Have any of you quit a job because you had so little to do?

7 Comments

1. AnonymousJanuary 16,2025 at 1:19PM UTC

   No, but I took advantage of that and pursued my master's degree and was able to do some of my homework while at work.

   Before anyone says anything, I did ask other managers/Directors if they need help. I tried with m y own boss several times. We had just gone through a re-org and my original boss had been transferred to a different location. I was inherited by the new boss and he wanted his own people. So I ended up doing work for my old boss - no one was wiser. Got my master's and was out of there.

2. AnonymousJanuary 16,2025 at 1:21PM UTC

   Nope I just rode the wave.

3. AnonymousJanuary 16,2025 at 1:27PM UTC

   I left a long-term contract position because of it. The pay was nice, but I sat alone in an office and 'answered' the phones. Problem was the person I worked for forwarded the phones to her cell so I literally had nothing to do all day. It wasn't the kind of place that people would come to and the 'boss' was always out on the road visiting customers. I would take naps, finished an entire years' reading list, paced the office space. When corporate sent a request for an inventory audit, I tried starting that and got yelled at that I wasn't qualified to do the work. Consisted of checking a bar code on the equipment then checking the bin number to make sure they matched then recording how many total pieces in the bin. She "would take care of it".

   I lasted a little over three months before I called my agency and said they had to find me something else. I know some people might say enjoy the easy ride but if I'm working, I want to be doing something, otherwise I'd rather be doing my own thing.

4. AnonymousJanuary 16,2025 at 1:39PM UTC

   I almost did. I had just gotten a new job that had tons of room for growth, and it was my first WFH experience. The first 6-8 months were TERRIBLE. We were in the process of making the final preparations for go-live as our division was brand new. I felt like I was completely ignored, never given any tasks, and I was just useless. I slid into a pretty heavy depression that my medication struggled to help with. For the first 2 months, it was nice to have a slow pace compared to the chaos I had left. However, I am someone who likes to be busy and feel like I am making a difference. I told my husband I would give it a year because if it turned out well, there was nothing but opportunity to grow my career. By the time the year rolled around, things had began changing. We had been live for a couple months, and I began inserting myself into projects and did everything I could to make sure I was seen by higher management. It worked because I was promoted and got a 15% raise after being with the company for just a year and a half.

   Depending on how long you've been there, I say give yourself a timeframe of how much longer you will give it a chance. Also be looking at other positions in the meantime.

5. AnonymousJanuary 16,2025 at 6:58PM UTC

   Great feedback, thanks for sharing your story!

6. Sara Morgan, MSWJanuary 17,2025 at 12:43AM UTC

   I considered this over a year ago. When I first started my job, it was right before the pandemic, so there were limited activities (I work at a red center for seniors). To top it off, the work environment was pretty toxic. Thankfully, it’s gotten better and there are so many more things going on. Not to mention my toxic supervisor finally retired. :)

7. AnonymousJanuary 17,2025 at 1:55PM UTC

   Nah, I’ve always liked it when a job had little for me to do. I meant getting paid for not doing much.

   Whenever there was downtime at a call center I worked at, and I finished all of my work for that day, I’d just search for non-call center jobs on Indeed & LinkedIn or look up certifications needed to enter different fields. I’d also go on YT and watch vids. I’d also look at schools’ advanced degrees offerings for different fields.