Why You Shouldn’t Burn a Bridge with an Old Boss

In a perfect world, everyone would love their job—with every shift spent happily engaged in fulfilling work, alongside people you love working with. But unfortunately, not every work situation is ideal, and you may reach a point when it’s time to move on.  

What happens when the situation is negative? 

Let’s say you’ve decided your workplace is no longer conducive to your happiness—or worse, it’s become toxic. You may have a few things you want to get off your chest on the way out the door, or you may not even feel the need to give your boss notice before you exit. These and other actions as you leave a job can give your boss an unfavorable impression of you. So when you feel this way, should you act on your emotions, or should you try your hardest to leave on a good note?   

Three reasons to keep things civil with an ex-boss 

There’s a few reasons you may not want to “burn a bridge” with an old boss, or in other words, act in a way that essentially ends that working relationship. When it’s time to move on, consider the following reasons to keep things civil:  

You don’t know what the future holds. 

Sure, it may seem like the “grass is greener” at your new job. But you may find you were blowing certain things out of proportion at your old job, or maybe you lost sight of perks your old job offered that your new job doesn’t. You never know if you may decide you want to go back. Also, since the world is a pretty small place, you never know when your boss will switch jobs—causing you run into them down the road at another company. By staying on good terms with this person, you can avoid an awkward situation in the future.  

It can harm your professional reputation. 

Exiting a previous job on good terms leaves your past employer with only good things to say about you. By remaining positive and professional—regardless of your reason for leaving—you can help ensure a background check will remain clear when you’re applying for another job.  

You may not be right. 

Yes, you may FEEL you’ve done the right thing by leaving that job behind, but it’s all based on your point of view. Maybe your perception of the situation was heavily influenced by emotions, and it was much different than you believed it to be. It can help to give your boss and the company the benefit of the doubt. Even though things didn’t work out for you, that doesn’t mean the company was actually a bad place to work.   

Two exceptions to the rule—when it’s OK to “burn a bridge” 

In some situations, severing a professional relationship may actually help you preserve your reputation or even your safety. If you were in a toxic workplace and endured a boss who treated employees badly, or you were even a victim of harassment—simply getting out of there may be your very best choice. And ending that working relationship will prevent any temptation to return to the company, if asked.  

Another reason has to do with your integrity. If the company is making unethical business decisions, it’s up to you to do the right thing—this will help you preserve your professional integrity. Plus, being associated with an unethical business can possibly harm your professional reputation, so distancing yourself is for the best.    

Is it time for something new?  

When it’s time to move on, a recruiter can help. And if you’re in search of light industrial or administrative work, check out Inter-Connect. Contact us today to learn more!