‘I found myself in a toxic and gross work environment’ — Employee quits job without a backup

SINGAPORE: Most people agree that it is wise to secure a job before leaving one. However, an online user shared his reason for boldly moving and quitting his “toxic” job without any backup.

Many people take time to weigh the pros and cons of their current job when comparing it to a backup source of income. However, this employee shared a personal epiphany that led him to take a big risk. “I’ve always stood by the principle of ‘secure a job before leaving your current one,’ but sometimes life has other plans,” he said, “I found myself in a toxic and gross work environment, and after an exhausting year of job searching throughout 2024 with no success, I was left feeling drained and defeated.”

“Towards the end of 2024, I took a two-week break to reflect on my future. During that time, I had a personal breakthrough — I realised that I didn’t need to wait for the perfect job to make a change. I decided to start 2025 on my terms, regardless of what came next.”

He then shared that this realisation helped him muster the courage to leave his current job. Then, to his surprise, the opportunity started calling the next day. “When I returned to the office, I handed in my resignation, and, by some strange coincidence, calls from recruiters started flowing in the very next day. It felt almost like a sign,” he said.

“The moral of this story? If you’re in a toxic environment, prioritise your well-being. We often hear about mental health, but this year, I decided to embrace it. As I serve out my notice period, I feel much more optimistic, knowing that better days are ahead, jobless or not.”

In a show of support, people in the comments section encouraged him. “It’s good you unshackled yourself from this fear we all have when finding another job,” said one. “Everyone should prioritise their well-being and pull themselves out of bad environments if they’re too much. There’s no point in getting paid for something that does more harm than good and eventually makes you a problem for the company,” they added.

However, some disagreed with the man’s decision, like one who said, “Most Singapore workplaces are toxic… so accept it!”

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