Why are you leaving your current job?

I recently left a supervisory position of twelve years over ethical issues. Facility management pressured me to threaten crew members with write-ups or dismissals if they did not work unscheduled overtime. As a firm advocate of life-work balance, I did not find the demands reasonable.

I worked for the company for fifteen years. I left on the spur of the moment with no prospects for other employment.

The position was as the supervisor of a production lab at a manufacturing facility owned by a Fortune 500 corporation with global assets. The ten-person crew included two single mothers and a single father. A Grandmother who provided daycare for her daughter was also on the team. Two of the staff were near retirement age and could not work night shifts. As the facility had never worked nights in the past, I did not feel it was appropriate to demand these folks to do it now. The remainder of the crew had already worked a forty-eight-hour week.

At a Thursday afternoon meeting, I learned that a special project was scheduled to begin that Friday evening. Crew members would be needed to staff the project. I responded that none of the crew would be available on such short notice. I texted a few individuals I thought may be able to come in. They had plans and could not work. Management stated that I needed to let them know that there would be repercussions if they did not come in. I told them I would not threaten my crew and that I would be leaving the position. I resigned that Friday morning.