Should I quit now or later
January 13, 2022 8:36 AM Subscribe
I have a new job and I think I won't want to do it for long. Should I quit now or later?
I applied for a minimum wage job working in a non-medical capacity in a health and social care context in October. I was interviewed and hired on a bank/zeros hours contract. It took them a long time to onboard me, do background checks etc and I didn’t have my first shifts until mid-Dec. I’ve now done 5 shifts and will have around 5 more in Jan. I’ve not been properly trained yet (not done any of the required e-learning, health and safety certificates etc), just been shown the ropes during shifts.
For a few reasons I don’t feel like the role is a good fit for me and I don’t see myself lasting very long. The team is in a state of flux with some long term staff imminently leaving, and lots of difficulty with staffing due to covid. I just have been asked my February availability so my manager can get me on the rota. I feel like I have a few options right now:
- Get rota'd on for Feb, requesting only 1-2 shifts a week to keep it manageable, carry on working for a while, get trained up properly, stick it out for a bit, then if I still want to leave, quit after 6 months or so. I feel tempted to do this because it feels shitty to quit so soon into a new job in a pandemic where everyone working in health and social care is so burnt out.
- Or, tell the manager I don't wish to continue, finish up my January shifts, and then leave, before they’ve sunk more time and resources into me and can get the process going with hiring someone else more quickly. To be honest the idea of this scares me. I've always been really afraid of handing in notice and letting managers down.
I feel really bad for the team to be bailing so fast, especially when they're struggling with staffing because of covid. But I am trying to remain logical that I’m just a bank worker and everything doesn’t depend on me. As I am not a contracted employee I can just ask to be taken off the books if I don’t want any further work, no obligations for notice or anything.
I have 2 other jobs and don’t really need this job.
What to do?
I applied for a minimum wage job working in a non-medical capacity in a health and social care context in October. I was interviewed and hired on a bank/zeros hours contract. It took them a long time to onboard me, do background checks etc and I didn’t have my first shifts until mid-Dec. I’ve now done 5 shifts and will have around 5 more in Jan. I’ve not been properly trained yet (not done any of the required e-learning, health and safety certificates etc), just been shown the ropes during shifts.
For a few reasons I don’t feel like the role is a good fit for me and I don’t see myself lasting very long. The team is in a state of flux with some long term staff imminently leaving, and lots of difficulty with staffing due to covid. I just have been asked my February availability so my manager can get me on the rota. I feel like I have a few options right now:
- Get rota'd on for Feb, requesting only 1-2 shifts a week to keep it manageable, carry on working for a while, get trained up properly, stick it out for a bit, then if I still want to leave, quit after 6 months or so. I feel tempted to do this because it feels shitty to quit so soon into a new job in a pandemic where everyone working in health and social care is so burnt out.
- Or, tell the manager I don't wish to continue, finish up my January shifts, and then leave, before they’ve sunk more time and resources into me and can get the process going with hiring someone else more quickly. To be honest the idea of this scares me. I've always been really afraid of handing in notice and letting managers down.
I feel really bad for the team to be bailing so fast, especially when they're struggling with staffing because of covid. But I am trying to remain logical that I’m just a bank worker and everything doesn’t depend on me. As I am not a contracted employee I can just ask to be taken off the books if I don’t want any further work, no obligations for notice or anything.
I have 2 other jobs and don’t really need this job.
What to do?
Move on so they can get someone who will stick it out. Best for both parties.
posted by briank at 8:52 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by briank at 8:52 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Your use of the term bank hour/zero hour worker suggest you are in the UK. Employment norms are somewhat different country-to-country, so consider that when reading the answers.
I'm not sure why you're trying to pre-emptively quit. You seem to think the job is not a long-term fit, but that's distinct from actively disliking a job. A job that isn't a long-term prospect still pays your bills.
I also don't think you should view this as a "quit or don't quit" binary option. There's a third option here - keep the job, but look for a new job at the same time. If you are able to find a new job, quit your current job. If you aren't able to find a new job, you can keep your current job as long as necessary to pay your bills.
You should have zero loyalty to an organization that provides you with no hours. They are demonstrating no loyalty to you; there's no reason you should pay any back to them. Of all the things you mention here, I think you should immediately dispense with the notion of feeling bad for your team. A team that's worth feeling bad for would give you reliable work.
posted by saeculorum at 8:53 AM on January 13, 2022 [7 favorites]
I'm not sure why you're trying to pre-emptively quit. You seem to think the job is not a long-term fit, but that's distinct from actively disliking a job. A job that isn't a long-term prospect still pays your bills.
I also don't think you should view this as a "quit or don't quit" binary option. There's a third option here - keep the job, but look for a new job at the same time. If you are able to find a new job, quit your current job. If you aren't able to find a new job, you can keep your current job as long as necessary to pay your bills.
You should have zero loyalty to an organization that provides you with no hours. They are demonstrating no loyalty to you; there's no reason you should pay any back to them. Of all the things you mention here, I think you should immediately dispense with the notion of feeling bad for your team. A team that's worth feeling bad for would give you reliable work.
posted by saeculorum at 8:53 AM on January 13, 2022 [7 favorites]
I have 2 other jobs and don’t really need this job.Can you explain why you took the job? Otherwise I see no reason not to quit as soon as your zero hours contract allows, i.e. immediately.
posted by caek at 9:46 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yeah the whole alleged advantage of a zero hours contract is supposed to be flexibility. Minimum commitment in either direction. You can walk away any time.
posted by rd45 at 10:52 AM on January 13, 2022
posted by rd45 at 10:52 AM on January 13, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hydra77 at 8:52 AM on January 13, 2022 [1 favorite]