I cannot keep my job. Firstly because I’m on FMLA (unpaid medical leave) for a mystery illness and I cannot guarantee that, even if finally diagnosed, I will be recovered by the 12 week maximum allotted.
Secondly because we’ve put our daughter in online school due to severe bullying. The program she’s in now is awful and I have to help her through her English lessons (she’s in 7th grade and they’re having her read 18th century texts). We’re switching her to a new program next semester which requires a parent to be a full-time “learning coach” for their kid to keep them on track.
It’s a terrible job. I absolutely hate it. The pay is low, the job is boring, my co-workers don’t really care about my existence, and my bosses are friendly but unreasonable. The only thing I like is that I have a hybrid schedule where I can work from home for 18 hours a week. But spending the other 22 hours in the office sucks. I spend the whole time wearing noise-cancelling headphones just to get through the time there. I’ve wanted to leave this job for a good year now although I admit I wasn’t trying very hard to find another one.
But I just can’t bring myself to resign. I don’t know why. Something is stopping me like it’s the wrong thing to do. I know I will be happier even though we will be on a single income, I am doing the right thing for my daughter, and I have no idea when this medical issue will be resolved.
I was going to write the resignation letter last Friday. Every day I mean to write it and every day I just can’t do it. I know I have to do it soon. Maybe even today. But something won’t let me do it. My brain is telling me I can’t quit.
Thanks for reading my rant. I don’t know why I wrote it. I guess I needed to let it out to someone other than my wife and my boss follows me on non-anonymous social media so I can’t really talk about it there.
EDIT: I wrote the email, showed it to my wife to see what she thought and sent it. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for a reply, but I’m shaking.
My opinion is that life is too short to spend that much of it at some place you hate. I thought I was going to pursue nursing as a career, too college classes, I was working part time at a hospital, and I went home from my job and constantly complained about work and dreaded going back there. I liked most of the people I worked with and the patients but the bureaucracy of the whole thing made the job impossible from everyone. I’m not sure what switched but I finally decided that I didn’t want to work at some place that was going to make me miserable. I’m not sure if my sharing that story helps but that’s my two cents.
I agree with you completely. The issue here is I’m not working there now anyway since I’m on unpaid medical leave. It’s not really any different from not working there at all. And I know I’m never going back. So I’m already not spending any more time at a place I hate. I just can’t bring myself to make it official.
What are the benefits of sending the letter in, as opposed to just… not?
For one thing, they say nice things about you to future employers checking up on your employment history.
For employment references, many companies will only acknowledge that you worked there and the dates.
Is it worth taking that chance when I can leave on a good note?
That’s completely up to you, I’m just saying how things work as I understand them.
What country are you in?
In the USA, they do not. They only confirm what dates you worked there.