To ask if any of you have ever walked out of a job and if it worked out for you?

[HangingBasketCase]

I'm very unhappy in my current job at the moment and am actively looking for something else. It's got to the stage now where I'm dreading going in in the mornings, I've grown to dislike it so much. I hate everything, the incompetent management, the pay (a pittance for what we do), my colleagues just everything about it.

It's my day off today, I should be relaxing but can't as it's all that's going around my head. I feel full of resentment and anger, it's only a matter of time before I blow.

Ive always been taught never to walk out on a job without something else lined up first, but even if I do find something I'd have to give at least months notice first. They are very particular about notice and have been awkward with former colleagues when they've tried to hand in notice., they won't make an exception.

Help?

I have done it. So has my DH. It turned out that we found much better jobs in the end but: we were childless and early/mid 20s, we didn't have any financial commitment (no mortgage/debts, etc). It was very stressful and I am not sure we could do the same thing now that we have a house to pay and soon our very own PFB.

I would say always resign politely and professionally and always work your notice. If you will do anything and dont need specific hours around school hours etc you will find something quite quickly especially care work

I left my first job after 10 months only, with a tiny safety net, because it was killing my soul. Luckily, I got a great job just a week after.

Years later, I resigned after a month in a new role who turned out to not been as advertised at all, but they talked me back into it and gave me the extra responsibility I wanted and it turned out to be one of my best jobs ever.

don't think it's a good idea to walk out without working your notice. It will really screw any chance of a decent reference.

Your employer generally can't give you a bad reference. If they do and it's not accurate then it can lead to legal action.

How much holiday do you have left? Can you not look for something else and then say if you have two weeks holiday then you would only have to give two weeks notice (if you are expected to give a month). Notice also depends on how long you've worked there (I believe the less time you've worked there the less notice you have to give)

I'm sorry you're going through this, I've been there literally waking up and wanting to cry at the thought of going to work. We had so many people leave and not get replaced so I would end up doing the work of 3 people and still being paid the same with zero gratitude (I know it's my job but a little recognition would have been appreciated).

Life really is too short to be working somewhere you really hate, but I would advise having a look to see whats out there first.

Only once. I was working five mornings a week as a PA for a social services director, only there was practically nothing to do (which the director fully) agreed with)

I suggested dropping it to two or three mornings, but no - apparently every other director had a PA for five mornings, so she had to have one as well

And then they claim they're short of money ...

One of my main reasons for walking out after one day is that I could see 5 or so briefing meetings with senior people culminating in a launch and trip o/s

The best day to walk in all that was the first. The lowest investment from others. I probably would have needed to stay for a year or something to make sure they weren't pissed

I did it. Years ago I worked for a high street clothing shop (begins with M, think 'rain') and walked out on the spot after they called me in for a disciplinary, the reasons for which had been entirely invented by two members of staff who were bullying me. They were much older women, should've known better, but were nasty bastards and just saw me as an easy target (I was young and fat, the latter of which was a subject of their bullying). I refused to submit to the disciplinary terms, walked out and used my remaining annual leave as my notice period. The evil bitches said not a word to me (although I did later find out one left under questionable circumstances and the other fell down the stairs in the shop).

I had another job before the end of two weeks but I would've been okay anyway as I was young and without responsibilities.

Don't walk out. It will damage your reputation and you don't know how that will affect you in the future. Hand in your notice and start looking for another job now. Before you really do blow.

I wouldn't worry about your reasons for leaving harming future job prospects. As long as you present it positively in interviews and use any time in between jobs constructively, you'll be fine. Good luck!

I walked out of a really bad office job aged 21. I put up with it for 8 months but then could cope no longer and was getting to the stage where I wanted to get on a train & run away.

So I handed in my notice without having any plans - luckily I lived at my parents' then. I signed on and got even more depressed... then joined a Temping Agency and worked in a series of jobs that I enjoyed.

Finally I worked at a Residential Home as a Care Assistant and decided to start my Staff Nurse training aged 24. Since then things have been up & down but so far I've not wanted to walk out of a job.

I was bullied in one job and had a miserable time, culminating in counselling and leaving the sector for good.

I didn't walk out though. I stuck it out to the end of my contract, 9 long, miserable months.

I've never had to explain it away on my cv though. I fulfilled my contract.

I wouldn't just walk out.

Ok I've now RTFT and I thought you meant just walk out.

By all means hand your notice in though - why not? It's a free market

I've literally walked out of two jobs - not given in notice just literally got up and left. Because I hadn't been working at either of them long I just left them off my references and said I had worked freelance in the middle - never had an issue getting jobs.

The first job I walked out of was a hotel where everyone was vile to me after my now ex dh left me. I posted about it on Facebook because to be honest I wasn't in the best place and needed to vent and came back into work the next day to find everyone laughing at me. Not one person was kind about it and I sat at my desk crying for half an hour and then just picked up my stuff and walked out. That was 6 years ago now. (Now happily remarried by the way ).

The other job was a massive luxury cosmetics brand (top top range) and they treated me like absolute shit so one day when I had just had enough I walked out early and didn't go back. They rang me at home later to have a moan and said "well you know as you walked out that's very serious" and I said "well clearly, I don't intend to come back". That felt good

I don't regret either. At all.

Dh walked out on a job he'd had a couple of months. He'd left a job he enjoyed but didn't pay very well and a former colleague got him a new one selling high-reach equipment. He was told the hours, pay and bonus structure was great and that it was account management rather than cold calling. It turned out to be the exact opposite and he hated it. He found it so stressful that it was making him ill so he left. Within weeks, another former colleague got him his current job that he really enjoys and has progressed in.

About the impression which "walking" can give future employers ...

Obviously staying until something else is lined up is the ideal, but sensible recruiters look for patterns rather than one-offs. So if someone's had several jobs which have lasted, and just one where they stayed a couple of days/weeks, that would probably be seen as an understandable glitch

Of course, if there's a whole string of jobs which haven't lasted, that's another story altogether

I left my first qualified job as it was awful. It was releif to me and my employer, I worked my notice though and got a new job offer on the last day of my notice. Best thing I ever did was decide to leave that job and however bad things have been since then I've never had to do it again. I did think it was the end of my career at the time though.

I left a job without having another lined up. Sometimes you just have to do what's best for your immediate mental health.

And whether you manage to find another job straight away or not, at least you'll be free. Who knows what's just around the corner for you...

Good luck!

I haven't but my niece has - 2 weeks ago. She had only been there for a couple of months and hated it. She got food poisoning from something she ate in the canteen. Went in to work ill and got sent home. Then got pulled up for her sickness when she returned - 4 days! She was going to be interviewed by 4 managers with regards to her sick, so she just walked out!

Temped for 2 weeks and starts her new, permanent job on Thursday. Says its the best thing she ever did.

I had one job which I hated by the end of the three month probationary period but really needed the money so decided to put up with it until I could find something else.

I got called into the boardroom the day the three months was up and after some discussion we mutually agreed to part company.

That was Monday, on the Friday I started temping somewhere else. I was there for two years, was able to do a day release course in that time which has stood me in good stead since and my closest colleague there is my DD's Godmother.

I also left another job after 9 weeks as it and the office manner were so awful I was feeling physically ill and tearful just going in of a morning. I started back at a place I had previously temped at the following week and was offered a permanent position with them a couple of months later.

I'd agree with the posters who suggest that you resign and serve out your notice rather than flounce. Whilst there may be perfectly good reasons to leave, as a employer I would respect a true professional who who stuck it out on that final leg.

Regarding bad references, it is not defamatory to say something that is true. So if OP did not serve out her notice, it would be perfectly within her employer's rights to say she did not serve it out as that is factual and easily provable.

Yes, I did this a year ago. I was only in the role for 9 months in a senior role and they were truly vile to me and I left after resigning and being signed off sick with stress. I had 18 years as a professional and had never been treated as I was treated there. I was lucky enough not to need to work and planned to take up to a year off to get my head straight and get well but in the end took off 3 months and got the first job I applied for. I have been there now for 9 months and it has worked out brilliantly. However, the after affects of my last job are still with me and I am on anti anxiety meds and having CBT to deal with what was effectively post traumatic stress. Life is too short to be somewhere making you truly miserable. If you have the option to leave then do.

I walked out of one because i was wrongly accused of stealing a compact flash memory card!! Sod that for a laugh id rather be jobless than work for people like that, i was skint and i cant remember how i paid for things, i think i got signed up to workas a care assistant the next week

Lots of interesting stories here, thanks.

I won't just quit and walk of the job without notice (even though I feel like it) because I don't want that held against me in the future, and I'd rather do things properly. Just working my notice out as normal would be dropping them in the shit anyway because they are so poorly staffed.

Tomorrow I am going to approach some agencies to see if there are any temping vacancies available.

I have done it, so has DH, but not without working my notice. However I knew that we could manage on one salary and that I was highly employable. I don't think I could walk out of a job if it meant we might find ourselves unable to cope financially for an undetermined period of time.

I did. The gm was disregarding me and treating me like I was incompetent. I knew I could do better and he couldn't replace me on that money (I took a low wage as it was the ideal part time, close to home role I wanted).

I'm now contracting back to the same company at 3 times my previous hourly rate. So I work 70% less for the same money. I have a few other clients to, it's worked out sweet. :)