I quit my job last week. I didn’t have another job lined up, so I am currently not working full-time. The company I was with was toxic, so I decided to leave.
Toxic Environment
I took a new job about 6 months ago after being with the same company for nearly 20 years. Everything was fine at first, but the environment quickly turned as the truth about the company was revealed. The first warning sign was nearly half the company being laid off within the first few weeks of being hired. The next was finding out that the company was hemorrhaging money and they were on credit hold with most of their vendors. We couldn’t get in product and could barely keep the lights on.
Originally, I was excited to start a new career and move on from a company that I was with for such a long time. A recruiter sold me on the company, and I made the mistake of not doing my due diligence to research them. Lesson learned there.
The final straw for me was when my boss attempted to not pay me my sign on bonus a week before it was due to me. I resigned and threatened to sue the company under the premise that they were breaking a signed contract. They eventually agreed to pay me, but I couldn’t work for a company engaged in unethical and underhanded tactics.
Finances
How did I just up and quit my job without having another one to go to? The only reason is because I have my finances in order. I have no debt and a sizeable emergency fund. If not for those two factors I would have been forced to just deal with the work environment that I was in. Having your finances in order gives you freedom. I always knew this, but I never put it into practice until now.
Ideally, I would have stuck it out until something better came along, but I will admit that the few weeks off that I’ve had have been nice. I feel better all around, and I’ve been able to catch up on a lot of projects around the house and at our cabin.
Looking Ahead
I quit my job last week, but I don’t expect to be out of work for long. I’ve already had two interviews and multiple phone screenings as of the writing of this article. This experience will definitely make me more cautious before jumping head first into something.
To anyone out there in a toxic work environment, get your finances in order. Having strong finances gives you freedom to walk away from situations like I was in.
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Based in the Pittsburgh, PA area, Brian holds full-time employment as a Warehouse Manager for an electronics firm. Brian enjoys wealth building, investing, gardening and the great outdoors. Brian holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from Robert Morris University.
