Walking out of a job; Consequences?

connors07

I am looking to see if anyone has done what I am considering to do and more or less made my mind up. I've worked for the company 10 years and worked my way up along the structure reaching a managerial position. I've wanted to leave for almost 2 years and end of last year was the point of no return for me. I began to tidy up my CV, improve my Linkedin profile and began to search what roles were out there. If it wasn't for Covid I'm certain I'd have left by now and quite possibly it would have been a mistake given the employment uncertainty. However this year period has shown the true colours of my manager and the integrity of the company I work for. Don't get me wrong I have never woke up and jumped out of bed with excitement about what the day will bring but I've never loathed the journey is as I do now. I would say I am fairly vital to the business but I've trained my staff to do the essentials and my loyalty is purely with them and how they'd get on and cope. The disturbance it would cause my fellow managers I'd have little to no sympathy for. A number of times coming into work I have thought to myself, is this the last time I make this journey into work. What are the ramifications of essentially walking out? I know there is a pay factor but genuinely pay isn't as important to me at work. I've read in other work places about people being sued. How often does that happen in the UK? Has anyone experienced this from a managerial position? I know some will consider this a rant or throwing toys out of the pram but these feelings have existed 2 years. It is no knee-jerk reaction to furlough ending (I wasn't) nor some bitter grievance about not being furloughed as I am glad that I wasn't. My role over this year has essentially been unaffected by Covid for the most part. My feeling is to find another role and just walk.

gettingtheresometime

Why would you jump in the dark not knowing where the lifeboat is?

yes you may hate the company & your boss but, to me, it seems madness to just quit.

as for ramifications for just not turning up I guess your company could, theoretically, sue you for any costs incurred in employing someone to cover your role for the period of your notice period.

but for me I'd be more worried that my reputation would be trashed.

p00hsticks

How much notice do you have to give ?

If it's something that's been brewing for two years already, surely you can wait the month or two required to serve out your notice properly rather than just walking out ?

You say you have loyalty to your staff (if not your managers) - if you mean it, have the decency to give them a chance to deal with your leaving during your notice period rather than just walking out with no notice and leaving them in the complete sh*t.

[As an aside, I've quit jobs twice in my life without a new job to go to because I was unhappy, but I've always done it properly by giving and working the required notice - that way you don;t burn bridges you may need later on. Although I've not knpwn of anyone being sued by their previous company for walking out, I do knpw of a case where the old employer contacted the new one to tell them what happened and the new employer withdrew their job offer as a result]

Thrugelmir

Will you require a reference? Better to leave with no baggage left behind. Resign and serve your notice. 

Brynsam

Resign and offer to serve your notice period. You may find it easier to do that if you know the exit is not far away. Alternatively, your employer may not want an unwilling employee hanging around, so may suggest calling it a day without serving all, or possibly any, of your notice.

TELLIT01

If you've wanted to leave for a long time, handing in your notice and serving the notice period should be bearable.  Far better than just walking out on your responsibilities which will certainly mean no reference and probably an impact on your ability to find another managerial job.

If you were recruiting at management level, and discovered that an applicant had simply walked out of a previous job, where would that CV end up?

MovingForwards

I've done it, got up when due to go back to work, sat on the sofa, burst out crying and emailed my resignation as I couldn't go back; I had stuck the role out for over a year, huge turnover of staff including managers.
 
I despised the company, the management and upper management, the work the company did, the lack of training and support.
The salary was above the national average but no amount of money keeps me in a job if I don't like it / the people.

I had money in the bank and knew I could walk into a temp job, which is exactly what I did.

John_

Just deciding that you are leaving is likely to take some of the unhappiness away. If it were me I’d stop caring so much, try to let the work issues wash over me, and get on with finding another job while still employed.
Get some time-off booked, maybe Fridays and Mondays for a few weeks, but do try not to walk out, it’ll make finding the next job much harder.

connors07

Thank you for all of the replies. I am positive leaving at a moments notice would be burning a bridge I've no interest in using again but as 'p00hsticks' it would be unfair on the staff I do have time and respect for. My job as their manager is to look after them so I need to do that. 'MovingForwards' I feel like I've an understanding of that feeling. I know I'd be okay without the job financially and I feel the company needs a wake up/shake up which this would provide. But the staff I manager shouldn't be collateral damage. Thank you for all responses, you've provided me with logic and reason when I was having a lapse in it. I plan to do that 'John_' thank you.

TELLIT01

connors07 said:

Thank you for all of the replies. I am positive leaving at a moments notice would be burning a bridge I've no interest in using again but as 'p00hsticks' it would be unfair on the staff I do have time and respect for. My job as their manager is to look after them so I need to do that. 'MovingForwards' I feel like I've an understanding of that feeling. I know I'd be okay without the job financially and I feel the company needs a wake up/shake up which this would provide. But the staff I manager shouldn't be collateral damage. Thank you for all responses, you've provided me with logic and reason when I was having a lapse in it. I plan to do that 'John_' thank you.

If the company is as bad as you say (I'm not questioning your opinion) they will not get a wake up call by your walking out - they won't give a damn and will simply find somebody to replace you.  Nobody should over estimate the effect their leaving will have on the management tree above them.

p00hsticks

TELLIT01 said:

If you've wanted to leave for a long time, handing in your notice and serving the notice period should be bearable. 

In the first of the two times I was really fed up with a job, I had my letter of resignation written and just requiring a date to be added and carried it round in my bag for months before I actually handed it in - just the knowledge that I had it on me and could give it in at any point made things a bit more bearable for a while.