Top 10 bad excuses for staying in a bad job
If you’re unhappy at work, I’m sure that the thought “Man, I really should quit!” crosses your mind occasionally.
So why don’t you?
Even if you long desperately to quit, to get away from your horrible workplace, annoying co-workers or abusive managers, you may hesitate to actually do anything about it, because right on the heels of that impulse come a lot of other thoughts that hold you back from quitting.
Each of these excuses may sound to you like the voice of sanity, offering perfectly good reasons why it is in fact better to stay and endure that bad job just a little longer, but look a little closer, and they don’t really hold up. What they do instead is keep you trapped in a job that is slowly but surely wearing you down.
Here are 10 of the most common bad excuses for staying in a bad job.
#1 “Things might get better”
That jerk manager might be promoted out of there. That annoying co-worker could quit.That mound of overwork could suddenly disappear.
On the other hand, things might also get worse. Or they might not change at all. If you’ve already done your best to improve your job situations and nothing’s happened, just waiting around for things to improve by themselves make little sense.
#2 “My boss is such a jerk but if I quit now, he wins.”
Who cares. This is not about winning or losing, this is your life. Move on, already.
#3 “I’m not a quitter.”
Well guess what these somewhat successful people have in common: Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Tiger Woords, Reese Witherspoon, John McEnroe and John Steinbeck?
Yep, they all dropped out of Stanford.
The old saying that “Winners never quit and quitters never win” is just plain wrong and leaving a bad job is just common sense.
#4 “I’ll never get another job”
Well not if you stay in your current job while it slowly grinds you down, you won’t! Move on now while you still have some self-confidence, motivation and energy left.
#5 “If I quit I’ll lose my salary, status, company car, the recognition of my peers, etc.”
Yes, quitting a job carries a price and that makes it scary. We all know this intimately.
But few of us ask this question: What is the price of staying in a job that makes you unhappy?
That price can be very high. It can ruin your work life but also your marriage, your family life, your health, your self-esteem and your sanity. Not all at once, but a little bit every day.
#6 “Everywhere else is just as bad”
That’s just nonsense. There are plenty of great workplaces in every industry.
#7 “I’ve invested so much in this job already”
You may have sacrificed a lot of time, energy and dignity already in attempts to make things better. This will make it more difficult for you to call it quits.
I’m reminded of how Nigerian email scammers sucker in people. At first it’s a small investment, but then the amounts grow and grow. At each step the victim is reluctant to stop because that would mean losing all the money he’s spent so far.
Quit anyway. Staying on is just throwing good time after bad.
#8 “I’ll lose my health insurance.”
I have a lot of sympathy for this argument. Where I live (Denmark), everybody gets free health care regardless of their employment situation so I can’t imagine the leverage this must give employers.
One answer: Start looking for another job with similar health benefits.
Also: Ask yourself what good job related health insurance is if your job is actually making your sick - which bad jobs can absolutely do.
#9 “My job pays very well”
I have zero sympathy for this argument. I don’t care how well your job pays; if it makes you unhappy it’s not worth it.
Quite the contrary, if you make a lot of money now, use that financial security to quit and find a job that’ll make you happy.
#10 “Quitting will look bad on my CV”
Whereas staying for years in a job that grinds you down and goes nowhere will look excellent.
The upshot
Many of us would be much happier at work if we quit bad jobs sooner. I’ve talked to many people who have finally managed to quit a bad job and only wished they’d done it sooner. I have yet to meet a single person who quit a crappy job only to wish they’d stayed on longer.
You may have perfectly good reasons to stay in your crappy job - all I’m saying is that it pays to examine those reasons very closely to make sure that they hold up.
‘Cause it may just be the fear talking.
Your take
What do you think? Have you ever been stuck in a lousy workplace? What kept you from leaving? What finally made you quit? Please write a comment, I’d love to hear your take.
Related posts
Permalink
Spread the message:
reddit
del.icio.us
digg
obbop Said,
April 7, 2008 @ 10:41 pm
Entrepreneurialship may be your route to happiness.
After leaving the dreaded job I joined up with several out-of-work military veterans.
After appropriate planning and preparation with traveled to the selected 3rd-world country and commenced a coup.
That country (best to leave it unnamed) is now under our benevolent leadership. The citizenry is happy, peace is upon the land and our group is living a wonderful life of ease.
Being from the USA we know what steps to take to maximize our personal and country’s wealth. We muttered the magic words to America’s elite class and their idiotic lackeys. “We hate terrorists.”
Wham!!!! Just as during the Cold War years when despots, tyrants, war lords, dictators and a very few decent heads-of-state when the magic word was “anti-Communism,” the magic words flooded us with many billions of American dollars forced from the American people by their tyrant-class.
What a deal.
Thank you to all you American sheep who bleat with glee when your masters bother to notice you for the smallest moment and obey so well when your masters instruct you on what to do to remain in your master’s graces. We appreciate your sheepishess.
Best of luck to all of you departing a dreaded job. Just remember that happiness does not always require you to be an obedient sheep under the thumb of an elite class.
Andertoons Said,
April 7, 2008 @ 11:38 pm
The best thing I did was quit and start my own business. 5 years later and I’ve never looked back (except to laugh)!
Laurie Ruettimann Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 12:53 am
This is a very comprehensive list. The more power you give to your boss, the less power you have to own your own future. GET OUT OF THAT HORRIBLE JOB!!!
Alex Andrei Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 12:56 am
Great article. I agree. Staying in a horrible job will only make your soul wither away. You owe to yourself to pursue your passion - or at least first discover what your passion is :)
Michael Henreckson Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 1:48 am
So why does anyone ever stay at their job?
Personally I’m in the process of quitting a job. I’d rather like to be out the door right this minute because I have too many other things to do to keep the job. On the other hand, my boss did a great job of working with me, and at the moment he still needs me because he doesn’t have anyone else to fill in. The end of the month I’m done.
Jessi Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 4:38 am
I’m ‘in the process’ as Mr Henrickson mentioned of quitting (not because my boss has been great, but because being the person in charge of hiring, I have to find my own replacement oddly enough), and I can’t wait.
I’ve always been an extremely healthy person, but in the past six months I’ve been at this job I have had one illness after another. Being a generally happy person, and also healthy, I’ve never fully appreciated how being under constant stress and pressure by being micromanaged constantly can really affect your health.
I can’t wait to get back to being my happy, healthy self again.
karl Staib - Your Work Happiness Matters Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 5:19 am
I think I’ve said all those excuses to myself at one time or another. Since I work in America I have to get my insurance through work. I’ve stayed at a job because I was scared to leave. After I made the choice to leave I never regretted it. It felt like a 200 pound monkey was lifted off my back.
We all deserve the right to work happy and if that means taking a risk and quiting then so be it. We can’t work forever so we may as well work happy.
Noos Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 8:29 am
Great post!
My previous job was really horrible. I thought about quitting every single day. I use to have those bad excuses not to quite. Actually I was just afraid that I couldn’t find a better job and a better pay. And just like you said “if it makes you unhappy it’s not worth it.”
Anyway I learn a lot from the previous job more than I could learn from anywhere else and I’m grateful for that. Even finally I choose to quite.
Noos Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 8:31 am
sorry i meant Even finally I choose to quit. :)
Eric D Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 9:23 am
Fantastic post !
I cannot agree more with you Alex: quit your job if you feel it’s still bad after having done your best to fix it ! You damage your own life not doing so, as well as your relatives, friends and colleagues. No excuse stands in front of that.
diego Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
What if the real problem is not the job?
I can think: it’s a personal problem, I can change thousands of jobs and never be satisfied. I have to concentrate on my life, the job is not perfect but neither that bad.
And also, what if you are from a country where is not easy to find a job?
The risk is not to get a lower salary, but to remain unemployed for long time!
Kelly Olsakovksy Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
My last day at the Toxic Job is Friday. Yes, my resume of late has not looked so great, and I’m fully prepared to take my responsibility in making some not so great choices in an effort to just get a job. But you know, I’d rather work part-time somewhere, keep my head a little clearer, and take the time I need to make the right decision for my long-term career development rather than taking the first thing offered to me just to have health insurance.
Like someone else mentioned, I have been sick more times in the last six months than I can remember for some time. I think a good bit of that was stress-related. When my husband’s insurance kicks in we’ll be okay on that front, but it’s just come to the point of not being worth staying.
I wish I was leaving on better terms. Sadly it’s gotten to the point over the course of only six months that I find myself not caring, simply to get through the day. That was my major red flag. I’m not the kind of person who doesn’t care, so all those other arguments (MANY of the ten things you mentioned) fell by the wayside when I came to that realization.
Fabulous post! Thanks so much for helping me remember I’m making the best decision for me and my family in the long run.
AP Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
I had a really awful job that I should have quit and I didn’t. It ended up almost completely destroying my self esteem, I was sick all the time, but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to quit. Mostly because I thought I wouldn’t get EI if I quit (I found out I probably could have, as the job was abusive)
I was laid off and suddenly all of my health problems went away. The job I am at currently had a really bad patch and I stuck through it and I’m happy, but I think I am more willing to move on if things don’t work out.
I look back and wonder why I have put up with the crap I’ve put up with. Had your blog been around when I needed it, I probably would have quit :)
Stressed and sick Said,
April 9, 2008 @ 9:20 am
I’m in that place right now, stressed out, heinously sick, micro managed, constantly made to feel like I’m not good enough, and it’s only been two months!
However, today things change… just got offered a new job! Things are looking up.
Happily at a New Job Said,
April 9, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
I switched jobs a couple of months ago and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I stayed at my last for years, even though I knew from the beginning that it would eat my soul. I used ever excuse in the list. My boss was terrible, I was plagued with panic attacks and I started to think that maybe I was the problem. It was awful.
I started reading this website a month or so before leaving that job. The site acted as a much needed reminder that work can be a good place to be and I knew it was time to stop being scared and just make something happen. I sent out my resume and got a job offer almost immediately at a great startup. I lost the security of my last job but gained my life, dignity and happiness in return. It was a fair trade. Thanks for the great post!
Steve Roesler Said,
April 9, 2008 @ 7:51 pm
Alex, this is a spot-on topic as you can tell from the comments.
At the risk of totally hanging my “Boomer-ness” out here, I left my last job in 1977 to follow a dream of doing training and consulting globally. I broke every planning and rational rule in the “business” book. I was simply clear about what I wanted to do and started trying to do it.
Thirty one years later I’ve raised a family, lived or worked on 5 continents, and never did come up with an initial business plan. (Note: Looking back, it might have been a good idea to do so:-) Most importantly, I still have the same energy and enthusiasm for my speaking and consulting practice as I had in the beginning. And the best part is, I get to learn and use the new technologies that add an additional level of excitement to the game.
I’ve thought about what prompted me to go “on my own” to begin with. The real answer is this: After watching how things actually work on the “inside” of organizations, I decided I’d rather take responsibility for my life on the “outside.” It was clear that, if push came to shove, no one else inside of an organization was going to care very much about my future the way that I would.
Make no mistake: sometimes things get tough. But I’d rather be my own decision-maker and make difficult choices on my behalf vs. having a faceless group of people decide that somehow I was the “wrong” size for the “right-sizing,” a euphemism that should be a candidate for linguistic homicide :-)
Tracking this conversation with great interest. . .
Marcus B Said,
April 13, 2008 @ 12:16 am
Same here, a toxic job brought me down, major depression and all. I left, we moved and I was able to stop taking drugs shortly after. Now I work in a different field, earn a fraction of what I got before, but am happy as one can be. Thanks for the excellent blog.
L0Q.com - Life’s Quest » Blog Archive » Get Rid of That Lousy JOB Said,
April 13, 2008 @ 6:19 am
[…] Top 10 bad excuses for staying in a bad job […]
links for 2008-04-13 | hxf148 Said,
April 13, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
[…] Top 10 bad excuses for staying in a bad job […]
Alfa Said,
April 13, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
These excuses are similar to those alibis many are using when asked why they’re not yet leaving their abusive spouses. :-D
Fountain Pens and Handmade Paper » Blog Archive » links for 2008-04-13 Said,
April 13, 2008 @ 11:31 pm
[…] Top 10 bad excuses for staying in a bad job Here are 10 of the most common bad excuses for staying in a bad job. (tags: happiness work lifehacks mlf) […]
All but #6 apply to me Said,
April 14, 2008 @ 2:36 am
I know there are better places, but I keep hoping my current job will become one of those better places. It might become one eventually, but can I wait that long? I’ve already waited five years. I’ve just doubled the dosage of my anti-depressant, and I’m going to start seeing a therapist in my limited free time. I’m sending out my resume. Quitting without a place to go to just isn’t my style, but I admire the courage of people who do it.
Kuri Said,
April 14, 2008 @ 4:19 am
Re: #10. OK, I realize that staying in a bad job for years will of course look bad, but what about when you want to go after just 1 month? I got out of a bad job after 2 years (the longest I’ve been anywhere - prior to that was grad school) and I was hopeful my current employer would be better. Instead, I’ve landed myself in a hyper-competitive and political workplace where no one trusts anyone and the whole atmosphere is toxic. Frying pan to fire. Quitting after 1 month, I’m certain, will look bad. I fear I’m stuck for at least 1 year, anyway. Though, if I had somewhere else to go and it wouldn’t make me look disloyal, I’d jump in a second.
Robin Said,
April 14, 2008 @ 9:44 am
My life really opened up after I made a decision to NEVER AGAIN do casual school teaching, in 1998.
It was scary at the time because I needed the income. I’d had no trouble resigning from full-time teaching - because I could always earn money casual teaching, couldn’t I? But then I just couldn’t (getting sick etc etc)
I endured a few months of being at home all the time with no money, but then some new opportunities came along and now I’m self-employed with a good income (I write books and do some other bits and pieces - am just starting the blogging thing.)
Camilla Herrmann Said,
April 14, 2008 @ 10:45 am
I read this with special interest because I am about to have lunch with a colleague who is stuck in a job which she is not enjoying. But she has two reasons which you don’t mention here:
Her job is part-time because she has two small children, and her chances of getting another part-time job using similar skills in this relatively small city are quite remote. UK managers are very resistant to having senior people work part-time.
She loves doing what she was recruited for but is under constant pressure to develop, to focus on improving her weaknesses rather than using her strengths, or to work in areas which dust don’t excite her.
I would be grateful for your thoughts.
Alexander Said,
April 14, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Camilla: Please tell your friend from me that I feel for her. Her situation ain’t easy.
I think it comes down to weighing up what quitting will cost her vs. what staying on will cost her. And as I write in my post, few people consider that last question.
It is absolutely possible that staying on in that job is the right decision and is the best thing for her and her children.
It is also possible that this job is slowly grinding her down and that she’d be better off moving on.
I can’t know. But I bet she does - if she thinks about it.
Is that helpful at all?
Jackie Cameron Said,
April 14, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
Great post and really interesting comments Alex. I hear too many stories of people “stuck” in jobs they hate. And I have heard all of the reasons ( excuses) in your list. It’s a tough message but you always, always , always have a choice. A while back I spoke with a single mum whose dream was to leave her job and retrain in something she had always wanted to do but told me that she had “no choice” but to stick with the job she was in as she needed to support her child. When I pointed out that in fact the issue was probably that she did have a choice but that she was not willing to suffer the consequences of that choice she agreed. I met her again some time afterwards she told me that she was more content where she was working and all the while was saving up towards her next career stage.
Jay Said,
April 15, 2008 @ 2:28 am
I recently quit a job. I had my own 300 sq ft office and 65 grand a year. Not much to some, but a dream for me. I tell you it was very hard to do it. Although, when I told him, his response just solidified my decision. The work environment was pleasant, but the owner has no common sense when it comes to people. He was constantly getting involved with my personal affairs and in others as well, belittling our characters for our personal philosophies and choices.. Many have followed in my footsteps since then.. Now I am searching for another job and I am stressed to the max with bills, I still do NOT regret my choice, even though it might be my demise. I am happier now and have my sanity. If you let your life be controlled by money, you will find no happiness.. Since then I have been told he has been reaping all that he sow.. I also have been told it was getting way worse there.. Oh the horror stories… The next time you see a homeless guy on the street smiling, say hi… It might be me…
Kecek-kecek Tok Mudin 3.0 : Tidak perlu alasan untuk lompat Said,
April 15, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
[…] kerja, dan kalian memang berhajat untuk tukar kerja (atas alasan masing-masing), jangan jadikan 10 alasan yang tidak cukup baik ini sebagai penghalang. #1 “Things might get […]
AP2 Said,
April 15, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
HEY AP!
yeah.
bos
Top 10 Bad Excuses for Staying In Your Job « The Pursuit of a Life Said,
April 21, 2008 @ 6:33 am
[…] Published April 20, 2008 Entrepreneurship , Philosophy Tags: Happiness, Jobs This is a great list from Alexander Kjerulf. Sample: But few of us ask this question: What is the price of staying in a […]
jake the snake Said,
April 21, 2008 @ 10:56 pm
90% of you will never quit yer jobs ’cause yer from the “wanna learn the piano” school of life…you wanna learn to play the piano everytime you hear someone else play it but never get off yer lazy asses to actually go out the front door and do something…cause yer too comfortable with whatca got.
That explains why 90% of the population work for 10% of the entreprenuers - in ANY culture/country ANYWHERE in this world
whoooooyaaaah
Crafty Green Poet Said,
April 29, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
I’m currently in a job that I e njoyed for the first two years but have gradually become disillusioned with to the extent that i hate it. I stay because I don’t want to leave without having another job to go to. My last job was one I disliked and I handed my notice in on that one before having a new job to go to. That time I was lucky and found my current job within my notice period. I don’t beleive it could happen again. But maybe I should take that risk again?
nudgeme Said,
May 5, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
What a great post, thanks. I’ve been doing some research recently on whether it’s possible for people to work at what they love AND get paid for it - the majority of responses so far from people have been YES, you can - as long as you don’t get stuck behind many of the excuses that you highlight! Overall, there seems to be something else too about people getting ’stuck’ in living a certain kind of lifestyle, which they are loathe to let go of and yet they are also fed up working in the job that they say they have to do to maintain it!? The key is something around expectations and choice. And people often have more choices than they might at first think. We can choose to live in a smaller house, go on less expensive holidays, spend less money on eating out etc etc - esp when we start from a standpoint of how many people in the world really DON’T have a choice … just that thought alone can snap us into realising there are things we can change. My research so far also shows me that people who are passionate about what they do are far more likely to live rich lives (not necessarily financially, but in many other ways) than those people who work in jobs that make them unhappy. And they are also more likely to attract happier things and opportunities into their lives.
Hope this also helps people to take a leap of faith and explore doing something they really enjoy.
All the best
Tamsin
Challa S.S.J.Ram Phani Said,
May 8, 2008 @ 2:36 pm
Alex,
the list is good for those who want to quit a job. Gallup survey says, people leave organisations because of the behaviour of their immediate boss. After reading Ira Chaleff’s ‘Courageous follower - Standing upto and for our Leaders’, I have changed my attitude towards bosses, workplace and my attitude towards any job which I am doing. Simply said ‘take ownership; blaming others is a sign of failure’
One has to follow the principles of Ira Chaleff to have peace of mind at workplace to become a productive employee.
• I am a steward of this group and share responsibility for its success.
• I am responsible for adhering to the highest values I can envision.
• I am responsible for my successes and failures and for continuing to learn from them.
• I am responsible for the attractive and unattractive parts of who I am.
• I can empathise with others who are also imperfect.
• As an adult, I can relate on a peer basis to other adults who are the group’s formal leaders.
• I can support leaders and counsel them, and receive support and counsel from them.
• Our common purpose is our best guide.
• I have the power to help leaders use their power wisely and effectively.
• If leaders abuse power, I can help them change their behaviour.
• If I abuse power, I can learn from others and change my behaviour.
• If abusive leaders do not change their behaviour, I can and will withdraw my support.
• By staying true to my values, I can serve others well and fulfill my potential.
• Thousands of courageous acts by followers can, one by one, improve the world.
• Courage always exists in the present. What can I do today?
(Excerpted from ‘The Courageous Follower – Standing upto and for our Leaders’ by Ira Chaleff)
Good luck.
Phani