental disability, marital or relationship status, or political opinion.
Badmouthing - Stay aware of the people who do not have your best interests at heart. These are the co-workers or supervisors who badmouth you behind your back. Also, beware of others who have no problem saying offensive things right in front of you.
Dismissal - Have you been demoted or dismissed from a job for something minute like asking for a raise or compensation for overtime? Using dismissal or demotion as a form of discipline isn’t always the right thing to do but it’s actually legal.
You’ve been offered something better
Is your dream job lying ahead? If you’ve been offered something better, by all means take it. Weigh your options, make your pros and cons list and write everything down. These steps are crucial to making the right decision for your career path.
You are overworked and underpaid
Do you work more than expected? Or, maybe you work longer than anyone else. The point is that work is all you know because you spend so much time there. Wake up. Cake up. Then press rewind. - Big Krit This ties in with horrible hours. When I was dreaming about my career, I certainly didn’t imagine spending 10+ hours, 5 days a week in a place that I hate returning to every morning.
Do you know how much your co-worker makes? Although you’re not supposed to talk about pay with other employees, sometimes you learn by listening.
Do you think or feel like you aren’t paid enough? If you do happen to learn what others are paid who hold your same job title, make the comparison. Then compare that to what other employers are offering candidates for that same position.
You aren’t learning
Is work still exciting for you? When you enjoy working, you’re usually excelling and learning. Maybe you’ve outgrown your current job or position. If you dread going to work to do the same redundant thing, maybe there needs to be a challenge so you can rekindle your career spark.
Why was this the best day of my life?
Again, I didn’t have to wake up early and drag myself out of bed to go to a “job.” I took a few days to let it soak in because I quit around the holidays. I could have easily and quickly started losing track of what day it was if I continued to do absolutely nothing. So, I started focusing. I put up a huge wall calendar so that I can better prioritize my life. I’m sure my boyfriend thinks this is a heaven-send because I can’t remember anything on my to-do list. I am a mobile massage therapist and I was in desperate need of clients. I put together a marketing email campaign and started booking events instantly. I then began to dream of where this business can go and how to get it there. I started reading and doing research when I didn’t have clients. The dream for this business was always to have a blog so that I can share the things that I learn and believe in with my clients and followers.
Things I needed to get back to:
Self-Care - I have been massaging full-time for 5 years. My first time getting a work-related injury was at my previous employer due to overworking. When the end of the work day would come, I’d be so happy to go home. I was too tired to go to the gym (even though I was paying for a membership) after work. I was exhausted and not taking care of myself like I should have been. Not to mention, I’m a huge eater. Somehow I lost weight because I only had time to eat lunch and dinner. Missing breakfast isn’t very ideal; it’s the most important meal of the day. (They all are!)
Now, I wake up and go to the gym every morning if I don’t have clients. Who am I kidding? I jump out of the bed to get ready for the gym. My workouts are what helps me continue being great at my physical job. I’ve gained 15lbs since I’ve left and it's all healthy weight. I am in the best shape of my life and am feeling better and better each day I incorporate self-care into my daily routine.
Creativity - Creating is one of the best outlets for me. My release is through my artwork. I haven’t touched my artwork or done anything creative in over a year. The nagging excuse of “I don’t have time” was starting to really put a damper on my health and my relationship.
Since leaving my job, I can create whatever I want, whenever I want. Right now, I’m creating this content for my readers. I was able to find the time to unpack and organize one of our spare bedrooms. It’s now my art room/office. Building this business is all based on creativity. I’m constantly having to create new IG posts to keep my members and potential clients engaged. This website is something I created and had so much fun doing it too. I never thought I would like designing a website but the time flew by and I was absorbed in figuring out the blueprint for this site.
Freedom - What is freedom to you? To me, it’s doing what I love. If I want to sleep in, I’m going to. If I want to work all day, let me. If I want to travel the world, come with me. I was stuck in place for about 10 hours a day. Weekends would usually permit time to myself. However, I’m a hustler. My mobile business was only allowed to flourish on weekends.This means if I wanted business to grow, I had to work those two days as well. While working 7 days a week may be someone’s choice, it wasn’t mine.
First, my current schedule is open 6 days a week. Doesn’t sound like much has changed but it has. My schedule is open to clients those days but is not open all day. My new schedule is broken into short days and long days. I know how much I can work before the next massage feels like I’m slipping and sliding over the client’s skin because I’m exhausted from the 7 clients prior. Second, I hate going to the doctor but sometimes I have to. Now I can schedule a doctor’s visit without getting it approved by anyone else. Last but not least, I like to travel. Even if I don’t go very far, I like to go. I’ve never been out of the US so it’s on my list of things to conquer this year. I take a trip to San Diego every year, except I didn’t get to go last year because staff wasn’t allowed to request off in the months of November and December. Those are the times that I would normally take that trip because it gets cold here but San Diego has perfect weather all year round. Guess who’s going to San Diego for her birthday? This girl! My boyfriend gets to come along for the first time. I’m excited for this new freedom! Hello to my new dream come true!
What I’m trying to say
2020 is my year and it could easily be your year. I made a vow to never again work for someone who does not care about me. In order for me to support a company, I must first be treated with respect. For, I am one of the parts that makes your business function. In exchange for my respect, I deserve the same. In this time, I’ve decided not only do I not want to work in a bad environment but I also don’t want to work for anyone else but myself. I’m going to see how long it will take before I change my mind, if at all. I’m pretty adamant on my decision and I believe I can make it bigger than I’ve ever dreamed on my own. I believe in myself. That was once such a difficult task for me to do. I started reading self growth books and they seem to have a positive affect on my emotions. The book I just finished for the fourth time is called Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop. If you’re lacking some self confidence and need some daily affirmations, this is the book for you. He is very blunt and to be honest, some of us need some brutal honesty. Enjoy. This changed my life!