'It was the best feeling... giving my boss 2 weeks' notice': 20 Employees who quit their jobs on the spot

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 22, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

So you quit your job on the spot… now what?

It happens from time to time: a worker is so unhappy with their job or so upset with their boss that they quit on the spot. This is especially satisfying to do if you have an apron or hat you can rip off and throw on the floor for dramatic flair. Perhaps a name tag you can unpin and toss behind you as you walk away with a huge grin on your face. In fact, if you work retail or food service, you'll almost certainly see someone quit in this fashion at some point. Sometimes, the thought of doing another clopening with your least-favorite coworker, or spending an entire Black Friday shift on the registers, is enough to make you throw in the towel.

If you quit your first job this way, well, that's probably going to be okay. If Mom and Dad can support you, or you can quickly bounce to your next gig, you'll be okay. But some of these righteous quitters left their corporate jobs where they were making 6 figures, and that can be harder to bounce back from. In this job market, it can truly take years before finding the right career. 

Next, read about the employees who got revenge on 6 phone reps who wouldn't take no for an answer, and spammed them with calls: "I explained that we didn't have 500 mobile [phone] accounts."

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  • 01

    "People who quit their jobs without a backup plan — what happened next?"

    Cheezburger Image 10545377024
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 02
    xennial-tiger 20 years ago I was managing restaurants in Tampa and got burned out. Company had been good to me, so I told them I was giving them 3 months notice. Enough time to hire and train my replacement. Did not have a backup, was just done dealing with it all.
    via u/xennial-tiger
  • 03
    Word spread up the ladder that I was leaving, president of the concept asked what it would do to get me to stay. Told him I wanted a 9-5 job. So they made a job for me at the corporate office as a Jr. Analyst and I began a new career.
    via u/xennial-tiger
  • 04

    Yeah, that'll happen

    petorious08 It felt freeing for the first month...and then i saw my bank account go down.
    via u/petorious08
  • 05

    Sometimes taking time to relax is the secret key to finding success later on

    No-Record0924 I took a vacation and with the help of a former colleague I found another one within a week of looking. This was 11 years ago, I don't think I would be so lucky today.
    via u/No-Record0924
  • 06
    bookwormsolaris My grandfather happened to be near the end of his life, so I used him as an excuse to get out of a crappy job before I could get fired (bit of a long story there). To keep myself occupied, I helped out at my mom's school and volunteered in the library. I really enjoyed it, so I went to college for library science. It was a two year degree, but I took an
    via u/bookwormsolaris
  • 07
    accelerated program that completed the program in one year. Now library work is a passion of mine and some of the most fulfilling work I've ever done
    via u/bookwormsolaris
  • 08
    Endy0816 Found a better job after a couple weeks. Not sure I'd recommend it, but I also needed to do it for my own mental health.
    via u/Endy0816
  • 09

    Temp work gets a bad rep, but this person enjoys it

    sapphireapril Put in my 2 weeks notice at a retail job that I had worked at 10+ years. Applied to everything to try and get an office job and got picked up by a temp agency. I was placed really fast, and I got hired permanently by them after my 3 months was up. And I'm still there! (:
    via u/sapphireapril
  • 10
    Highly recommend anyone checking out temp agencies if you are in a similar boat I was in (long term retail with no college/some college but no degree).
    via u/sapphireapril
  • 11
    mowens76 Ended up being unemployed for 2 years, but then landed my dream job making $180k and life is great. Rough 2 years though
    via u/mowens76
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10545377280
    via Campaign Creators on Unsplash+

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

  • 13
    erghjunk Left a job for what I thought was going to be a superior job and experience. Was very wrong and got into a shouting match with my boss around the 6 month mark and quit on the spot. I went back to my old job with
    via u/erghjunk
  • 14
    my tail between my legs and asked for my position back and thankfully they gave it to me. Was among the more humbling experiences of my life.
    via u/erghjunk
  • 15
    fiber_alchemist I don't regret leaving my job because it was the most toxic work environment. However I left 95k salary with the support of my spouse saying it was the right thing to do for my health. I'm 2 months out of work been looking since week 2, put in over 150
    via u/fiber_alchemist
  • 16
    applications, three interviews, ghosted by one and turned down for the other two saying I was over qualified (eye roll).. hopefully soon.
    via u/fiber_alchemist
  • 17
    MrSpindles I mean, which time? I've ended up homeless, I've bounced back, I've lost years to depres on and never once regretted a single job I quit, not for a second.
    via u/MrSpindles
  • 18
    Hydra_Kitt Took a 3 week vacation and found a new one that's higher paying immediately. Context, I'm blue collar.
    via u/Hydra_Kitt
  • 19
    Cheezburger Image 10545377536
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 20
    YngSpook84 Quit a very toxic job three years ago around Thanksgiving with plans to find work after New Years. January came and my daughter had surgery and basically needed someone to care for her daily for about four months after, so I
    via u/YngSpook84
  • 21
    did that. My wife made a huge upgrade with her job during that time, and I've been a stay at home dad ever since. Our youngest just started school this year, so I'm about to jump back into the hunt.
    via u/YngSpook84
  • 22
    ReticentGuru I took on a supervisor job (about 45 people) soon after graduating, and was so out of my comfort zone. I turned in my resignation letter without any plan whatsoever. A guy that I had worked for in college heard about it, gave me a call and
    via u/ReticentGuru
  • 23
    a job offer that was more suited to me. It ultimately led to a couple of promotions - and job that lasted for 20 years.
    via u/ReticentGuru
  • 24
    fadingpulse The first time I did this, I knew that a competitor had interest in me thanks to a former coworker greasing the wheels. I took a few days to chill, and then walked into an interview where they created a position for me because they didn't have any job openings at the time. That was 17 years ago.
    via u/fadingpulse
  • 25
    The second time I did this, I spent 6 months doing freelance work while looking for something bigger. It caused tension in my relationship and I became single and crashing in my mother's spare bedroom for the last month of that stretch before getting hired in a full time gig. That was 11 years ago.
    via u/fadingpulse
  • 26
    Nowadays I think I'd end up jobless and homeless.
    via u/fadingpulse
  • 27
    sketchy 722 It was the best feeling giving my then boss my 2-weeks and I hadn't even interviewed for any other jobs or barely sent any resumes out. One of the big companies we worked heavily with learned I was leaving and created a job position for me, called me telling me to apply, and was with them a month later.
    via u/sketchy 722
  • 28
    RefrigeratorBusy... Panicked. Applied for unemployment. Applied for new jobs. Found a much less toxic job 2 miles away. Happy now.
    via u/RefrigeratorBusy5675
  • 29
    P Papercuts Left a six figure job with no notice or plan. Spent the next two years trying to replace that job and then the pan mic hit. Been hustling side gigs ever since and thankful I was able to spend so much time with my kids.
    via u/P****Papercuts
  • 30
    Still didn't get hired to an equivalent income tiered job, but I've made the best of my crop situation and now I value time more than money. I'm thankful that I had a hobby which I was an expert in which I was able to convert to a robust side gig that at least covered bills.
    via u/P****Papercuts
  • 31
    Fine_Luck_200 I quit my janitorial/Floor tech job with no back up plan. My wife said it was the best month of her life. The house had never been cleaner and cooked so many of her more time consuming and involved dinners. I was a chef in another life.
    via u/Fine_Luck_200
  • 32
    Got a Rent-a-cop license and worked that till I got a help desk job and then a contract network tech job, and now I work as a Network admin. Education and certs along the way. Baby sitting parking lots leaves a bunch of time to study.
    via u/Fine_Luck_200
  • 33
    VivaciouszVixen Quit teaching mid-semester because of burnout. Drove Uber for 3 months. Now I'm a park ranger making less. money but actually happy
    via u/VivaciouszVixen
  • 34
    STAIRCASE RANGER STATION
    via Sophia Simoes on Unsplash+

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

  • 35
    Ring Fit9608 I quit without a backup a couple years ago. It was scary at first, but I picked up freelance work, built new skills, and eventually landed a better job than the one I left. The biggest lesson I learned is that uncertainty feels terrifying, but it can push you to grow in ways stability never will.
    via u/Ring Fit9608

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