Need Help Quitting my Job

[Emsters85]

Hi, all. My husband and I moved out of state a few months ago. We have a 16 month old son. I was a stay-at-home parent (worked full time before he was born), and decided to pick up a part time teaching job, which I received only a month after moving out of state.

Well, I was hired in June. I'm teaching instrumental music, but I'm already ready to leave. The goal of the job is to travel from school to school during their after-school enrichment programs, set up, and teach for an hour. However, I'm doing more commuting some days than actual teaching. I'm also doing a couple of private lessons per week in a student's home. I have to be there early, set up, then stay later taking everything back down (I take the instruments with me).

Issue #1: childcare. We're having a hard time relying on sitters. My husband has had to come home a couple of times to watch our son because a sitter couldn't show up, or something had come up. The sitters we really like are in school. I've only been able to set up a swap with one mom in the ward. See, if I'm late to my job, I get docked a lot of money, considering the parents have already paid for the program. If I have to cancel a class, I get docked even more. Basically I can't be late or miss. This is just too much for me. Let's not forget the cost of childcare. The teaching pays pretty well, but because of adding on the commute time, which I'm not paid for, it's not balancing as well as I had planned. I've looked into daycare programs, but many won't take him until he's 18 months old, and if I'm working more hours. It just doesn't make sense to have him in daycare for 3-4 hours, when I only teach for an hour. 

Issue #2: We just recently discovered we're expecting #2. I have been very sick with this pregnancy, and I really am having a hard time coordinating sitters, traveling, and teaching. 

Concluding, I realized I took on more than I can handle. I also want to mention I'm starting school full-time in October (mostly online). I feel bad telling my boss I could do this, but it's become more of a burden than I expected. I also didn't expect to get pregnant either.

Anyway, I'm trying to find the right way to approach him and quit. Any advice? 

Edited September 16, 2015 by Emsters85

[pam]

I'm with the being direct approach.  Things change in our lives.  

[pkstpaul]

You shouldn't feel any guilt. Employers deal with it all the time. You need to put your family first and that is understood by most.

[Guest MormonGator]

You shouldn't feel any guilt. Employers deal with it all the time. You need to put your family first and that is understood by most.

 Pkstpaul is exactly right. It's business and not personal. You have to be able to separate the two.  

[Mahone]

I would normally recommend that you continue in the position for at least a year before quitting, for the sake of your resume as much as anything else.

But it doesn't look like this will be feasible in your situation, so try and give him as much notice as possible as a courtesy, more than what you are contractually obliged to if necessary. This will give him more time to find your replacement and will be less likely to burn bridges. In my last position, my contract stated that I had a three month notice period but I ended up giving four as per their request.

I agree that your family takes priority and you shouldn't feel any guilt. But offer to do what you can to make the transition easier.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Mahone

[NightSG]

But it doesn't look like this will be feasible in your situation, so try and give him as much notice as possible as a courtesy, more than what you are contractually obliged to if necessary. This will give him more time to find your replacement and will be less likely to burn bridges.

This, and no need to go into detail; just tell him you're pregnant and expect that you will no longer be able to do the job at some point in the not-too-distant future.

[AngelMarvel]

No matter how you do it... be sure to give at least 2 weeks notice. 

[NeuroTypical]

If there was an employment contract, you should know what it says and do what it allows you to do.  Depending on your state or the language in the contract, it may or may not impact your decision.

[thoughts]

Look for a replacement, then you can propose a solution to your boss.  Though the terms (where they have you go from school to school, but don't pay you for it) are really not right.   They should pay you from the time you go to the first school, to the time you finish at the last school) 

 

I would tough it out until the end of the semester, and give notice for January.   Can you pick up a teenager to go with you to watch your child while you work?   Would your boss be flexible with that?

[Emsters85]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I was straight and to the point, and offered to help out until he could find someone to cover my teaching jobs. He took it very well.

I've left jobs in the past, but this one seemed like a different situation, since my boss owns the teaching company, and they just moved to our area to start it up. I was one of the first to be hired, and we'd been planning the schedule out for awhile, so it seemed like a more challenging way to quit. But, it worked out. Luckily there are enough teachers to fill my spots. 

Again, thanks for helping with the nerves!

[NightSG]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I was straight and to the point, and offered to help out until he could find someone to cover my teaching jobs. He took it very well.

Any boss that doesn't understand pregnancy changes things is probably not going to last long. With the potential for complications, some notice and help with the transition is a much better deal than having you call in one day to say you're not going to be able to work again for at least several months.