When to Quit Your Job

In this time of economic uncertainty is there ever a reason to quit your job? Yes, there are many reasons to leave your current employer, outlined here are five of the main ones. Remember, never leave on bad terms and always have your next job ready. Unfortunately right now sometimes its better to be in a bad job situation then a "no job" situation. Prepare yourself and be ready to move on before quitting that job.

Company Instability

Companies both large and small can fold. The difference is, the smaller the company, the quieter they can be about it. Large companies tend to make a lot of changes and have a lot of people coming through. Small ones show their company quietly, when the workforce is home. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:"66
percent of new establishments were still in existence two years after their birth, and 44 % were still in existence four years after." So be leery when seeing new people taking walk through, especially if the business is two-four years old.

Abusive Behavior in the Workplace

This sounds like a given, if abusive, walk away. It also sounds outdated, I mean in this day and age who would risk a lawsuit by being abusive to their employees, right? Wrong. I myself worked in an establishment where I could not ever imagine the things that happened there to be true had I not seen it with my own two eyes. The worst part is, I along with most others just took it. Why? Desperation for a job and the feeling like you can't make it elsewhere. Just like an abusive marriage, the managers of this type of unprofessional establishment know this and take advantage of it.

A Sudden Change in Your Schedule/Responsibilities

If you have been working somewhere for a long time and hold a certain amount of hours and a set schedule and it suddenly changes, its a good idea to start looking for another job before you even have that talk with your boss asking him why. The reason is, they may be stalling, or holding off on letting you go, but if there is a sudden change like that without prior discussion, you may not be happy to hear what they have to say when confronted, as they may just come out with a we're cutting back speech and we'll have to let you go speech. Be preemptive and look first, ask questions later.

A Pattern of Taking Advantage of People

When you open your eyes to the workforce around you, especially your managers, you get a snapshot of your future at that company. One time I started working for a company and it was obvious the first day how overworked my manager was. I asked him what the employee turn over rate was. His reply will astound you. 300%! I knew this would be no career and while I stayed for three years, when I was offered a higher position I politely turned it down. If your manager is frequently overworked and underpaid, is being taken advantage of. it will be no different when you move up. These types of companies take advantage of people go through managers quickly. In the end they have to pay far less, but of course their quality of work suffers, thus eventually leading to a loss. This is a case where you need not run out of there like you've seen a ghost, but definitely discretely start looking elsewhere to fulfill your future employment.

Frequent Problems With Your Pay

If the company you're working for cannot get it together for payroll, just imagine what their taxes, bills and other financial aspects look like. A mistake happens to everyone once in a while, but if there are frequent problems in your pay it shows they are any of the above four types of companies. Most likely the first type though, unstable. Give it a chance at first, but if it happens frequent, again, start to discretely search for another job. Its better than keeping your eyes closed to the possibilities and end up jobless.

Source:

personal experience
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/05/ressum.pdf

More from this contributor:

Interview Mistakes to Avoid
Five Important Questions that Need Answers Before You Rent a Property