Looking to interview people who quit their job during the pandemic because of their boss

monicakarpinski·Dec 20, 2021

Posted in:Favors

Hi Elphas,

I'm Monica, and I'm working on a series about "The Great Resignation". I'm looking to speak with people who quit their job because of their boss (or management in general).

I'm just looking for a few quotes on what it was that made you quit. Perhaps they pressured you to come in when it was unsafe or put profit above the needs of their people during the pandemic. Maybe they were unaccomodating of your caring responsibilities or just point-blank refused to accept any dip in productivity while we were all dealing with everything we were dealing with!

Quotes can be anonymous. The aim of this series is to name types of workplace cultures and behaviours that people are now walking away from—and that hopefully won't stand up as the Great Resignation continues.

The series has been commissioned by a client of mine, a new startup called workpin who make tech to support flexible/remote working.

A reply here will do but my DMs are also open! Feel free to email me as well if you prefer: [email protected].

Thank you! :)

Monica

Lonna90·Dec 20, 2021

I left my company because I realised how toxic my boss was and created a workplace of fear and uncertainty. They all sucked and I am so much better off now!

monicakarpinski·Dec 21, 2021

Hey, thanks so much for your reply! Glad to hear you're better off! Do you want to tell me more about what happened, either via here or DM? :)

Lonna90·Dec 21, 2021

What happened as in when I announced my resignation?

monicakarpinski·Dec 23, 2021

No, sorry — I meant, what happened to make you realise it was time to leave? Did something specific happen that was the last straw or was it a realisation over time?

Lonna90·Dec 23, 2021

Oh oh wow I don't know why I didn't understand it this way in the first place haha!So it was actually a series of things: when we went remote my boss went apesh*t and he showed his true colors. He acts like a child, thows tantrums and frankly acts like he is bipolar (I am not saying this lightly as I know it is a serious condition that needs to be treated) but it was scary and a toxic place for me and many of us around.I knew this was not going to be a place for me in the long run but let's say all these events accelerated my departure. When I announced he went even more apesh*t calling me names etc. but now jokes is on him because I am doing really well without him and he is hating that (I know because my ex colleagues who are still there told me)

monicakarpinski·Jan 07, 2022

Thanks so much for sharing! Sounds like an awful place, I'm pleased you're out of there!!

Ray29·Dec 21, 2021

I left my prev company as our CEO thought that positioning himself as 'not scared of Covid' and demanding we continue to travel / go into the office as normal, would make us respect him more. We didn't, and after I got Covid and then long Covid, I'd had enough and quit. I can see on Linkedin a few others quit too. I started my own company thereafter, the whole situation made me rethink what I was going to put up with in life.

monicakarpinski·Dec 21, 2021

Thanks so much for replying and sharing your experience! Was there one particular moment when you decided that enough was enough, or was it more a build up of different factors? Feel free to DM me your reply if you prefer! :)

Charlie·Dec 22, 2021

I left my job because my former boss made the environment quite toxic with his fears and micromanagement.

monicakarpinski·Dec 23, 2021

Hey Charlie, thanks for replying! I'm sorry to hear that, what sort of things would he do?

SabrinaMoscola·Dec 28, 2021

Happy to help! But would like my quote to be anonymous :)

monicakarpinski·Jan 07, 2022

Hey Sabrina! Thanks so much for replying & that's great — no problem, we can definitely keep you anonymous! So what was it that made you quit? Feel free to DM if you prefer not to reply over here, you can also email me: [email protected] :)

Coffee·Dec 28, 2021

I haven't left my job yet, but I'm actively looking. My workplace is stagnant and my manager is past retirement age but refuses to retire bc he wants a higher pension. As a result of this, he just sits around all day while assigning me all of the work for our 2-person team. This has been exacerbated by Covid/hybrid work because he'll disappear for hours at a time and tell me he's "tied up with something" and won't be able to help me. And since we're public employees I know he makes 25K more than me, which is plain insulting. So that's why I'm looking for a new job and on Elpha!

monicakarpinski·Jan 07, 2022

Hey Coffee, thank you so much for sharing your experience! That sounds really frustrating, I hope you find the right role for you soon! :)

Donnette149·Jan 06, 2022

I had not one but two CEOs badly manage the pandemic, and now I have just accepted a new job offer so I can get the heck out of that job. The first CEO told me I "can't just hide in the basement and live in fear." This was in Spring 2020, when the whole world was working remote. He also tried to send me on an international business trip the week the US shut our borders to non-citizens and didn't allow me to shift my hours when my kid's daycare shut down, again during the height of the pandemic. The new CEO made a series of faux pas as well, including asking me if I wasn't doing social things with my colleagues during the pandemic "just because" I was pregnant at the time and refusing to let me use sick time when my kid was sent home from school for a Covid exposure. He also called and messaged outside of work hours, created a misogynistic culture and overworked the good employees while letting the nonproductive employees carry on as they pleased. There are so many other things I could cite, but you probably get the idea.

monicakarpinski·Jan 07, 2022

Hey Donnette! Thanks so much for sharing your experience and I'm sorry you had to deal with these people!