Should You Tell Your Boss You Hate Your Job?

You hate your job. You can barely force yourself to get out of bed in the morning to go to work. You’ve lost your passion almost completely. Your work conditions are appalling. And maybe you’re not alone; maybe your co-workers are equally miserable and this company is totally unredeemable. You want to share how you’re feeling with your boss, if only because she’ll have wanted to have the chance to make things better for you—at least to try and convince you to stay. But you’re worried you’ll get a reputation with the higher-ups as a disgruntled employee and then, even if you do get that raise or title bump, you’ll still be miserable at work. You hate your job so should you confront your boss or just conduct a quiet job search and sneak out without making a fuss?

Can Your Boss Fix Things?

The first thing to consider is whether there are any improvements to your current position or conditions that could convince you to stay. Would you be happier there if you were actually making fair pay for the work you do? Or if you negotiated some other adjustment to your work load that made your job more fulfilling? Before you decide to talk to your boss first, make sure you know how just high your bar is set for staying. And then be clear that you can’t stick around for anything less.

Is Your Mind Already Made Up?

But no matter how kind and conscientious your boss is, you don’t owe her anything. It’s still well within your rights to quietly get another job, and then give appropriate notice. It’s up to you to decide what you really want. If the answer is that you’re just done and want out? Don’t bother dragging your well-meaning (and probably powerless) supervisor into a decision process wherein your outcome is already decided. Make a graceful exit, don’t burn any bridges, and make sure you don’t fall into the same trap in your next position. Ask for what you deserve!