Leaving a job on bad terms and criticising your employer may not be the best way to resolve any disputes. Photo: File.
James Mason says burning bridges with your former employer will, in most cases, do more harm to your future employment prospects than the reputation to the organisation you have left.
Have you heard the story of the employee who despises his boss and the organisation he works for?
One day, he gets news of a lottery win and calls his boss to express his true feelings and where to stick his job.
However, he soon realises he hasn’t won the lottery after all and ends up grovelling and begging for his job back.
Emotional stress in the workplace can make an individual react in ways that may be seen as insensitive or immature, especially when dealing with a colleague or manager they don’t get along with.
Leaving a job on bad terms and criticising your employer may not be the best way to resolve any disputes.
The phrase ‘‘burning bridges’’ is used when someone decides to cut ties with others in a way that makes it impossible to rekindle the relationship.
It originates from a military strategy where retreating soldiers would burn a bridge behind them to prevent the enemy from following.
In the workplace, it can mean leaving a job on bad terms, ensuring there’s no way to return or maintain professional relationships with former colleagues and employers.
There are countless stories of employees who feel wronged by their organisations due to toxic cultures.
This can lead to significant stress, and when individuals are abused, bullied or mocked, they may feel compelled to express their true feelings.
Depending on the scenario, walking out of an organisation without notice is a definite bridge-burner and could affect your final payout.
This also means you might not get a reference, or if you do, it might not be a good one.
When you burn bridges, the immediate aftermath might feel satisfying, but the long-term consequences can be severe.
You might face challenges in finding new employment, especially if potential employers seek references from your previous job.
The professional world can be surprisingly small, and word of your exit could spread, making it harder to secure new opportunities.
Additionally, you might lose valuable networking connections that could have benefited your career down the line.
So, what’s the alternative? If you’re unhappy at your current job, consider addressing the issues professionally.
Communicate your concerns to your manager or human resources department. If the situation doesn’t improve, plan your exit strategy.
Give proper notice, complete your tasks, and leave on good terms. This approach not only preserves your professional reputation, it also ensures you have solid references for future job searches.
While burning bridges is generally ill-advised, there are rare instances where it might work for some individuals.
For instance, if a person has highly sought-after skills and a strong professional network, they might recover more easily from a dramatic exit.
Some successful entrepreneurs have burned bridges to signal a clear departure from their previous roles and to fully commit to their ventures.
However, these are exceptions, and such decisions carry significant risks.
An employee who has left an organisation on bad terms can now leave feedback on certain recruitment websites and forums, which can also give some satisfaction because this can be done anonymously.
Providing this feedback can warn others from applying for a job at the organisation if they start to see many bad reviews.
In certain situations, burning bridges can shed light on a toxic workplace, potentially helping others avoid similar experiences or even prompting the organisation to review its working methods and improve its culture.
When employees leave a job on bad terms and publicly share their reasons, it can expose underlying issues within the organisation.
This can lead to public scrutiny and pressure on the organisation to address and rectify the toxic environment.
So, burning bridges at work is a risky move with far-reaching consequences. While it might feel satisfying at the moment, the long-term fallout can be challenging.
If you find yourself in a toxic work environment, take a step back, breathe, and consider your options.
Handle your departure professionally whenever possible to safeguard your future career prospects.
If you do choose to burn bridges, do it with the awareness of the potential impacts and the hope that it might shine a light on necessary changes within the organisation.
James Mason has worked for various organisations over an 18-year career. A seasoned blogger, he has created the blogsite Office Bantomime.
This article first appeared on the Office Bantomime website.
