Should I have resigned earlier?!

Imade had her offer terminated the very next day after her wedding. No jokes. The reason for the termination was not clearly stated but it might be interesting to note that her boss who couldn't make it to the wedding had sent an office colleague, Halima, to represent and drop a gift on behalf of the office.

Halima arrived at the wedding venue and began calling the bride, demanding to see her because the boss insisted that she deliver whatever the gift was in person. Imade responded over the phone that she was wrapping up her traditional wedding ceremony (which was held earlier) and could only meet Halima in church.

Halima left without seeing the bride and the next day, Imade was served a termination of appointment stating that her services were no longer needed. Even though she knew she could get a better offer in no time, the termination still felt humiliating and like a slap on her face.

The role itself had been a growth opportunity which Imade was grateful for and the salary was over 100% increase from her last job, however, the work culture was strikingly toxic.

It was not until after the termination of her appointment that Imade realized that the snide remarks Halima made every time her fiance sent her lunch at work or drove down to pick her up were borne out of resentment so deep that it could lead her to give whatever report she presented to the team/boss after the wedding.

Asides from Halima, the fact that there were no clear-cut structures, dispute resolution processes and reporting lines bothered Imade. Random rules could be made up by anybody to suit their own narratives per time.

Imade wanted to resign from the job but she felt it did not make sense as she was just 6 months into the role, plus she enjoyed her role, she was growing in knowledge and exposure and even earning more while at it.

PS: Halima never dropped the gift and no contact was ever made by HR or any member of the organization to hear Imade's side of the story. The organization is run by a very influential person, a role-model to many women in the country and abroad, so it is not exactly a 'mushroom' organization situation. Imade considered filing a lawsuit, being an HR practitioner herself but she eventually decided to let it go.

A Yoruba proverb loosely translates: A bad husband can be managed but bad in-laws will definitely destroy the home. In the same vein, it is easy to thrive in a challenging role when the work culture is right, however, a bad work culture will blow out every glimmer of innovation, productivity and creativity in a good employee.

Question: Have you ever considered (or actually) resigned from a bad work culture? What were the signs you noticed? Please drop answers in the comments. Your answers go a long way in helping others.

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