5 Reasons Why it Might be Time to Resign

A friend of mine is struggling with deciding if it’s time for him to resign from his job or not. His situation made me think about the foundational things that everyone should think about if they’re not sure if they should stay with their employer. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider moving on; the first two are really non-negotiable items and the other three are more personal preference.

1. Ethical & Moral Violations – If there are practices consistently being done in the company you work for that are unethical or immoral, and you have either said or done something to try and change them and truly believe that they are not going to change, then you should definitely move on. Too many good employees have been taken down with bad companies out of fear of saying something or out of feeling too loyal to the company and its leaders. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “ Don’t let yourselves be poisoned…Bad company corrupts good character” (MSG and NIV). If your situation could bring you into a situation where you could be fooled, deceived, misled, or poisoned, then it’s time to move on.
2. Toxic Leadership – Several words come to mind when thinking of a leader who can be described as toxic: manipulative, undermining, misleading, belligerent, heartless, deceitful, self-centered, unreasonable, disenfranchising, corrupt, destructive, dysfunctional, harmful, intimidating, demeaning, and demoralizing. Professor, author, and expert in leadership and organizational behavior, Jean Lipman-Blumen says that toxic leaders play to “the basest fears and needs of the followers” and create environments that perpetuate competition and “insatiable ambition”, incompetence, backbiting, hubris, and recklessness. The principles of 1 Corinthians 15:33 hold true for an environment of toxic leadership and allow for an easy decision to be made to move on from the company who has such a person in a position of leadership.
3. Misalignment of Social Issues – Does the company value the same things that you value when it comes to social issues, things pertaining to peoples’ rights, privileges, and responsibilities, things pertaining to our care for the planet and stewardship of what we have been entrusted with, and things pertaining to our value and self-worth, and fulfilling our purposes in this life. If, for example, you are a firm believer that companies should match employee donations to social or religious causes and the company you work for just canceled that program, then you need to decide if that misalignment is enough for you to decide that it’s time to move on to another company that shares your values.
4. Lack Of Growth Opportunities – With it being more commonplace for us to change jobs every three years, it is a requirement that our skills and knowledge keep up with these changes. If you are someone who is looking for growth opportunities, whether it is through formal sponsorship or mentorship programs, or through internal promotions, or through formal education tuition payment programs, you need to be at a company that offers these opportunities. If your company does not offer something to assist in meeting this need, then it might be time to move on.
5. Risk Avoidant – You may be someone who values innovation quite greatly and you believe that the only way for your company to succeed is through being willing to risk failure. If you work for a company that sees change as being bad or likes maintaining the status quo, then you’re going to have to consider how important those are to you and if the degrees of separation are so much so that it is time for you to move on to somewhere that is more adventurous and open to change.

Entertaining the potential decision to leave a company is never an easy one, but these five areas to consider should help you to weigh the decision more thoughtfully and be more resolute about your decision. If you do decide to move on, Michael Hyatt has a great podcast: 7 Actions To Take Before You Quit Your Job.

Is there another foundational consideration that you would add when weighing the decision of whether or not to leave a company?