My workplace is decently toxic, but I’ve been defending it because it’s not the worst. It took my husband, my mom, and now my therapist telling me to leave, to finally leave. Communities like this have given me the strength to be honest about why. The text of my resignation will be below:
“This is my resignation and 2 week notice. My last day of work will be Friday, September 2nd, 2022.
I know that my position is the lowest in the firm and my impact small, but I am still a human and I have been treated as less than that on multiple occasions here.
When (coworker name) went on maternity leave, File Team came together to get some information out to the firm to communicate that things would be different for a little while, and to request some patience while they were, since we did not have very long to train with (coworker) before she left. We wanted to go through the proper channels of having you guys send out what we prepared, early on, but you did not. Our efforts were met with scoffing and the thought process of, “No one is going to care, so why try?” Our information was stripped to the bare bones of what would be the easiest to digest for the most difficult people, then was not sent out until (coworker) was almost back. That resulted in a lot of difficulty for us while she was gone. I felt very unsupported during that time because it was inconvenient for everyone else to help us with that small thing.
At one point, I was helping to cover Courier, and there were shots fired at the mall downtown. Our doors were locked and the police scanner was being listened to around the office where we followed along with the police evacuating the mall. I was still pressured to take the deposit to the bank while, even though it was still functioning, had one side of it taped off because the police were handling the situation right next to it. We found out at some point that no one was hurt, but for how often active shooter situations happen in this country and how many people die because of them, it was still really scary. I felt like my life was worth less than dealing with the inconvenience of having the deposit done on a different day.
These are a couple of the larger issues that have made me feel bad working here again, but unfortunately, pretty much everyday brings something more. Even though I work in the basement with only one other person and my job doesn’t require me to interact with very many people in the firm, the toxicity and manipulation still finds and affects me. There is still a war in Ukraine, COVID is still making it’s way through the world, people are suffering real issues everyday, but the focus in our firm ends up being on things like paper towels, paper clips, rubber bands, snacks in the break room, and other small things that turn into huge issues and people melting down. How any work gets done around here is beyond me.
Not only does it affect me, but I watch as the few good people here are bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against because of things as small as a scuff on their shoe. There’s a reason why so many positions here have a high turnaround. This firm functions on an environment where the worst people are catered to because they’re loud and it would be too much of an effort to change things to make them better. What is the point of having HR if there is no power to make things better?
I could go on and on and on, but I think the above is sufficient enough to leave this toxic work environment. I have had multiple people in my life encouraging me to leave, but I have been defending this job. Too much has built up over time and I can no longer stand to be here. I have a pit in my stomach everyday that I know I have to come back. I make less money an hour here than the lowest paid position at Panda Express. If you see me there, know that my situation is better than here.
Sincerely,