Plenty of people stay in a job they don’t enjoy, and most of the time the reason is money. There are bills to pay, rent or a mortgage, and often a family to support.
Quitting before you can afford it can cause real stress, for you and the people who depend on you. The good news is that there is a lot you can do while you stay: build a cushion, plan your exit and make the days more bearable.
Here are 18 tips to help you through it, with the UK rules and numbers that matter.
Build an emergency fund
Savings give you options. With money in the bank, you can change jobs, take a pay cut for a better role or survive a few months without work.
A common target is three to six months of essential costs. If your rent, bills and food come to £1,500 a month, that means £4,500 to £9,000. Keep it in an easy-access savings account: deposits with UK banks are protected by the FSCS up to £120,000 per person, per bank. Our guide to building an emergency fund explains how to get there.
Cut your spending
Every pound you don’t spend gets you closer to leaving. Lower costs also mean you could accept a lower-paid job that makes you happier.
Start with the easy wins, such as subscriptions you don’t use, takeaway lunches and daily coffees. If you need to save faster, look at bigger changes, such as switching energy or broadband deals, or moving to a cheaper home. Resist the urge to spend your way out of a bad week on nights out and things you don’t need.
Invest for the long term
Once your emergency fund is in place, investing extra money can help it grow over time. A Stocks and Shares ISA lets you invest up to £20,000 a year with no tax on the gains or dividends.
Several UK platforms let you invest in shares and ETFs with low costs. For example, eToro charges no commission on real stocks and ETFs for UK clients (other fees may apply) and offers an ISA. Compare a few options in our guide to the cheapest stock trading platforms before you choose.
Only invest money you won’t need for at least five years. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than you invest.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 52% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with eToro. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Start a side hustle
Freelance sites such as Upwork and Fiverr make it easy to sell skills you already have, such as writing, design, bookkeeping or translation. If you prefer hands-on work, dog walking, gardening or odd jobs can bring in money quickly.
A side income helps you save faster, gives you something to look forward to and may even grow into your next career. In the UK, the first £1,000 a year of income from self-employment is tax-free under the trading allowance. Above that, you need to register for Self Assessment, and check your employment contract for any rules on second jobs.
Check your workplace pension
Under auto-enrolment, you and your employer must pay at least 8% of your qualifying earnings into a pension, with at least 3% from your employer. Many employers pay more if you increase your own contribution.
Before you leave, find out how much your employer would match. Topping up your contributions now can be one of the best returns available, and a new employer may offer less. Our guide to pensions explains the basics.
Know your rights
You may have more options than you think. In the UK, you can request flexible working from your first day in a job, such as different hours, compressed hours or working from home. Your employer must handle the request in a reasonable manner.
Most full-time workers are also entitled to 28 days of paid holiday a year, which can include bank holidays. Make sure you use it: a proper break can change how you feel about work.
Set a deadline for change
Without a deadline, a plan stays a wish. Pick a date to leave, change role or start applying elsewhere, and work back from it: how much you need to save, which skills to build and who to contact.
Knowing that there is an end date makes the day-to-day easier to bear.
Keep things in perspective
Even a job you dislike can teach you something: how to handle pressure, deal with difficult people or keep going on bad days. That resilience will help you in your next role.
On hard days, it can also help to put things in perspective. A difficult job is still a temporary situation, and you are working towards changing it. You can’t always change your job right away, but you can choose to see it as a step towards something better.
List what you like about your job
Start with the obvious: a regular salary, paid holidays, sick pay, pension contributions and the skills you have built. Most jobs have more upsides than they seem to on a bad day.
This list helps you work out what you want to keep in your next job.
List what you dislike about your job
Now list what you don’t like. Is it the work itself, the company, your manager, the hours or the commute?
Being clear on this helps you avoid moving to a job with the same problems. It may also show that you need a different field altogether, fewer hours or a course to retrain.
Spend less time with constant complainers
If your breaks are spent with colleagues who only complain about work, they will probably make you feel worse. Moaning feels good at the time but rarely changes anything. Steer the conversation elsewhere, or spend some breaks on your own.
Talk to someone you trust
Sometimes you do need to get it off your chest. Choose carefully who you talk to: a partner or a close friend is usually a safer choice than a colleague.
If work is affecting your mental health, speak to your GP or a charity such as Mind. Many employers also offer a free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme.
Do good work anyway
It’s hard to find motivation in a job you dislike, but doing it well has benefits: the time passes faster, you may find parts of it you enjoy, and you leave with a good reference.
Keep learning
If your employer offers training or courses, sign up, even if you plan to leave. New skills make you more employable and can break the routine. Learning something new outside work, such as an online course, can also open a door to a different career.
Have a life outside work
Work can feel all-consuming, but it isn’t everything. Make time for hobbies, friends and exercise. Physical activity in particular can lift your mood after a hard day.
Talk to your manager
If you get on with your manager, an honest conversation can lead to changes: different tasks, fewer hours, a pay review or better ways of working. Managers often prefer to fix a problem than lose a good employee.
If your manager is the problem, skip this one, or speak to HR instead.
Suggest improvements
If something about the way your team works makes the job worse, suggest a fix. Explain how it helps the company as well as the staff. Even if nothing changes, you’ll know you tried before you leave.
Take regular breaks
Hours in front of a screen without a break lead to burnout. Step away regularly, go for a walk or call a friend. You’ll come back with more energy than if you eat at your desk.
Wrapping it up
Being stuck in a job you dislike is hard, but it doesn’t have to last forever. Build an emergency fund of three to six months of costs, make the most of your pension and holiday rights, and set a date for change.
In the meantime, small changes in how you spend your time at and outside work can make the wait easier.
Pedro is passionate about finance, marketing, and technology. He is a growth manager at several online projects and a former digital marketer for a fintech company.
