Should I Quit My Job Without Having Another Lined Up? 

Written by Calvin Bowers
Last updated March 31, 2021

If you’re asking yourself, “Should I quit my job without having another one lined up?”, you’ve come to the right place. This blog will give you all the answers you need so you can make the best decision for your career.

Leaving a job when you already have another lined up might seem a suitable choice for many people. However, waiting for the next successful interview might not be the right strategy for others. Perhaps you do not have autonomy over your schedule, making it arduous to take time off during workdays for interviews. Similarly, you might not have enough time to retrain for your new role.

Preparing for a career change is crucial for enhancing your job search and boosting motivation. It also helps cultivate a positive attitude towards transitioning to a new field.

With this in mind, let’s look at some of the reasons why you might decide to quit your job without having another one lined up.

7 Reasons You May Want to Quit Your Job and Leave As Soon As Possible

We have prepared a list of the seven most common reasons why people would want to quit their job with immediate effect:

1. Your Job Might Be Emotionally Unsafe

An emotionally unsafe environment is where ideas are likely to be ignored, used against staff, stolen or entirely rejected. A workplace like this might make people feel afraid to contribute their thoughts in meetings or participate in discussions. Continuously worrying about the possibility of their skills being doubted or dismissed at work can significantly harm employees’ self-esteem and mental well-being over time.

Moreover, you might feel that you are being mistreated at work, resulting in you quitting your job and leaving as soon as possible. For instance, bullying, abuse, and harassment can lead to mental and physical illness of many kinds. You could consider taking sick leave in these situations. However, if your symptoms persist, you might opt to leave immediately. Organisations like ACAS provide emotional support in the workplace.

2. Your Job Might Be Physically Unsafe

A physically unsafe workplace occurs when employees cannot carry out their tasks because physical conditions in the work environment pose a threat to their health and safety. For example, broken equipment, hazardous chemicals, asbestos or exposed wiring can be dangerous and present a risk to staff.

Other factors that can negatively affect a work environment include:

  • inadequate policies and procedures
  • poor housekeeping
  • damaged Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • unauthorised equipment operations

If you find out about unsafe working conditions, you might have the right to refuse to work until your employer resolves the issue. However, your employer may have a differing opinion from you, particularly with respect to the severity of the issue, which may lead you to contemplate leaving your job as soon as possible.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has a wealth of resources that can help you discuss Health and Safety matters with your employer.

3. You Might Not Have Autonomy Over Your Schedule

Employees who have the autonomy to make their own choices at work are more likely to be happy, committed, productive, and loyal. Being independent in the workplace also plays a role in the employees’ sense of engagement with their organisation and contributes to workers’ decisions to stay within a company or seek a new role elsewhere.

The degree of autonomy that an employee can experience varies significantly from day to day and from organisation to organisation. For instance, your supervisor might have a say in how you should approach your daily duties but less control over you and your team’s strategic direction. If your expectations are not in line with the degree of autonomy you are experiencing at work, you will be more likely to consider leaving your job without delay.

4. Family Circumstances or Health Reasons

Your family circumstances or health may prompt you to consider leaving your job without having another one lined up. For instance, you may need to relocate closer to home due to family events. Alternatively, if you’ve recently been diagnosed with a health issue that prevents you from performing your job duties – such as epilepsy for a driver – you may have to resign.

Moreover, you may decide to become a stay-at-home parent until your children reach school age. In the case of a new health condition or disability, it is entirely up to you to choose whether to disclose sensitive details.

5. Organisational Restructuring

As companies increasingly grow and evolve, you might experience internal changes in workplace dynamics, and therefore organisational restructuring. For instance, a downsized team might result in your duties and responsibilities in the workplace changing. Although this might be necessary for the company you work with, you might consider pursuing new opportunities which better fit your skillset.

6. You Might Decide to Pursue Other Goals

If you have maximised your current job opportunities, you might consider working on new projects and goals or possibly aspiring for a career change. To do so, you might need to retrain and invest time to acquire new skills. However, if your full-time job does not allow you enough free time to plan your career change, you might consider reducing your working hours or quitting your current role without having another job lined up.

7. You Might Seek More Flexibility

As technology advances our ability to perform various jobs remotely without negatively affecting the quality of work, companies are increasingly offering workers flexibility, such as flexible hours and remote working. However, the nature of your profession might not accommodate flexible working, for example, working in hospitality or education. Therefore, you might feel that an occupation change can be an opportunity to meet your specific needs.

Your Workplace Rights Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying

The Equality Act 2010 protects you against discrimination, harassment and bullying related to protected characteristics.

What the person has done to harass you to make you feel a certain way is called ‘purpose or effect’.

Here is a list of the purposes or effects of someone’s conduct that violated your dignity:

  • Humiliating
  • Offending
  • Intimidating
  • Being hostile
  • Being degrading

You can find further information on the Citizens Advice website.

In Conclusion

There are many reasons to quit your job without having another one lined up. However, there are also times when it makes sense to reconsider this. Perhaps you have worked for an extended period without taking any holidays or you have experienced a minor dispute at work that upset you.

Talking to your manager about your concerns is a great way to tackle emotional stress and improve your mental health in the workplace. Here are some helpful organisations that can support you:

If you have established that choosing a new career is the right thing for you, visit the Refreshing a Career jobs board for all the latest opportunities in your area. When changing jobs, our resources will help you understand what you should be taking into account.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team if you have any questions. And finally, be sure to sign up for our newsletter below for all the latest from Refreshing a Career.

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Last Updated: Tuesday October 10 2023
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