SINGAPORE: After a woman’s husband wouldn’t let her quit her work in healthcare, she seemed to be at a loss as to what she should do.
“I want to quit, I really do, but he won’t let me and says I’m quitting too easily. He understands I’m in pain and supports me but does not think it’s worth me quitting my job over a couple days in a month,” the woman wrote.
In the post, she shared that she was still in the training phase of her job and that her husband also worked in the healthcare sector.
However, as time passed, she struggled with managing their household, working hard at her job, and trying to keep up with her extra-curricular activities like charity work. She said this had a negative effect on her mental health.
She also claimed to have another ‘health issue,’ which caused her to experience debilitating pain a couple of days a month.
“I really struggle to work, and I can’t keep taking sick days. My prescribed meds haven’t been working recently, and the doctors aren’t prescribing me anything new. When I am at work I’m more prone to make mistakes during those times and you can’t afford to make mistakes in a healthcare profession,” she said.
She said that while her husband does help around the house, she still doesn’t know if she can get through it as she still has another year and a half before she finishes her training.
“My life is on standstill if I do not finish my training but I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
Reddit users: ‘There’s a bunch of things you can do before quitting
Numerous Reddit users were quick to respond in the comments section after learning about her predicament, offering her some preliminary actions she could take before quitting her job.
One user said that she doesn’t need to be doing charity work and all the household chores if she’s burning out, adding:
“There’s a bunch of things you can do before quitting, starting with talking to your husband about balancing housework/house and life management more evenly so that you can manage.
If you quit now you’re going to end up without any financial security for yourself. You’ll end up cooking and cleaning for him and… not much else.”
Another user also sided with her husband and said it wouldn’t be fair for her to quit her job and have him carry 100% of the financial burden, suggesting:
“Instead of simply quitting, maybe start looking for other roles? Be practical about this. Unfortunately, sometimes we all have to work in jobs we don’t like and financially, can’t simply quit.”
Meanwhile, one user also sympathised with the woman and said:
“It sounds like your husband is pushing you a lot? I actually agree with other commenters that the charity work should go first if you have a physically taxing job but there’s something in your responses that suggests your husband is the one pushing you to take on extra training or whatever this thing is that you need to do for 18 months.”
Three things to consider before quitting your job
Quitting your job can initially feel like the solution to all your problems at one point.
However, this decision should never be made at the snap of a finger. Recall how long it took to land that position or how diligently you toiled over the years to break into that field.
But if you’re keen on making this move, here are three things that you should consider first:
Are your finances secure? Your financial situation is crucial to consider before quitting your job. Do you have an emergency fund large enough to cover three to six months of basic living expenses while you look for work and decide what to do next?
Unfortunately, if you have no emergency fund and live paycheck to paycheck, quitting your job may not be the best option unless you have a new job lined up immediately.
Another thing to think about: do you have any debt right now? If so, bear in mind that you might not be able to make loan payments after your resignation, during which interest will still be accumulated.
Think about your relationship with your current employer. If you’re considering leaving your company, you may want to consider whether quitting is the right choice or the only option.
For instance, if you have a job offer that offers a higher salary and feel that your current employer is not paying you enough, you may use your offer as leverage to bargain for a higher wage.
Think about your benefits at the company. When thinking about leaving, we only focus on the drawbacks of working for the company. However, think about the benefits, or “pros,” of continuing to work for your present employers.
Are those benefits extremely valuable and unlikely to be offered by a new employer? If so, then you might want to reconsider your decision.