Top employee of 10 years finally reaches her wits end, quits and leaves with just a ‘good luck’ from the company: ‘10 years and [that's] all my boss could muster??’

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Jun 11, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

When you find a job you really really truly enjoy, you try to hold onto that job for as long as possible. Sometimes, you even spread yourself thin and sell yourself short because you actually just enjoy doing the work. You might think that's just you going "above and beyond" for something you really care about, but many of times when you do that, your upper management only sees dollars signs. When it comes down to it, they will replace you if they need to… Sorry, that sounds dark, but when you go through Reddit as much as we do, you read a lot of downer stories about the workplace. 

 

Take, for example, this woman who gave a decade of her life to a company. She enjoyed the work so she tried to just barrel through the mishaps. However, after 10 years, she finally got to her wit's end and put in her resignation. What did the office do for her? The place she has lived at for the past decade? Nothing. 

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  • Her boss sent her off with a “good luck” and nothing more. A bummer, though she confesses the place was constantly disappointing her. Still, that had to sting. But, hey! It also should reinforce your confidence that leaving was the right choice. Read how it went down below!

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    via Unsplash+ (and Nick Fewings)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "Left after 10 years because of my boss"

    I have been working at this job for 10 years, started at an entry-level position and worked my way up from there until today when I clocked out for the last time. My boss is quite literally the only reason I quit and am starting over
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • again. I loved the tasks of my job and (not to brag) but was honestly so good at it. My day was constantly interrupted by other staff members asking me questions and for assistance, and I didn't mind at all because I'm a
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • team player and wanted to help make their jobs easier and be able to perform better. The last year or so has been really difficult. My boss and I have not seen eye to eye on several projects and/or processes
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • —and that's fine. I don't mind talking it out and explaining my point of view, but ultimately my boss has the final say, and those decisions have long-term effects that impact individuals, specific departments, and of
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • course, the company as a whole. Over the last year, my boss. has made several big decisions that myself and other team members tried to explain were not long- term solutions to an issue.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • But because the boss has final say, we do as we are told. One of the consequences of these decisions caused a large backlog of work due to staff having to focus attention on immediate "fires" that came about
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • because of a rash decision and needed to be corrected instead. I have been telling my boss. over the last year (more like 18 months) that we needed help with the backlog since experienced staff was being pulled off of normal
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • tasks to assist with the time-sensitive issues, plus it is a very small department to begin with (2.5 people). At each request I was told no-that the amount of work didn't justify the expense. I had asked so many times,
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • provided the backlog information, and tried to show how little time staff has available to complete these tasks due to more urgent issues, and still I was told no again and again.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • Well, finally clients started to get upset, realizing that our backlog was affecting them. An important client complained (rightfully so) to me about their frustrations. I immediately told my boss about this conversation and again
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • said that we needed assistance to get this issue corrected and that staff needed to be able to focus on their normal daily tasks until the backlog was resolved.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • This time, I was told that a specific person was going to reach out to this client and smooth things over... For 3 months I asked at least once a week for a follow-up or an update, as we were working diligently but without additional
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • assistance, it wasn't going as quickly as anyone would like. Each time I was told the specific person hadn't reached out yet. Finally, a meeting was set with the client and my boss -and of course, it didn't go well. When my boss came
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • back, they started asking questions about all the information I had been supplying them with when asking for help, as well as what I told them after the call I had with our client 3 months ago.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • Now it's an issue. Now the boss finds the backlog important. But whose fault is it? Well, according to my boss, it is my fault-as well as the other department members—but since I am the department lead, it's really my fault.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • Cheezburger Image 10515718656
    via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • The boss scheduled a phone call with the department and berated us for 30 minutes, literally not. allowing us to tell our side of the situation, and said. that until the backlog was done, all other duties were taken away from us. They
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • provided us one additional team member. I can't tell you how mad and embarrassed I was. I have never in my professional experience been talked to in such a manner. I gave my boss an approximate time of
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • completion to complete the tasks the correct way, as over the years, business procedures have changed, and we didn't want to rush the task and risk duplication. Each time. frame I provided was unacceptable and my
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • explanations were "excuses." So again, my boss made a decision on how to get the task done quickly. So again, that is what we did. In the middle of this project, one of the other employees was fired and I was left alone
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • with a part-time employee and a borrowed employee and expected to keep the same time frame. One of the crazy things is that after they fired the other employee, they didn't. even tell me. The employee
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • told me themselves, and I waited for my boss to say something and eventually had to call my boss and ask about it. I don't understand how the boss can expect me to complete a huge project when I think a staff member is busy working-
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • only to discover they haven't been there. I called my boss to discuss what happened and how to move forward, and multiple times (in my opinion unprompted) my boss said, "Well if you aren't happy and need to leave, we
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • would understand." I should have quit on the spot and let them figure out the backlog issue on their own, but I needed to find new employment-because, you know, bills and food and stuff.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • Anyway, I did find a new job as well as get the backlog updated. When I told my boss I was resigning, they literally just said, "Ok, when is your last day?"
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • Today was my last day. I typically work from home, so I had to go into the office to turn in the equipment I was using. After working the entire day on getting them set up for as much success as they can have with one part-
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • time employee that doesn't know how to do my job and getting them caught up on other tasks that other employees didn't have time to do, I left empty-handed and disappointed.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • I don't know if it's ridiculous to think that maybe they (the staff) would have signed a good luck/goodbye card or something, but other than a few messages from some of the staff saying they would miss me and are
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • nervous that my former tasks won't get done, the only thing I left with was my boss saying, "Good luck." 10 years of my life that I was the first one in and last one out-working diligently, barely ever taking a break,
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • working through lunch, coming in on weekends when needed. 10 years, and all my boss could muster was "good luck." Wow.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011
  • They have made me feel unappreciated so many times, so I don't know why I expected anything different, but I left truly emotional and disappointed. I should have. left sooner.
    via Reasonable-Soil1929 // ballwin2011

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