Poll of the Day > I really wish I could quit my job... but I can't.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Theyve been completely taking advantage of me lately and you know what the worst part is? I cant even stick up for myself. Im completely at their mercy.

The reason I cant quit is because I dont have any qualifications and there arent even really many jobs in my area anyway. I need to have money coming in because I live on my own and have rent and other expenses to worry about.

But the other reason I cant just quit is because my union is paying for college. The good news is I only have one year of that left (by this time next year I should be finishing up my last semester) but still. Its really awful being in a shitty situation that you just cant really do anything about.

Stay in school, kids.
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What job do you do?
How are they taking advantage of you at your job?

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Keep your head down and power through. Life oftentimes sucks but unless you are in actual danger it's best to keep on and not be rash as long as you have something you are working for.

Finish school. Keep focused on your end goals.

Remember though that if you really can't take it anymore there are often paths you can't see. Also remember you aren't in it alone. You might think you are but if you're having problems there's going to be people on your side who can see more than you can. You just have to find them.
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Sounds like you're already on your way to getting the credentials to get out, so it may just be best to power through.

If it truly is horrendous though... You're in a union. Talk with your union rep, discuss what the issues are and what actions could be taken.
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the only thing worse than a shitty job is No job, when you have no job you become basically unhirable
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I work at a grocery store lol. I know it doesnt sound like its much but trust me, working at a grocery store in real life is not like the TV shows lol.

I was hired to work at a specific store (which works out well because its fairly close to where I live) and do very specific work. I guess that was a joke because for a few weeks now, theyve had me going to other stores in the chain (some of which are twice + as long as my usual commute) and doing work I wasnt hired to do, with no extra compensation for gas or anything (and of course Im losing all that extra time). And its draining me emotionally and physically. Not to mention its really ramping up my anxiety.

I thought about talking to a union rep, but honestly I dont know how much good it will do. Ill probably just end up pissing off my company and getting transferred god-knows-where.

I should have definitely gone to school years ago. I meant to, and then it was always one thing after another that kept that from happening. At least Ive only got one year left. Hopefully just having any sort of degree will land me something better.
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That's exactly what your union rep is there for, including supporting you legally if they try to punish you by transferring you or whatnot.
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Sounds like you should talk to someone. Whoever manages you would be a good place to start if you haven't already. Based on what you've told us it's possible that they don't realize the extra strain you're feeling. They might ease up a little if you explain the situation. If you've already tried that then you should definitely talk to your union rep. They exist to help with situations like this and simply having the conversation won't get you in trouble. You can decide how to proceed from there once they've explained what your options are.
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Umm so why isnt youre union stepping in if your employer is taking advantage of you? Isnt that what unions are for?

rexcrk posted...

theyve had me going to other stores in the chain (some of which are twice + as long as my usual commute) and doing work I wasnt hired to do, with no extra compensation for gas or anything

ye fuck that. stand up for yourself dude. between gas, car maintenance, and lost time, they basically cut your pay indirectly

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If you have cashier experience you can work in almost any retail store.
How long have you held your current job?

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rexcrk posted...

I work at a grocery store lol

>_>

The way you were talking in the opening post, it sounded like you were doing something a lot bigger than that.

rexcrk posted...

I thought about talking to a union rep,

Yeah, you absolutely should. You should have done that a while ago.

SusanGreenEyes posted...

If you have cashier experience you can work in almost any retail store.
How long have you held your current job?

Yeah, I don't get the big deal. If it's low-level work and you now have a work history, you could probably find something at that same level.
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Just keep applying for different things even if you dont think you meet the minimum requirements

Itll work eventually because a lot of places are willing to train someone up if they think youll be a good fit or they like your personality
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BeerOnTap posted...

Umm so why isnt youre union stepping in if your employer is taking advantage of you? Isnt that what unions are for?

Unions don't just automatically step in and interfere with every decision. They have to actually know about it.

They're generally only involved during contract negotiations or if someone is getting fired. Anything else pretty much has to be initiated by the employee. The union couldn't possibly keep track of everything that's going on, but if he talks with a rep they may find something that's against the collective agreement and tell them to stop it.

SusanGreenEyes posted...

If you have cashier experience you can work in almost any retail store.
How long have you held your current job?

Getting his schooling paid for may be worth significantly more monetarily than any job he could find. I'm not sure how much his schooling costs but it usually isn't cheap. That's likely the reasoning for not looking for another job. He'd have to find a place willing to double his salary.
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Yeah school is absolutely the reason I havent jumped ship yet. I was actually looking around a bit this time last year but then I found out about the unions free college program, so I thought Id stick it out. It would cost me about $10,000 to finish up my remaining classes, so Im just gonna stick it out for another year.
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adjl posted...

That's exactly what your union rep is there for, including supporting you legally if they try to punish you by transferring you or whatnot.

yeah this is the sole purpose of a union rep
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RoboXgp89 posted...

the only thing worse than a shitty job is No job, when you have no job you become basically unhirable

I know you were giving advice to the opening poster, but thank you for the advice. I had been thinking of quitting my own job, too.
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I quit my first career job after not even making it a year because they were treating me like garbage and picked up another, better job 6 months later. Do not regret my decision one bit. Hadn't moved out on my own tho, so it wasn't that big of a deal

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Lorthremar posted...

adjl posted...

That's exactly what your union rep is there for, including supporting you legally if they try to punish you by transferring you or whatnot.

yeah this is the sole purpose of a union rep

Problem is, I think that, as a full time employee, its technically not against any rules to transfer me to other stores in the chain, so I dont see how a union rep could step in and put a stop to this.
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The only way to solve your problem is to talk to your rep but you're quite insistent that they can't help. Do you actually want to fix your issue or are you just complaining?
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SunWuKung420 posted...

The only way to solve your problem is to talk to your rep but you're quite insistent that they can't help. Do you actually want to fix your issue or are you just complaining?

Hey Im just being realistic. If you worked here, youd understand.
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I worked retail for like 8 years (including management) and I don't know where you work but they can't just make you work at other stores. Normally they have to ASK you first but I assume you're just blindly saying yes to them.
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skullbone posted...

I worked retail for like 8 years (including management) and I don't know where you work but they can't just make you work at other stores. Normally they have to ASK you first but I assume you're just blindly saying yes to them.

Ugh I wish I had that luxury.

No, its they need you at [whatever] store next week. Theyre doing it again next week

Im sure it sounds like Im over exaggerating, or making this up, or something... but Im not. At this point I think I will give the union rep a call and see if theres anything they can do for me.
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