Devan Moonsamy 

The idea of rage-quitting is often romanticised in movies. The build up to the employee feeling the rage to quit is shown by the character doing tedious tasks, resulting in an over worked staff member that eventually snaps and decides to quit in a fit of rage. 

If the idea of just quitting in rage is a fantasy that is helping you cope with a toxic work environment, then it is an indication that something needs to be done to address the work place toxicity. 

Quitting a job should be the reason for new job possibilities or that the person needs to take on a new role at a different company. It could also now be a chance for them to want to explore a new field of being an entrepreneur. 

Before we explore the ways to help you cope with the rage build up at work due to the toxic work environment, we should familiarise ourselves with company policies. 

Many organisations have policies in place when it comes to staff tendering their resignation or quitting. This can be based on the time frame you have spent with the business. This means perhaps the company policy is that if you worked with a company for more than a year, then you should afford them a 2 week notice period. 

It is for this reason along with the aspect of getting a good reference that rage quitting is discouraged. You might even get unsolicited advice from friends and family about how you should be grateful, to have a job in time when people are losing jobs because of the pandemic. 

Firstly, we shouldn’t stay in a toxic work environment as this is harmful for our mental health well-being. At the same time while you are at the work place that is draining your positivity let us look at how you can manage being in the environment without losing your cool. 

  • Try to hack it during work. Instead of barging into your boss’s office to quit when something at work triggers you or sending an all-caps email stating you quit, you should try to redirect your attention. Go for a walk or even just step away from your work environment to gather yourself. Indulge in your favourite snack or even practise deep breathing. Do something that will bring you calm and remind you that this situation is a temporary one and this won’t be the case forever. 
  • Once you have worked out a way to deal with the rage that overcomes you during an outburst, note down what is it at work that is pushing to quit. Is it the colleagues that are always slacking at their work, could it be the manager that doesn’t lead? Whatever the reason writing it down will help you see what needs to be done and it will allow you to be honest with yourself. 
  • Now that you have identified what is pushing you towards the door formalise a plan of action. It is important to have an action plan. Rework your resume, update your LinkedIn profile and ensure that you are sending emails within your specific scope and not because you want an out. If you send a job application in the hopes of just getting another job this won’t be helpful to you, you might just end up in a wok space that you just wanted to take on to get out of the existing one you hate. Research a job that you want to go to next and work towards getting there.
  • If your current job space is severely impacting your metal health to the point where your body is reacting to your stress levels then perhaps it is best to quit. But this should be done if you have some sort of financial means to manage you through till you either start something on your own or get into a different job. 
  • Rage quitting is never encouraged. This does little to assist you in your future endeavours. Potential employees do call your references and the last thing you need is an old employee singing insults about how you quit at the drop of a shoe. Before even considering the elaborate storm out try to engage with your boss about the toxic and unproductive feeling you have at work. They might not be aware of it and perhaps they would want to do something to help you stay on. 

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com