I know it repeats a lot of stories on here, but I just needed to share how grateful I am to this community sharing stories about work conditions and how to prioritize what is really important in life.
I took a new job in February 2022 and very quickly realized that it was not a good fit. I was lied to in the interviews about what the job actually entailed, and the department had a culture of toxic positivity but no centralized training or structure or support (a terrible combination – me being told I am doing great work but I can get none of my questions answered). Some of the perks were nice at first (working from home 4 days a week), but they got old when I still didn't have a grasp on the job 4 months in (doesn't help that two other people in my department left for new jobs in that time and all their responsibilities got placed onto us).
I'm relatively location-bound, so I found a job back in my old field that would a great fit, and I applied. I was naive and told my boss to try and be transparent, and that's when the shit hit the fan. All of a sudden, I'm “not a team player” and my work isn't meeting expectations, even though I hadn't changed the way I had done anything (and I asked for specifics and got no answers). I was at the bottom when they told me because I was applying for jobs they were going to let me go (I was still in my 6 month probation period and work in an at-will state). The bosses straight up ignored me in in-person meetings and wouldn't respond to my emails.
It was then that I found this group, learned about my rights as a worker, and realized that I was worth more, and no job was worth this kind of abuse. I kept applying for jobs and got one that is a better fit for my skills, has a supportive team, and pays me nearly 35% more than my current salary. It was the best feeling to turn in my resignation and see my boss being surprised (what, did you expect me to stay another month and be nice and then be let go?).
They have completely ignored me for the last two weeks, and I have just sat around doing nothing and collecting a paycheck. Happy to do that and leave them in the dust after this Thursday. Thank you Antiwork!