Things You Should Consider When Leaving A Toxic Work Environment
As a child, I've witnessed loved ones working who had traumatic experiences at work and had to endure the unpleasant encounters of engaging with disrespectful people at their jobs. The only thing that has kept them from moving on to better is fearing it would take too long to find a new job and not having enough money saved to leave a toxic work environment.
I've observed many examples of my family members surviving hectic spaces to make ends meet and never leaving workspaces that cause them harm, whether it's the person working one position for two decades or an individual juggling multiple jobs.
These examples instilled in me that I️ never wanted to feel forced into a predicament where I️ remain at a job that negatively impacts my mental health for the sake of a paycheck. However, in my personal experiences, I found that many of the workspaces I worked in are ingrained with toxicity.
While many workplaces strive to create an inclusive work environment, for the most part, they fall short because they don't have a serious commitment to addressing what makes the work environment unsafe. The atmosphere can become so toxic most people become complacent, refusing to speak up out of fear of losing their job or feel that absolutely nothing within the work culture will change. While some challenge the climate, it never seems to be enough to establish comfortable working conditions so, they leave, and problems persist.
Establishing a safe work environment means addressing the systems and removing problematic employees who create harm, and prioritizing the most marginalized bodies in the workplace.
It's vital that if we find ourselves in a work environment that we experience as toxic, we should formulate an exit plan because under no circumstances are we required to experience pain before joy, especially in a work setting. Here are some things to consider when walking away from a toxic work environment:
If you wake up hating your job and feel like you can't hold on, remember there will be something for you. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE.
If it's needing money that's tieing you to the toxic job, understand that YOU CAN MAKE MONEY elsewhere. Your current job is not the only place where money exists. Establish a plan to save accordingly to meet your $$$ goals so that you can leave and afford to maintain your lifestyle.
Don't prioritize a temporary job (especially if you don't desire to be there) over your peace and clarity. Your self peace matters!
Not to get morbid, but we have to take it here: if you were to die suddenly, your job description would be up the following week, and eventually, the job will fill your old position. Never be loyal to a position that will never be loyal to you.
You DESERVE to be happy, and no, you don't have to struggle before having a breakthrough.
Our society loves to say work hard, play harder, but sometimes we're putting in work for places that simply don't deserve us, and we deserve to have better.
