Career exits

September 21 2006 - According to the first survey on employee exits by career publisher Vault.com 61 per cent of respondents have exited a job on bad terms with their employer.

Based on 706 responses from American employees in a variety of industries, the survey found the main reasons for leaving were disagreements with management (73 per cent), disagreements with co-workers (12 per cent), or to start employment with a new company immediately (14 per cent).

One respondent commented 'owners of the company were liars, cheaters, and didn't treat their employees well'. Another said 'my manager wanted me to do something that violated FDA regulations, and then he got HR to begin disciplinary steps because I was disobedient'.

Almost half (47 per cent) did not give notice in person, but instead called or emailed their manager. One respondent explained, 'after having it out with my boss' boss, I called my boss and told him I quit. The funny thing was, at the same time I was in his voicemail, his boss paged him and told him to fire me'.

Types of bad exits included:

• screaming matches (42 per cent)
• negative mass emails (24 per cent)
• negative speeches at company meetings (18 per cent)
• vandalized or stolen company property (12 per cent)
• physical scuffles (4 per cent).

About half of respondents (52 per cent) witnessed or took part in a domino effect in which one person's exit caused others to leave the company soon after.

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