Why Its Ok To Quit Your Toxic Job

So you are miserable at work everyday, your coworkers are mean and judgy and you dont feel like your enjoying your work anymore?

Do you go home and feel so drained that you cannot even enjoy your family because you are so stressed about what drama tomorrow will bring? If you feel sick because of your job and think about quitting all the time then you need to read this.

  1. Abuse

This is an absolutely unacceptable circumstance. If you have been verbally, mentally or sexually abused by anyone you work with you need to get that toxicity out of your life, but don’t be hasty. Abuse in the workplace is a human rights violation and there are options for you. First tell your HR department about the abuse. Keep in mind the HR department has the companies best interest in mind not always yours so use caution with them. Hopefully they will be able to find an amicable solution for you which should include disciplinary action against the abuser, or termination. You do not have to nor should you be asked to work with an abuser under any circumstance. If you feel like the abuse is criminal call the police immediately and file a complaint. If you are unable to find a solution with your HR department or they make your work with your abuser then I would seek advice from legal counsel. Civil suits and litigation can be time consuming. If you cannot go back to work under the circumstances talk to a doctor and get put off work. If someone has abused you at work and your HR department is not helping you. Do not quit or stop going to work. You have a right to be healthy and happy at your job and if a human rights violation has happened to you then you are entitled to be protected by the law. If you file a complaint with your HR department and you feel like you have been retaliated by your employer because of that in anyway that is also illegal.

2. Not Growing

If you are no longer challenged or inspired at work then its time for you to move on. If you have no hope for a promotion or a new task or just cant stand your job anymore get yourself a new one. Life is too short to do work you cant stand for 40 years. Often times when you seek new employment you can open the door to more money and more engaging work. Always give notice and do not burn any bridges on your way out though.

3. Clickie or Antisocial Coworkers

You spend 8 hours a day with these people. If rumors and gossip rule your lunchroom and that makes you unhappy. Move on. You might love your job but if you cant stand the people you work with then going to work is going to make you miserable. Be friendly, don’t participate in the gossip and try your best to be likable. If you find yourself the subject of the bullying behavior then report it to your HR department or find a new job. Being kind to one another is a choice. Work with like minded people that treat you with respect.

4. No room for advancement

Working in a job that has no room for advancement can hurt your potential for success and mess with your confidence. If you’re working in a dead end job, or you’ve asked for, and been looked over for many promotions then… move on. You can use your skills and experience to give yourself a raise. Seek a new job that pays more. Take your time, Be picky, update your resume and keep your ears open for a better opportunity. If your boss values you, then you will be financially rewarded if they don’t then move on.

5. Shady Business

If you are working in a place that doesn’t align with your personal morals then you can’t work there. Does your boss encourage you to do things you don’t agree with? Move on. You need to be able to sleep at night not to mention the repercussions of the potential for legal ramifications.

6. Mean Boss

I am a person who works well with praise and cultivation. If I work for a boss that leads with an iron fist, ultimatums, threats or punishment I will not be successful, ill be stressed and sad. Guys its 2019, managers have an obligation to you to coach and manage you the way that makes you the most successful. That’s their job, literally. If your boss doesn’t take the time to get to know you and figure out how to help you succeed then they are awful managers. If the way you are being managed makes you sad or miserable then move on. There are so many progressive companies that will treat you as a the valuable member of the team that you are.

7. Ridiculous Expectations

If you’re told to sell 5000 dollars a day, but the store only has one customer come in a week…then you wont be successful. You need to be able to attain your set targets and be given the tools and training to do so. If your employer is not training you or giving you realistic goals then you shouldn’t work for them.

8. Feeling of DREAD.

If you HATE Monday and have an incredible feeling of dread on Sunday trust your instincts, You have to work for most of your life. You do not have to accept a terrible toxic workplace.

9. Work Life Balance

If your boss expects you to work 7 days a week for 12 hours a day without consideration for your work life balance then you shouldn’t work for them. We work TO LIVE not LIVE TO WORK. Know how many hours your legally supposed to work, understand compensation for over time. Make sure you’re getting vacation. A good employer will help your work life balance. Progressive companies will work around your daycare schedule for your children, offer you time to be with your family, let you go to your church meeting or yoga class. If you feel like your personal life really suffers because of the expectations put on by your employer then that is not the place for you. One of the Top 50 Employers in Canada is TD Canada Trust. When I worked for them my manager sat down with me quarterly to ASK ME what he could do to help me with my work life balance, we adjusted my scheduling and planned time off. This is the right way to do things and this should be the standard you hold your boss to.

10. Constructive Dismissal

If your boss is making your job unbearable, has changed your tasks and is paying you less or demoted you in an effort to get you to quit. This is illegal and is called constructive dismissal. If you think this is happening to you call a lawyer and do not quit.

If you are suffering from any of these problems know that they are extremely common and you do not need to tolerate it. Talk to your boss, Talk to HR, talk to a lawyer. Write down and document the things that you don’t agree with and make sure that you know what your rights are as an employee. Employers benefit when you don’t know what your entitled to or what your rights are. A Toxic workplace can literally make you sick so do not take this lightly.

If you are experiencing this and need someone to talk to feel free to reach out to me.

Harnessing “Influence”

I started my Instagram account ten months ago. Since then it has flourished into a profitable online brand. However when I got started I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I liked photography and that was basically it.

Lets bring it way back, In high school was when I first realized I enjoyed digital marketing and photography. I ended up taking the job as the Senior editor of the school year book. That was an amazing experience for me. Learning how to edit photos and convey a story using images was something that I knew I loved. We went on to win best yearbook in Canada that year (Yep I was a Super Nerd lol)

After High school I moved forward in a career in Finance, I left my love of photography behind. Fast forward to 2016 when Steve came into my life. We were having some drinks and I told him all about my year book experience. Well this cutie went out and spent a fortune on a camera and encouraged me to pursue this forgotten passion of mine.

So not wanting to let him down, I took an online photography course and just LOVED it. It woke up a part of me I forgot was even in there.

Instagram seemed like the best place for me to show case this hobby. Almost immediately I gained followers, and then Instagram became so much more than I ever imagined it would be. It caught me off guard.

I have learned so many things in this last year, and I want to share all that with you so that you too can use Instagram as tool of expression, A business tool, a prospecting tool and so much more. The “influence” that comes with a social media audience can be an incredible powerful and I ‘m going to share with you and how to harness that into a full time business.

Here is a List of some of the things I have Learned:

CONTENT

Content is absolutely key. You don’t have to be a professional photographer but if your only posting dark mirror selfies don’t expect to attract many followers. Your content will be what catches their eye and makes them hit the “Follow” button. Your personality and story telling will be what keeps them. Make an effort, use natural lighting, pay attention to whats in the background of your photo, details matter. Learn about the rule of thirds and other basics of photography.

EDITING

Having a cohesive feed is so important, using a similar editing style on all your photos will help them all flow better together. Choosing a color scheme and keeping that in mind when your taking photos will make your Instagram seem professional and thoughtful. My favorite editing tools are Lightroom, Snapseed, Union and I use and app called UNUM to plan out my posts before I post them, so I can preview if they look nice together. Lot of learning to do when it comes to editing and I will do another post on that specifically.

ENGAGMENT

Everyone on Instagram has seen gorgeous photos, producing awe inspiring content gets harder and harder as audiences are exposed to more and more content. What will set you apart in all the noise is how you make people feel. If you take the time to get to know the people that follow you and make a personal connection with them they will be loyal to you and your brand. This is a SOCIAL media platform. So be social, be kind be thoughtful. Commenting and engaging with your audience is the single most important tip I could ever give you.

STORY TELLING

You need to convey a message or story on your Instagram. You need to show who you are and what your all about. Putting yourself out there can be scary but without authenticity your audience will never relate to you. Now you don’t need to air your dirty laundry or be negative. You can tell a big impact story that has a valuable lesson. You need to be offering your followers value and insight. If you are approaching your story with “What Can I tell them about me” then you wont get far. If you approach your story telling with “What do I know that can provide value for my audience?” You’ll find authentic relationships and loyal followers.

CONSISTENCY

If you are serious about building your online business and Instagram you need to show up. You need to post everyday, in your story and on your timeline. People are bombarded with so much content everyday. They may really like you and what your putting out there but if your not consistent even your most loyal followers will forget about you, or loose interest. It can be overwhelming to try and figure out content for every day of the month who has time for that? What I do is on days that I have time and am feeling creative I will spend a few hours creating content. So bulking your content creation is a great hack. I am usually a month or two ahead with my content. I have 30-90 pictures ready to post at any given time.

I hope you found these tips helpful! More to come. I am putting together a intensive online course that will teach you about everything you need to start your online brand. If you want to enroll send me an email ellelix@hotmail.com