Well, I did it.

I left an assistant super position. It was my first and I was stoked to get it. I'm older and a female so I know I was out of the box from the get go. I am used to dealing with that (although I hate it). I assumed things would be a little better at the management level.

The job was hundreds of miles from the main office and my hiring was done pretty much remotely. I met the lead super prior to actual hire and things seem like they would go well. He seemed smart, decent, polite and professional.

But on my first day it was living hell. He shouted at me, would bark at me for trivial things like, "Don't speak to me until I've had my coffee!" as I wait in the trailer alone (before subs were onsite) wondering WTF. He took a lot of time off leaving me with assignments I wasn't familiar with and then berating me when he would come back for trivial mistakes.

I hung in there for 6 months. He changed some after I complained to HR about 4 months in because he was actually lying about me to subs and the front office. It was unreal. I've worked with some jerks but this guy was on another level. I was told by subs who have worked with him in the past that he was known to be half nuts and was on a thin line with management but it looked to me like they loved him and despite poor protocols on safety and QC, and even time management, they kept him on.

I've been in the trades, in the field as a carpenter and as an all around self employed general contractor. Like I said I've been around some real AHs....but when you are a victim of such behavior its hard to take off the taint. I left the position, on decent terms mind you because the company was afraid of my filing against them for a hostile work environment. I just wanted out.

Here's my question:

Have any of you left a really toxic work environment? How did you overcome the "so what did you do?" Questions or "Why did you leave?"

I wouldn't be lying if I said the job didn't align with my values because it didn't. Or should I even worry about this? I've got solid references because I'm a person with a good work ethic and values (heck I was doing 12 hour days while that jerk would leave early, never work on Saturdays until I complained and took tons of time off leaving me to manage the job alone).

Anyway, enough talk I'd be interested in what you folks think.

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