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ive years ago, when therecession was in fullswing, even holding onto your job felt like a

skill. But now as theeconomy shows signs ofrecovery employment

experts say they're witnessing a newtrend: the naked resignation. Insteadof leaving a job for another role,disgruntled, overworked and underpaidemployees are throwing in the towelwithout 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 ofTotaljobs.com, "so I'm not surprisedwe're seeing more people taking thisrisky exit. People are increasinglyconfident they'11 find work elsewhere.'

Laura", 29,had only been in her job at

a children's nursery for a rnonth beforeshe resigned. "The woman I was takinsover from took me aside and warnedme things there weren't right]'sheerplains. It didn't take Laura long to

find out there was a culture ofr'vorkplace bullying. Staff were routinelyberated, and it wasn't long before she

too was being tormented by linemanagers 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 andr,,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

apartl'Having had enough, she handed,. in her notice the next day.

d,?Stafting/rom scratchI r$fith no income, Laura started dipping

into the d2o,00o she'd saved to puttowards buying a house. "f,20,000quickly became f2,ooo,though, andwith no job or income I had to moveback in with my parentsl'she says.

Laura had always been interestedin setting up her single friends and,despite having never considered a

career in matchmaking, she took a

leap offaith and used the rest ofhersavings to start up a dating service.Knowing nothing about running a

business, the venture was a boldone. After battling through a "darkfew months'l the business startedgaining clients, and Laura received herfirst pay cheque.

According to the director of MonkeyPuzzle Tiaining & Consultancy,Karen Meager, three in 10 candidatesshe's working with are currentlyplanning to leave their jobs withnothing else lined up. "rU{rhen I firststarted in this industry 10 years ago,I don't recall any of my clients thinkingthis wa/'she says. "'We're seeing adeparture from the artitude ofthebaby-boomer generation, which wasone that valued job security above allelse. Today's women factor in thingssuch as happiness, job satisfaction andprofessional development too3,

It was a lack of all these

factors that ciused ClaireBrummel, j3rto walkawayfrom ber high-payingmarketingjob ata TV station.

succumbed to stress, emotional fatigueand physical exhausrion until sheeventually reached her breakingpoint. "During a weekendaway I admitted tomyself that I hated myjob; I felt the life wasbeing sucked out ofme. I had to leavel'

"I loved it when I first started workingthere]'says Claire, "but the dynamicschanged when my boss leftl'She

EynhraringcnangeThe move gave Clairethe push she needed tostart Feminine 1st, acoaching company that helpsother women who feel trapped orunhappy in their jobs. "I(hen you'remiserable at work, it affects yourrelationships, your health andabsolutely everything elsel' she says.

But while a naked resignation workedout for Laura and Claire, it's not foreveryone. "It depends on a person,sattitude to risk, and whether or notbeing unemployed is iust going tomake you more stressed and miserable],says Karen. "Do you have money to fall

flarorkit! I

back on? How long will it lasd Visualiseyourself in a month's time after you'vequit. Do you feel panicked or liberated?,,

There are some benefits to leavingcold turkey, such as better seliconfidence and a more positive attitude;things that will leave an impression onwould-be employers. "You can exudedesperation in interviews if you,re in ajob that you hatel'says Karen.

For those considering a nakedresignation, though, John

recommends researchingthe market first to see

what you're worth at

another company. Or,if you're thinking ofa career change, doresearch using onlineaptitude 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 howyou've quit your job and how it's thebest thing you've ever done. Futureemployers will certainly pick up onthati'John also advises thinking twiceabout handing in your notice whenyou're angry. "You'll need goodreferences and will likely cross pathswith ex-colleagues in the future,so approach any resignation withcourtesy and professionalisml'

SORTS YOURLIFE OUT

Cosfieo's resident superwomansolves your work dilemmas

My new boss has asked me toorganise a team-building day butI've got no idea what to do. W'hatactivity would people enjoy thatwould make a good impression?Gemma Tilrnan, zy', I*nd,an

Karren says: "Ask yourboss what they want toget out of the day. Hasthe company gonethrough change, suchas a merger? Is the aimto make the team morecohesive or improvecommunication skills?Find out and buildactivities around that.If the budget's tight,invite somebody who'sworked for the companyfor a long time or theCEO to speak about the

business. I've been oncompetitive team days(like'staffOlympics')which are effective

- but don't alienatepeople with anythingtoo niche or difficult.Always explain the keymessage of the day first;there should also be a

take-home message tofinish on. \Torkshops area great way of breakingthe ice - start with opensessions for everybody,before splitting into

smaller groups (noteverybody likes publicspeaking, so don'tmake it mandatory).It's a great opportunityfor staff to discuss thebusiness (what's right/wrong/could change).Finally, if it's outside,have a contingency planin case of rain!"Cot a w:rrfe,issl,xe? Tsyeet

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FEBRUARY 2014 COSMOPOLITAN * 85