Signs it's time to cut and run

Sometimes the solution to a sticky work situation is cutting your losses and moving on. But how do you know when that time has come? One sure signal: You nit-pick everything your boss does, says Sheila Grosdidier, BS, RVT, Firstline Editorial Advisory Board Member and a partner at VMC Inc. in Evergreen, Colo. "If from the moment the boss enters the clinic until the moment she leaves you hate everything she does and everything about her—her clothes, the car she drives—then it's time to go," she says.

Philosophical differences are also legitimate reasons to seek employment elsewhere. For example, Grosdidier knew a doctor who would hand clients their euthanized pet in a plastic bag. This doctor's practice isn't the place for a team member who thinks euthanasia should be handled differently. "He'd been doing business like that for years," she says. "You're not going to change that."

More than just a difference in personalities or beliefs, some situations are emotionally or psychologically damaging. And then your only option is to find a new job, says Grosdidier. Read the questions below. If you answer "yes" to any them, Grosdidier says you should quietly get your coat and paycheck, leave, and never go back. (And if something illegal or illicit is happening, you should contact your local authorities right away.)

• Do you or your team members ever have to endure any kind of physical or verbal abuse?

• Are animals being harmed or treated cruelly?

• Is there something of a sexual nature going on in the clinic that makes you uncomfortable?

• Have you witnessed any criminal behavior, such as money or drugs exchanging hands?