When I started my last job, all I received were accolades about the quality of my work and how much better I was than my predecessor. After about one and a half years, I took a weeks vacation and, when I returned, my boss came up to my desk with a smile on her face and asked, "So you're leaving?" I had no idea what she was talking about. She asked two more times before a I managed to say, "No. I'm planning on staying." After that, all types of rudeness and abuse started. And, it was hinted that I would never work in this field again. I was treated as insubordinate for not resigning. Yet, they would not fire me as I worked harder and harder and got more and more stressed about my job that I liked and was trying to keep.

I was told that my job description was impossible by my boss and there was no way that I could do the job. But, it was not in my powers to change the job description. I was trying to be a good employee and worked harder and harder.

After I finally stood up to my boss - which required a panic attack on my part - no one will now hire me. If you are given such "hints" are you required to resign? I've never heard of that. Are you insubordinate because you have not resigned? The treatment at work made my PTSD come back and resulted in anxiety and depression issues. My panic attack was viewed as anger - I was angry at being unfairly treated. The anger was provoked after months of mistreatment.

So, my question is, if you're being treated like that, are you required to resign? Am I being rude / naive by not taking the hint? Should it make me unemployable? Was my boss doing me a favor by hinting that I should leave (without fully explaining it, mind you) and my not taking the hint a form of incompetance? Granted, I was hired at will and the employer could have terminated me at any time without reason by law. Still, they persisted in abusing me. What do you think?