I quit my job back in January.

-roll credits-

…what, you want more? Okay…

So I had spent 4 years working in the funeral industry as a driver/ambulance guy. There are technical names for it but they vary between funeral homes. All you need to know is I was the guy that would collect bodies from hospitals, nursing homes, residential homes and even out of area. I also washed, shaved, prepped, dressed, and set features for bodies, and then drove the hearse/limo on the funeral. I basically did all the heavy lifting. I was also the reliable one. I would always be the first to arrive and wash the fleet, and I'd usually be one of the last to leave and lock up. Any problems, ask OP. I thrived on high pressure situations. It was bad for my mental health, but I could cope, and I was always the first to volunteer when a job needed doing.

But on with the story.

So my FD left the company back in October, and I applied for the vacant role, as it was at my branch, I know the funeral home better than anyone, and I'm local to the community, so my name carried a bit of weight. I didn't get the job, as I lacked experience. They went for an external hire, and someone with a good rep, from a more reputable funeral company.

Long story short, this new person quit after 3 weeks. She had an issue with how my company ran things, and she made it clear during her exit interview that she had an issue with me. Sometimes it can't be helped and you just don't get on with some people. I understand her problems, but its not something you would have a legit complaint about.

Anyway a month after this new person left, and we're overworked, understaffed and I'm rushed off my feet, and suddenly I get called into a meeting with the regional manager.

Many issues are brought infront of me, and the only thing I was happy to cop the blame for was smoking infront of an FD that has a personal grudge against me, and at that point I had given up caring about what they thought about me. Anyway this was when the complaints from the 3 week FD came to the surface. Most of them were petty and not worth talking about, but it really annoyed me, and by their tone I knew that it would progress to a disciplinary meeting.

So the next day I'm stressed and worried because of an impending disciplinary and as you may expect, a stressed and anxious worker makes more mistakes. Nothing serious mind you, but I had forgotten to sign off on some paperwork after prepping a body the previous night, after staying 2 hours after close just to catch up after the meeting.

So I get a call from the regional manager to inform me of the date of the disciplinary meeting, and then tagged on that I was reported for not signing some paperwork the other night, and that infraction would be included in the disciplinary.

I drafted my resignation that evening and submitted 2 weeks notice the following day. Out of courtesy for my opps manager (the good guy), I informed him I was quitting. He informed me that the upper management were going to sack me after the disciplinary and advised me to quit with no notice, to prevent them from saying I was fired.

Well, later in the day I get a call from regional manager, who acknowledged my resignation, complained that I only gave 2 weeks, and not 4 like they wanted, and he then informed me the disciplinary was still going ahead, and should the outcome not be in my favour, I would be fired before my notice period ended.

I took that as a threat, told him as such and then rescinded my notice and quit effective immediately.

FREEDOM

Over the next 6 months I started working as a freelancer. Cash in hand or bank payments, working for a dozen independent funeral homes as well as working with one of the largest in the country, through a 3rd party company.
I've made plenty of professional connections, loads of friends, gained plenty of help learning the client facing side of things, and last month I was offered a new job with a great company, as a funeral arranger. This is the kind of experience I needed to become an FD, and this new company has an outstanding reputation for looking after the staff, and zero tolerance for bullying from management.

I couldn't be happier and I'm so glad I left that utterly toxic environment. I've left behind some truly lovely and hardworking friends, but I'm already making new friends and experiencing the greener side of the fence.