I walked out on my job tonight!

[MegaMoon]

Literally that. I can't believe it really. Half way through my shift I literally walked out. Phoned my supervisor to explain why. I was so angry at my colleagues I just couldn't stay so I walked out. Phoned my supervisor driving home and explained everything. She said she'd speak to my colleagues and call me on Monday. But as far as I'm concerned now, especially after tonight, I can't go back. I can't work with them anymore. Especially after bloody walking out and complaining to our supervisor about them. If I go back, it'll just be ten times worse. I can't. But I need a job. Can't get my head around it.

Maybe I've worked in very different environments but in my previous job in a quite high stress finance/admin role, people frequently lost their tempers or walked out. Not one of them have ever been sacked or even disciplined - people lose it sometimes especially in high stress/high stakes environments

This is my experience too. I work in what is considered a high stress environment. It's a regular occurrence for people to slam their keyboard/phone/whatever down and storm out! If they sacked everyone who'd done that they'd have no staff left.

Sometimes people just reach their limit.

there are masses of cleaning jobs.
you will be ok op
did you walk out at the time you were meant to leave?

@missbridgerton

You've reacted in temper, and the only person who comes out of it looking bad is yourself.

If management aren't disciplining with your colleagues, then there isn't any issue other than you and your perceived vision of what you should be doing.

It's done now, I would personally send an email in apologising and see if they ask you back again. And if they do, stop focusing on what your colleagues are doing, you do your allocation of the work and if they need to then do unpaid overtime, that's on them.

Utter nonsense

Well done op. You absolutely did the right thing. They will soon find out that the other two aren't pulling their weight.

My sister was a cleaner, and it seems that poor behaviour and bad management is almost universal.

Use the situation as a springboard to better things, and learn not to let people push you so far in the future.

Also fuck the lot of them - you told them to get fucked and they're history now. Well done!

If management aren't disciplining with your colleagues, then there isn't any issue other than you and your perceived vision of what you should be doing.

Oh wow, a lucky one that has never experienced piss poor management. There are crap managers too, in fact they abound...

OP I just want to reassure you have not committed a crime I once walked out of my shift and it’s quite an important role.

Let it go. You acted a bit hastily it’s not the end of the world.

I would look for a new job and go back. Or speak to your GP..

Hopefully the manager will sort the situation but I agree with others that you are right to be annoyed. If no tasks are assigned, people are not doing their job, the team is staying late everyday and the management is not even aware of the situation, it is a bad management (or lack of it problem).

The main reason for people staying long hours is bad management and that rarely changes so, it may be a good thing you left when you had the strength to do it. Bad work situations can get you traumatised to the point of not being able to work again, so it may not have been the standard practice to walk out but don’t beat yourself about it.

My line manager was one of the most hardworking efficient people I know but her manager was shite. She just came in tears back to the office one day, took her bag and never came back, I did the same 6 months later, we both got much better jobs after a few months unemployed. Other colleagues who stayed ended up with severe anxiety problems, one of them was never able to work again. So good on you to put yourself first.

I don't understand why you have to finish late because of them? Just leave on time and if the job hasn't been completed well that's not on you. I'd have filmed them secretly too, to prove they are slacking off etc.

You'll find work easy, or you can set up as self employed and work flexible hours.

I would have walked out too. Cannot stand colleagues that don’t pull their weight. You did the right thing in calling your Supervisor straight away. I hope you get it sorted.

@XingMing

More fool you. Many jobs are shitty and require lots of crap you don't enjoy, but you booting it into touch and putting it on MN means that you have just made yourself unemployable. As an employer, you would be off my "consider" list instantly. If you want to work again, you need to review everything, starting with your attitude.

Really?

You 100% did the right thing. See if you can have a pleasant 'exit' conversation with your employer on Monday. Apologise, say it was really getting to you, there was an element of bullying, your mental health can't cope with working with those two again. You never know whether they might be able to offer you work at another site.

But the likelihood is you are moving on to another job now. You get something new and you won't look back. I quit a job once with nothing to go to and was 4 months out of work. My next job was full of lovely people and really suited to me. Best decision I ever made.

Ive been in this situation myself working in a "team" with people who were messing around and just marking time.

This isn't possible in "task and finish" jobs, Sneaky

If OP did what was her fair share of the work, then left the other two to do theirs, they could (and doubtless would) complain that she was "leaving early" and going home before the job was done - that she was leaving them to pick up the slack.

The only way to handle it is to just do your own job and then leave when the shift is over.

Sorry- I somehow managed to quote the wrong bit of Sneaky's post.

Should have been the bit above.

That probably wasn’t the ideal way to manage it but it sounds like you got to the end of your tether and had more than you could take.

As others have said I’m sure you till be able to find something else and ultimately maybe leaving will end up being a good thing, even if leaving in a more planned way would have been better.

I’m sure they’ll notice the work not being done when you’ve left.

I’m naturally like you op in terms of being an introvert and not liking conflict. Maybe that’s something to work on though as long term it might help prevent a similar situation occurring. I personally find being introvert and avoiding conflict adds extra stress on me because I feel upset that situations continue because I can’t deal with them. Practicing some assertiveness has helped me, including having stock phrases, might be something to think about.

Alternatively op if you go back can you ask the manager that you all split the work. For example you do xyz rooms and they do xyz rooms. Or would that not be possible.

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale

I dont quite know how to articulate this - I really like it when decent people reach their limit and enforce it. I find it incredibly satisfying. I dont know why.

Bloody good luck to you.

Yes - this.

I hope you find something better. Don’t rule out a meeting with your boss to explain things and have some kind of close her which may serve you well in terms of references.

The two of them regularly take it upon themselves to do completely unnecessary things, pottering about, making themselves look busy while I do all the work that actually needs doing
Have you considered that maybe, due to their age, they don't have the same energy level than you? I could do everything 1/3rd quicker in my 20s than I can in my 50s with the menopause causing havoc on my sleep.

Your reaction is quite immature and maybe bullyish. If you have an issue with them not doing what they should, you should have taken it up with your supervisor. Walking out on a strop because they didn't obey your orders is childish behaviour.

I think you have done the right thing actually op. What happens next depends on the size of the company. Ideally they should give you a cooling off period and ask why and find out if there is a solution and need further support.

If it's a large organisation they should be mindful of the risks of constructive dismissal and disability discrimination.

I think it’s clear when someone’s only experience of cleaners is hiring one and not working as a cleaner or really knowing someone who cleans for a living.

My Mum worked as a cleaner for 25 years. For her, there was no raising issues with management (they didn’t want to hear), there was no leaving when your shift was over (you stayed until the work was done), there was only an attitude of ‘If you don’t like it, leave’ That may not be everyone’s experience of a cleaning role, but it’s something my Mum experienced with a number of employers over the years.

Chuckling at some of these "if you were my employee" comments. Clearly the OPs managers are absolutely shit. They are nothing like you. And, without disrespect, the cleaning industry isn't quite the same as other sectors. There is a high turn over of staff anyway.

So there are a couple of things you can do OP. Speak to your manager and give them a chance. Explain exactly what the problem is, that your colleagues are happy to be slow and work for hours and hours and unpaid but you are not. Say you are no longer willing to work with two people who operate like that. If they say you have to, then quit. Be polite, apologise for walking out but state that the reasons behind it are valid! But they MIGHT help. You never know.

And yes, cleaners are always needed. You will find another job!

is one of the three of you a supervisor?

You need to grow up.

We all have met stupid or negative colleagues and poor working conditions. You need to think about your next step, instead of having a tantrum.

It's a good lesson for next time, learn from it.

You made it sound like it was an entire team against us, and there were ... 3 of you?

Nothing wrong with walking out of a job in itself, but you need the right attitude. Having to post about it on MN shows you care far too much, you are not moving on, and it's all a bit childish.

I've not rtft, but I do see it from the opposite point of view.

You said they were doing work that you deemed unnecessary, and you just wanted to finish and get home to your family.

I suggest that they see it as they are doing the job properly, you just want to cut corners, do the bare minimum and then go home.
No wonder they are not keen on you, they probably think you are lazy and not pulling your weight.

You really should have brought this to the attention of the supervisor who could then properly assign duties.
Walking out isn't a good look.

I completely understand your frustration at the situation Op, and really feel for you that you've ended up walking out.
I feel similar tbh, and it builds up and builds up until resentment kicks in.
I'm a cleaner who works with two colleagues. One moans constantly about what is expected of us, while at the same time spending time talking on her phone to her daughter who she lives with and saw less than an hour ago. The other is shocking with time management, so will rush round her daily jobs, then umm and ahh at what she needs to do next. The problem with this is, as I'm going round locking up I will notice things she had missed.

Op, I hope you're ok and that things work out for you

Well done OP. Another one here saluting you.

We all have a breaking point and you recognised you were heading for yours and walked. I think this is salvageable in terms of a reference. I would post on the Employment board and ask what your next steps should be seeing that you’ve had a ‘mental health’ episode and reacted out of character.