Left my job on bad terms, feel guilty

[byebyeee]

It was my last day at work yesterday. I feel really guilty about how it went and feel like I have left on bad terms.

Basically I was trained on a particular procedure and was the only one who knew it. It was a complex procedure that involves a lot of steps, you need several days of training to even begin to feel comfortable with it but there are constant hiccups and troubleshooting where only experience and time can help. I was supposed to start training other people on it back in July, but it never happened. Or I would get given someone to train and a few hours later they would be called back to their department. I finally started training one person properly and they now know most of it, but in my last week when I wanted to make sure they were confident in all the little details they were called back to their department.

When I first started the procedure I received a few hours of training and then was left to get on with it whilst being 'told off' every time I made any little mistake (complex procedure + lack of training = mistakes despite me being as careful and meticulous as possible). So already my replacements have received more training than me.

On my last day, I noticed as the day went on my manager got more and more annoyed with me. Finally at 4pm he came up to me and asked when I started my new job, why I didn't give more notice, why I didn't ask my new job to start later, why I didn't stay longer at my current job, etc. My notice period was one week, my employer knows that we have a high turnover of staff and knew my notice period was just a week. Finally at 5:30pm just when I was leaving the office and saying goodbye to everyone he had already left without saying goodbye.

I feel so bad but I feel like there are a lot of issues at hand. I had a lot of responsibility yet was a really junior member of staff, I should have received a promotion (my manager agrees with this) and then I would have had a longer notice period and maybe meant I would have stayed longer there. I also should have been able to train people as originally planned.

Urgh don’t feel guilty, your Manager’s inability to plan is not your problem! You did the best you could and they didn’t appreciate it and took you for granted.
Enjoy the new job :)

Don't feel guilty. I assume that one week notice period worked both ways? If so, do you really think they would have given you more notice out of the kindness of their heart? You've done what you can with the time you had. If that wasn't enough then it's their own fault for having such a short notice period.

You are not at fault here!!!

Sounds like leaving was the best thing you could have done. Your manager sounds incompetent and lazy, blaming you instead of ensuring a proper handover was carried out with someone who was permanently filling your role.

You did the best you could. He showed unprofessional behaviour by what he said to you on your last day and not even saying goodbye.

His failure to manage is not your problem.

Good luck with your new job.

Are any mistakes made a matter of life and death?

If not, fuck em!

Don't feel bad, it's them, not you. Just be glad you're out of there. Fuck 'em.

It was for your manager to ensure there was contingency. Suppose you'd suddenly been taken ill and had to be off for several weeks? It's a real mistake to have things at work that only one person knows how to do. But it's not your mistake so you shouldn't feel guilty.

You're well off out of there. Not your problem or fault that they are not well run. Good luck in your new job.

What a horrible place to work for!

I’m guessing the rude chap is also in a rubbish job and under pressure which is why he got the jump with you.

Don’t feel guilty at how badly run the place was, you’re out the door so don’t look back

Oh thank you for your kind replies. I expected to be told I had been unprofessional by leaving so abruptly despite giving the required notice.

I've not been able to sleep as I keep worrying about it all. I feel so bad for my colleagues who are now having to muddle through with insufficient training.

Honestly, none of this sounds as if its your fault.

First you attempted to train people which was continuously compromised.

Second this is a process that has been left to one person, there should always be a contingency for that

Third your notice period was documented and should have had a managed hand off, which it clearly didn't

I think it's commendable that you feel as loyal to your colleagues as you do, but it's their employer that's failed them not you.

Good luck 🤞 in your new job

Good luck in your new job, hope it is everything you hoped for, you have been reasonable.

Honestly don't feel bad its their problem, they didn't sort it properly they can deal with it. Similar happened to me and they wanted me to go in in my free time after I had already worked my notice to help train my replacement because they hadn't sorted their training before I left. Yeah that didn't happen.

It sounds like you did your best to train up other people, but their training wasn't prioritised by those whose job it is make priorities. Not your fault.
Your manager leaving without saying goodbye - rude, unprofessional and not your fault. You being kept on a junior level and therefore short notice period- not your fault.
There's no need for you to feel guilty, you've done everything by the book.

Totally not your fault. Leadership and management are at fault

It's in no way your fault. You will available to train them. It's not your fault they were told to go back to their department. Management should have been on top of this.
You have nothing to feel bad about.

Not. Your. Problem.

Well that’s a ludicrous way to run a business. Only one person can do something complex? What happened if you were incapacitated? And they knew you only had one weeks notice, it’s their bloody contracts, they could have changed it. So it’s their fault. Not yours and your manager was a rude wanker.

Good luck in your new job, you’re better off out of this one.

Absolutely not your fault or your problem. You sound like you tried your best to deliver the training. Their fault entirely. They sound shambolic. And one week notice for a key employee is ridiculous. They should have amended that. Don't think for a second they would have felt guilty booting you out with a weeks notice btw.

Your employer was an idiot. You gave the required notice. If they wanted more they should have promoted you and put you on 3 months notice instead of 1 week. But no, they didn’t want to - tough shit for them.

There's no way only 1 member of staff with a weeks notice period should be trained a complicated procedure. That entirely their fault.

I had a job and manager like that once and gave my notice. On the last day the manager ignored my goodbye party (just a slice of cake and a coffee) but I asked him if he would like to join us so he eventually showed up and showed spectacular bad grace while there, being off with me etc. He had a long track record of losing staff and had narc tendencies so someone leaving was always triggering for him. All my original coworkers have now left too!

Onwards and upwards OP and very well done on getting clear.