Signs It’s Time to Quit Your Job – Being Overworked

According to a recent study by Gallup, 70% of US employees HATE their jobs. Even more staggering is the fact that only 15% of employees worldwide LIKE going to work. Whether you hate your job or are on the fence, it’s important to be aware of the signs it’s time to quit your job.

Did you know that being overworked is the second most common reason people quit their jobs? The first reason is a low salary. Shockingly over 63% of people who quit their job claim that it was due to being overworked.

We will show you how to determine whether you are being overworked, and more importantly, the potential solutions available.

Are You Being Overworked?

Well, first of all, being overworked is pretty subjective. If you truly feel like you are being overworked, then who’s to say you aren’t? However, there is a difference between being in a highly demanding job (something you sign up for) and being overworked (did not sign up for). If you are being compensated significantly for your hard work, then I wouldn’t necessarily call that being overworked.

The Dictionary.com definition of “overwork” is: “to cause to work too hard, too much, or too long.”

Again, this is subjective. What is “too much” or “too long” for you might be completely different to someone else. Whatever the case is, if you are working too hard or too long and you no longer wish to do so, it’s time you make some changes. Take some time to research a similar role to yours in other companies. Don’t be shy. Feel free to send a message to some professionals within your LinkedIn network and see what their day to day is like.

Is the amount of work you are putting in worth the amount of money you are being paid? Pull out your phone and click on the calculator app. Let’s do some basic algebra.

Now, do you LOVE your job? Chances are, you don’t. So, if you could easily find an opportunity paying $100,000/year but you were working 40 hours per week, don’t you think that would be much better?

Let’s do some more algebra: $100,000 / (40 x 50) = $50/hour. Oddly enough, by decreasing your salary by $20,000 you were able to increase your hourly rate by 25%! Pretty cool! So, I guess the decision is yours.

Is overworking yourself worth the extra income? If not, then it’s time to consider your exit strategy.

Overworking Solution

If you determine that you are in fact being overworked, now it’s time to do something about it. You don’t have a ton of options here, but I will lay them out anyway.

1. Speak with your manager

Now, this can be a little scary if you don’t have a great relationship with your manager. However, this is a great first place to start if you enjoy your current company and would like to stay on board. Share your concerns with your manager and let them know that you feel like you are being overworked. Prepare some valid points, and explain the benefits that you could bring if your workload was lightened.

• Will your productivity improve if you are able to concentrate on fewer tasks?
• Will you be able to focus longer? Give better speeches? Make better decisions?

2. Delegate more tasks

If you are in the position to delegate tasks, then take advantage. I am not saying to take advantage of your employees, but maybe you need to be more trusting with tasks. Are you the type of person who likes to control every aspect of the job, even the things you could easily delegate? Are you doing this out of fear that your employees will not be able to perform properly? If so, that is the completely wrong mindset. Develop your employees properly and you won’t have to worry about them.

3. Find a new job

We talked about this briefly above. Take some time to put your feelers out and see what kind of opportunities are out there. To be honest, there is almost always something better than what you currently have. Don’t be afraid to look around. If it has been quite some time since you have had to look for a job, then hire a professional. Times change!

Do you know that there is a company who will find and apply to jobs for you while you are working away in your office? They can even do it discretely so that your current company has no idea you are looking.

The company is Find My Profession and it’s their job to find you a job.

(Related: I Hate My Job. What Should I Do?)

Should You Quit Your Job?

Well, that’s up to you. If you are being overworked, then the answer may be yes. This is not only unfair to you, but it is extremely harmful to your body and perhaps to the people that love you. Is a higher paycheck but a lower hourly rate worth knocking a few years off your life? Probably not.

If Solution 1 and 2 don’t work for you, let the team at Find My Profession help. They offer a solution that manages your job search for you. Career experts take on the job search tasks for you. Check out our Reverse Recruiting page to learn more and schedule a free consultation.