Has anyone else started a new job and instantly regretted it ?

[Borisjohnsonshairbrush]

Long story short -private hosp to a general Nhs. same department and better pay....

But the staff are bitchy about eachother when one leaves a room. The training on their systems and knowledge is not being shared. Process are similar but completely different platform uses. No one is fucking helping despite asking. Day 4 in and I feel like crying. Never felt so lost.

I'll give it til Monday, if no different ok asking for my old job back. My boss said she will keep my role open. The extra 4k a year is not worth working like this.

Please say I'm not alone

[bobsholi]

I've recently started a new job and it's absolutely awful. I'm starting to have suicidal thoughts and anxiety that makes me feel like I'm going to pass out. It's worse than I could have ever imagined but unfortunately I have nothing to go back to because I was a SAHM before. It's really shit and if you've got the chance to go back to your old role where you're happier, definitely do it.

[Squaffle]

Yep. Lasted 5 weeks but cried in the loos every day. I initially interviewed for another job and they told me they liked me so much that they wanted me for another, which had better pay and suited me way better. All good.

Despite the compliments it became apparent very quickly that it was a horrible place to work; I was micromanaged to within an inch of my life, the highlight was my boss staring at me sending an email, and then asked “why are you typing?”. She also said my phone manner was too cold (probably because I was shitting myself as she used to pointedly stop working to stare at me every time I answered the phone), but lambasted me in our open plan office when I asked the caller “what can I do for you?” in a friendly way. (She didn’t want to listen to my explanation that the caller was responding to an email which contained a list of things she could have been ringing about, and therefore Mystic Meg over here didn’t know which, if any, item she wanted to speak to me about.)

Fast forward to now, I am in a job which I love so much that I regularly say I’m never leaving!

You are not alone OP, trust your gut, it’s really not worth it. Big hugs to you.

[cakewitch]

Yep. And I foolishly stuck it out for over 2 years of abject misery. It was in a school, and I thought the holidays would be a great perk..no, because every time I went back in a new term it was like starting your worst ever job over again, counting the days off the calendar until the next holiday. The staff were gossipy, judgemental and took immense joy in throwing anyone they could under a bus. The management were terrible and the atmosphere in school was oppressive.

[C152]

Yes, I stuck it out in the hope it would get better and boy did I regret not quitting during probation (when I wouldn't have had to work a notice period). I lasted a year, and was so desparate to escape I took a job in a different industry on worse pay just to get away. If I were ever in that situation again - especially if I was welcome back at an old job - I would quit before the end of probation.

[havanesehope]

Yes, in a primary school. No systems in place, no clear job description, no personal computer to use. I ended up covering numerous tasks due to a lack of staffing. I found out that a lot of support staff and teaching staff had left over the years due to bullying and lack of clarity from the headteacher. I lasted less than one term.

[babybunny123]

One Morning, went for my lunch never went back !!!

[waterrat]

Yes. One of the worst experiences I've ever had. Left my job in journalism to work in PR ..v common move ! But realised within within few days it did not suit me at all. It was for an NGO though and I felt sick with guilt that they had spent money recruiting me so I tried tonstick it out.

I started getting nauseous and dizzy spells with stress at how much I hated it and eventually got up the courage to leave.

I should have been honest the moment I realised it would have saved everyone involved time and stress

[Bouledepetanque]

Yes. Trust your instincts.

I started a new job and decided by day 3 that I would stop at the end of that week. And I did. Only time I've ever done that in many years of working life always multiple years per job. You just know.

It's ok to do it. Everyone understood.

[AngelaChasesBestLife]

I started a job where I was told I'd have a week's handover with my predecessor before she left on Friday. I turned up on Monday and there was just such a weird atmosphere. My predecessor was very standoffish- which I didn't pay much thought to at the time. During my whole first day there just seemed to be huge elephant in the room between my new colleagues. It was only a team of five (including the manager) and it just felt really awkward. Like I'd walked in on something awful.

The following morning I arrived to be told that my predecessor was off sick, and wouldn't be back. To help me starting I'd be given access to her mailbox. When I logged into her inbox I found a final email sent to our manager the night before saying she was going off with stress and telling our manager exactly what she thought of her. That our manager was a psycho and a bully who had made her life utterly miserable. At this point I was thinking "have I really done the right thing here?" but I was so pleased to finally have a job in a field I'd been desperate to get into that I pushed it all to the back of my mind. Big mistake.

You should never ignore those instincts. The manager was indeed a narcisstic bully. I've never met anyone quite like her before or since. She'd been in post two months when I started and in that time from the team one had raised a grievance and gone off with the stress. Her grievance hearing had taken place the day I joined which was why everyone was so cagey. My predecessor had resigned with a month of her arrival and couldn't bear to work her notice. Another colleague lasted another month before walking out in similar circumstances.

I worked there for about 18 months where people were recruited then left within weeks, temps did a day or two and then phoned their agency saying they would not go back. After 18 months I was so sick with stress I couldn't function and eventually went off with work related stress as I just couldn't take anymore. I found another job whilst off I was off and needed counselling to get through the experience. Our HR and Senior Leadership did nothing to deal with her despite innumerable complaints.

I wish I'd walked out that second morning.

[CorpusCallosum]

Yep, had to stay as employer had funded several £Ks worth of training which I'd have had to pay back if I left within a certain period. It was awful, left as soon as I could. Now doing the same job in a different place and I bloody love it.

[TravellingSpoon]

Moved from community c are to working as a senior in a care home. Absolutely hated it. The deputy manager was ridiculous and on my first morning properly shouted at me for dressing a gentleman in the clothes he was wearing yesterday, even though I hadnt been there and the clothes were clean and in his drawers. Staff ratios were terrible, there was no caring ethos and the staff were bone idle, bitchy and cared more about thier plans for the evenings/weekends.

The big thing that got me was there was a bath rota, and so people could only have baths on certain days. I lasted out the week and when Sunday came and sunday tea was a cold quarter triangle of toast and a spoon of spaghetti hoops I knew I couldnt stay any longer.

[dibly]

No but I wish I had. 3 years on I’ve handed in my notice for a much better job, big salary increase etc and I’m counting down the days, but the effect that working in such a toxic atmosphere has had on my confidence is devastating. I had to stay due to finances but if you really hate it and can’t see the culture changing then definitely escape.

[Gatehouse77]

I went abroad for a new job. Knew after 3 /4 days it was a huge mistake. Came back after 2 weeks.

I was embarrassed rather than ashamed but that went soon enough as I was confident I’d made the right decision for me.

[cockneysparra1]

@Trisolaris

Yep, lasted a week and a day. Recruitment company that wanted me to lie to people looking for work. Definitely not for me.

I also did about a week at a recruitment company. The most awful time of my life. I used to draw 8 lines and cross them off as each hour passed (like I was serving a prison sentence). I remember standing on the escalator at the train station thinking if I tripped and fell down this I might break my leg and not have to go in 😬

[Beseen22]

I knew before I started, they took ages to get me onboard and could never reply to an email. I should have known that management were entirely useless. Took I kid you not 6 months to order me a uniform and even then only managed 1 out of the 3 that were ordered. Stuck in a 12 week notice period now for a job that pays 18k.

[Beseen22]

@cockneysparra1

I honestly think on the way to work 'I'd like to have a small car accident, just enough to need to rest at home but not enough to end up in A&E

[cockneysparra1]

@Beseen22 I would honestly get to your doctor and get a sick note. Nothing is worth feeling like that. X

[sansucre]

Yes. My last job. Was recruited via an agency and the job I was hired for was very different to the job spec/what was discussed during the interview. Told them in the interview I hated doing x, y and z and it transpires that those things were a large part of the role. Knew within the first three hours it wasn't going to work. The other assistant took some time off for a routine op, however, it didn't go well and I had to cover her very busy role as well as my own for almost two months. I'm not a quitter so ploughed on as it was only a four month contract with an option to extend. Real highlight was catching Covid in the second week although at that point, it wasn't a thing, I was just really unwell with something that wasn't flu, sinusitis or like anything I had ever had before.

Was grateful for the pandemic as my contract was terminated!

[CatrinVennastin]

Yes!

Oh my god I shudder thinking about it.

I worked in in HR and the job was a step up to manager level. When I arrived one department PA told me she did all her departments HR and wouldn’t allow me access to anything.

Then the project that I had joined to do (salary benchmarks) had been completed by the previous HR manager so there was nothing for me to do.

Everyone was so stand offish and rude. I was supposed to do payroll but this cow face in Finance told me she did this and to go away.

One of the admin team told me she was only sticking it out to get her mat pay and that it was an awful place to work! This was on my first day!

I knew I couldn’t work with these people so I left on the Friday and didn’t go back.

[Borisjohnsonshairbrush]

I'm just baffled with it all. The department seems to be clueless.

I was looking forward to my role but one week in nearly and I'm clueless about their processes and their version of doing things. Yes job roles may be similar but there are changes and adaptions needed. Very unprofessional for NHS.

[passionfruitpizza]

Yes. I was there a year and a half and it destroyed my mental health. It was something I'd always wanted to do, I didn't want to be a failure, I wish I'd left straight away.
I've had another instance of it happening. Job was in rough area, first 'proper' post uni job. We got given panic alarms on first day and another member of staff was really shitty to me all through my first week. I went home and cried every single night. Ended up as the best job, loved the people (mostly) and the place. I was gutted to leave.

[tass1960]

Yes to the NHS (seems to be a common theme). The line manager is horrible with a large number of grievances brought and many upheld but she still carries on. Expectations are impossible, zero training, no support. It suits me for now but will leave at the first opportunity (possibly for my court case when they find her body)

[Borisjohnsonshairbrush]

@tass1960 no/ lack of training = 0 consideration for the patients whether clinical or admin.

[DaisyNGO]

I was on an ongoing contract in a nice place. Got offered a permanent job with the usual perks.

Horrible place. Lasted three weeks. Phoned old place who hadn't replaced me yet. They were happy to take me back but said "we're not buying you another leaving gift" 😂 they said it kindly.

But then I stayed there a while, switched depts and did get another leaving gift.

Don't feel bad. It doesn't suit. That's all. If your previous place is glad to have you back, it's grand.