I actually wrote this blog post to my future self, so by the time you read this, I would have actually moved on and is hopefully in a different space.
I quit my job on February 22, 2021, in a very, very toxic work environment that was making me physically, mentally, emotionally, and even financially sick! As with any toxic situation, there are always signs and red flags that we often choose to ignore because in our minds “it’s just nothing” and we just brush things off. I managed to make it through the situation for a little over 2 years and realised that what I was going through was not at all the norm and I wasn’t the only one experiencing it. I watched a few YouTube videos, spoke to a few friends and weighed the pros and cons of this place, factored in my bills, expenses, and goals, and nothing aligned with where I was currently. Before I get into things, I must let you know my decision to leave included me doing a lot of thinking and planning as I did not just got up and leave without a plan. Below, I will share the Red Flags or warning signs that were there initially to hopefully help somebody else who might be in this situation.
There was no vetting process: Here in Jamaica, securing a job is about who you know so sometimes a background check is not necessary. However! you are expected to send in your certifications (Degree, High School Diploma, etc) this was not at all asked for and I did the Interview on a Friday and I started working on Monday. Weird right?
Everybody was late: When I accepted this “job” I was told the office was open at 9.00 am. I must let you know I am a morning person and an early bird, so if an office starts at 9.00 am I am at work from 7:30. I arrived at 7:45 and was frantic as I thought I was late and everybody else would be there, but imagine my surprise when the whole team showed up at 11:15 am. I waited in my car for over 3 hours! This should have been red flag #1. This happened for the first 3 weeks until I was given a key but everybody still showed up super late, and I mean everybody even the boss.
The Boss was Shady: The thing I hate the most about any situation (work or life-related) is when people are shady. Shady in that the full story or full truth is never given and when you ask questions you are never given a direct answer. If a new client was signed, we never knew the full story or full scope of work or even the budgets. We would work and things would come up that we knew nothing about and was, in turn, scolded because we didn’t do the thing. How can we do what we didn’t know existed? There is also another side of shady which means 2 faced. My boss also did this passive-aggressive thing we he would hurl insults in the most low-ball ways AND – Shady meaning extremely two-faced. They (the Bosses) would smile in your face and make you feel great then the minute you turned your back, they would bad-mouth you to another team member!
Lack of Respect for Women: This is a sensitive topic, so I will try my best to tread lightly. As a woman in this place, your opinions were never valued and when you spoke out on any of the above issues, you were deemed as “emotional”. This was of course not by the male team members but the boss himself –I have no idea if this is how things were done where he grew up or that is just his personality but all I know is that’s not how things are in Jamaica. Women hold high positions and high functioning roles and are respected and not deemed as “emotional” when they speak out on issues. This of course played on my emotional and mental state as I found my opinions were not being valued so I just stopped saying anything and agreed with the B.S. just to keep the peace. If you are a woman in a male dominated industry I’m sure you can relate to this.
Woman on the Move: I Quit my Job & this Happened
I plan to make this a series and will send this here as I want this Blog to be a resource to help women to be their best selves regardless of where they are in life.
Ladies, if you are in a toxic situation, please start making plans to leave. I am not telling you to up and quit (unless you are rich or have an amazing support system) but you should never stay in any situation that makes you question your self worth.
Click the link to read my previous post called .
Be sure to visit the Blog every Tuesday for my “Woman on the Move Series”. I hope to grow this series into a regular here at Haute People and feature other women who are on their journey to a better life.
If you found value in this post, please share with your family and friends on Social Media and Bookmark the page so you can return to it whenever you wish.
#Woman on the Move: I Quit my Job & this Happened
#Woman on the Move: I Quit my Job & this Happened
#Woman on the Move: I Quit my Job & this Happened
#Woman on the Move: I Quit my Job & this Happened
