How to Resign from A Toxic Workplace Environment

A lot of people are trapped in a toxic workplace environment, but because they need the paycheck, they are hesitant to leave and this is totally understandable. So even though they are miserable, they are not going to quit their job.

If you are considering quitting a job with a toxic environment, it could be a little bit scary because that would mean facing financial uncertainty. It could be even scarier if you have a family to support, or some mortgage to pay off.

But staying in a toxic workplace environment can be really dangerous to your body and mental health. You can experience anxiety, chronic stress, burnout and depression. These can also affect your personal life at home with your family.

If you are already on your limit and can't stand being in your job anymore, the thing you need is a plan. Don't try to quit hastily out of anger and frustration, try to be calm and collected and make a plan first. This is how to resign from a toxic workplace environment.

Trust Yourself and Make a Decision

Leaving a job that you have been doing for a long time can be a challenging thing to do. Transition, even from a toxic workplace environment, needs serious consideration. You need to consider what is good for you, or if you have one, your family.

The simple thing you can do is make a list of pros and cons of leaving your current job. Make a list of all the good things in your current job, and the bad things too. In the end, make a conclusion whether it is worth staying or not. If the conclusion is no, make a decision to leave, and stick with it.

Commit Yourself

Leaving a job and trying to find a new one is challenging, it will affect your finances, your family, and your time. After you made that list of pros and cons and the conclusion is to leave, you have to commit yourself to that decision.

You can always remind yourself of the reason why you are quitting. You can do this by keeping an index card with you or writing a note in your phone. You don't want to do this by posting notes in your office or cubicle, because your boss can see it and it will be an extra problem.

Write Down the Things You Want in A Job

You can't just walk into your boss's office one day and say you are quitting. You need a plan to make sure the transition is not going to cost you anything. You need to ask yourself what do you expect in a job that will make you happy and productive, and write those things down.

This is important because there are a lot of jobs with toxic workplace environments out there, and you don't want to quit your toxic job only to land into another toxic job. By writing your expectation in a job, you can avoid another job with a toxic working environment.

The things you can write down are your values, what you are looking for in a job, the ideal company culture and environment for you, the kind of coworkers and bosses you want to have, and the kind of work-life balance you need.

Make an Exit Strategy

The next step of how to resign from a toxic workplace environment is make an exit strategy. You need to consider a couple of things in order to make an exit strategy, such as are you going to leave after finding a new job or before?

Other things you need to consider is, do you already have a lead on the new job? Maybe a friend, a former colleague, or a family member can help you to find a new job. Are you able to support yourself or your family financially after quitting?

Don't Tell Anyone Else About Your Plan

It might be really tempting to tell your quitting plan to your colleagues at work, but it's much better if you don't. Your colleagues are not your friends and they can leak your plan to your bosses for their own advantage, and you can get fired before you quit.

If you want to discuss your quitting plan, don't do it with your colleagues, but instead do it with the people outside of work like your friends or family members. Don't even do it with people outside your office but still work in the same field, because they can also leak it too.

Start The Exit Plan

The next thing you need to do is set the date, and start your exit plan. Before doing this, you need to update your resume and cover letter. Make sure you are keeping anything you need like certificates, project details, or awards.

These things can really help you to get another job. For job hunting, making a portfolio can be really good because all the information the prospective employers need to know can be listed in one place, it makes it easier for you and for the employers.

Resign

After doing all of those steps, now is the time to actually go to your boss's office and tell them you are quitting. Doing this can be either scary or exciting, but whatever it is that you are feeling, make sure you are calm and collected before you enter their office.

To gracefully resign, have your resignation letter ready, talk to your boss in person and not via email or text, be brief and don't share personal reasons, give HR the copy of your resignation letter, and give at least two weeks' notice.

Those are the steps you need to do on how to resign from a toxic workplace environment. You need to do this in a positive mindset because quitting a job could be scary, but remember you are leaving a toxic workplace environment and heading toward a better one. So, good luck to you!