Job & Career

“My co-worker pulled a political stunt that really made me mad. I don’t know if I should try to get closure with them or if I should just let it ride.”

“I never saw it coming. Now I am out of a job and I don’t know why. My boss is ignoring my emails.”

“I am leaving my job. I am debating on taking the high road and really letting them know why I found it impossible to work there any longer. Should I be concerned about burning bridges?”

Our jobs and career play an important role in our lives, after all, that’s how we make the rest of our lives possible. Relationships at work can help make the day pleasant and productive if you are surrounded by co-workers who are friendly, supportive and collaborative. However, the workplace can also feel abusive and emotionally unsafe if co-workers are competitive, underhanded, and don’t carry their weight. The same can be said for those in leadership positions, who may be overseeing your work and responsible for your salary increases and job security, as well as your career growth. If your workplace is an unhappy place, not only does it make the workday feel like a long and hard road, you may carry the weight home with you which can, in turn, affect your emotional and physical health but also your personal relationships.

Frequently, the workplace presents situations in which you may need some form of closure, the result of a brief interaction, a more serious conflict, or the end of your job, whether you chose this ending or not. Finding closure in the workplace is especially complex because what feels right and fair may have to be balanced with the nuances of workplace politics. In other words, the desire for closure may need to take second place to what’s best for your job or career in the short term, meaning you may need to walk away from closure.