Some frustrated workers quit in weird ways
— -- In late August, Joey DeFrancesco fulfilled the fantasy of many a disgruntled worker: He quit in an incredibly outlandish fashion.
The 23-year-old snuck members of a brass band into the Providence hotel where he worked and had them strike up a lively Serbian folk song just as he turned in his resignation letter. DeFrancesco posted a video of the dramatic resignation on YouTube in mid-October.
In the weeks since, he has garnered a chorus of cheers from the discontented working class. The video has been viewed more than 2.8 million times. It has more than 20,000 "likes" and more than 4,600 comments such as "I would have so loved to do that to a few of my employers!"
DeFrancesco joins a growing list of workers who have exited their jobs in an extravagant manner. They include a wide range of employees from an array of professions, including fast-food workers, journalists, salespeople, even a tech company CEO.
While some people have a natural penchant for all things dramatic, including giving notice, many of these over-the-top resignations come from frustrated workers who've reached a boiling point.
"Many people are doing twice the work with half the resources," says Anne Kreamer, author of It's Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace. "They feel overwhelmed and undervalued. … It comes to a point where they just want to open their doors and shout out, 'I just can't take it anymore!' "
It's easy to see why folks may want to go out swinging, says human resources consultant Peter Ronza. Yet, it's usually a bad idea.
An extreme exit can show bad judgment, and word can quickly spread to a potential employer, especially via social media.
"Have a target of your boss at home that you use a paint gun on" to get frustrations out, he says. "But your presence at work is your brand. It's what you're going to carry on to your next employer."
Still, he acknowledges that it's tough to stay tranquil when burdened with an ever-increasing workload. "It just beats a person down," he says.
Four in 10 employees say their work stress level has increased in the last six months, according to a CareerBuilder survey from late this summer. Two in 10 feel burned out. (USA TODAY parent Gannett is a part owner of CareerBuilder.)
More than half of workers say they have more responsibilities than at the start of the 2007 recession, with 70% saying they have not gotten a pay increase to compensate for the added work, according to a survey from employee support services provider Workplace Options.
Many workers simply feel like "an anonymous cog in a wheel," says Kreamer.
Building up resentment
Joe Sale, who joined daily-deal coupon company LivingSocial in August 2010, grew increasingly frustrated with his working conditions. He initially enjoyed the job as a marketing consultant, but "that feeling turned to resentment and then to bitterness," he says.
He says pressure to meet quotas increased as commissions fell, he wasn't able to reach the earnings potential that was discussed when he was hired, and he received less management support than workers in other markets.
He quit in October, sending his business cards, marketing material and promotional items back to LivingSocial's Washington, D.C., headquarters in a white trash bag. He attached a note that said, "Treat your sales force like trash and see how bad your company starts to 'stink.' "
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