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2. tl
ive years ago, when the
recession was in full
swing, even holding on
to your job felt like a
skill. But now as the
economy shows signs of
recovery employment
experts say they're witnessing a new
trend: the naked resignation. Instead
of leaving a job for another role,
disgruntled, overworked and underpaid
employees are throwing in the towel
without anything else lined up. "Recent
84 * COSMOPOLITAN FEBRUARY 20,I4
research shows a third of workers are
bored, fed up and frustrated with their
;'obsl'reveals John Salt, director of
Totaljobs.com, "so I'm not surprised
we're seeing more people taking this
risky exit. People are increasingly
confident they'11 find work elsewhere.'
Laura", 29,had only been in her job at
a children's nursery for a rnonth before
she resigned. "The woman I was takins
over from took me aside and warned
me things there weren't right]'she
erplains. It didn't take Laura long to
find out there was a culture of
r'vorkplace bullying. Staff were routinely
berated, and it wasn't long before she
too was being tormented by line
managers on a daily basis. The tipping
:oint came when she was told to reduce
rhe number of staffin the nursery a
:r. r. that rvould break laws governing
:luk-to-child ratios. "l said I wouldn't
:o ir. but my manager screamed and
r,,r, :rr. in my face, and told me I had no
: I -'i:e .' savs Laura. "I only just managed
: ::{. it to the bathroom before I Fell

3. apartl'Having had enough, she handed
,. in her notice the next day.
d,?
Stafting/rom scratch
I r$fith no income, Laura started dipping
into the d2o,00o she'd saved to put
towards buying a house. "f,20,000
quickly became f2,ooo,though, and
with no job or income I had to move
back in with my parentsl'she says.
Laura had always been interested
in setting up her single friends and,
despite having never considered a
career in matchmaking, she took a
leap offaith and used the rest ofher
savings to start up a dating service.
Knowing nothing about running a
business, the venture was a bold
one. After battling through a "dark
few months'l the business started
gaining clients, and Laura received her
first pay cheque.
According to the director of Monkey
Puzzle Tiaining & Consultancy,
Karen Meager, three in 10 candidates
she's working with are currently
planning to leave their jobs with
nothing else lined up. "rU{rhen I first
started in this industry 10 years ago,
I don't recall any of my clients thinking
this wa/'she says. "'We're seeing a
departure from the artitude ofthe
baby-boomer generation, which was
one that valued job security above all
else. Today's women factor in things
such as happiness, job satisfaction and
professional development too3,
It was a lack of all these
factors that ciused Claire
Brummel, j3rto walk
awayfrom ber high-
payingmarketingjob at
a TV station.
succumbed to stress, emotional fatigue
and physical exhausrion until she
eventually reached her breaking
point. "During a weekend
away I admitted to
myself that I hated my
job; I felt the life was
being sucked out of
me. I had to leavel'
"I loved it when I first started working
there]'says Claire, "but the dynamics
changed when my boss leftl'She
Eynhraring
cnange
The move gave Claire
the push she needed to
start Feminine 1st, a
coaching company that helps
other women who feel trapped or
unhappy in their jobs. "I(hen you're
miserable at work, it affects your
relationships, your health and
absolutely everything elsel' she says.
But while a naked resignation worked
out for Laura and Claire, it's not for
everyone. "It depends on a person,s
attitude to risk, and whether or not
being unemployed is iust going to
make you more stressed and miserable],
says Karen. "Do you have money to fall
flarorkit! I
back on? How long will it lasd Visualise
yourself in a month's time after you've
quit. Do you feel panicked or liberated?,,
There are some benefits to leaving
cold turkey, such as better seli
confidence and a more positive attitude;
things that will leave an impression on
would-be employers. "You can exude
desperation in interviews if you,re in a
job that you hatel'says Karen.
For those considering a naked
resignation, though, John
recommends researching
the market first to see
what you're worth at
another company. Or,
if you're thinking of
a career change, do
research using online
aptitude tests to see
where your skills lie.
Be prepared to ffeat
finding a new job like a
fob in itself, doing it 9-to-5.
"Be very careful when it
comes to social media]'John cautions.
"Don't write a post boasting about how
you've quit your job and how it's the
best thing you've ever done. Future
employers will certainly pick up on
thati'John also advises thinking twice
about handing in your notice when
you're angry. "You'll need good
references and will likely cross paths
with ex-colleagues in the future,
so approach any resignation with
courtesy and professionalisml'
SORTS YOUR
LIFE OUT
Cosfieo's resident superwoman
solves your work dilemmas
My new boss has asked me to
organise a team-building day but
I've got no idea what to do. W'hat
activity would people enjoy that
would make a good impression?
Gemma Tilrnan, zy', I*nd,an
Karren says: "Ask your
boss what they want to
get out of the day. Has
the company gone
through change, such
as a merger? Is the aim
to make the team more
cohesive or improve
communication skills?
Find out and build
activities around that.
If the budget's tight,
invite somebody who's
worked for the company
for a long time or the
CEO to speak about the
business. I've been on
competitive team days
(like'staffOlympics')
which are effective
- but don't alienate
people with anything
too niche or difficult.
Always explain the key
message of the day first;
there should also be a
take-home message to
finish on. Torkshops are
a great way of breaking
the ice - start with open
sessions for everybody,
before splitting into
smaller groups (not
everybody likes public
speaking, so don't
make it mandatory).
It's a great opportunity
for staff to discuss the
business (what's right/
wrong/could change).
Finally, if it's outside,
have a contingency plan
in case of rain!"
Cot a w:rrfe,issl,xe? Tsyeet
ws @ C *s seet;$;rs {it$,}xUK,
exsdaag $K"&, *'y *rsaaif
q ea es tioe{ttri*wwv az @
fresrst"s{3.rek" }
FEBRUARY 2014 COSMOPOLITAN * 85