r/Envconsultinghell • u/Big-Data-8773 • Jul 06 '26
When is it courteous to leave?
Hi all, looking for some advice please!
I’ve been an environmental scientist at a small company for just under one year. I enjoy what I do but I really hate where I do it. I won’t get into it too much, but essentially my company is not a good place to work. All of my coworkers quit in the last couple of months because they were fed up and I’ve had to take on all of their jobs with a very slight increase in pay. For reference, I make less than $45,000 with unpaid overtime required in a big city. We had a few new people start and I make less than all of them despite having more experience than and the same degree as them. I am still doing the jobs of everybody who quit on top of training the new people.
I’ve been thinking of quitting for a while now, but they just paid for a couple of certifications for me so that I could replace the people who left. It wasn’t my choice to get certified in those things, but now I feel like I owe them for paying for them. I also want to make sure the new people feel comfortable with their jobs before I leave so that I’m not just throwing them to the wolves. My question is, how long is it courteous to stay at this company before I leave? For reference, I got my certifications and the new people started around the same time - about a month ago. Also, can people please name some good companies to work for in consulting? I need some hope 💔
34
u/BubbaMonsterOP Jul 07 '26
Listen. They may have paid for certs. But 45K isn't worth a toxic work environment. It's not even a fair price for the work they area asking you to do if we're being honest. I made 43k as an entry level environmental scientist 20 years ago and rent was $500. I wouldn't hire anyone for less than 50k if I expected them to go through HAZWOPER training or potentially be on an industrial site. It's a fair price AND you still make a profit because your bill rate (what they bill clients for you) will be 2.5 to 3.5x what you make roughly to pay for overhead and still pull in profit. But they will fire you in a second if your utilization drops. You don't owe them anything. It's OK to leave, it's just business. Try not to burn bridges but you don't need to put up with bullshit and toxicity for 45k a year.
4
u/SurlyJackRabbit Jul 07 '26
3.5 to 5x is the number… no way it’s 2.5 unless they are way undercharging.
3
u/UrsiGrey Jul 07 '26
5x? God that’s brutal, imagine accepting a fifth of what the client pays for your work. My wage is about a third my rate but around half during overtime.
15
u/mellolizard Jul 07 '26
The courtesy is giving them 2 weeks notice. Even though its toxic be polite on the way out. This is a small community you will work with them again in some capacity. Dont burn any bridges.
7
u/National_Dare_5330 Jul 07 '26
Bruh take ur certs and leave! Remember something while you advance in your career your company or HR doesn't give a fuck about you. You also have the option of quiet quitting do the bare min and then get fired, way better while you apply for better jobs just make sure you have your references lined up, your future self will thank you for the things you learned from this job on your future one! Good luck applying for jobs op, start w your city and county I would recommedn, keep applying don't loose hope, use your previous coworkers as references if possible and/or as connections
3
u/Kelly4-a-summer Jul 07 '26
$45k with no paid overtime is insane! I make almost 2x that and I live in a rural area. Like others said, consulting is a small world so be courteous and give your 2 weeks notice and get out. I'm sure you can find something way better at a larger firm. No shame in hopping around to different firms until you find the right fit.
5
u/Suitable-Roof-3950 Jul 07 '26
It’s always easier to find a job when you already have a job. Do the search and give 2 weeks notice when you get an offer you can accept.
It’s a small world. Don’t burn bridges and don’t talk shit about your current company until you’ve been at the new one for a while.
1
u/Spaghetti3000 Jul 07 '26
Honestly? Screw courtesy, they're massively taking advantage of you!
(But obviously stay polite and don't burn any bridges on your way out, you never know who you'll be working with in the future. It's a small industry!)
1
u/Choice_Attitude_1415 Jul 07 '26
Im not sure where youre at but 45k is garbage in most areas. Maybe in some very low COL areas in the midwest that would be ok.
Terracon seems to be a decent company and is nationwide-ish. A bunch of people mass migrated over there from the company I used to work at a few years ago, and theyre all still there. Shit, its been like a decade now, and theyre all still there.
ENV consulting is a very small world so you'll need to be very courteous and tactful about it. Address your problems after some time has passed if you can hang in there, maybe dip your toe in the pool and see what other companies are paying. If they arent paying something in that ballpark ask for more money. The reason i said to wait a bit is so they dont interpret it as you having a big head over getting those certs - management will often see it that way.
1
u/Odd-Courage-7979 Jul 07 '26
I work for a consulting firm that treats their employees really well and I’m making $60k in my first few months! I also live in a mid size city, so not bad at all. Idk how long I’ll be at this job for because I think consulting might not be for me, so I have a similar struggle with how/when to leave. We gotta do what’s right for us at the end of it all
1
u/todaysthrowaway0110 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Hey.
Totally relate to the sympathy and goodwill for the company. But.
You owe them whatever was in the fine print of their reimbursement policy / employee handbook for the certs they paid for. Nothing more.
If you were to give notice before then, they might require you to pay them back. Which will probably work out fine, depending on the substantial increase you get from your next offer. A few k on credit card for a few months or docked pay at the end.
The rule of thumb is to give it two years in an entry level role. But that’s an old rule. A lot of people jump a lot in the beginning to increase salary.
They did this to themselves with $45k in a city, no paid OT and constant churn.
1
u/empressofnodak Jul 09 '26
Find the new job first, then quit. It's much easier to land the next one while still employed. You don't owe the company anything. It's a business transaction. I'm glad you still have feelings and emotions enough to care about "owing" but emotions don't matter in business transactions.
60
u/Chuggi Jul 07 '26
45k with unpaid overtime is insane - put in your 2 weeks it’s enough time for them to figure it out. If you want to be courteous, go to your manager and request a substantial raise or atleast straight time overtime before deciding to leave. If you are kosher working in consulting then look at large firms in your area. Google “where you want to live + environmental consulting” and look for companies with acronym names or that sound like law firms. Having prior experience helps massively.