Quitting before probation

Question

I am currently still on a 3 month probation on my new job, but am planning on quitting as the work load is unbearable. Are there anything i need to note about quitting during probation?

My HR also told me that i will need to help out with some HR duties during my interview, i agreed. The first month was okay, everything was under control. But since the second month started, things started getting out of hand. I am required to help out on the Overtime calculation of our workers. During the first month, we calculated it manually. My HR suddenly decided that it's too much work to calculate it manually and decided to use Excel instead.

Now I am required to key in the Overtime details, WORKER BY WORKER into the excel sheet. (note that we have around 500 over workers in each project, and 95% of the workers do Overtime daily)

Which means i am required to key in 500+ workers x 31 days, into the excel sheet. (lol right) And after that, i have to check the Overtime details in the excel sheet with the Overtime cards the workers submitted. Double work.

I have already approached my HR telling her that it is too much work as compared to manually calculating it, but she told me "It's very easy, won't take much time!"

It's already June today and i am barely halfway done. I have my own reception duties too and honestly do not have as much time as HR to do the Overtime....

If i quit during my probation based on this, will i be giving a bad impression? Will it reflect badly if i were to put it in my resume?

Answer 1

I'm not sure where you are and what your local customs concerning probation periods are. Where I live, a probation period is a test for both sides to find out if they like working with each other. Both sides can easily quit during the probation period. That's what it's there for.

So yes, if you don't like the work there, you should not finish your probation period but quit as soon as you have found a new job.

Answer 2

I'm not sure which jurisdiction you are in so there might be local effect, but here in the UK resigning during your probation is just like resigning at any other time, except the notice period is a LOT shorter. So go through your usual resignation process, whatever that is, once you are ready. In the UK that means providing a written resignation letter.

There is no stigma attached to resigning during your probation period, as nvoight mentions, that is what it is there for. However in terms of putting it on your resume there is one consideration you need to be aware of- Such a short engagement will ring an alarm bell for your next interviewers and they will want to know what happened. So be prepared for this question to appear in all your interviews and have your answer ready. In your answer do not word the situation as you have here, it could come across as lazy and whinging (I'm not saying you are only that a potential employer might perceive it that way). Stress that the nature of the work you were asked to do was very different to what you thought it was going to be, or that the travel was too much, or anything that just implies that "you wanted it to be a success and put every effort into making it a success, but in the end it was not sustainable". Stress that in your mind it was better to get out and find the right challenge and opportunity than to spend substantial time in what was clearly the wrong position.

Alternatively just leave it off your resume- However if that leaves a substantial gap then any decent interviewer will ask you what you are doing in that period- so be prepared for that question!

Answer 3

Let's recapitulate: They are putting a work load on you that you think is too much, it sounds that you think it is too much because it is in fact too much, you are not able to do other work that you are supposed to do, and overall you don't want to do that kind of work for the money you are paid for the next years. The situation is made a bit more interesting by the fact that you are working for the HR department, so HR is not just HR as for everyone else, but also your boss or superior.

Probation is there exactly for situations like this, where either the employer or the employee feel that this employment is not in their best interest, and it is better to separate your ways quickly rather than slowly.

You have already talked to people, who didn't listen. You might consider complaining officially to HR (in their HR role) that your boss (who happens to be in HR) told you to do things in a way that is inefficient and takes longer, and completely ignored your objections. That gives them a chance to think about the situation and decide whether they want to lose you, or whether they want to make changes.

Answer 4

You could also think of this from a different point of view. Whilst yes, it does seem like this is too much work on you, it shouldn't always be up to your manager/superiors to put the solutions in place, this is why you're hired.

Why not take some initiative and see if you can come up with a less manual/time-consuming method to complete the work that is required. This will not only make your life easier but, it will show leadership that you're willing to take the initiative and resolve bad processes rather than just complaining.

Just another point of view on the matter. That being said, if you still wish to leave then Marv Mills is right.