Does anybody here hate their job so much that it has depressed you to the point of sickness?

[SmokeALib]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

 

[MarathonMike]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

No don't do it! Go to your management and see if you can be re-assigned into a position that doesn't drive you crazy. Make all those years pay off for you, don't toss it.

 

[depotoo]

Take a deep breath...

 

[Dekster]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

Not currently, have in the past. I did officially quit and they came back with me with more money and some changes to keep me, after I had told them I didn't care if I went back to making minimum wage somewhere else just so it was somewhere else. In your situation though, I wouldn't do it. I was young, dumb and unattached and still quit 6 months later, but I used the time between to set myself up better.

 

[petro]

No amount of pay or benefits is worth the stress of a crappy miserable job.

 

[OldLady]

Talk to a financial advisor FIRST and see what could be done to keep you from going totally under financially. Do you know which direction you want to head in a career? If not, there is a whole lot of free career exploration/counseling being offered by DOL and others. Call your local state offices. If you have an idea where you'd be heading, it would make it easier to cushion your fall.

I felt like you after 15 years as a secretary/administrative assistant and jumped off the deep end to go to college. It was worth all the headaches, being broke again, the hassles of getting started in a new career. I'm very happy with what I do now and before I was miserable, just like you. But I didn't throw away good pay, benefits and retirement either.

Good luck!

 

[Muhammed]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

have you considered a career change?

There's been a few times in my life when I've told an employer to take that job and shove it and I don't regret any of those decisions.

Usually I would do it via a series of ultimatums. I would keep demanding more and more money until it was ridiculous and they had to fire me. Then when they present the pink slip tell them that they can't fire me because I quit.

 

[Shelzin]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

Yes... I have. And yes... I left. I'm very happy now. Fair warning... Being over qualified for jobs is actually a pretty serious problem. Have several months of a nest egg before you do anything drastic.

And I don't know your specifics... But I can tell you from my own experience, when you aren't used to having a boss, when you get one it's a hell of a shock to the system. I literally call the man in charge "boss man" to keep it in my head. He actually asked me not to do that, but decided to let me after explaining that I don't have that... Ability to not question everything to make sure things don't get fucked up. Calling him "Boss man" day in and day out reminded me that his decisions trump mine. I need that.

 

[airplanemechanic]

So what do you do that's so bad?

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

If the reason that you're miserable is because you just hate your job and the work you do then instead of just quiting, start securing another job now so that you have something to move on to instead of being unemployed. Logic would suggest that because so many people have loss jobs due to COVID that there are actually less jobs available or rather the market is currently saturated with highly qualified candidates that you otherwise would not be competing against (such as in our area Boeing workers, some of the major health care organizations, lots of former government workers, etc.). I don't know what type of retirement plan you have but my understanding is that with some of them you can take it with you/transfer it to your new company, for a fee of course but that's still better than just letting all you've worked for just go, if it's an option.

If on the other hand, the reason you're so stressed is because of any unlawful actions you've been subjected to on the job, you could also look into what recourse you may have to protect your employment rights in whatever form that may be. This message board isn't exactly the best place to discuss this but there are things you can at least look into before pulling the trigger but I would suggest doing all of them - look for another job (always better to look for one while you're still employed) and talk to an plaintiff's attorney who offers free consultations. It's very important that the attorneys you seek and speak with represent workers and are not the attorneys that defend the companies when they're in the wrong. You don't want to spill your guts to an attorney only to discover that they have a conflict of interest such as your employer being one of their current or previous clients, etc.

There is nothing worse than dreading having to go to work each day but you do have a few options available to you. I hope you are able to utilize one of them to your benefit.

 

[evenflow1969]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

yep, complete and absolute misery for 25 years at work and at home. I tossed the old job and started fishing charters. Now I am happy and can not wait to go to work. I do not make what I used to yet but according to current trends will make as much in a couple of years and more in four. Did I mention I only work eight months of the year right now. I am currently learning deep sea fishing so I can do that in the winter and am also applying at ferry companies to captain ferrys during the winter. I am torn between fishing during the winter and taking happy people happy places during the winter. At my age a fishing boat can be challlenging so maybe four months of running a ferry is the better choice. Give my body a chance to heal for the fishing season. To make a long story short I was trapped behind the wheel of a car and behind a computer screen for years now out doors getting paid to have fun. My life feels like constant vacation. Only bad part is wind can make my boat stop for the day and so can lightning. Today even though had the boat sold I am stuck talking on here instead of chasing fish.

 

[petro]

I used to cook in multiple high end restaurants for years. Hated it. Weekends and nights, high stress.
Finally had a boss that was such a moron I couldn't take it anymore and walked off job with no notice at 32 years old. Had never left a job in that manner.

Had to take a major paycut to start in construction and within two years was making more than I ever would have cooking. Still at it at 55. Get to work outside and no weekends unless I want the extra hours. I have been on hundreds of homes that will still be around long after I am gone. Unlike when someone ate a meal and crapped out my work a day later.

 

[SootedUpCyndi]

Petro, did You run the line? That's harder then it looks. Almost have to be like an air traffic controller. I saw a cook take his white apron off and tie it around the bosses neck. ah the good ol days.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

Not that late, I was with the company for 13 years. I was a department head with a staff of 43.
I was exhausted. I hated it. There were times I thought I would lose my mind.
I did exactly what MarathonMike said for you to do. And I was honest. I simply said I can't take it anymore, I need to be reassigned to something else or I will have to resign. I said I am not here to make an ultimatum... but an offer. I was a very hard worker and good, this is an offer instead of me just quiting i would like to offer my services in a different capacity.
And that is how I was transferred to IT manager. To this day the best job I ever had.

 

[petro]

Petro, did You run the line? That's harder then it looks. Almost have to be like an air traffic controller. I saw a cook take his white apron off and tie it around the bosses neck. ah the good ol days.

Did run a couple lines. Worked under a Chef that made Gordon Ramsey look like an angel in comparison. A lot of yelling and berating of staff.
Turnover was very high.
Even helped open a restaurant when Mall of America first opened. What a nightmare.

 

[Correll]

I'm at that point. 28 years with the same company and I've had enough. I'm ready to throw away good pay, benefits, and retirement so that I can enjoy what time I have on this Earth. This job is draining the life right out of me, both mentally and physically. I'm just a number to this company, anyway - not a real person. Has anyone else here made such a drastic (or I dare say - stupid) decision late in their careers?

Could you try some time off? And yes, I was there, earlier on. I'm good at enduring. Not much of an answer there, I know.

 

[SootedUpCyndi]

Petro, did You run the line? That's harder then it looks. Almost have to be like an air traffic controller. I saw a cook take his white apron off and tie it around the bosses neck. ah the good ol days.

Did run a couple lines. Worked under a Chef that made Gordon Ramsey look like an angel in comparison. A lot of yelling and berating of staff.
Turnover was very high.
Even helped open a restaurant when Mall of America first opened. What a nightmare.

We had a crazy nasty boss. He would come into the kitchen, look at the cooks rolls. Throw them right on the floor. Rolls looked great to me? He'd go thru cooks every week . A ham steak wizzed over my head like a frisbee. I ducked. Wild. In a sick sort of way it was fun. but like you said stressful.

 

[petro]

Petro, did You run the line? That's harder then it looks. Almost have to be like an air traffic controller. I saw a cook take his white apron off and tie it around the bosses neck. ah the good ol days.

Did run a couple lines. Worked under a Chef that made Gordon Ramsey look like an angel in comparison. A lot of yelling and berating of staff.
Turnover was very high.
Even helped open a restaurant when Mall of America first opened. What a nightmare.

We had a crazy nasty boss. He would come into the kitchen, look at the cooks rolls. Throw them right on the floor. Rolls looked great to me? He'd go thru cooks every week . A ham steak wizzed over my head like a frisbee. I ducked. Wild. In a sick sort of way it was fun. but like you said stressful.

Sounds just like my old boss. Everyone dreaded when he would show up for the day and start throwing out things that didn't meet his requirements.

 

[Correll]

YOu got an possible elective surgeries you could schedule? My wife had some cosmetic surgery and had a nice little vacation afterwards.

 

[Mr Natural]

You already put up with 28 years of their shit, you can take a few more.

Forget about achieving any kind of personal satisfaction from your job. You're there for a paycheck and nothing more. So just do what you have to do to keep the paychecks coming.