Is It Wrong to Quit During a Staffing Crisis? I Needed to Prioritize My Mental Health

A 26-year-old woman didn’t just “get a new job,” she hit the brakes on a staffing crisis and walked away from a place she’d called home for almost four years. It wasn’t a dramatic blow-up, it was quieter than that, the kind where you watch the workload pile up, the word “priority” gets slapped on everything, and you start counting down the days until you can breathe again.

Her insurance company kept running with managers coming and going, while the team stayed buried under deadlines that never seemed to stop. Even worse, nobody could explain what was actually supposed to matter most, so the staff’s stress turned into anxiety about dates and outcomes she couldn’t control.

Then she gave a one-month notice, asked for resignation approval, and got hit with the same questions everyone asks when they’re scared of being short-staffed.

Original Post

Hi everyone. I, 26F work for a well known insurance company in my country and I've worked here for almost 4 years.

We've gone through many managers in the time that I've worked here. Other than that, I enjoy the work and like the people I work with (not for).

The issue arose in the middle of last year where everyone was packed with work and it seemed like more work and deadlines kept coming, everything was marked as "priority". Staff had concerns, because out of everything we do, what should we actually be prioritizing.

We never received clarity on that, to this moment. I started feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and anxious about dates.

This is where I decided to start updating my resume and started my job hunting. When I submitted my resignation (1 calendar month notice was given), I was met with questions like "why?", "is the pay better", "we can't afford to lose anybody atm".

I held firm and requested my resignation approval. This was 3 weeks ago.

I'm a pretty no confrontational person and usually just kept to myself and trying to get through my work. I know leaving makes everyone's loads a bit more weighty but in the end, I need to consider my mental health.

So Reddit, AITA?

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This reminds me of the worker stuck training a new hire after past drama, debating whether to let personal conflict affect the job.

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Her inbox may have been calm, but the “priority” labels were not, and OP’s anxiety started clocking in right alongside the rest of the team.

When she finally submitted her resignation with a one calendar month notice, her coworkers hit her with “why” and “is the pay better,” like that’s the only acceptable reason to exit.

The manager pushback got uglier in a specific way too, “we can’t afford to lose anybody atm,” even though OP said the workload and deadlines were already eating her alive.

Now, three weeks after requesting approval, she’s stuck in limbo, worried her leaving just added weight to everyone else’s plate.

What would you do in this situation? Share your opinion in the comments.

If “priority” means everything, then quitting might be the only thing OP can finally control.

Still wondering if your workplace concerns justify blunt pushback? Read whether questioning a coworker’s qualifications in front of the team makes you WIBTA.