Have you ever just suddenly quit a job?

Yes. I worked as a waiter at a cafe, and I left without telling my boss because she was bipolar, forget to pay me and the other workers more than once, and she use to fuck the roster up for all of us because she was all over the place. She'd blame everything on us but everything was literally her fault. So I just left without giving her any notice of me leaving. She never called to ask why or anything too.

I had a retail job in college and a guy I liked invited me to go to the beach with him for the weekend. I didn't even call in, just never went back to that job. One of the best weekends of my life, no regrets.

I had been working since I was 16, plus had a lawn mowing business since I was 13, and had a very good work ethic and never had done anything like that before or since. It was a lame job at A&S department store where employees were treated like children, so I decided to act like one.

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, that much is true, but even then I knew I'd find a much better way, either with or without you.

So I left.

More times than I can remember

Only while in college once.

Twice, sort of. In both jobs (one as a receptionist, the other as a data analyst) I had already given my two weeks but stopped going in a week later because I wanted a week off before I started the new job. I logged into my work email from home to let my supervisor know, and ignored the phone for the rest of the day.

Yes. Walked out on a fat, abusive psychotic boss who resembled a troll in appearance and in personality. World’s most awful woman. No regrets whatsoever.

R3 Don't, don't you want me?

I was helping friends prep for a road trip to San Francisco and they asked me to join them. They were leaving the following morning so our first stop was to the store where I worked so I could slip a note under the door explaining my absence to the owners.

I was young and dumb but had a blast on the trip. The store owners had been very kind to me and didn’t deserve my flakiness. But that was in 1994 so they are probably either over it or dead by now.

Worked in a gym way back in my twenties ( 60 next year ). New owner basically said if I didn’t have sex with him he’d bring in someone who previously worked there who was looking to come back. That owner was a friend of my partner and the bloke who wanted to return was a mate of mine. Classy. Walked out there and then.

Walked straight into a crazy adventure of a job as a doorman/bouncer and didn’t look back.

Office job in NYC, 1995. Belligerent boss who became "touchy" after two days. GONE.

Worked for an insurance company on the technical side. I had to code from their proposed system (in Oracle), then transfer the data (UNIX), and import and provision it in their policy system (in Sybase). Got the code written/finished early for a big project, but at the same time I really detested the company. They were abusive, and every day it was something new. I had to start sharing my tiny cube with a guy who never bathed and didn't believe in deodorant. And even though I was done with my part of the project, the rest of the team wasn't.

CFO decreed that everyone was to come in for 10 hour days, 6 days per week until EVERYONE was done with the project. Complete waste of time and money since I was being paid by the hour, and was literally being paid to do nothing but sit at my desk next to the stankiest jerk alive. Went home that Friday, anticipated having to go back Saturday, and found out my mother in law who lived out of state had a stroke. I walked in Saturday morning and got chastised for being late, so I put all my code in a share directory, typed up instructions, gave it to my boss, and walked out.

Never looked back.

R7, did you give that troll a piece of your mind when you walked out or at least leave mid-sentence?

Went to work at a breakfast/lunch store/restaurant for downtown workers, as mostly a sandwich maker, and I could have loved it except: the boss was an absolute jerk that kept many of the others close to quitting too, some of the fellow workers were bizarrely jerks to newbies, the station was understaffed for the rushes that hit us on lunch breaks, the pay was absolute minimal.

The mix of it all had me quit within a week. Even for another min wage job, I enjoyed the next one soon after at a tourist trap casual fine dining restaurant where I was a dishwasher (and later assistant) in a better place, free fine-dining level meals, friendlier coworkers, a more secluded workstation, and able to take extended breaks or go on local market shopping trips for ingredients. Most there loved me, but eventually management started culling a bunch of us (not just me) and I was fired for too habitually being up to 5 minutes late (a bs reason, its more likely its because I was clear about returning to college so they wanted to slot someone else in). This was after a summer after a kitchen and dining area fire that ruined the place for months while it was still booked for weddings so we had to use other locations, with fewer staff (due to quitting), on fewer hours, on little to no bonus pay. Yeah, they're so very grateful. Remember that when you're paid minimally/minimum, that's the indication that their loyalty to you is also the absolute minimum. It would have been better if I walked off to get quickly picked up somewhere else, maybe that time as a better paid server.

Still, this place was better than the one I quickly quit. Why bother when abuse being flung at you while you're even doing good work, let alone bad?

I didn’t tell her off but I did leave mid-sentence. She was mentally ill and a raging menopausal bitch and I asked her for guidance with something wrt to work, she snapped at me (for the umpteenth time). Note that she flat out refused to train me and when I would muddle through something, she would then yell at me for doing it wrong. This game had been going on for a month and I finally said, “so you seem unhappy with my work.” And she made her usual pig noises at me and I said “okay”, then I grabbed my things and walked out. She wanted to then “talk” a few days later and I told her she was the worst person in the world and I was going to make it my personal business to tell everyone what a horrible bitch she was and she didn’t shower enough. It was a great moment and her name is mud.

Sorry that was for r13.

R15

Thankfully I've never been in a situation (like being harassed) where I needed to quit immediately. I've always given my two weeks. Though there were a few times where I wanted to walk off the job and never come back, but I waited until I found another before giving notice.

R17 I actually got asked out on a date DURING A JOB INTERVIEW. Guy wanted to let me know that I was a great candidate, but also if I was free to meet up later that night "For dinner and such." I declined.

R3 You made my day!

Yes. Many eons ago when I was a teen, I was working at a grocery store part time as many high schoolers do. Well, I always showed up, never late, would even work for other people to get more hours. So on one Saturday night there was a party I heard about that several friends were going to. Kegs, all you could drink for 5 bucks. I begged for somebody to fill in for me. I even acted like I was getting an upset stomach. I just wanted to leave that one night. My manager was a complete cunt about it, so I walked out. She lost a good employee because she couldn't fill in on the register for a few hours and let me leave. And here I am, 50 yrs old, and still in retail. Even in management, the hours suck. I guess I never learned.

Twice.

The first time was a government job. The boss was totally reaming out one of the employees in front of everyone (we all had to crowd around and watch this spectacle). As I watched this performance, I realized I couldn't work here so at lunch time I went to lunch and never returned.

The second time was when I worked at a phone company. My supervisor was a total cunt. Whenever I asked a question about how to do something or what some symbol or whatever meant, she'd be all "What do you think that means? How do you think you'd do it?" without ever giving me an answer. I finally got sick of it and just walked out one day. While I waited for the elevator, the woman in charge of the temps came running out begging me to stay but I said no and got in the elevator and left.

Both times I was in my early 20s. My temp agency wasn't impressed but they got over it and eventually I got a permanent job without them.

I worked at a Kmart at 16 starting in the summer, and for a macho dickwad. I was very skinny, not a brute. I could barely manage in the stock room and with huge trains of shopping carts in the parking lot. My nerd friends worked at Marshall's and the lipstick lesbian store manager said she would hire me on the spot so I quit Kmart that day. Marshall's turned into a nice job during HS and that manager was very kind, amenable, and gave us lots of responsibility with just the right amount of management. She was generous with praise. Can you imagine, one of the best bosses in 40 years of working was in High School, in retail?

bump

"I went to lunch and never returned"

I've often heard of people who do that, but in my 23 years of working, I've never seen it first hand.

I was 28 and shared a secretary with my cunt boss. A miserable cunt. She hired this 40something gay guy to replace another secretary (female) who quit after 6 months. Oh my god after 3 weeks this guy was in bad shape and he was eating at his desk because cunt forbid him to take lunch offsite. I told him to go to lunch and he replied I think I will do that and yes, never came back. A month later she fired me.

I've suddenly quit lots of jobs. The larger employers generally do want you to work two more weeks while they find a replacement.

The smaller employers generally don't even want you working two more weeks. Not sure if that a "fuck you" or maybe just a smart business decision. (Who needs a disgruntled employee working for two more weeks.)

Yes, R26, and often they'll fire you if they find out you're LOOKING for a job with no one to replace you.

When I was 19, I worked for a dentist. In Dec, got a very bad case of flu and had to take a few days off (should have taken a week). Not only did he not hire a temp, he left all of the dirty instruments in the sink and all of the paperwork/billing in a pile. Then he didn't give me a year end bonus because he was pissed that I 1) took too much time off for the flu, 2) I had stopped speaking to him other than the perfunctory hello-goodbye. I should have walked, but waited till he fired me a week or so later.

Yes, when I was a debt collector briefly in my 20's. That job fucking /sucked/.

Once in college when I worked at a pizza place in the late 70s. I basically had a nervous after realizing I was gay. I walked out of work one Saturday morning when I was prepping the place to open. I went back later and talked to the owners.

It turns out the night manager had been redoing my paperwork (I was the weekend manager) and embezzling money. They thought that I was in on it because of my strange behavior and because my paperwork was off as well. I told them the truth, they believed me and offered me my job back.

I've done it many times. However I think it's best to leave on good terms with the company. Karma is a bitch.

Also as I get older, I'm worried about quitting and not finding another job easily. I actually quite my job lost year in a moment of clarity and sanity. I gave 2 months notice and was relieved and excited about the future. Then the panic set in as, the date became closer. I thought perhaps, if they offer my an easier position, with the same salary, I'd stay. The next day they did, and I stayed.

I'm not sure if I made the right decision, or not.

It was a bad habit of mine when I was younger. I don't do that anymore. The last time I quit my job, the decision was sudden, but I sent my boss an E-mail saying that I was quitting. The whole department went into a meltdown, trying to talk me out of it. I eventually returned to the same job (still have it). I needed to take care of my parents when they were going downhill, and that mattered more to me than any job.

Several times in my early 20s. I would quit a job at the drop of a hat back then. .

Not yet but at my current job/career, I have removed all of my personal items from my office in the event that I can't take it anymore and have to walk. Preparation is key.

I did once, and learnt the golden rule, ' Always set up your next trick, before you put in the ice pick"

I did with my first professional job. It was a small business run by a married couple, both of whom ended up being crazy as hell. I worked like a dog and was on call 24 hours a day. They had a big blow up and she was "fired" for a while. When I found out she was coming back, I put on my coat, went to the owner, handed him my cut up company American Express card, said, "I never want to see or speak to either you or (his wife) ever again.", turned around, and walked out never to return.

A few times. One job I had worked for 9 years, one I had worked for 4 years.

Comcast call center.

It was in the middle of a "coaching sessions" where they playback one of your calls and chastise you for not following the hideous script your supposed to read on every call and didn't try to sell all of the company's products even if the customer is just calling to find out why the bill went up or why the system is not working.

I got up and said " sorry, I cant do this bullshit anymore" and walked out.

No regrets at all.

Yes. My boss repeatedly would direct completely opposite instructions and never acknowledge that he did so, instead blaming me. It was very frustrating. We once had a sit down with a coworker, because the coworker was coming in late, after the stock market opened at 9.

The boss said we had to be in from 9-4 and work 8 hours. Fine. The next day I left at 4. He then called me at home to complain. I told him I’d give him my resignation the next day, and I did, I already had another job lined up starting in two weeks, so I suppose that gave me the hutzpah to clap back.

The company had been sold, and I was offered a $50,000 bonus, just to stay another 6 months, IIRC, but I just hated it. Every day, by the time I got to the entrance, I was furious, because it was so awful. My happiness was worth more than the money.

Beware, though, because I later found that I lacked references for a certain period. I had one job for 10 years until it moved to another state, and another job for 5 years until I moved to another state, so I’m not always a difficult employee. But I was when faced with that kind of nonsense.

R38 If by "the stock market" you mean the New York Stock Exchange, it opens at 9:30 in the morning.

I didn't see it, R24, but we all heard about it. I worked for Blue Cross/Blue Shield in college during the 1970's and was told the manager of a Medicare unit was frog-marched out of the building one day at lunchtime by the FBI. He never returned, either.

He'd set up fake accounts and paid himself something like $200,000 which was a lot of money back then. The government doesn't like that: he got three years.

R39, ok, my coworker would come in after 9:30. I just forgot.

He was a married Chinese guy who was definitely Gay. Evidence that, also a pathological liar.

They hired this Indian guy who within a few months of being hired, went back to India for a month’s vacation. That’s not odd, except it’s usually a couple or few years after being hired, not a few months. Then he stayed there another two months without checking in! He also got approval to take a class paid by the company, and then took another class instead. I don’t know why he wasn’t fired,

When you’re in a professional job like that, you have to be honest. It’s called integrity.

Indians never get fired for shit like that. Ever.

R3

Now five years later on, you've got the world at your feet Success has been so easy for you But don't forget, it's me who put you where you are now

My first job was for the mob. Didn't know it until years later. They ran rackets out of the old Kew Motor Inn in Queens and one of them was to get a bunch of kids together to sell magazine subscriptions "to help put us through collecge," we told them. You actually had to live in the hotel. That way if you made any money (doubtful) they could charge you room and board and keep it. If by a miracle you ended up with a couple of bucks at the end of the week, you could by heroin from the boss. First night there my roommate stole everything I had, bought some junk, and offered me a hit. After 3 days I got wise to the exploitation and complained to the boss (Italian of course) who told me to shut up and drove me straight to the subway. He gave me five cents shy of a token to show his contempt for me. Years later I realized my big mouth could've gotten me killed.

I’ve never given more than a 5 minute notice in my life. What’s the point of hanging around for two weeks or longer just so your boss can abuse you? Best for everyone to just move on.

Believe it or not, I was the editor of a magazine in East Africa and too many people there were in-fucking-sane. Wild lies, severe incompetence and loud nastiness all the time. And they struggled to pay me my meager wage. After about three months of that, I got a chance to do some short-term work in Beirut, quietly got everything sorted over a couple days, left the office one day, stopped by my place to collect my bags, went to the airport and flew to Lebanon. The next day, someone from the company in Africa called a few times, but I didn't take the calls, never heard from them again.

Worked with a batshit crazy micromanager with hackneyed ideas about how the world works. Quit without notice after an occasion in which she yelled at me for not wanting to do my job afterhours, when I wasn't being paid for it.

A bad boss can ruin your career, and subsequently, your life.

R48, please elaborate.

I love the two week period. You can come in late, leave early, call in sick, take a 2 hour lunch, work at a glacial pace, no stress cause if you don't get it done, what are they gonna do to you?

[quote] A bad boss can ruin your career, and subsequently, your life.

It should have its own thread.

I had mostly good bosses; however, I had a couple bad ones. I’m R38, & R41.

I had a bad boss when I worked at State Street Bank. I was hired to do bonehead work, but was soon moved to tackle an impossible job. Seriously. About a month into my time there, they fired my boss, a 10 year veteran. During my time there, they also fired a 20 year veteran, my partner, essential,y. This was because the project was so critical and difficult, so people cracked under the stress.

My new boss told me at least twice that the project meant his job. One thing that happened: he had some lung disease. I was a computer guy, so he was leaning over me to see the screen, and coughing all over me for months. He said he had 2 rounds of antibiotic I caught what he had and spent 5 days in the hospital and took a month off work. Pneumonia. I almost died. I normally wouldn’t blame someone for spreading a disease, but he put on my review that I did good work [italic] “when I wasn’t out of the office”. [/Italic]

I worked with about 200 people, but I alienated his staff of 10 people, by pushing then to work. it was the nature of the job to push people to finish this work. I saved his job, and finished that impossible task by the deadline, but still, was about to be fired when I left. I was offered a job to fill a slot of the 20 year veteran. I should have taken it,

I should have gotten a better bonus if I was gonna be fired, but of course, it doesn’t work that way.

So, I had a stretch of job history, and no references. That’s a career killer.

Yes. Menial labor jobs in which i was supposed to be earning lots of tips. Owner hired too many people so no one but owner was making money. (Cab driver, wait staff in restaurant). Owner inevitably asks, "aren't you going to give me 2 weeks notice?" To which i replied, "why? You are OVER-staffed. You have TOO MANY people working here. You don't need me."

I just couldn't stand being taken advantage of even one more minute.

R45, were do you work? Target, Walmart, Marshalls?

[quote] A bad boss can ruin your career, and subsequently, your life.

[quote] please elaborate

The short answer is that you need references. Especially if you are older with a job history and should have references, and if the job pays well.

I once was talking to a head hunter. She said, “Oh, you worked for Julia XXX. No need for a reference. I know how she is. I’ve heard she’s a monster.”

(She was.)

Doesn't HR just confirm your begin - end dates? Letters of recommendation are obsolete, unless you're talking about a personal reference, which is optional.

I worked for a social services "non-profit." The director/owner was a cunt, who didn't care at all about the clients. She kept wanting us to squeeze the clients for more and more money, and paid us a pittance, while not doing any work herself yet drawing a huge salary. One day she insisted that I quadruple a client's fees, because he offended her. I knew the client couldn't afford it, and it would cause legal problems for him if he couldn't continue with us. I had finally had enough. I sent her an email saying I no longer work for you and walked out.

I didn’t quit but have to tell this...

My White boss fired the only Black guy among about 120 people. Some time later...

One a Monday she promoted me to manage three other people. On Tuesday, she told me to fire the only Black woman in the department, Rose, who now worked for me. I refused. One of my bosses’ gripes was that Rose took a half-day off to take her kid to the doctor. She got a script for an antibiotic. She had the nerve fill the script immediately after the doctor’s appointment, instead of after work. I was appalled that my boss had a problem with that!

She then turned on me. I then spoke to her boss, an Indian guy who might have had a different perspective on race, and spoke to HR, but not as forcefully as I should have. I transferred out, and then she left,

I ran into Rose years later. She’s still there, and was still very appreciative.

I’m really no social justice warrior, but I just think people should be treated fairly.

Yes, once, sort of.

It was an underplayed shitty job.. Right from the beginning I had absolutely no chemistry with my collegues. Couldn't get a food into the door. I've been there since only four weeks when the mobbing became unbearable. I hated the collegues, the bosses (my immediate one (a woman) and her boss. (a man)...), I hated the area where the job was, I hated the long commute, I hated just everything. After a particularly awful day where I was not only mobbed /ignored etc. by my stupid collegues but also by my female boss (!) I decided that something must happen. The very next day I came to work like every other day before, but with a big bag. Secretly I put all my personal belongings in it, cleaned out my closet etc., left as early as I could and went to my doctor and told her everything. The next morning I called at work - spoke with my male boss - and said I'm ill - at least for the next 2 weeks (I'm in Europe so public healthcare is no problem here for us all...). And I said also tomy boss that something has to change... either they fire me (and I would get my full unemployment benefit) or I quit. And they fired me after another full two weeks (probably because of that one especially awful meeting with all the collegues and the female boss - and my male boss just had done nothing while especially my female boss yelled me down in front of all other collegues...). All in all it was the worst job I ever had and I'm glad I've got out of that hell on earth.

*underpayed

I apologize also for all the other damn mistakes. English is obviously only my second language.

Yes. I was physically assaulted by a supervisor. I reported the assault. And the owner brought me into his office with a witness and a contract. I would sign a prepared statement — stating that I was the offender. Or be fired. I refused to sign. And I was fired. The the case went to trial THREE TIMES. Ultimately, the owner agreed that I wasn't fired. That I resigned. Oh yeah, this was a gay-owned business. And I was attacked by a 300-pound butch-dyke lesbian who was seething in anger.

R58, I have worked for American Chinese, Filipinos and Hispanics who are vehemently anti-Black and anti-semitic.

Never. I always needed the job, and the paycheck.

Stop race-baiting, troll @R62.

"I was attacked by a 300-pound butch-dyke lesbian who was seething in anger."

I'm sure I believe that.

R59, I love you.

In the US, we usually say “coworkers”, not “colleagues”, unless maybe if it’s a university. It’s no big deal, but is a “tell” that English is your second language. I actually love these tells, but thought I’d mention it. Hope you don’t mind.

I quit without notice when the owner of the company had me drive him out to a government job we were bidding to the military base where the job was located. This was about a 4 hr drive one way. I had to wait around during his presentation. This was about halfway to Vegas. He propositioned me to go to Vegas with him for the night after the presentation was over; I declined. He was in a foul mood on the way back and kept criticizing my driving of his car. The next day he wanted my desk moved to outside of his office and let me know that "more presentations would be required." The day after that I called in to the office manager and said I wasn't coming back. I had my friend go and pick up my box of stuff from my desk. I didn't ever want to see him again.

R66 really I use “coworkers” and “colleagues” interchangeably.

R66 Thanks for telling me and love you too, whoever you are ;-)

I know both words "coworkers" and "colleagues", but sometimes I'm just glad I can remember at least one of the words when needed ;-)

I assume I'm mixing also a lot of British and American English expressions.. Wish I would still be younger and with a better memory for everything. But again: thanks for telling.

R69, I have a Czech friend who speaks British English, and I love it.. it provides colour!

When I write on DataLounge, ii sometimes wonder how anyone can learn English. There are so many exceptions to the rules.

^you could’ve reported that bitch to labor and industries too!

Several times, all for good reason, and for the type of job no one else really wants. First time was for sexual harassment. My boss propositioned me in the dark room, when I couldn't just open the door. As soon as the prints were hung, I turned heel and ran.

The second time was when I slipped in the warehouse and passed out for 10 minutes on the floor. No one noticed. I came to, got up, and left. They sent someone after me (I was walking to the station) and I laughed when she told me I had to come back. I sued for workerman's compensation due to injury and won. They had a camera that caught it all, including the supervisior ignoring my prone, seemingly lifeless body.

The last time was to end the pain of a highly toxic work environment at a social services agency where I was forced to listen, during staff meeting, to the sexual shortcomings of the spouses of everyone on staff. Our crazy boss had opted out of staff meetings and this was the first one without him and it was fucking crazy. I passed on participating, silently drank my coffee and went to the boss' office to let him know what a shitshow had just gone down and told him it was the last straw in the circus, anyway.

to continue...

Besides the racism, the cowardice of my boss setting me up to fire Rose! I thought she should have fired her, if she wanted to. But she didn’t. That says something.

I was also sexually harassed in my career, but that’s another story.

We digress, but racism elsewhere is remarkably open. I recently wrapped up some work in Qatar. Taxis there are plentiful and cheap so I never bothered with renting a car. About 90% of the taxi drivers are from Pakistan (the rest are from Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya). They were 100% open in their feelings. One said "Before, Qatar was good. All managers were European. Now they're all Indian and it's bad." A Filipina commented that she wouldn't date a South Asian guy because he was "the wrong color." It's so nonchalant, like someone mentioning that they didn't care for a movie or a restaurant. That sorta stuff happened all the time there and elsewhere in the region.

......