Making the decision to leave your job is not easy. You have to consider your current financial situation and put yourself back on the job market. Depending on your current role and experience, finding a new job may take some time. But, it’s up to you to take control of your life, so it's important to avoid being overloaded with work. Voice your concerns to your boss about being overworked and only leave your job as a last resort.

Discussion with Manager

Before you leave your job, set up a discussion with your manager. Be honest with him and tell him your concerns about being overworked. See if there's something he can do to reduce your workload before making a decision to quit. Your company would probably prefer to keep you employed because hiring a replacement can cost money and time in training.

Personal Finances

If you’ve decided that you can’t handle your job any longer, you’ll need to take a look at your personal finances. Hopefully you’ll be able to find a replacement job right away, but if not, you'll need extra money in savings to cover your costs while you’re unemployed. Since you voluntarily left your job, you probably won't qualify for unemployment benefits. Most states only provide benefits if you left due to a medical condition or hostile work environment. Unless you can prove that your overwork contributed to a health problem, your chances of getting unemployment benefits are slim.

Job Search

Start searching for alternate employment before you actually quit your job. Hold out for a few weeks to see if there are other jobs that you can apply for. If you’re lucky, you might be able to schedule a few interviews before you leave your current company. This will give you a shorter time gap between the old and new job. Getting a new job can take weeks or even months, so you’ll either need to continue working at your current job or leave your company knowing that you may not have an income in the short term.

Giving Notice

Be professional when you quit your job. Provide a minimum of two weeks’ notice to your employer that you're leaving. Write a formal letter including your reasons for leaving and your last day of work. This ensures no confusion about your decision and when you leave. In some cases, giving notice might be a wake-up call to your boss and he may take action to keep you from leaving. If you think he can legitimately reduce your workload, give him a chance to try. Propose a trial period for one month where you can evaluate the changes. Do this in writing for record-keeping purposes. If you don’t get the results you are looking for, you may leave the company at the end of the trial period.