There is not a right amount of time to stay in a job before moving to the next one; there are only conditions that make leaving the best decision. These conditions may arise on your first day of work or twenty years after you started working for your employer. Either way, do not stay in a job that does not fulfill your goals. You spend too much time at work to compromise on the important aspects of a work situation. In addition to refusing to endure harassment or a toxic work environment, quit your job if:
1. Your Workplace Clashes with Your Values
Most of us join workplaces because of the compensation package, the mission of our employer, or a combination of the two. Since the mission, including the values, of the employer generally weigh into deciding to apply to a job in the first place, folks often assume that their values will align with any employer that piques their interest from the beginning.
In reality, the values practiced in an office culture may clash with your own even if you support the company’s vision. I have experienced organizations that write about human rights but allow sexist, racist, and transphobic language to persist in the workplace. What a contradiction.
A value clash is the most apparent reason to leave an employer. If anything feels off with the culture of your employer, or even just your team in particular, leave. If the value clash seems isolated to one individual, you can also give your employer a chance to address the issue and decide if the solution is satisfactory to improve the environment for you. Make your decision honestly, and never feel that you need to compromise your values.
2. You are Undervalued
Being undervalued can take many forms including receiving insufficient compensation or appreciation. On the compensation side, this may mean you receive poor raises despite positive performance reviews, you are not provided bonuses or cash awards when other employees receive them in similar situations, or you are not provided compensatory time when you complete extra hours of work for a project.
Insufficient appreciation is less tangible. It includes supervisors receiving all the credit for your innovative solution, a lack of growth opportunities despite securing a new deal or client, or leaving you out of the loop (intentionally or carelessly). A lack of appreciation often starts with small disrespectful behaviors. If your supervisor disrespects your time by repeatedly showing up late to or missing meetings with you, this is a sign that they are not taking you seriously and likely undervalue you.
Find an employer that does value you, both with tangible compensation and intangible appreciation. Both you and the employer will experience more growth with the appropriate amount of respect and value displayed towards the other party.
3. Your Reasonable Work Demands are Dismissed
If you make reasonable work demands, and your employer dismisses them without seriously addressing them and giving their best effort to grant them, leave. There are sometimes real reasons to deny a reasonable work request, but the employer should provide a coherent explanation that makes sense to you if they are not able to meet your demands. “That’s the policy” is not a sufficient explanation. “We need you to come to the physical office for two hours to attend a classified meeting that you cannot take at home” is a good reason. Know the difference, and only accept good reasons. If an employer does not provide a good reason, that is a sign that your employer does not respect you or your demand.
Your reasonable work demands may span beyond our list of five. Alternatively, you may not value one of them, like parental leave if you do not want to have children or location flexibility if you prefer working in the office. Stick to whatever requests are important to you.
4. Your Opinion is Not Heard or Respected
This one is personal for me: The one time I stayed in a job too long was when I let this point slide. I worked for a nonprofit right after finishing my MA and took a job with a nonprofit because they advertised a more creative approach that appealed to me. In reality, I never worked at a less innovative place. The only negative brought up in my 90-day review was that I brought up ideas and suggestions from prior workplaces too often and should just observe the processes at the nonprofit first. I shut up, and then I received a (small) raise and only positives in my review.
I left soon after that raise since I needed a more innovative environment to thrive. Now, I get to work at a place where my ideas are heard and respected, and I am even empowered to introduce entirely new solutions to my employer. You should experience empowerment and fulfillment in your work environment too.
If your ideas are not respected, or your employer disregards them without considering them, that is a poor environment. When you do not feel heard about potential improvements, your frustration will fester and diminish your value as an employee, even if you are terrific! There are employers that will hear your ideas. Go find one.
5. You are Not Challenged or Cannot Grow
Sometimes, you are fortunate enough to find an excellent employer that would never fall under the first four points, but you have worked for the company for 15 years and feel bored in your day-to-day job. You climbed to the top leadership position for your area of expertise, and have no future growth potential with the employer.
There is one option before quitting in this situation: Sometimes, you can create a new position that still will allow growth. This involves some work and creativity, but if a new idea inspires you to ask to lead a new initiative, you can create your own growth potential within the company where you already work.
If the potential for creating your own growth does not exist, it may be time to move on to the next adventure. This is a situation where your employer will understand why you are leaving. Give them plenty of lead time to transition the role and maintain a positive relationship—you never know when the company will decide to expand in the future and may have a future growth role for you! In the interim, keep building your skills to fulfill your own self-improvement goals.
Do Not Wait
When you know a job is a bad fit, for any of the reasons above, all the reasons above, or some other reason, just leave. If the fear of leaving a job too early paralyzes you, here is my record: I resigned 3.5 months into a job that was a bad fit, and gave a one-month notice. When I think about what my coworkers at that job are doing today, I am so glad I no longer work at my previous employer. If any of these reasons to quit a job reminded you of your employer, it is time to make a move. Do not work in a place that makes you unhappy.
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