So, I think I need to quit my job. It's stressful, but all of my friends, family, neighbors, even my doctor says it's time to quit. I want to write my thoughts down and see what you all think.
Pros of the job: my coworkers are awesome. I have a lot of say in what projects I seek out and work on. I'm given a lot of free reign on buying tools I need. I also care about the work I do and enjoy it. Compensation is decent as well.
Cons: my boss/company owner. She doesn't have the business acumen she thinks she has. She has extreme micromanaging issues. She uses fear as a form of discipline, and ensures that you know she can fire you at will. I've watched multiple people get fired. If something doesn't get done on her timeframe, she's looking for someone to blame. Twice now, weather has impacted my work and she demands to know why I didn't get it done. It felt like I was under fire as I explained to her twice that it's illegal to do certain activities in the rain. She tends to change her rules as well, making it difficult to keep up and avoid her strict discipline regime.
She also expects people to operate in her ideal world instead of the reality. She has quarterly polls for the employees, but we're a small company and I have seen her try to deduce who wrote which “anonymous” review. She also put me on a PIP not too long ago. I explained to her that pips were a big deal in nearly every industry and typically it means it's time to look for a new job, and again she got offended that I “wasn't thanking her for the opportunity to get better, but instead was again questioning her decisions.” She wanted me to thank her for the pip.
She has good qualities. She wants to make sure you leave in time to pick up your kid, and she wants to make sure you have the tools you need. But working with her is stressful and had been since the beginning. Sadly, she operates rather oddly as times, and it's hard to tell if she believes them or had read one of her many leadership books and is copying what they say.
Sadly, I know quitting is going to be very hard on my coworkers. I'm in charge of the projects, know where the tools are, what we need to rent, timeframe, etc. And me leaving is going to put a lot of strain on them. I also know that I have a pretty great job in a difficult field. However, the stress this job has been putting on me and my family just isn't worth it, and it's time to leave.
Any advice on making quiting less stressful, or your own stories?