Bummed About Work

JimP · #21 10/07/11, 09:42 PM

Stop turning down over time at your full time job. One day they will stop offering it,if you continue to say no. Or worse yet they might cut you loose for not ever taking it.

reluctantpatriot · #22 10/08/11, 07:17 AM

I worked a job where they asked for voluntary overtime for the heavy season for client calls. The first year I was there for the heavy season they were happy with the amount of time everyone volunteered. I found out that I had volunteered the second most hours. I effectively was trying to kill myself as I hated getting out of bed each day, literally forgot what day it was and was sick after just a few days of the 12 to 14 hour a day schedule I had signed up for to do to for about two months. I cannot blame anyone but myself for taking on too much.

The next year I volunteered as much as I thought I could handle for the long term without killing myself with the overtime. I volunteered two extra hours a day three days a week and occasional weekends for deadline days. That year I was average in the amount of hours volunteered but the majority of people volunteered a an hour or two more or less than I did. Even my team lead was content. Our floor supervisor for my shift more than once sent out an email and told us in our corporate customer support instant messenger program that we use for questions when we have a stumping question with a client that we "all needed to volunteer more time or it might become mandatory overtime".

When it was not peak season for client phone calls I would help the company with computer troubleshooting and repair, software update quality assurance and testing and also setting up new computers for new hires. I did not get paid any more for it, just kudo points when it came time for monthly performance bonuses and the like.

When I finally applied for and was offered a better job position with the company, I had to turn it down. I would be moving half way across the country to an area where neither my wife or I would have any support system. I would be earning 20% more, but we would be living in an area where the cost of living compared with here was 25 to 26% more. My wife is a hospice chaplain and positions like hers are very hard to find as they mostly open up either because of hospice program growth or attrition due to basically a chaplain retiring or dying. Where we were going the unemployment was exceedingly high and the economy was much worse than here.

I stuck it out there for as long as I could thinking I might be able to do computer repair or software testing all the time if I were patient enough to wait for expansion, which was coming. I was laid off before that happened. In the first bit of time after it happened, I thought maybe I should have taken the salaried job in another of our offices. My wife reminded me that it would have put us over a barrel and there was no guarantee that it would have worked out any better than the position I was laid off from.

Since the layoff I realize how much less anxiety and stress I have which was caused by the job. I also realize that hard word and dedication and the willingness to do more for an employer has no effect on them trying to find ways to properly compensate or retain you.

Were I to be working a full time job and a part time job in your situation, I would make certain to have alternate part time jobs lined up, give two weeks notice as a courtesy and be polite in explaining why you are leaving. In this economy it does not pay to destroy relationships and you never know how your actions on one job may affect your ability to find employment in the future.

**Shrek** · #23 10/08/11, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whodunit

For about a year I've had a part-time job in addition to my full-time one. I was part of the first crew they hired. I was initially working at least 16 hours a week. I was kind of the "go to" guy since I really needed the money. I lost sleep, worked up to 60+ hour weeks, turned down overtime at my main job, and sometimes took comp time off my main job to cover shifts at the part-time job.

Later, they hired more people and I watched my hours drop. It was temporary, but it still dropped. Then they hired yet again.

Still later, while still being the "go to" guy willing to work as much as I could, I started getting 24 hours a week very consistently, so I was pretty happy, albeit tired from working so much.

Suddenly three weeks, the supervisor was told to cut total hours by one-third. I watched my shifts go from three a week to one a week. I'm not great at math, but that's a two-third reduction.

Others who have been there less time than me now have more hours than me.

I directly told the supervisor that as hours were cut, he should give preference to the crew he started with. I told him it was nothing personal but that was my feelings on it. I also told him I would accept his decision and never mention it again. he was good about it and seemed to appreciate my being upfront.

Last week, I was sent the schedule and I was happy to see that I had two shifts this week. Tonight I come in and find out that one of my shifts was taken away.

I have a couple other irons in the fire (job opportunities) and am tempted to just quit as both a statement and in order to make time to the develop the other opportunities.

What say you? Am I being sensitive or is the supervisor making a statement of some kind?

Yes your being sensitive because it has struck one of your character nerves. If not you wouldn't be posting here as you have. Don't be too concerned as everyone who works a job gets a character nerve irritated sometime or another. Only difference is how each person treats the nerve sensitivity for themselves.

As far as what the supervisor is doing and why, you are part of the hired help numbers he has to work with regardless of whatever your "go to " status was or currently is and have no idea what his supervisors are expecting of him as their "go to" guy.

Many forget that wherever they work they came in looking for work and if they get to not liking the job and then they have the luxury of looking for work elsewhere and striking out for where the iron is hot instead of those who get laid off and have to look for work out of neccesity and take whatever cold scrap iron they can find.

As you mentioned you have already defined some other prospects and question your current situation so you have to decide if you want to try your luck elsewhere or numb down your sensitivity where you are just like employees have done for ages.

tarbe · #24 10/08/11, 09:24 AM

I think you are very fortunate to have so many work opportunities.

Go with the ones you think will be the most valuable to you. You might make a mistake in choosing....but we all make mistakes....one of the drawbacks of choices!

Try not to take the scheduling thing personally...it might cause you to make a rash decision. Be pragmatic.

My $0.02

Tim