To hand in my notice?

[Sleeplessinsouthampton]

I don't particularly enjoy my job. I like a few small aspects of it but most of it I find dull, boring, and indeed fairly futile. Moving to another job in my company is near on impossible. However I also dislike the firm itself, structure, completely failure to stick to a policy so we're constantly chopping and changing, lack of confidentiality etc.

I feel burnt out. I would like to have the summer off to catch up on life basically, do some decorating, sort out my garden. Read a book. Just do stuff without cramming it into a weekend and then feeling depressed when it's Sunday night again.

I have about £20k in savings so could support myself and family for s few months, and no mortgage.

In my position would you do it?

Just to add, I have looked for pther jobs but as my job was created specially for me and is very specific, I can't find another job doing the same. I may be able to persuade a firm to employ me doing the aspects I enjoy as part of a wider role if I can convince them to give me a chance. I'm not doing that now because I want a few months off. I have go give 3 months notice so the earliest I will be able to go anyway is July now.

Perhaps I'm very lucky/naive, but I've never had a problem finding a job, so I don't really understand what reads like desperation in some posts regarding hanging on to this soul sucking employment.

It must massively depend on your line of work and where you live. Similarly to you, I've never struggled with finding a job but I know people who've been off work for months because they've quit on a whim and had nothing to go to. There are a lot of threads on here where people have quit/been let go, struggled to find new work and found it really saps their confidence.

For example, if you drive and are willing to commute, or can afford accept a lower-paying role, you'll most likely find something, but if you're limited to local areas or rely on the bus, you might struggle a bit more.

I have had long periods of not being able to find work. However that was a gppd few years ago when I had a lot less experience, didn't have a car and needed to earn 35-40k to pay for childcare. I don't think I would find another legal job easily because what I do is so nice. But I'd hope I could just get something else instead.

I agree with some other PP - Ask via HR to reduce your hours or a career break/sabbatical or at least look at the policy so you know if you are being fobbed off. Do thi whilst you look for another job and rebalance priorities. Much better to have your next job lined up and then leave them to it!

No I wouldn't do this. Because when the time comes to get another job then you might not be able to even get a job or end up in a worse job than you have now. But I see you have got a good qualification. If you can't find a suitable job now then there might not be one three or even six months down the line. The ideal thing would be unpaid leave from your job for a few months. I think it's a very risky business giving up your job completely. That might lead to more stress in the end.

Or maybe you could look into teaching law at a local college but you might need a formal teaching qualification.

The problem is that nothing is confidential. I can't have an informal chat with HR without the world and his wife knowing about it. I have various personal issues (not a factor in my wanting to leave) which I will not inform anyone at work about because I cannot have them become public knowledge. And that sadly is inevitable because HR cannot keep anything to themselves, ditto most of the senior managers.

So the problem is I can't ask HR 'what is the policy on sabbaticals' today for example without ending up with my manager taking me aside this afternoon or tomorrow and asking why I want a sabbatical....which is not a conversation I want to get into. Ditto unpaid leave, shorter hours etc.

Can you leave... Give yourself some time to recover... Then set yourself up independently working for yourself?

I don't think there are many jobs that would pay as well without loads of training?

I took a 15 month sabattical after taking voluntary redundancy. It was brilliant and got a lot of things in perspective. I suddenly decided that i’d Better get back to it and I walked straight into a job. I negotiated self employment contract and i’ve got the best of both worlds!!

When I was 55 and DP 59 we gave up our jobs for a gap year, and went to New Zealand and Australia, we took our own vehicle, travelling and living in a tent in Australia for 10 months. Best year of my life, rented out house to family member on peppercorn rent. DP got employment straight away on return I took 6 months to find a job, Go for it life is too short,

I'd be very very careful. I handed my notice in thinking I'd surely get something. I did, but I was cutting it fine. I'd been officially unemployed for ten days. I couldn't handle where I was any longer and I am happy where I am now so it was for the best.

BUT I almost had a breakdown with the battle it was to get another job. My area is competitive. I guess that's what I got for believing in myself a bit too much!!! It did work out in the end though - and might I add if you don't think I'm daft enough I had zilch in the way of savings so I HAD to get something. You have savings but I'd think carefully - if you don't think getting something new or related will be easy (ie if your specialism is competitive) I'd apply while staying in post. The problem I had was going for jobs in my sector is an out and out project and something I knew I couldn't give my all in whilst also doing a full time job If that makes sense. Which is why I said fuck it and took the risk. I'm not sure I'd do that again though 🤪!!

Speaking as a solicitor who moved into the support side, you may struggle to find something as well paid (even if it is not handsomely paid now) outside of your current employer and outside of law. If I were you, I would speak to some recruiters and get a feel for the market first. Your CV might not make immediate sense to a potential employer.

It is a fallacy to think you can walk into any lower stress job for lower pay. You would be overqualified and employers think you will be using them as a stepping stone and hence not prepared to employ you. Plus the fact you quit without a job and without an obvious reason (presume you don't want to mention depression).

If you have already checked out and are thinking of quitting, it does not matter if your performance at work slips. Better to look from the safety of a job than outside.

Is your partner on board with the possibility of being a sole breadwinner for an indefinite time. Nobody loves all aspects of their job or their employer. The responsible thing (for your family) is to at least do deeper research first since you are practically looking for a career change or sideways move.