Original post is here for all those who want to see it.
Short tldr: After undergoing 5 years of abuse and overwork, I was offered a job that was fully remote and with better pay/benefits. I was hesitant about switching jobs due to changing health insurances/fear of change. I told my previous employer that I was willing to stay if they offered me work from home (I didn't even ask for a pay increase!) full time, and they told me that I should just be grateful I have a job and I needed to come back to the office right away. I got so mad I quit and hung up on them.
So after that initial phone call (and post here), I got another phone call the next day from my previous employer asking if I had “decided on what I was doing”. I reiterated that I quit, and they pulled out a full guilt trip on how I can't leave them high and dry. I hung up again, but decided ultimately to finish out the 2 weeks since I could use the paycheck.
The two weeks were wild, they kept acting like I wasn't leaving. They kept assigning me new projects that I couldn't possibly finish, and every time I brought up my departure they'd talk over me or ignore me. Whatever, I kept telling myself it wasn't my problem anymore so I decided to just half-ass everything until my time was up and get that last paycheck.
On my last day, I went to turn in my computer and everyone in the office kept asking me to do more work. I kept telling them it's my last day, I'm leaving, my computer is being turned in, I can't possibly work any further. One of the execs even got teary and kept wailing about “But who is going to do all this!” I shrugged and said you guys had 2 weeks to figure it out, and that was generous of me. The CEO ran out of the back door as soon as he heard me come in through the front so he wouldn't have to say goodbye, lol. He continued texting me to do work through out the day, so I ended up blocking his number.
Then I started my new job and it's been a dream! The pay and benefits are so, so much better. There isn't a bullying problem here, and it's almost like the blinders were pulled off of me. I didn't realize how abusive my old work place was until I was working with a team of actual nice people. For months, I'd react like a battered housewife, every time I'd make a mistake I'd be on the brink of tears and overly apologetic but everyone here has been nothing but kind and supportive and understanding. Of course, there is always room for improvement, but it's like night and day better.
Meanwhile, every few weeks I'd get a phone call from my old company. Here are some highlights of what they have asked/what has happened:
- None of this paperwork is getting done and no one knows how to do it, if I don't tell them they will lose money – NOT MY PROBLEM!
- Will I come back if they hire me an assistant? – NO
- Will I come back if they hire me an assistant and match my pay – NO and you are supposed to give a counter offer before someone leaves for a new job, not months afterwards LOL
- Now my old position has been split into 2 positions and has 2 different job postings because they can't find anyone who can do all of it – LOL NOT MY PROBLEM!
- We hired someone for one of the positions, but they quit on the spot and walked out after 4 days – LOL GOOD FOR THEM!
- They sent me a contract to be an on call consultant for them. Like they didn't even ask, they just sent it to my email with the email body saying 'please sign and return as soon as possible' – I ALREADY HAVE A JOB!
- Now my old position has been split into 3 different positions with 3 job postings – LOL
- My absence has made one of my former coworkers so stressed out that she's now in the hospital, I should be ashamed of myself and come back just to help her – IT'S NOT ME OVERWORKING HER TO DEATH ITS THIS COMPANY!
- Now my old position has been split into 4 (that's right, fucking four) different positions with 4 different job postings – HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
- Will I come back if they literally offer me double the money, with an assistant? – I was so glad they asked because I got to tell them straight up “There are some things money can't buy, and I didn't quit over money so you can't get me back with money.”
- We are losing tons of money and may have to layoff people soon if you don't come back! – SORRY BUT FUCK YOU!
Moral of the story: NEVER ACCEPT THE COUNTER and don't put up with bullshit! I felt so powerless all those 5 years because I grew up in poverty, and didn't have any safety net to tell them no or to tell them to back off. Now the company is floundering and I realized how much happier I could be with a different environment. It doesn't matter what your background is, you deserve respect and your basic needs met. I don't care if you don't have any education, where you were born, what you do in your spare time we all deserve respect and boundaries.
Take it from me, I'll always advocate for the working person and this is proof that WE DESERVE AND CAN ACHIEVE BETTER TOGETHER!!!!
Happy holidays yall!
Edit: forgot one other bullet point because they were so many in the past year