Soaring Over Stress, Episode Thirteen ~ I Quit!

The transcript is about the importance of addressing toxic work environments and employee well-being. It highlights the leading reasons why employees quit, such as toxic company culture, low salary, poor management, and lack of work-life balance. The article emphasizes the negative consequences of neglecting employee well-being, including decreased productivity, reduced performance, and high attrition rates. The importance of open communication, trust, and creating a positive work environment is also discussed. The narrator shares personal experiences of workplace stress and the impact it has had on their physical and mental health. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Soaring Over Stress, an SOS for navigating stress and anxiety in the workplace and beyond. I'm your host, Amy Rae, and today we're going to be talking about the famous words, I quit. The famous last words some of us long to say at some point in our lives. While some of us have said it, others sit on the fence day after day unsure if it's the right decision to make or not. In this episode, we'll be discussing the toxic work environment, the consequences of neglecting employees' well-being, and when to hold on and when to move on. Of course, it won't always be that cut and dry. There will be times like the one I'm currently facing where it's difficult to know which road to take. No matter what, I'm here to help and hopefully this episode will shed some more light onto which path you might possibly need to take. Ultimately, of course, the decision is yours. But let's dive in and see if we can find some clarity in this difficult situation. I recently came across an article on LinkedIn written by Carol Schultz, July 20th, 2023, titled, The Leading Reason Your Employees May Leave. I thought it was a really good article and I would share it with you now. Following a period of massive overturn coined the Great Resignation, leaders must prioritize their employees moving forward. Wide-scale tech layoffs have led many to search for new positions. One determining factor for those searching is how a company treats its employees. To become a sought-after organization, you must first look within your organization and analyze why workers are leaving in the first place. We've got the facts. The number one reason people quit their job is a toxic company culture. That is why I am considering leaving myself. Closely followed by low salary, 59%, poor management, 56%, and lack of health-work-life balance, 49%, according to FlexJob surveys. High employee turnover can be costly for an organization due to loss of productivity, decreased morale, and increased recruitment expenses. Moreover, employee retention is essential for maintaining a positive company culture. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to be committed to their work and contribute to overall success of the organization. Therefore, understanding the cause of quitting is crucial for them. Let's explore the top reasons employees quit and how to avoid this situation in the first place. Now, of course, this article is being written from the viewpoint of the employer, not the employee, but still I feel like it could shed light for those of us that are the employees. Number one, a toxic work environment. This is the leading cause of people leaving their positions, so it's not one to ignore. Such an environment is characterized by negativity, stress, a lack of support from colleagues, and management. I am literally getting choked up just reading this because of the stress that I have gone under at this particular job and it's been, you know, coworkers and management. Anyway, I digress. The article goes on to say it can be caused by several things, including poor communication, lack of recognition, bullying, harassment, and discrimination. An environment as such can stem from just one person and can infect an entire office. When employees become a part of it, they could experience a range of negative emotions, including anxiety, frustration, and low self-esteem. This can lead to burnout and possibly distract them while at work. Moreover, employees who work in a toxic environment may also suffer from physical and mental health issues, such as headaches, insomnia, and depression. I'm going to stop reading the article for just a second and say that I feel that I am slipping into a depression because of ongoing issues at work. Moreover, last week I had an issue with my health that was so severe my blood pressure was stroke worthy. I need to pay attention to this and I don't know, I feel like a lot of times I try to push through and make it through. I try to work through issues. I try to talk to coworkers if there are issues and kind of work them out. I don't know how to make it better. I don't know how to deal with the silent treatment. I don't know how to deal with people being difficult, people being, I don't even know what the words are for it, but it's very, very hard for me and I find myself crying a lot. It shouldn't have to be that way. It just shouldn't have to be that way. I go back to the article. It says, to identify if your workplace is toxic, there are several key signs that you can observe. First, note the behavior of colleagues and superiors. Are they consistently rude, disrespectful, or overly competitive? Toxic workplace often fosters a culture of negativity and hostility that can lead to employees being absent. Competition between peers can benefit organizations, but too much rivalry isn't healthy. Additionally, excessive micromanaging and a lack of trust can be toxic. If employees are consistently being scrutinized and their contributions are undervalued, it may be time to reassess management. Trusting that workers will do their job will empower them to do the best work they can. Another red flag is poor communication and lack of transparency. I'm going to have to say that the director that we currently have is better than the last one, but she would have no problem lying to you, your dying grandmother, your son, and his pet turtle, because she lies all the time, which makes me unable to trust her. It's a very difficult situation to be in. And back to the article. In a toxic workplace, information may be withheld, leading to confusion and mistrust among employees. Layoffs, for example, can be a sensitive situation to communicate. Think about it this way. How would you like to be told that you're getting laid off? As a leader, you can take steps to fix or initiate a positive work environment that fosters collaboration, respect, and open communication. Since communication is critical, employers should encourage open dialogue between employees and management, allowing everyone to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. This can be achieved through regular team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and a culture of feedback where people can share issues when they occur without fearing repercussions. A true culture of feedback is initiated by top leadership who openly ask for negative feedback, showing that it's welcomed and safe. I will have to say that at my workplace, the owner has always been so kind, so caring, so compassionate, and he's one of the reasons I haven't left. He's definitely one of the reasons I haven't left. The problem is I don't work with him. I work for him, and I don't know if it can be changed. The article goes on to speak about low salaries, how not enough compensation can make it difficult for employees to make their basic needs, causing financial stress and anxiety, which can further impact their performance. It also mentions poor management. That has been an issue for me, although it is getting better. Poor management refers to the ineffective and inefficient handling of resources, people, and process in organizations. Lack of work-life balance. I'm sure we're all very, very well accustomed to what that may mean. There's several reasons why the article goes on to say balance in and out of the office is so important. First, it will have a positive impact on one's physical and mental health. Secondly, having a balance will improve motivation as employees feel more valued and supported by their employers. Finally, it will lead to an increased productivity and efficiency as employees are able to focus more on fully working on their job rather than being distracted by their personal life. Next, we're going to discuss the consequences of neglecting employees' well-being. This is written by David Lee, career coach, and you can find him on LinkedIn. He's got a bunch of different categories here. The consequences of neglecting employees' well-being, number one, decreased productivity. When employees are not taking care of their well-being, they may be more prone to stress, fatigue, and burnout. Two, reduced performance. Employees who are not well may struggle to concentrate or perform tasks effectively, reducing their quality of work. Three, high attrition rates. Employees want to feel as though they are cared for. Neglecting staff's well-being can lead to high attrition rates. I will stop right there for a second and say last week when I was having issues, I knew there was something going on with my heart. I felt flush. I feel like I was having what's called a cataplectic attack because I have cataplexy, which is brought on by strong emotions, by the way. And I actually had a coworker walk into the room, see me on the floor twice, and say nothing. Then when I called to the front for them to come help me, when I finally could move, I did get coverage, but the coverage came in and didn't even ask if I was okay, just kept saying, you can go, you can go. And meanwhile, I could barely walk to go. And I don't know what the disconnect there is with that particular person, but I was really struggling and she was like bee-bopping around me the entire time. I overheard her say to one of the directors, if she can't be well, maybe she shouldn't be in a classroom. I guess she forgot all the times when I come in on a moment's notice or the fact that I've readjusted my permanent schedule to make up for their lack of staffing because so many people have quit. I guess she forgot that. So I guess I can show up and be in the classroom when it's convenient for her, but if I happen to not be doing well mentally or physically, maybe I shouldn't be in the classroom at all. She really needs to think about those words and she and those words may be one of the reasons why I ultimately decided to leave. Not to mention the fact that they shouldn't have sent me home without really checking in with me to some degree. I would have appreciated that. Again, back to the owner, he always does and it means a lot to me. Increased absenteeism. Poor well-being can result in higher rates of absenteeism as employees may need to take time off of work to manage their physical and mental health issues. Reduced satisfaction. When employees feel that their well-being is not being prioritized by their employers, as in the example I just shared, they may feel less satisfied with their job and more likely to leave. There it is, right there. And lastly, decreased morale. And this is true for me. Poor mental health can contribute to negative workplace culture, impacting employees' morale and engagement. Again, I feel myself getting choked up because I do love what I do. I love it very much. But I'm afraid that the workplace culture is going to force me to have no other choice but to leave. And so that's where I particularly am at at this point in time. So when should we stay and when should we move on? When may it be time to quit our jobs? Well, when we're no longer motivated to complete our daily tasks, when we feel overworked or burnout or want to move beyond our current position into a more advanced one. In another article written by Corsica, it says the following five signs for when you should possibly quit your job. It says, number one, a lack of growth opportunity. For me, that is not a number one reason. Maybe these aren't in priority. They're just numbered one to five. Most people hope to move up the career ladder at work so they can increase their compensation, develop more skill sets, and improve their contributions to the company. Number two, ethical complications. I have had some ethical complications, actually more than some at this particular job. I won't get into it. Three, challenging leadership. Oh, my God, yes. The leadership has been very difficult. Thankfully, it has been replaced. But the replacement, one of them is very good in my eyes. The other one, again, lies a lot, and so it's difficult for me to decide how to feel about that particular person. Number four says lack of passion, and number five is mental health considerations. I have to say that our mental health will inevitably affect our physical health if we ignore it too long. I have been working very hard trying to process so much that has gone on at my workplace, from the director resigning, thankfully, to somebody else being fired, to more people quitting. I thought, okay, here's a fresh restart. Maybe it will be good, and it just started all over again. I don't know how to work in an environment that doesn't work together, that does not collab together, where there's cliques, where I've been out of high school a very long time, and even when I was in it, it was challenging. That's something I want to revisit. While I recognize that this kind of thing is going to happen in a workplace that's primarily female-oriented, overall, I want to be able to work with people who view the job the same way I do, with the same amount of urgency in terms of, I'm a preschool teacher, keeping the kids safe mentally, emotionally, physically. I find it to be a very high priority for me to make sure that these children are treated with the utmost respect and taken care of to the best of their ability. When it doesn't happen, and I speak out about it, I become the bad guy. I think, partially, that is how I ended up being ostracized, perhaps. I'm not sure. I really don't know. In any event, these are some of the reasons why you should. Of course, everybody's idea of when to quit and when to stay will change. The decision, ultimately, is up to you. I'm hoping that maybe some parts of this episode have helped you. Leave a comment, will you? Let me know what you think. Are you facing this sort of situation? What would you do if you were in my situation, what I'm going under right now? I'd really, really appreciate your feedback. It would mean so much to me. As always, this is Amy Rae thanking you for tuning in to another episode. Remember, I see you, you matter, and your story counts. Please check out my website, EagleExercises.com. If you want to get in touch with me, you can find my Facebook page, Eagle Exercises, and Facebook message me there. Also, you can find me on LinkedIn. All of the above, Amy Dorwang on LinkedIn, D-O-E-R-W-A-N-G. I want to thank you so much for listening. Again, remember, I see you, you matter, and your story counts.