Give it a few months or quit now?

[WomanAtWork]

I need some objective help please.

I work FT as a mid-level finance manager. I took a new role 14 months ago because I was promised work-life balance as part of return-to-work from mat leave.

However role was mis-sold at interview and is very stressful. The last four months, my working hours long (regularly 70+ hours a week with no overtime pay). Fitting that round young family very hard - often up at 4am working, dh has picked up slack.

I put the effort in because I like my line manager and having taken the role, felt professionally obliged to make the best of it. I felt we were rebuilding team, systems and process so in future we would stabilise at a more normal pace.

However since change of CFO 3 months ago, Situation has deteriorated. New unreachable turn-around targets which mean more work not less in future. Then last week an announcement there will be no bonus this year due to poorer than expected company performance and we must all tighten our belts.

Now my lovely line manager has given me a private “heads up” that she already thrown in the towel and has taken another job. She is on 3 months’ notice and will be gone at end of August as has holiday booked.

I am devastated that the job has turned out to be a turkey and my manager is leaving.

The only reasons to stay are loyalty to my sub-team and a small ray of hope a new line manager might realise I am overloaded and make significant changes.

Back at home my dh is losing patience so there’s that to consider - while I’m working he is still picking up extra futures at home.

My skills are highly marketable and I could walk into another role in a heartbeat.

The simple question is: am I a mug to wait and see where it goes for a few months or should I quit now? Is there another reason to stay or go I’m not seeing?

I don't see any reason to stay, to be honest. Why waste time in a job you hate?

From what you've written there doesn't look to be any benefit in staying. Quitting without something else to go to is always risky though. If you don't need your income then that's different, of course. If I was in your shoes, I'd try to find another job first.

Don’t stay a day longer than you have to

Move on, it sounds like a dead loss to me.

I'd leave . They mis sold the job and it'll only get tougher when your manager leaves .
Start looking now otherwise you're only kicking the can down the road

My skills are highly marketable and I could walk into another role in a heartbeat

I think that's your answer. You've been in post for 14 months so it's not like your CV will look bad. It sounds like your current line manager is on the ball and would have made changes if she could, so no reason to suppose a different one, newly in post, would do better. Plus if they haven't recruited a replacement before she leaves your workload could get even worse in the interim.

It sounds like you could resign and find a new job during your notice period? Is it worth doing it that way round? I think you'll feel a huge sense of relief once your notice is in.

I would just slightly query your DH's attitude towards picking up the slack at home. Seems like he's got a bit too comfortable with the split of responsibilities whilst you were out on maternity leave.

However, it's clear that this is a side note to the main reasons to sack this job off. Hope you find something which suits you better.

I have literally just been in this exact situations (except line manager didn't leave). I have found a new job, because I don't want to let my personal life be overtaken by work. I wasn't seeing my child much due to working all hours and in all honestly, I couldn't see it getting better. Feel happier in my decision

Leave.

You don't give one reason to stay and lots to have left ages ago.

Loyalty to your subteam is no reason. Great to be loyal while you work together, but do you think you'll all stay and work together forever?

My skills are highly marketable and I could walk into another role in a heartbeat

Then go! Things won't improve significantly where you are, mainly because people get used to you working at this level and take it for granted. So if you're willing to put in 70 hours now then any less will be viewed as you "slipping" start to look around now and see what's out there!

I'm in finance too. I would leave in your shoes but a note of caution, the job market is not what it was a year or so ago. So definitely get that new role before you leave this one (and as I'm sure you know, it's infinitely easier to get a job while you're in another!).

Go now. From everything you've written here it looks like your only justification for staying is "it might get better". But it also looks as if there's no discernible sign that it will. Go. It doesn't sound as if you'll look back.

Hi everyone, I took all these opinions on board and I have left my old job. It was a relief, even though it was brutal. It has been a horrible experience - people in other teams working hard in almost impossible circumstances being sacked for “poor performance”, more managers quitting… I’ve never known a department in such freefall. I hope they can sort it out because it was beyond my talents in the end.

Thanks for the update OP.

It sounds as though the department may not exist in 12 months time. You are well off out of there! How did they take the news?

Great to hear you've got out, @WomanAtWork . The old department sounds nightmarish. The CFO is a wrecker but will no doubt never get found out. Onwards and upwards.