Most of us share a love-hate relationship with work, and the hate part is more often than not attributable to our boss. A toxic boss can be incompetent, corrupt, or just a boss who doesn’t like you. Whichever it is, working under such a person can be extremely difficult for you as an individual. Most people describe the experience as constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.
When your boss decides they don’t want you working for them, it becomes apparent in your everyday work life. However, we usually make the mistake of turning a blind eye to such behavior in hopes of safeguarding our jobs when we should be planning our exit.
If you’re stuck in a situation where you’re constantly trying to convince yourself that you’re not being singled out at work, chances are you are. The smart thing to do at this point is to pay attention to what is happening and identify signs your boss wants you to leave your job. This way, you can begin finding another opportunity rather than be caught blindsided by your boss when he ultimately decides to let you go.
Signs Your Boss Wants You To Leave
When your boss wants you to quit, they show it through actions and behaviors. You can get one step ahead and take charge of your career by spotting them early on.
Here are the signs your boss wants you to leave, which you must be on the lookout for!
1. Withholding Work
When a manager wants an employee to leave, the first thing they do is withhold any meaningful work from them to make them feel isolated and useless. In the weeks leading up to termination, former employees of private organizations report having been given no new work, despite having the time and skillset available.
Therefore, if you feel that your boss has been withholding work from you, chances are they are preparing you for termination.
2. Reassigning Projects
One of the signs your boss wants you to leave is the reassignment of your critical projects. As a permanent team member, there must be projects you’ve spent weeks, if not months working on. After removing you from the roster for new tasks, your angsty boss will reassign all important projects you’re handling to other team members. This way, they won’t have to worry about your handing over or managing your pending tasks when they finally let you go.
Hence, if your manager suddenly takes away your prime projects and assigns them to someone else, it’s one of the apparent signs your boss wants you to leave.
3. Public Criticism & Misbehaviour
As bosses get ready to replace a resource, they become increasingly agitated and short-tempered. The employee in question is often publicly called out and insulted in front of other staff for minor mistakes. The rationale is to make your life so miserable for the employee that they end up quitting themselves, thereby saving the boss the trouble of finding cause for termination.
Think back and reflect on your boss’s behavior with you over the past few weeks. If they have been unreasonably harsh and vicious, chances are they’re trying to get you to run.
4. Keeping Out of the Loop
As team members, employees are used to being aware of upcoming projects, changes, and agendas. However, when a manager wants you to leave, they further push you into isolation by keeping you in the dark regarding new happenings. This happens almost overnight and is hard to pinpoint until it’s too late.
Review the past few weeks and think about exactly when you got to know major news compared to others.
5. Cutting Benefits
Another one of the signs your boss wants you to leave is when they start cutting down on your benefits and perks. For instance, maybe your rewards package had a travel allowance that was suddenly removed. Or you were up to visit a regional office for a work conference, but your name didn’t find its way onto the final list. These seemingly technical and company policy-related things are your boss’s direct instructions.
Therefore, if you’ve had any perks and benefits suddenly be revised or eliminated, that’s one of the signs your boss wants you to leave.
FAQs
Are there other signs your boss wants you to leave?Â
There are numerous other signs your boss wants you to leave, like intense micromanaging, giving preference to others, and not appreciating your ideas and contributions.
What should I do if my boss wants me to leave?
Rather than give your boss a chance to terminate you, find another job, quit, and beat your boss to the chase.
Should I complain to HR if my boss wants me to leave?Â
If you’ve identified signs your boss wants you to leave, you can go to HR. However, even if HR helps you keep your job, you will have to keep working under someone who first wanted to get rid of you and second, you’ve complained to HR about it. All that will do is make your work life even more miserable.
Can I change my boss’s mind about me?Â
Sometimes, managers are unhappy with you for no particular reason. If you feel your boss is reasonable, try to have a one-on-one with them.
Conclusion
If you feel like you can relate to most of the things listed above, it’s pretty obvious that these are signs your boss wants you to leave. However, instead of getting demotivated, get working to find a new opportunity. Update your resume and start applying for jobs that fit your profile, and you’ll surely find a great position, hopefully with a much better boss!