To leave new job after 1 month?

[LookAtThatCritter]

Started a new job a month ago. Only 15 hours a week & all remote. I do bookkeeping & originally I was given 14 clients plus 2 weekly meetings & 1 biweekly. In a meeting the other day I was asked why one client hadn’t been updated, turns out they’d given me another 4 clients (but not actually told me they had).

Since I’ve been here there have been 3 updates to how they run their payroll, they made 3 people redundant with no notice, they’ve added an extra weekly meeting and changed managers. There’s now a spreadsheet which has to have an update on each client by NLT Monday morning every week, plus the same spreadsheet has to be updated again for each client later in the week and then we discuss the same spreadsheet in the meeting. I’m also expected to add a different update on an online project management site each week for every client.

What I love about bookkeeping is its flexible hours (& when I was hired I was told it can be done whenever, just 15 hours a week). It doesn’t seem that flexible now. It’s also near impossible to take care of 18 clients & attend all meetings & all this admin time in 15 hours. They also took 2 weeks to officially offer me the job and started me on the lowest in the pay range despite my experience being worth more.

I don’t want to leave them in the lurch - they’re behind on everything and clients are unhappy and leaving them, but I don’t like it. Should I stick it out a bit longer? If not, what’s the most professional way to say see-ya?!

I’d say if you’re sure you’re leaving but want to help just give a slightly longer notice BUT remember if you’re only there a month they won’t be reliant on you yet so it might be as fair not to! (No help, sorry!)

Personally. 15 hours a week from home seems a pretty good deal to me. If they have given you more clients than you think is reasonable say you are happy to do it but you need to be paid for 20hrs. If you do not want 20 hrs says you cannot do these clients because you only have 15 hours which is x time per client.

Starting new jobs is always hard. It does get easier as time goes on. Think of the positives as to why you took it in the first place. If these are not enough then personally just get another job and forget about it. Sounds hash but companies do not give a sht. They have just made 3 people redundant without a care.

I forgot to mention that I do have another work from home job too, similar number of hours but a lot less pressure & better pay. Totally flexible around DS (1) other than one meeting per week. So 15 hours is my max for this second job which they knew.

15 hours, 18 clients and a minimum couple of hours admin attending meetings and updating a spreadsheet AND a project management tool?
I get that it can't be totally flexible if you need to attend a meeting and or virtually meet clients, but aside from that, unless some of the clients are only turn up once a year to get their tax return sorted, it doesn't seem feasible.
I'd be tempted to say that having reviewed the workload, you don't feel it's possible to offer a professional service in the time that you're engaged for, you're not able to offer additional time, and give whatever notice you're required to under your contract of employment.

Just remember - they don't give two hoots about you! Why are you worried about 'leaving them in the lurch'? I am sure they didn't give the same consideration to the people they made redundant.
If you have had enough send a professional email to your manager handing in your notice. Just work the amout of time in your contract and be done.

If you have another job I would leave this one now.

It sounds like they misrepresented the role and you don't like what you have seen so far so it is better to cut your losses early. It is also a bad sign that their clients are dissatisfied.

You can also leave it out of your CV after if you stay only a month.

Last year I knew after two weeks in a job that this was not the place for me. Dreadful induction, confusing workload/management, constant pointless meetings and more generally not what I expected the role to be. They were awful from start to finish and I am glad I gave my notice after 3 weeks...as I was in the probation period I only had to give 1 week notice.