How long do you stay with a job you dislike?

[eliza61]

I work full time in a job/field that I truly don't like anymore. It's horribly stressful and I come home most days feeling awful. The down side is that it pays very well, and I am the one with the insurance. My hubby works full time as well and earns a good enough income where we can pay the bills and eat, but his insurance is rediculously expensive (unaffordable). We wouldn't have any extra spending money, but that's fine for a while.

I just don't know how much more of this I can take...I'm basically just working right now so we will have insurance. Any advice, especially on the insurance situation? I'm ready to start job hunting again, but who knows how long it will take, and I don't know how long I can take the stress!!!

Op, how about a little change in outlook. (don't want to sound too metaphysical ).

Right now you are in a job that pays well but you hate. Ok, now is the time to:
1) set some goals. What do you want to accomplish in the next 5 years? will this good paying job help in that?
2) What is the job market like in your profession and area?.. You're right with unemployment hovering around 10% a new job may be slow in coming.
3) What can you do to relieve the stress? Is it a boss issue? my boss is a ^%$& but my coworkers are diamonds. We get together and commiserate, that helps every ones stress level.

I wouldn't say I hate my job but it doesn't make me happy BUT I have a high salary. Right now that salary allows me to pay my kids college tuition without loans and save for retirement. I'm a little different in that I'm 50ish so for me, I'm sticking it out until I can retire.

Take your time and look at all the angles. write down the pros and cons.

 

[PrincessDadx2]

Typical advice is to stay until you have another job.

If your health is at risk - quit. Nothing you have is worth dying for. I quit a job once that was making me suicidal , best thing I ever did .

For health insurance:

What is the cost of your Cobra vs. your husbands vs. ehealthinsurance.com vs. getting a high deductible plan from your insurance agent.

I would check it out. It may be less than you think if you are in good health.

 

[bettymae1121]

While it's always a good idea not to quit a job until another is lined up...if the job you have is making you ill, then looking "outside the box" for alternatives is worth while.

As a few here have mentioned, really crunch the numbers and see what quiting w/no other job lined up would do to your finances. See if getting your own health insurance is cheaper than getting it through your DH's company, or see what COBRA from your current job would be. Meanwhile, give living off your DH's paycheck a try, bank your paycheck plus the amount your insurance costs would go up and minus any savings from quiting your job (transportation costs, clothes, luches, child care, etc.) and see how you do. This does two things...1) it builds your savings so if you do quit, you have some cushion and 2) gives you a taste of what life with one income would be like.

And it goes without saying you should take a look at the job sites and want ads to see if there is anything out there you could do. Even with a pay cut, if you're happier it would be worth it in the long run. If going back to school is a goal, see how long it would take for you to save up to pay for classes and help with living expenses.

Just having a plan in place may make life at work a little easier for you. And of course it goes without saying that you need to talk to your DH about this. Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

 

[celestialred]

It is terrible to have to work in a "toxic" environment. I have done it before (and was pregnant to boot - that actually got me off the hook on a 3-yr employment contract with my "dream job from hell"), and my dh is currently in pretty much your situation. I am a contractor and hence, no insurance through me right now. I would advise you to look for a new job right now as much as you can, but try to hang on to your current job. Do you have an EAP service through your employer whom you can at least vent to?

Hugs to you!

 

[mjkacmom]

Been there, done that. Even the best jobs have days, and sometimes weeks, or months, that are just crummy. The important thing is to keep plugging away, and not to quit all of a sudden with nothing to fall back on. The best time to find a job is when you already have one.

I agree - you are more likely to be hired if you are employed. Plus, benefits are so important these days. Start hunting tomorrow.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

is it a big company? can you transfer to another dept? Once I had a job I HATED! If there is a word stronger than that, that's how I felt. I was seriously depressed I hated it so much. Our company had a job open in a different dept and I applied and got it. That job was the best one I ever had!

 

[MacFam4]

Thank you all so much for the words of wisdom! I'm sure I'll hang in there until I find another job with benefits. My DH is actually fine with me not working for a while, we've just always had insurance and feel like we shouldn't go without it. I've checked on a couple of things today.

The goods news is that I'll be arriving at Disney in about 48 hours so hopefully I'll be able to de-stress and come back to work as refreshed as possible.

Then I'll start a massive job search.