Is it bad to quit my job when they need me?

[Feliciacat]

Can’t post too many details as it will be outing. I work for a team within a department (let’s say team Y) and have been asked to apply for a job in another team (team Z). Team Z urgently need me as there have been many staff vacancies due to resignation. So they told me I could be moved over with no interview. It emerged that I did need an interview though (I have no issue with that).

Job on team Z took ages to be posted. Meanwhile, I am very unhappy on team Y to the point I’ve previously handed my notice in but was urged to stay because our new manager would make things better. New manager is very snide with me and is making me feel very anxious. I have applied for the job on team Z and it closes today. However, I want to just quit altogether as I’ve had such a miserable time here.

I only stayed because I thought I may as well to get maternity benefits (I realised this job wasn’t for me a month after starting but didn’t leave because of maternity benefits). A year later…I appear to be infertile. There’s a lesson to be learned there! My new manager says it’s not my place to raise issues and that it’s my job to work with others (as if I don’t work with them). This is all because I raised that someone had lashed out at me when I’d corrected them on something.

I have been so lonely in this workplace as I’m always in the office alone. It’s been really awful as nobody has shown me anything or trained me on anything. I’ve learned myself. I’ve improved processes myself and done the lion’s share of the phone work because I care about customer service. I’ve done this with no supervision and no appreciation. It’s such a slap in the face that I was told having a new manager would improve things and now they don’t like me at all. They told me I deserved what was said to me.

Team Z will be pretty shafted if I leave. But then again, they told me incorrectly that I could move when I couldn’t and have kept me waiting two months to apply. They ringfenced the post internally so they could get me though. If I drop out, they’ll have nobody.

You owe your employer nothing. They'd get rid of you in a heartbeat. Do what's right for you. The new manager gets paid to manage, that's literally her job.

What are the reasons Team Z have been messing you about? Going by the faffing about, backtracking, and selective amnesia at my own current public sector employer, there are big changes coming down the line from government funding.

The only thing I would say, if you can, is not to leave before you have another job to go to. There's definitely less out there than there was.

On a personal note, I'm sorry you're going through this. Workplaces are definitely less family like since the pandemic, and people seem to be left to sink or swim far more often now. I'm just glad I had several good years with lovely supportive colleagues before the rot set in.

My very wise 95 year old dad often says "Graveyards are full of indispensable people".

Hold onto that thought.

They'll manage without you.

Work gives you the impression that they need you etc but if it's in the best interest of the company for you to not be there they would drop you in a heartbeat.
You'd have to be very fortunate to have an employer that actually cares I reckon.
Do what's right for you

Thank you for your considered response. That’s just what I’m feeling; it’s less family like. I remember how it was such a laugh (at a different employer) pre-pandemic.

Team Z are messing me about because the whole organisation is in disarray so it takes ages to post jobs! Says it all really!

That hits hard! Yes, I’m so unhappy here that it’s a waste of time.

You’re so right, thank you.

Leave!

I would never stay at a job for the sake of colleagues or because they 'need' me.

It sounds brutal but you are completely replacable and as others say, they would drop you in an instant if they needed to.

You have to do what's right for you, a job is just a job and you owe them nothing.

I'd look for a new job and see which comes first

Thanks. I have applied for other jobs but no luck yet.

I've worked for the same place for a long time, now in a very senior role. It's a charity and I really care about my colleagues and ensuring that things are well run/that we do things properly/remain true to our values, so when things go off the tracks it seems to really affect me. It's unhealthy I agree.

Sorry wrong thread!

Agree with this advice. Public sector jobs take ages to post even internally, so wouldn’t judge Team Z too harshly as “mucking you about”. It’s not their fault they have to follow the stupid broken process.

But get applying for other jobs elsewhere too

In meantime grit your teeth and keep your head down in current role