Damion Draper, QMHP, MPA, quit his job, and the internet is cheering him on. Draper had worked at the company for seven years, but when his supervisor denied his request of taking time off for two days, Draper danced his way out — literally. The TikTok video where he tells the story and shows off his dance moves has garnered over seven thousand views. And the comments are filled with people supporting his decision to put himself first.
“I Quit My Job After 7 Years…”
In the wake of the Great Resignation, people are rethinking their career choices more than ever. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, millions of people quit their jobs. In the U.S. 47 million quit in 2021 and 50 million quit in 2022, leading experts to call this era the Great Resignation. The pandemic lockdown had led to many people reevaluating their lives and realizing how they could work remotely. Also, companies’ treatment toward their employees contributed toward some of those decisions as people quit to work where they are more valued and respected. [1]
Draper was one of the 50 million who quit in 2022 after the administration in his workplace kept denying vacation days to their employees. Draper worked as a case manager for children and teens before becoming a crisis clinician with children and adults. “We experienced some trauma this year which led to me having to exhaust my PTO hours,” he said, which was why he requested two days leave without pay.
However, the process of requesting vacation days is not so clear cut. Although employees are required to submit their request two weeks in advance, the administration wouldn’t reply until the week of the vacation in question. In the comments of his video, Draper said he had sent in his request over 35 days in advance. So when he finally learned they had denied his time off, he resigned. He said he had worked holidays and extra shifts for the past five years of his employment. And for the past year, his department was understaffed because of inconsistent supervision. “Administration never contacted me or seemed to care why I was requesting the leave without pay,” he said. “Their lack of compassion was just unacceptable.”
Read: Star Employee Quits Job After 6 Years Because he didn’t get a Raise, Company Suffers $3m Loss
Beyond the Denied Time Off
But the denied vacation days were not the only factor that led to his resignation. Draper had reported discrimination from his supervisor, only to hear that there was no proof to support his claims. After leaving, he eventually met with a compliance agent to talk about his experience with the company. “I provided this feedback because if there is any chance I can aid someone who has felt the way I did I was going to take the time to do so,” Draper said. And he hopes that other companies and organizations will become more compassionate towards their workers. “It doesn’t matter how many letters you have behind your name or how much money you have in the bank.” [2]
In a follow-up video, Draper publicized his resignation letter. He said he felt his words “hold no merit in this organization. I will only say that this organization serves many black and brown individuals yet has no incentive in place to hire or retain more black and brown employees,” he wrote. The letter goes on to say that he has felt “undervalued, belittled, discriminated against and not respected as a clinician,” due to the inconsistent supervision. He mentions the high employee turnover rate and asks that “the administration stops allowing supervisors to bully employees.” He concludes saying, “I believe the organization should spend more time focusing on COMPASSION and the COMPLIANCE will improve.”
Becoming His Own Boss
Draper won’t have to struggle to find his next job. In the caption of the first video, he said he quit “because my business started making me more money than my job in less than a year.” So he is now a full-time entrepreneur. His company, Rejuvenated Life Coaching, focuses on helping children and young adults struggling with health or legal issues due to a lack of resources. “As a life coach, I intend to help clients make progress in their lives to attain greater fulfillment,” reads his website. “I will aid my clients in improving their relationships, communication skills, behavior, and day-to-day lives.” He offers one-on-one sessions, family sessions, as well as lectures at schools and events. [3]
Keep Reading: I’m a millionaire thanks to OnlyFans and I don’t regret quitting teacher job
Sources
- “The Great Resignation is ‘over’. What does that mean?” BBC. Kate Morgan. August 2, 2023
- “Internet Cheers Man’s Resignation Over Time Off Request: ‘Not My Parents’.” Newsweek. Catherine Ferris. December 7, 2022
- Rejuvenated Life Coaching. Damion Draper.
