If you've been seeing signs you need to quit your job for the whole year but haven't taken action on it, you're probably now wondering if December is the best month to resign. Traditionally, experts would say that it is, simply because January, which is just weeks away, is the best month to apply for jobs.
Does your company give annual or holiday bonuses? You might not be entitled to receive yours if you quit shortly before yours is due. In fact, you probably won't. Hold off until afterward to ensure that you get your extra pay.
It's understandable, as January tends to be a popular time for employment changes. This is reinforced by a wave of post-holiday news stories about making the leap from a current job.
Two weeks' notice is standard job-exit etiquette, but some employees give less notice, leaving their employer scrambling to find a replacement. Stay for the entire two weeks unless the company requests that you leave sooner. For a successful job exit, resigning should never be a rash decision.
Pay attention to the fiscal year and school calendar
As a result, a substantial number of employees quit their jobs in late January, February, and March of each year. More positions become available at this time of year as employers attempt to fill newly vacant positions.
If you find yourself in a situation in which it is emotionally, physically, or mentally draining (or worse) for you even to show up to work, let alone get excited and perform at a high level—you need to leave.
November and December: The Hiring Process Becomes Frozen
Unless you are looking for part-time or seasonal employment, the last two months of the year are the hardest times to look for a job.
January and February are the most popular hiring months. Avoid the summer and holiday seasons when looking for a new job since most companies slow down during those periods. The best days and times to look for a job are the beginning of the workweek and late mornings; this is when most businesses update job boards.
“I recently learned about this term called quiet quitting, where you're not outright quitting your job but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond,” Khan says. “You're still performing your duties, but you're no longer subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality that work has to be your life.
There are several reasons that Friday is the traditional day to quit. If you decide to quit Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday you're making a mistake! When you turn in your notice on a Friday you can let the dust settle over the weekend.
The best day of the week to resign from your position is either Monday or Tuesday. There are many good reasons why these two days are the best days to resign, including things like: Assuming that you're giving two weeks notice, it makes it so your last day of the week can be on the end of the week on a Friday.
Technically you can resign while on annual leave, Henderson says. But if you're aiming to resign on good terms, it's best to do it before you go on leave or once you return to work.
Pay discrepancies are one of the leading causes of quiet quitting. The issue isn't that employees don't want to do the extra work but don't feel appropriately compensated for their efforts. More than money, the root of the problem is a lack of respect.
Quiet quitting then, is often used to cope with burnout. It has been defined in a couple of different ways — some describe it as not actively going above and beyond at work, while others see it as doing only the bare minimum to remain employed.
Career change statistics show that most workers change their careers at the average age of 39. The majority of people want to switch careers to have a better work-life balance and more job flexibility.
Leaving a job shortly after you've started can be a red flag to future employers. Most professionals believe you should stay at a job for a minimum of one year to show some level of commitment before moving on.
To help settle the score, Twersky weighs in, “The rule of thumb for minimum tenure before bailing on a job is one year.” Of course, as Twersky says, if you're miserable at a job, “you may want to mount a search sooner than your one-year anniversary.”
What's the worst time of year to find a job? Late November through December are typically the worst times of the year to find a job due to many hiring managers and employees being absent with seasonal holiday vacations. More so, many companies are at the end of their fiscal year and hiring budgets could be scarce.
People age 45 and older are finding it increasingly difficult to get an entry- or intermediate-level job, despite employers' complaints that they cannot find qualified workers, according to a recent report, Meeting the World's Midcareer Moment.
While employers can call with a job offer any day of the week, Tuesday is statistically the most popular day to send out offers, closely followed by Thursday.
The best-case scenario—and honestly, the most common reaction—is that your boss will accept your resignation with understanding and sincere congratulations. Your manager will be happy to see that you're advancing your career and moving on to something bigger and better.
Making the decision to step away from a job is not always easy or feasible. But when your physical or emotional well-being is suffering and your stress isn't eased by the occasional mental health day, experts say it's generally best to start looking elsewhere.
People tend to adapt back. Quitting your job might make you happy — at first. But that feeling may not last long, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, distinguished professor of psychology and vice chair at the University of California, Riverside.
“From an office perspective, quiet quitting can cause conflicts between employees, as some employees will feel others aren't carrying their weight,” he added. “Overall, this can backfire on the employee and can also create a wave of inadequate and underdeveloped employees.”