5 signs it’s time to quit your job

There’s nothing worse than being unhappy in your job – and wanting to quit on a daily basis.

Security and a regular pay cheque are great, but if your job leaves you feeling sad, mad, unappreciated or downright powerless, it’s no surprise you dream about getting out of there.

And although 80 percent of 2022 respondents in our Feel Good Index Report said they liked or loved their job (compared to 73 percent in 2021), 57 percent admitted they were open to something better. This is a jump from 49 percent in 2021, and does align with articles we’ve written about The Great Resignation, which has had varying impacts globally.

If you’re in that 57 percent of employees who are open to a better role or one that’ll make you happier at work, here are five signs it’s time to quit your job.

1. You dread going to work

We all have days when we’d rather stay in bed and not darken the door of the office – that’s natural. But if you feel sluggish, unhappy and unmotivated every day, and downright anxious at the thought of the long day ahead, that’s not a great sign.

At the same time, you may find your weekends start to become all-important, as you compartmentalise your misery into the 9-5. But using Saturdays and Sundays as your only reprieve from the unhappiness at work is no way to live! It’s clearly time to quit and find yourself something more suited who you are and what you want to do.

2. You’re micromanaged and under-valued

Our 2022 Report found a number of things were important in employees feeling happier at work – and autonomy was a big one. If everything you do is being micromanaged or questioned, or you don’t feel free to work autonomously, that can leave you miserable and wanting to hit the eject button.

Don’t forget, managers and bosses can have a lot of power over your career progression and your quality of life, so if you’re not happy with the leadership style, it could be time to quit.

3. You don’t like who you are at work

Generally, you’re a pleasant, friendly person who’s nice to be around. So you know something’s up when a particular job starts to changes your whole personality.

Things to look out for include getting overly irritable at colleagues when something’s missed, responding to situations with extreme anger, and generally being someone that people start to avoid in the hallway. If you’re taking your anger home and your friends and family start commenting on how you ‘used to be’, that’s a sign that the job’s not right for you.

4. Deep down, you’re passionate about other things

The job itself may be ok, and perhaps at one time you were interested and motivated by the work, but things have changed. You may have gained new skills you want to explore – or you may have a side hustle you’re more passionate about instead. Or perhaps you just want to try a whole new career or industry.

Those are all great reasons to quit your job – because after all, you don’t want to be still sitting there in ten years’ time, going through the motions, and wondering what might have been.

5. The job feels like a career dead end

If you’ve got skills and experience you’re not using, or there’s no opportunity for reskilling or career progression at your current role, that can lead to unhappiness at work – and was something that came up repeatedly in our research.

What we found was that workers wanted varied training opportunities and an organisation that valued learning and development. According to our findings, personal growth is an even bigger priority for job-seekers in 2022. Without growth, you can easily stagnate – so if there’s no training or skilling opportunities on offer, it’s definitely time to call it a day.

Want more data from our Frontline Feel Good Index Report?

Download now; it’s packed with the latest stats and insights about what makes us happy at work – or how to create a happier working environment.