Quit
Workaholics go to meetings
Chapter 4: The Package (part 1)
Feb 12th
Sometime deep into a closed door meeting it was decided that employees must be kept happy in their workplace. There was much debate about what mechanism would be used in this endeavor, but one fact was undebatable. Any benefits that were to be put in place, they were to come at a minimum cost to the company while providing the maximum effect for recruitment and retention. This is nothing new. Every company looks to keep costs down while keeping its workforce intact, growing, prospering. And every company looks to provide a wide enough array of benefits that it believes will satisfy those looking for something special, something that few others receive at their jobs.
The brainstorming made their heads spin and their tongues hurt, and it was then that the first ace was pulled out of a sleeve and set the bar for the illusion of comfort and stability. Following in the footsteps of companies that love and appreciate their employees, this firm decided to set a “no limit” PTO (Paid Time Off) policy. Sounds great, doesn’t it? It 
sounded awesome when I first came across this concept. Just to think that there is no limit on how many days off I can take in a calendar year. No counting, no planning your days off months ahead. It started off that way for sure. No one in the company even gave this a second thought. If someone needed a day off, they just requested it, were granted it, and took it. If they needed a week off, same process. The trick for the supervisors was to look to the work ahead, rather than the amount of days off taken in the past. Nice and Easy.
In the grand scheme of things, however, this policy actually benefited the company as much as it benefited the employees. There’s something about human nature that keeps us civil, keeps us from taking advantage. With a policy devised specifically to be unlimited, it was remarkable how many people chose not to take advantage of it. And that’s where the company ate up the benefits. Grasp your mind around this concept – while there’s no limit on how many paid days you receive in a year, there are also no guaranteed days off. So if Joe Random worked his ass off for the entire year and took only 4 days off, there’s no fat check for the remainder coming. There’s no remainder to speak of. If Joe Random worked for a company that guaranteed employees PTO, even a basic package of say, 2 weeks vacation and 1 week sick, he would receive a check for the 11 days he didn’t take off. Or the PTO would carry over to the next year. Or if Joe was to quit or get fired, he’d receive a check for all the days that he earned and didn’t take. But not here. Here, if Joe took 2 days off or 12 days off, no one would really notice.
Would you rather quit or be fired?
Nov 13th
If I told you that you were being replaced at your current job, what would you say? And I’m not talking about the immediate shock and anger about the pending loss of your job. Once you’ve had a moment to think rationally, you’ll probably be wondering, “should I ride this out, or should I make a move?” What’s the right decision here?
I think the answer should be based on your long term and short term goals. There are many negatives that come attached to being fired – you may lose your reference, you may be affected psychologically. Every application you’ll ever fill out in the future, the answer to “have you ever been fired?” will now be yes. Quitting before this happens, 
however, has its benefits and negatives as well. For one, you can forget about any severance package you may otherwise have received. In most cases you won’t get unemployment benefits (which in some states are so small, it hardly matters). But you’ll save face, you’ll leave with your chin up, and most likely retain more connections and references from this employment.
The choice between waiting to be fired and quitting is not easy, but once you’ve realized that either one is inevitable, you cannot afford not to take action. Build a plan, apply for other jobs, research business ideas – anything that will put you back on the right path. If you’re ready to give up on the career path that you’ve been following with your current job, then letting the firing happen may not be the worst idea. You’ll switch industries, jump into new job assignments, responsibilities. If you’re planning on moving on to a field that has no connection to your previous employment, it’s more than likely that your new employers won’t even bother contacting the company that fired you. But if you’re planning to continue your career in a similar setting (even if it’s a different industry – think about how different your job responsibilities will be), then you may be better off jumping the gun. Start interviewing as soon as possible. Get out there and push yourself, instead of sulking. Believe it or not, speaking with your boss about your plan will play to your benefit in this situation. The company will be much more inclined to keep you on just a while longer, until you’re ready to move on. Your quitting instead of being fired is a huge benefit to the company – they don’t have to pay your unemployment (their state unemployment insurance is likely to rise as a result of your termination), and more importantly no negative effect on employee morale.
When the time comes, the decision is hard. If you’re prepare yourself, you can think rationally and make a decision that’s right for you.
Loading …Hate your job?
Oct 12th
We all come into a job with certain expectations. Those may be based on previous personal experiences, others
Has your employment hit a wall?
experiences in a similar setting, something from TV, movies, or books. Basically, anything that you come into contact with throughout your life influences your perception and expectation of the world, society, and your workplace. Alas, expectations and perceptions are seldom reality. What you perceived as a dream job can quickly turn into a nightmare, and unless you’re ready to cut bait, you might find yourself in an undesirable situation.
What would you tell me if I told you that from this point forward you have to sleep on the bare floor? Such an arrangement would make you uncomfortable, unhappy, and be a detriment to your health. Being employed in a setting you hate has the same effects. Read the rest of this entry »
