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A lot of the questions on Workplace are getting an answer along the lines of 'You should quit'. There are some cases where i can see this as a viable answer but the majority of the time I think it shouldn't be used.

The main reason why i disagree with it being an answer is that people come to WP with a problem, yet a lot of the time they are told 'Quit' the issue is this isn't actually providing a solution to the problem, its providing a way to avoid the problem.

For example this question here is asking how to make the managers hold employees accountable for their actions. Yet the number one upvoted answer basically states 'You can't, get a new job or deal with it' and I find these to be unhelpful answers.

Firstly its obvious that you can always quit if you don't like something, secondly its avoiding the problem not solving it, that problem still exists. and thirdly is because it discourages other, potentially better, answers when its so easy to say 'quit' and get away with it

Should we be allowing 'Quit' to be an acceptable answer all the time?

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    I usually try to put "if you can't change things, I'd quit" in a comment instead of an answer, though at least once that's turned into a large comment discussion.
    – Adam V
    Commented Feb 13, 2013 at 17:12
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    See also Should I Quit?
    – Zelda
    Commented Feb 13, 2013 at 20:06
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    I disagree with the assumption that "quit" isn't ever a solution to a problem. Tilting at windmills might work sometimes, but other times quitting is far more practical. Also, see: freakonomics.com/2011/09/30/…
    – Joe Strazzere
    Commented Aug 9, 2013 at 20:05
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    @JoeStrazzere i agree sometimes it is the only solution, but when there is a plethora of possibble other things to try first it annoys me when its the only suggested solution
    – user5305
    Commented Aug 9, 2013 at 21:24

8 Answers 8

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It's way too easy to post "quit your job" as an answer, and almost every post on our site could be answered in this manner.

However, our FAQ and How to Answer both make it clear that proposing viable alternatives in an answer is acceptable, and in some cases, quitting may be a correct answer.

But quitting a job is a very big decision and is irreversible, in most cases. Due to the nature and severity of these suggestions, I propose that these answers be held to a much higher standard as follows:

  • The answerer MUST post references to back up the answer.
  • Alternatively, sharing personal experiences MAY be sufficient, but the answer can't just simply contain the words, "in my experience". The answerer MUST post details about his or her experiences that led to quitting being the correct answer.
  • One liner answers suggesting one quit are not allowed. Our FAQ already makes it clear that explanations containing why and how are encouraged. For "you should quit" answers that don't provide explanation and references, I propose downvoting them, leaving a comment helping the answerer improve it, and if it doesn't get fixed, flagging them for removal.

To clarify, I believe we can enforce the rules on these types of answers, in a polite, helpful manner, while still allowing answers that offer alternative solutions.

For the record, I don't agree that revision 1 of this answer meets the above criteria, and I was considering removing it before the answerer came back and added another paragraph.

UPDATE: The answerer made some edits to add some additional information about his experiences, which brings the linked post more in line with our goals. I edited the previous paragraph to include a link to revision 1, so when looking at the current revision, please keep in mind that the poster is trying to be a good user! :)

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  • I find those terms above an agreeable reasoning. Provided they evidence why. i still fear we will get alot of 'just quit' answers, hopefully the community downvotes will soon make people learn though!
    – user5305
    Commented Feb 14, 2013 at 19:48
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    @RhysW - Remember, there's always flags for those answers that seriously don't meet the guidelines and where comments and/or downvotes are ineffective.
    – jmort253 Mod
    Commented Feb 15, 2013 at 1:41
  • @rath - I was reading a lot of RFC specs at the time of this writing, which explains the judicious use of these keywords.
    – jmort253 Mod
    Commented Mar 24, 2016 at 12:29
  • Quitting your job is problematic ONLY because too little people do quit their jobs for random reasons. It's because you are afraid to quit your jobs. The biggest reason for having problems with quitting your job is, having too little money stocked in your accounts, and having too many costs/liabilities, such as cars, loans or dependents, while having too little financial muscle.
    – very big cat
    Commented Apr 17, 2023 at 15:38
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I don't think we should be making this into a rule, as many times the suggestion to quit is a valid answer, or a viable alternative solution to the problem.

However if an answer is solely that "You should quit your job", and telling someone to quit over that situation is bad advice, you should definitely downvote and comment why you downvoted (so others see why it was downvoted, and don't mindlessly upvote it).

It should be noted that the answer you point out as an example in your question doesn't just say Get a new job or deal with it. It says that in their experience, ownership doesn't care, and trying to make them care could go badly for you and hurt your career, and ends with the suggestion to either find a new job or deal with it.

This is not really a bad answer, as it actually answers the question and suggests two courses of actions to take. Sure it's not a great answer either, and it could be improved by explaining in more detail why their experiences lead to them believing management doesn't care, and why exactly it could hurt your career to keep trying to make them care, but the whole answer isn't just "find a new job", and I wouldn't consider it "bad".

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  • Perhaps picked a bad example of an answer, that was just the one i noticed first. Agreed it shouldnt be a rule, wanted to get a community consensus though on how we should be dealing with them and whether they qualify as answers. Thanks for the input!
    – user5305
    Commented Feb 13, 2013 at 14:36
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    Great answer! I agree completely, some situations are so helplessly bad that quitting is the only way to make anything better. Any answer that doesn't explain WHY that is the best course of action though should be deleted IMHO.
    – maple_shaft
    Commented Feb 13, 2013 at 15:16
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This answer is such a good example of this problem.

The OP has a situation which, in both the original and edited question, is basically asking

  • How can I make my situation bearable until I find a different position?

and the top voted answer is, "just quit!"

This answer is popular and advice the asker already knew, but completely misses the point of the question. Yet has received some 30 upvotes and only a handful of downvotes.

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  • As the author of that answer, I believe it very explicitly addresses the most important points of the question that make "just quit" the correct answer: the environment is toxic (there is not just one abusive manager), and the asker merely hopes for a different position in the same company.
    – Michael Borgwardt
    Commented Aug 7, 2013 at 17:42
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    @MichaelBorgwardt that's not what the person is asking. They aren't asking, "should I quit." Sometimes people have situations where quitting isn't an option for a variety of reasons, etc.
    – enderland
    Commented Aug 7, 2013 at 17:48
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In addition to "just quit" answers being of questionable quality at best, there are simply too many variables in life depending on the person reading the question.

Some people simply don't have the option to quit. The might not have any emergency savings, or the job openings in the their rural area may be virtually non-existent, etc etc etc.

Given that fact, I don't think "just quit" should be acceptable by default, and an answerer bears the burden of explaining why such a drastic option should be taken despite the financial & health risks.

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  • If the OP is not financially able to quit their job and they specifically mention that in their question, then "quit your job" wouldn't be acceptable. Otherwise, it's perfectly reasonable in many cases.
    – Joe Strazzere
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 12:08
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    @Joe-Strazzere I agree, but then that answer is way less useful to future visitors, and are we really okay with asking every OP if they can quit?
    – user30031
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 14:03
  • We are (or should be) in the business of helping people. If the best advice for a specific situation is "you should be looking for your next job", that's how I'll answer ever time. The only exception is when folks specifically indicate that they will not or cannot quit. If we write our answer based on the fact that "some people simply cannot use the recommended option" then we might as well not answer at all.
    – Joe Strazzere
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 15:03
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    @JoeStrazzere we are in the business of helping people by proving good, generally applicable Questions & Answers. Sometimes that applies very specifically to OP’s situation, but not always. I think if it were as simple as quitting then they wouldn’t ask how to solve the problem.
    – user30031
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 15:11
  • @JoeStrazzere to flip that logic back around, if “just quit” is an option for every workplace problem then we might as well not post it at all, right.
    – user30031
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 15:16
  • Quit is not an appropriate option for every workplace problem. That's why I only suggest it when it applies.
    – Joe Strazzere
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 16:11
  • Then we are [mostly] in agreement, as I say, "an answerer bears the burden of explaining why such a drastic option should be taken". For the record, I do not think "just quit" is never acceptable!
    – user30031
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 16:14
  • If you are saying that "just quit" is often an acceptable answer and that downvoting answers where you feel it isn't acceptable is the appropriate response, then we are in complete agreement.
    – Joe Strazzere
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 16:43
  • We are not in complete agreement, which is why I explicitly wrote "[mostly]". I think "just quit" is rarely the appropriate response, and if low effort is given to the suggestion, then that's a downvote. It's a subtle distinction, but important.
    – user30031
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 16:49
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Quiting may not solve a specific instance of a problem, but that isn't the only purpose of this site. One of the criteria for a good question is if it can be applied to similar situations.

If it is discovered that a particular practice drives away enough quality employees, a change for the better is likely to occur.

EDIT: Also, many people on this site may be working at their first job and have nothing to compare. When a company/boss behaves in a way that isn't common, looking for another job seems reasonable as a solution along with some strategies to change or possibly cope with the situation. This avoids "grass is always greener somewhere else" thinking.

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I think a good rule of thumb should be:

Provide a solution first, give your opinion second. Justify them both.

If someone comes asking for a solution to a problem or situation, quitting is not a solution to that problem, it is usually just running away from that problem.

However, someone asking for help may also need a sense of reality. Hence a few opinions from people with experience in similar situation is very welcome. If someone actually quits his/her jobs for some reason, that reason may be asked or gossiped about. It's good to have an idea if for external eyes this reason is fair or not. But this is a SE site, and not a forum, hence not a place for chit-chat.

Thus, if someone answers by proposing a solution, and justifies it, I think he/she earned the opportunity to give an opinion about the circumstance. This goes for saying OP should quit, but also for telling him that he's being whiny and should suck it up (using kinder words of course).

Then again, said opinion should be justified. A concrete experience should be described, a reference should be given. Things on the lines of "I thought this was okay and did nothing, 5 employees decided to quit after a year", or "according to this book, that is a very common situation, but normally originates from the employee's rather than the manager's actual actions..".

Hence, if either conditions fail i.e. the answer does not contain a solution or the opinions, if any, are not well justified, a down-vote and a link to this topic could be considered a good response.

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People are coming here looking for help in navigating the workplace. Telling them that they should quit should NEVER be the right answer.

That said there are people coming here asking if they should quit. Those questions are not about navigating the workplace but rather getting out of the workplace. Those questions do not belong here.

The on-topic constructive questions should be assumed to include the caveat of "Quitting my job is not an option I want to consider."

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    Sometimes quitting is the right answer, even when people do not want to hear it. Perhaps it is more obvious in other contexts: If a girl would tell you that her boyfriend beats her, and ask how can she make him more happy because she does not want to leave him, what would you recommend? I would recommend leaving him. Even when she does not want to hear it. Perhaps if enough people say this, she will start considering it as an option. Analogically, sometimes the conditions in the workplace are obviously abusive, but the employee believes that it's his/her fault. The correct answer is: Quit.
    – Viliam Búr
    Commented Feb 18, 2013 at 15:41
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    @ViliamBúr - Maybe but people do not come here to be told to quit... or at least they should not be. They are looking for answers on how they can deal with an issue constructively with out having to get a new job. This is not dear abby this is how can I navigate my work more effectively.
    – IDrinkandIKnowThings
    Commented Feb 18, 2013 at 19:08
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    I disagree. If you were to argue that "you should quit" is tossed around more frequently and glibly than it should be, you might well be correct. But to say that "you should quit" is never an answer ignores whole realms of unethical, pathological and illegal behaviour that I've seen people complain about from their employers. In plenty of these cases "get out - now!" really is the right advice.
    – Carson63000
    Commented Feb 19, 2013 at 11:19
  • @Carson63000 eh, I tend to agree that if quitting were an option then there would be no need to ask the question in most cases. Of course quitting technically solves many workplace problems, but it goes without saying. Unless it's the only option in response to a problem, then I don't think it's worth more than a footnote in most answers.
    – user30031
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 16:18
  • @DoritoStyle - Is there really a need to comment reply to a 5+ year old comment?
    – IDrinkandIKnowThings
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 17:39
  • @IDrinkandIKnowThings well, when an issue seems unresolved and I see the only answer I agree with at -6, I say "maybe".
    – user30031
    Commented Sep 17, 2018 at 17:40
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Sometimes it's not likely that problems will rectify itself alone, nor that it can be willfully done by the employer as employee intended. There are times in employment, where management does a lot to show employee that they neither care what they think, nor they care about business they're doing.

I've seen one HR lady go to the room and switch how desks were arranged, without people knowing why this happened. I've also seen bosses urge people to go back to the office, despite the pandemic still going on.

Quitting your job allows them to regret bad decisions of that sorts. That's the only way to keep management on toes, and increase collective power of employees in the long term.

Of course not everybody has resources to do so, but most of employees should save aggressively to be less dependent on employers, and most of them should be able to flip a bird from time to time, just because they can.

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