Wibu to give up my job?

[Turbotastic]

Sorry this might be long but am so fed up at the moment.

On the one hand I feel so grateful to have a job at all, especially after months of furlough and struggling financially but now I'm back I'm finding it really really hard.

I work in hospitality and my job has reopened with huge changes, partially due to Covid and partially because they had some planned anyway. Literally everything is different and it's very far away from the place I originally agreed to work in. The goalposts have moved a lot and there is a lot more expected of me for no extra pay. It's not the job I signed up for by a long way.

The new boss is racist, homophobic and makes disgusting sexual remarks all the time - none of it is directed at me but it's not the point, it's just a horrible environment to work in now. He screams, shouts and swears in the kitchen, calling the waiting staff and the customers all sorts of names, saying they're cunts, morons, retards, etc etc. I know in this industry this sort of thing is definitely tolerated if not condoned, no one would do anything about it if I said something to the owners and it's a very small team so there is no HR or similar.

I spend my whole day now thinking that I fucking hate it there and can't wait to leave. I don't care about the business or the customers, in fact I resent them all because I work so fucking hard for them for so little reward. I NEVER get breaks and it is so full on and busy that from the second I walk in to the second the doors close I am slogging my guts out, barely even having enough time to go to the toilet or have a drink. I'm so exhausted and have severe medical conditions which are being exacerbated by the stress 😩

I worked out the other day that if I left and claimed UC temporarily I'd only be about £200 a month worse off, in fact I'd get more from UC than I did from furlough! I would look for another job straight away but I'm just finding it so hard to drag myself in everyday when I know it's like being in hell the whole time I'm there.

Wibu to leave without having something else to go to?

You'd be taking a huge risk, in the current circumstances.

Can you start applying for new jobs? Like, now? That's probably what I'd do - it sounds awful!

I would leave like a shot if you can afford to. You sound very unhappy and the environment sounds toxic. Life is too short...if nothing else Covid 19 has taught us that.

It sounds awful, I'd go. But jobs may be scarce in the current circumstances, I'd be prepared to do anything as a next job. I wouldn't stay in such an atmosphere though....

You might be sanctioned for leaving your job to claim benefits. I think if you resign due to stress then it might be ok but otherwise you might be seen as making yourself voluntarily unemployed.

I have started applying for new jobs already but not heard anything back yet. I am actually claiming UC as I just couldn't make ends meet while on furlough but I only get a tiny amount to top up my wages. As my claim is still active if I wasn't working anymore they would be able to adjust to figures straight away - I confirmed this during lockdown as there was a point where I thought I might get made redundant. So I think I'd be ok until I could find another job.

It's such a shame because I really liked the job and the place before lockdown but they have gone in a very different direction with the business now and I'm really not cut out for it. I keep making minor mistakes because I'm not trained in what they are now doing and I feel like I'm failing all the time. Makes the working environment that much more unpleasant 😞

I did not know you could claim if you left ? Any other jobs available?

Just keep calling in sick if you are stressed . Then they will probably let you go anyway .

It’s unfair to leave your job and go on to UC. You have a job you need to find a new job. it’s selfish to claim UC if you don’t need to. Look for a new job and then leave.

My understanding is if you loose your job, UC would increase.
If you quit your job, you can be sanctioned, and loose your UC for a bit. Check the details carefully before resigning.

Do look for another job. You have to balance current stress in job against the situation where you leave and may have stress due to money issues. It sounds v tough. I hope you find another job soon - all the best.

Find a new job and then leave. Tbh, anyone is being unreasonable to give up a job because they don't like it and expect the tax payer to cover them. Benefits should be for people who cannot work, not those who choose not to.

Tbf it's not just that I don't like it, it's also affecting my physical and mental health. I keep bursting into tears at work because I'm so stressed. I can't cope with it, and I'm not trained in what the business is doing now. It's like having always been a professional tea maker, being hired as a tea maker, and now they've starting selling coffee. I have no idea what I'm doing! No one has time to train me I'm just expected to figure it out and make it work but unfortunately that means I'm making mistakes.

I've also started getting aura migraines and ended up in hospital a few months back with another stress related condition. It hasn't gotten that far yet but I am noticing the symptoms coming back again. I had a meeting with the owner last week and was honest about the fact I am struggling, I asked to drop a day as I thought this would help and they agreed but only 2 days later I was asked to come back in so I don't know what to do now.

Complain about the manager and see where that leads, yo might find yourself 'let go'

Clearly the job is making you ill which is reason enough to give it up. Don't be guilt tripped by posters saying going on benefit is unfair etc. I have been a tax payer for 40 years and am more than happy for my taxes to go toward enabling someone in your situation to protect yourself mentally and physically from awful employers like this. No one in their right mind should expect you to put up with this toxic and abusive situation. Yes times are more difficult now re the job market but you will eventually find something else however if you stay and become physically and mentally unwell your likely to be unemployed for a lot longer in the long run.

Completely different job, but very similar circumstances. I've been claiming UC for a few years now due to redundancy a few years ago.

I worked out for me I'd be £600 a month worse off to stop working or £900 if I get sanctioned (I did read that sanctioning was paused for a while due to Covid, but I think it will be coming back in November). I just can't afford that. I'm sick of crying about work. I'm sick of wishing I could run away from it all. Sometimes I do seriously consider if its worth my mental health. I know if I were to leave I'd be so much more at peace.

Unfortunately there is very little out there and I'm stuck. Sorry nothing useful to say, just wanted you to know you are not alone. FWIW if I wasn't going to be as worse off I'd have left last month if not before.

Life is too short. If u can leave leave. Employers need to learn they won't retain staff behaving like that. Take a stance. Keep a diary of their inappropriate behaviour. I dont know personally but ther must be some sort of way u can take out a grievance. They cant get away with that in this day and age surely. Employees have rights. Name calling and verbal aggression isnt ok. In the sort of situation I always say take the advice u would give you nearest and dearest.....if u can leave. Leave. No job is worth your mental health. U don't need to put up with that. No one should. Everyone deserves respect from the person at the bottom to the person at the top. These people don't deserve u as their employee. Good luck.......obviously makesure u will get what u think in credit first or have savings to fall back on.

I completely understand how you feel @OrangeBananaFish, I'm tired of feeling stressed out about the next day before it even happens. Knowing that I'll be playing catch up all day and still being 2 steps behind on everything, feeling like I'm fucking everything up 😞

The fact that I know I'll only be £200 worse off makes it even worse. Is all that effort, all that sacrifice of my time with my family and friends, the pain and exhaustion, all the literal blood, sweat and tears, plus the risk to my physical and mental wellbeing really worth it for £200 extra a month?! Furlough taught me that I could live on a lot less than I thought and be very frugal when I have to be. There are jobs around, I'm 100% confident I will find something it's just a matter of time.

I loved my job.

Then my boss retired. We had a succession of people it was so stressful. It continued and I have been in hospital last year with very high blood pressure. I have been off with stress and that has never happened before.
I resigned and although it is early days I am starting to feel less stressed. You have to do what is best for you. It has taken me over eighteen months to come to this decision. I think it has been the right one.

Seriously, fuck that job. I wouldn't.

Employers think desperate times means they can basically take the piss out of everyone, longer hours, less pay, no breaks.

I wouldn't stay.

Completely agree with tensmum1964’s post and I bet a lot of those saying you shouldn’t quit your job to go on benefits have never had to put up with that kind of shitty working environment themselves. It’s affecting your health, and as a fellow taxpayer and human being I’d rather see you on UC than in hospital.

People are right to point out that you might not be eligible for UC if you quit a job voluntarily though. You could, as pp have said, quite legitimately get your GP to sign you off for health reasons and would probably find yourself being let go... it all depends on how much of a safety net you have (family? Savings? A partner with a job?), how important a reference from your current employer would be, and what your qualifications are (are you likely to find a job in another field if there aren’t many coming up in hospitality right now, for example).

FWIW I’m in a similar position (though fortunately without health issues and with a far less hideous-sounding employer) and have decided to stay on in my much-loathed job for now (I have DC/mortgage/unemployed DH though!) In your position, if at all possible I’d probably say fuck it, get the GP to sign me off, start looking for other jobs and see what happens...

Good luck

Ok, I've made my decision. It was payday recently and they've paid me even less that I thought I was going to get! Less than £100 more than I was getting on furlough!! I am fucking furious.

When they reopened I worked for 10 days straight as they had another member of staff who left and I had to cover for them. Then they messed me around with my days off and had to work another 7 days in a row. I stayed late most days, I came in early every day (earlier than my normal starts). For what? To be treated like shit, underpaid and under appreciated? I had a minor accident one day and when I phoned up to tell them that I would be late they didn't ask if I was ok, just questioned me about when I would be in. They don't give a shit about me.

Fuck them. I'm leaving and not giving them any notice. I'm still in my probationary period so technically I don't need to give a reason or any notice, although I have no way of confirming as they haven't bothered to give me any kind of contract. I have a job trial tomorrow for a new place and can start immediately so I'll have another job straight away if I want one. It's in a rival company and is further away but it's worth the extra drive if it means I'm further away from those arseholes!

Turbotastic, good on you and good luck

Good luck. Sounds like you did the right thing. Employers like that deserve to lose good staff.

Hopefully you get the new job. I'm certain that you won't be able to ask for benefits for six months otherwise as you chose to leave (even though it was a shit job). That certainly used to be the case. Good luck with finding something better.