My name is No Labels, and I confess. I have strong workaholic tendencies.
I think it started off in my childhood. I always admired my grandparents. Even though both of them were retired, they
always found ways to keep active. I
rarely saw either one of them very still for very long—until they both started
to decline in health. My grandpa would
always wake up early to do yard work or if the car needed an oil change, he
would do that. He would have his time to
look at TV, but when he was driving, he would always find a way to get out the
house. He was always doing something.
My grandma’s biggest thing was cleaning. Being productive. At times, even rearranging furniture to a new
location. Grandpa wasn't always around
or available at the time she wanted to do these things, so she and I could
easily be found moving around a couch on our own. Not saying it was smart, but as women, we did
what we had to do.
I am starting to recognize that the strong can teeter
towards borderline toxic. It is hard to
really pick up right away. You are just
proud of yourself to being so determined and so motivated. That’s the overall feeling at first.
However, if the productivity isn't truly appreciated and
valued…
If the workaholic effort leaves you more drained than
invigorated and empowered…
If the ends are really not justifying the means…
Then, it is definitely time to start re-evaluating the
situation.
I said all this to lead into my situation with my second
job. There had been baby earthquakes
popping up here and there, but some things really started coming to head. Honestly, dating back to when this new guy
took over the travel plaza.
Yes, I agree the other lady needed to go. She was a bit lackadaisical. She’s one of those types that had been in
power for so long that she just wanted to sit back and collect a paycheck. I don’t think she was as proactive as she
needed to be as far as the welfare of her employees as well as the plaza.
When inspections came, the higher ups decided to
clean house. The other head guy was
fired; they gave her the option to step down or transfer.
However, in the cleaning house, they should
have gotten rid of this other guy, too (who I will deem as Mr. C.).
Imagine a stockier version of Ned Flanders but with a
Donald Trump like toupee. Put those two
together and you have Mr. C.
The reason
I say they should have gotten rid of Mr. C. is because he is similar to the
other lady they transferred. He’s been
in management power for so long he just wants to get a paycheck. He passes on his duties to this other lady,
who I've nicknamed The Dragon, yet takes all the credit. He takes shortcuts which are very
unethical. Also, he isn't honest when it
comes to adhering to people’s availability and schedules (which I’ll definitely
be expanding on). Plus, he doesn't know
nearly as much as he needs to know to have all the power that he does have, yet
he gets upset when he is called out on it. I could go on and on, but I think that is enough meat to sink your teeth
into.
The other guy (I’ll deem him Mr. M) wanted to make all
these changes. The issue I have is the
fact that he makes sudden changes and assumes they have been communicated with
other members of the staff.
One change
he decided to make was that the Travel store would be open at 6 am instead of
7 am and would close at 10:30 pm instead of 9:30 pm on weekdays. Hours for the weekends would be
6 am-11:30 pm.
Since I am one of the
people who do mornings on weekends, did anyone reach out to me to check and see
if those hours would be feasible for me?
No. I didn't get
one phone call from Mr. M. or from Mr. C. (who does my schedule) to let me know
about these changes. They know I have
another job. I just felt like a little
courtesy was in order.
As it turns out, the one hour bump up isn't feasible for
me because of the fact that during the weekends, The Sweetie doesn't work a
full eight hour shift.
Since the buses
don’t start running in my neck of the woods until seven, I have to have time to
go and pick him up, drop him off at the apartment, and then make my way to
work. I could still do that with my
schedule being at seven. It wasn't going
to be feasible with my coming in at six.
My first correspondence with them was letting them know I didn't take too kindly to them not notifying me of the changes in store
hours. I also let them know that I couldn't come in at six am on Saturdays and Sundays and to consider it my two weeks’
notice.
Mr. C. went into panic mode. He ensured me that he would find hire someone
to come in and do early Saturday and Sunday mornings and then he could put me
on a later shift---like an 8-4 or a 9-5.
He asked me if that would be feasible for me. He didn't want me to go since I was such a
good, dependable worker.
So I temporarily held off.
Mr. C. did hire three new people. Then, I found out that Mr. M wanted the travel plaza to be open 24 hours, putting us in direct competition with Sunoco, which already is open 24 hours.
So now, I’m wondering if these people are
mainly going to be overnight rather than someone to cover early shift on the
weekends. I got told only one person was
doing overnight, the other one was doing midday to help out Dragon Mon-Fri, and
the third person would be doing day shift on the weekend.
However, Mr. C. lied, not just to me but to one of the
people that he hired.
The one lady, who
only agreed to work there because Mr. C. said she would definitely have
weekends off, got a rude awakening when he started scheduling her for midday
hours over the weekend. The situation
got nasty because Dragon went and told Mr. C. that the lady (who I deem Do What
I Want) wasn't going to come in on Sunday (the last Sunday in April). It wouldn't have been such a big deal except
I was training the new girl (who I will deem Can’t Count Change), so I wouldn't have anyone to really cover my break. Do
What I Want was going to tell Mr. C. privately, but Dragon overhead what she
said, and immediately went and told Mr. C.
Then, Mr. C. instead of discussing it with Do What I Want privately
decides to be snooty and put her on blast, asking “Do you have a problem with
the schedule?” When Do What I Want let
him know about the situation regarding babysitting for her seven month old son,
she reminded him of the initial agreement she thought they had regarding her
being hired. Mr. C. looked at Do What I
Want and without missing a step said, “I never had that agreement with you.”
I see the Dragon smirking—she is that type
that throws the rock, hides her hand, and then tries to act like she’s your
friend. So of course, Do What I Want is
upset and understandably so.
Her attitude becomes different, and she begins taking it
out on other people, which I had to deal with the following day, while I was
training Can’t Count Change. I
understand she was mad at Dragon and Mr. C., but I’m not the major problem, and
neither was the other co-worker (who I will deem Hard Working but Gets No
Credit). She got really nasty with Hard
Working after I left that day, and ended up leaving her shift early. She was scheduled until six but left at
around 4:30.
Since I had made multiple complaints about the Dragon,
Mr. C. had given his word that he wouldn’t schedule Dragon and I on the same
shift together. However, that word was
broken when on two Saturdays, I had to end up dealing with her. She doesn’t talk to me—she barks orders at me
like I’m some type of dog. With her, I
act passive because that’s not how you address me. I’m the type of person who is proactive. I don’t sit around waiting for someone to
tell me what to do—I know what needs to be done, so I just do it.
If I disagree with something, she will go and
constantly complain about me to management in an attempt to get me fired. What she did on the last Saturday of the
month (which was the same day the incident between her and Do What I Want
happened) was my breaking point—the extent at which she lied. It was all because I refused to do a task she
was supposed to be doing. She claimed I
called her something derogatory, and the term she said I used I would NEVER use
because The Sweetie is of that heritage.
That really incensed me.
Also, I began noticing that my health wasn't as great as
it had been. The progress I had been
making in my levels started to backslide.
The doctor in his last visit expressed great concern and said I should
cut down my hours or quit the job altogether.
It was okay as long as my hours were kept to two days a week.
However in the weeks before I decided to
leave, my hours had increased. One week,
I was working four days a week. I just
felt like my availability wasn't being respected, nor was my medical condition,
although I let them know the details of my medical condition.
It also didn’t help when I found out Can’t Count Change
was being trained to help out with overnight, not with morning shift on the
weekend. So I found out Mr. C. lied to
me. If he could lie so easily to Do What
I Want, then what’s to stop him from lying to other people just to get them to stay?
On that Sunday, I was like, “What am I doing here?” The ends just weren't justifiable
anymore. I was dealing with a manager
that wouldn't reprimand his lead, no matter how many complaints she has
received from other employees about her treatment of them as well as her
mannerisms. I was dealing with a lead
that had it in for me. The new people
they were bringing in were lazy and disrespectful, and the progress I was
making in my health was declining.
My hair had started to come out again, and that was the
ultimate warning sign for me: I had to get away from there.
Two weeks be damned! I attempted to give it to them before, but
Mr. C. lied so that I would stay. The
company allowed treatment that was dishonorable towards me, so in my eyes, due
to the fact that my health was involved, I didn’t feel justified in giving them
two weeks. Because knowing them, they
would try to talk me out of it or convince me to stay. This time, I just wasn’t having it.
I presented them with formal written documentation—fax and
hard copy. I also gave back my
badge. May 1st was my
resignation date.
As of this typing, although they have clearly received
everything (I keep copies of everything), my name is still on their schedule.
I have not shown up for work. No call and no show is something I don’t
do. They know this about me. They also know that unless it is doctor
related, I don’t miss two days back to back.
I didn't show up the first weekend after I quit. I didn't show up this past weekend. I won’t be showing up this Thursday.
Since leaving there, my levels are becoming more
stable. I am able to eat at earlier
hours, better hours. I am able to eat
healthier and on a more consistent basis.
The hair is in the process of repairing.
I feel like such a huge weight has been lifted off me since leaving that
place.
I know I’m a good worker and a hard worker, but I have to
know when to walk away when I’m being disrespected. Not regarding my health is disrespect to
me.
Going what I went through in my
other job taught me a very important lesson.
No one is going to care more for my well being than me, and if I don’t
hold my well being in high regard, I can’t expect anyone else to. I decided to put a greater price tag on me,
which has resulted in me using “No” more and prioritizing how high money is on
the overall scheme of things. I’m not
saying money isn't important, but it’s no longer trumping health.
I’m sticking to my decision, no matter how much they are
seemingly refusing to honor my exit.
Peace.
1 comment:
And here I thought the doings in my office were fucked up.
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