I am seeking advice from anyone who has challenged their employer for QOL improvements. I am also speaking with family members on this situation, but I would appreciate it if someone with firsthand experience could weigh in.
A little background: my job has been short staffed for a while, but recently it has gotten so much worse. Not only is my mental health rapidly declining, but my physical health has taken a huge hit as well. I have realized in the past weeks that if nothing changes soon, this job will probably kill me in one way or another. That being said, there is a shift that is more tolerable. Still short staffed, but the workload is considerably more manageable and it's easier to find support from management. I applied for a move to this position in February and received approval. As soon as my current position is filled, I can move over.
It is also worth noting that this job pays decently and has amazing benefits – something that is difficult to find with my level of education. If I leave this job, it will be for a huge pay cut and a downgrade in benefits. It's the only reason I've stayed for this long. It's the reason I looked to change shifts instead of just leaving for another job.
I accepted that it will likely be a while before my position is filled – we've had an open position on my shift for basically a year and we have yet to hire anybody. The job posting is out there and people have been interviewed, but no one hired. But then someone else on my team quit. Meaning that now I have to wait for TWO positions to be filled before I can move over – something that definitely won't happen for at least 6 months (and that's being optimistic).
Here's what I need advice on:
I was planning on quitting. I can't continue to sacrifice my health like this. But instead of just leaving without trying to make things better, perhaps I can go to my boss with my concerns. Basically ask that they move me to the new shift ASAP, or I leave. Ideally I come in with another job offer, but I don't know how long that will take and if I can wait that long. I need to do this in the coming week. I don't like the idea of quitting without another job lined up, but I do have money saved. Worst case scenario, they say no.