Thinking of cheating on your employer? Don’t feel guilty

Thinking of cheating on your employer? Don’t feel guilty

Stealth job hunts can often feel like the business equivalent of an affair. It’s only natural to build relationships with your employer, co-workers and clients, so feeling like you’re turning your back on years of office cohabitation can be an emotional time in your life. There are plenty of reasons why employees choose to move on, but the point we’re making here is that the majority are under the control of an employer. With this in mind, if you’re visiting us to test the waters, don’t let guilt and the fear of risk stop you in your tracks. It’s OK to consider your options.

#loveyourworkplace

Your boss should know why employees leave

According to research by LV, the average Brit will change employer every five years, and one in three workers probably should as they’re in the wrong job, claim ONS figures from 2016.

Every year, a huge chunk of us consider switching jobs, which produces annual reports about why employees leave. These findings reveal overwhelming trends that any boss should be aware of:

• Boredom at work/lack of progression
• Lack of recognition/feeling undervalued in an organisation
• Bad management
• Poor work-life balance
• Lack of freedom/restrictive micromanagement
• Lacklustre salary
• Burn out.

The need for flexible, multi-skilled professionals to fill today’s diverse industry roles should incentivise employers to increase staff retention strategies. A great deal of responsibility rests on the shoulders of any boss, but no matter how busy they become, they shouldn’t lose track of why they’re there: to motivate employees, provide support, reward appropriately, encourage a cohesive and friendly work culture, and provide monetary and progression opportunities along the way.

We’re quick to blame ourselves for the way we feel, but it’s not your responsibility to manage the career progression of you and your peers, nor micromanagement, pay, or team capacity. If your employer has turned their back on providing a work environment that meets your needs, in spite of all the evidence on why employees leave, don’t feel guilty about wanting to explore your options.

The longer we stay where we are, the weaker our decision-making skills become. It’s only through re-joining the recruitment process that we can assess our market value, the skills we’re missing, how to sell ourselves as candidates, and how to identify workplaces that are better suited to our aspirations.

How to break up with your boss on good terms

Parting ways is never an easy process, whether it’s a personal or business situation. There are ways, however, to help mitigate the sting so that you can leave on good terms with a glowing reference on your CV:

• Give plenty of notice. If you’ve worked for an employer for at least one month but less than two years, you must give one week’s notice. Once you’ve worked for someone for more than two years, your notice period increases to two weeks, plus one week for every year worked. So, if you’ve been employed for three years, your employer is entitled to at least three weeks’ notice.  
• Work out your notice, and don’t scrimp on your responsibilities. You have nothing to lose by trying to build bridges with your old colleagues before you part ways, rather than destroy them by being a drain in the last weeks.
• Work out owed holiday responsibly. If you’ve been hoarding your holiday days all year, but you have agreed to work to a certain date based on a notice period, don’t be greedy. Discuss possible options with your employer and come to an agreement.
• Write clear and concise handover instructions to mitigate downtime and disruption. Yes, you’re moving on, but it’s also in your best interests to leave on good terms.  
• Ask for feedback. It can be tempting to simply run for the door and never look back, but switching jobs can be a perfect opportunity to receive invaluable constructive criticism before stepping into your new office.
• Stay positive. By all means, don’t accept bad treatment at work. But, if you treat the situation as an opportune time to speak negatively about an ex-employer, it could damage your CV and reputation.

N.B. Know your rights. If you want to take on more work on the side but you’re told that you can’t, your current employment contract may include a provision saying that you can’t work anywhere else. However, if that isn’t included or you found the work through a consultancy, you will need to seek professional advice.

Switching jobs needn’t be stressful. Whether you need a complete change or searching for a supplementary side income in today’s jobs market, LoveLocalJobs.com is here to help! Take a look at our latest vacancies or create a candidate account to manage your job search on the move.