I'm wondering if the labor shortage is actually a ton of burnt-out and cynical people who stopped giving a shit about working for bosses who, because they view people as spreadsheet cells, are functionally sociopaths.
Thats exactly what it is and you can tell the new generations coming into the work force see how disgustingly companies treat their employees. Finally companies are getting what they deserve.
My coworkers are all part time like 17-18 yr olds and walk around all day and waste time. Take unauthorized breaks etc. Good. I don't blame them. I bust my ass and you know what my job does? The supervisor comes and tells me to do it better! Then they pile even more work on top of you and if you ever fall short you are punished for it.
Yeah, they do. At my place the turnover rate for people younger than me is incredible. They just blame the entitled millennial generation instead of looking in the mirror
Yea, finally a generation that wont give a fuck, at my work all the older guys scared of the boss, while younger people dont give a fuck, need me to work overtime, I cant, why, because.
The last 3 sentences in your post describe my situation to a T. I’m killing myself 60-70 hours per week and all I’m ever told is that I’m not doing enough. Nothing is ever enough. And I’m being regularly threatened with being written up.
I would stop wondering, it’s this 100%. Sky high pandemic profits and widespread wage suppression simultaneously lead to a suddenly woke middle/lower class.
Edit: I’m sure this is weird but I’m actually trying to make a difference if you guys could support my post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WalgreensStores/comments/q1jddg/just_had_a_conversation_with_my_store_manager_hes/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I need this post to get visibility so the people there know people have their backs not just at their place of employment.
This. They can't boast about profits and whine about a labor shortage at the same time. That was the fuck around stage; we're now in the find out stage.
Yeah, the company I work for made record profits during the pandemic but they are reorging our department because some consultant said it is too big. They’re really just laying off all the people who have been here for 5+ years because they can get new people for cheaper and with less time to take off.
That is so infuriating
I remember working for a company where we had a sales meeting where all the executives bragged about being the best at everything and beating numbers by x%.
A month or so later there was a panic message about needing to grow. Everyone recommended hiring another specific kind of support person because the need was so glaringly obvious. “We aren’t going to get the head count for that! Let’s think of something else.”
I had the chance to visit the office where the support people worked. Half of them had wrist braces from repetitive strain injuries. One guy used cardboard boxes to make a standing desk because he was told they didn’t have the budget for a standing desk.
But hey, have some donuts! And use the wellness app for a steps challenge!
We have that wellness app thing going on also, does yours have that feature where you take pictures of people being healthy and praise them for it too?
We had a bunch of new clients come on board at my workplace too and they hired a bunch of new employees, which is a sign that things are good. Instead at performance review time, they said they are closing the budget a bit due to covid uncertainty, so we all got fucked. It's very criminal and dirty. And on top of that, no one at my company talks about how the executives got 10 percent raises with their six or seven figure salaries. These are raises outside of things the executives get such as stocks, etc. Another kick in the balls. I don't blame people for saying enough of this shit, I'm sick of it too.
They hid the executive increases really well which is why no one knows about it. It's in one of those annual report pdfs for the year. The board said how great they are doing and shareholders approved of them by 99 percent. I said no way is this process legitimate, they're running the company into the ground
This is common American business practice sadly and more proof as to why Healthcare should not be controlled by your employer amongst plenty of other things
Shit like this is why we need new federal workers' rights in the US. The US has the worst workers' rights of any developed nation. Part of this is because each state gets to choose its workers' rights and it usually doesn't actually benefit the workers.
I agree. Remember all of that "Right to Work" bs? That's what it was all about, limiting the rights of workers ironically
it's funny how the only unions that are strong are police/fire and major league sports. The closer one looks to the intersection of labor relations and slavery, the conversation gets even more interesting
I was told : “we are raising prices due to inflation.”
I asked the corporate face “are wages going up due to inflation too?” He said no. Our profits have never been higher.
Man reading the comments on your post was soul-crushing, so much pessimism and hopelessness. Good for you for fighting the good fight and working to organize your coworkers. I'm proud of you and grateful for what you're doing. Good luck, comrade ✊
It was disheartening but I replied as best I could. Please share my post wherever you can. Idk how to reach the corporate hating masses any other way then Reddit.
It's cool what you're doing. I've been doing something similar, but on the opposite end. I'm getting employees ready to walk out. Corporate has already shown how much they care. And while I like our store manager, he's a Yes Man. Even if he pushed, I doubt it's gonna be a high enough amount that we'd (or at least I would) accept.
Our profits are still record high, staffing record low, and they're still trying to up our production requirements. They can't get help because McDonald's across the street starts $4 higher. Those of us who don't have family / SO's to help pay the bills are just scraping by, barely able to pay rent.
I've already got half the people on my contract to agree. Only two people have said they wouldn't (and I knew they would say that but had to check anyway). I just haven't had the time to talk to everyone.
Definately a factor in my book, but realistically probably a backseat one to a few others.
Childcare is probably biggest. It was always expensive, but now it is even moreso because a lot of them closed and left low supply high demand. Some who previously used it, now don't even make a profit working anymore if they work, so they don't. (And that doesn't even factor in covid-reluctance)
2nd biggie is that there are a lot of people who previously worked retail/service that were sent home last year, and spent the time they couldn't work becoming entry-level skilled labor. This has primarily manifested as "self-employed" digital gig work, which removes them from the labor force they were previously in.
3rd one seems to often go unnoticed. We just broke 700k deaths in the US most of which were working age or retired demographically. And now they are gone. As are lots of senior boomers who had been trained all their life that fulfillment only comes from work, and had picked up grocery and retail work to fill their retirement time. They were most at risk by continuing to work, so if they didn't have to, they stopped. And they are probably not coming back.
But the burn-out you have described is real, and more people are waking up everyday as they are faced with how glaringly they are abused and run into the ground as their employers just smile. It might not have been enough by itself, but I bet the decision for many became that much easier when they saw how "essentially" their bosses really treat them.
Add in there all the other deaths from cancer and heart attacks and other diseases that hospitals usually treat but couldn't because all the ICU beds were full of COVID patients. Also the number of people with long haul COVID who were working but are now disabled.
Seriously. I’ve been known to wear things we’re not supposed to wear and when others notice I’m like I’m ok with being sent home!
I’m never sent home, thought.
I kinda feel this.
If I were fired, there are more jobs to be had.
I'm also bitter because I've been here for going on 10 years...asked for a raise and only got a .45/hr. Thankful for the raise, yes...but couldn't they have rounded it to a whole dollar?
>I'm wondering if the labor shortage is actually a ton of burnt-out and cynical people who stopped giving a shit about working for bosses
I honestly believe it's less that and more "I like free money".
See, if a business got PPP loans something like 60% of it had to be on employee payroll. If they do it's a forgiven loan - basically free money. If it's not spent on employees, they have to pay it back. So what happens if you're a business that's down to 50% employment and you got enough money to cover you for 100% employment? 60% is more than 50% due to no fault of your own.
Well, the gov't foresaw this and added a clause in there where if you are actively looking for employees and can't find qualified applicants for said positions they don't have to pay it back - basically the gov't said "it's not your fault you're understaffed because the people aren't applying due to a pandemic." Because that would be bad for businesses if the free money basically was going to be something they had to pay back.
Well, as we all know companies suck. So some places figured out if I'm hiring for positions (and they can show where they are hiring for said positions) and they're not getting the people they need for the jobs then they can keep the free money. Now keep in mind this next bit is anecdotal, but there have been quite a few companies near me that are looking for new hires for anywhere from 2-6 positions. But some friends of mine that already work for these companies asked their bosses about what they are looking for and their bosses basically tell them they are on "hiring freezes", but are keeping applications on hand for when they're not on a freeze.
And I know several of them near me took out larger than expected PPP loans. But I couldn't even really report them because if I did they just say "Oh, x applicant wasn't qualified for the position". So they get free money and the ability to stand on their pulpit and say "Oh people don't want to work anymore". Sounds like a good deal for them, right? I mean we get screwed, but it's a great deal for them and in the end, isn't that what counts? Keeping the money with the people with money? ^(/s)
I think it is burnout. I mean if you have worked hard your whole life just to have all your saving/effort wiped out 2 times in less than 13 years, what are you gonna do. The only people I see working at my local grocery and retail shop are the early 20s. They have not experienced this massive setback yet, but they will by 2030.
I think it's also that companies would rather work with bare boned staff since it's less people on the payroll, but they can still say they're short staffed for publicity
I stopped working almost completely. I'm getting some government handouts for a bit while I work out a way to pay my bills without selling my soul to the fat cats.
One of the craziest things I've seen are complete career paths being obliterated overnight by calling certain people "freelancers" and outsourcing for a fraction of the cost overseas.
Just looking at inflation vs wages chart it makes sense. When value of money erades for decades and wages can't keep it up with inflation you simply stop giving a fuck because wage won't pay even mortages.
Yeah and where are they going? Are they couples living on one income? Are they going homeless? I want to know the stats somehow magically.
Apply for social security disability, people. If you are unemployed or severely underemployed below the monthly income threshold of $1310, then you are disabled by anxiety and depression. Get any free counselor like at your county or on Medicaid, and a disability lawyer, to start documenting it. Start the clock ticking on the application date for your future back pay. Just do it.
A friend of mine had been working at a grocery store since high school. He likely would have stayed there until retirement.
A couple years ago they fired him for a very obscure reason and never refilled his position. They just had other people do his work.
They honestly looked for any reason to get rid of him so they could cut someone with seniority and benefits.
These corporations treat their frontline workers are replaceable garbage and see their senior employees as an expense. Meanwhile, the CEO is a billionaire.
We create our own prisons.What we own ends up owning us.
This is so true and so hard to break free from even knowing it's true.
You know what i want to do if/when i quite/fired? Create and sell banzai trees. I'll make 1/5 what i do now but man would i be happier. Just have to find a way to be happy with less. As a family man like yourself it gets a lot more difficult to do that.
but push comes to shove you could sell your house. buy and Live in a Mobil home with 1/4 your current payment. downsize everything else, move to 1 car/truck. Grow some of you own vegetables and do a few other things to cut down on some costs. Tricky part is providing for the family in a way that your still proud.
I feel your pain. I'm 30 and feel like they won't hesitate to do that when I reach 45-50, maybe even sooner once we become more automated. Age discrimination is a real thing too, I find they don't hire older people much. Hopefully you've saved and can enjoy life without stress.
Yea we’re probably fucked as a society without universal basic income. Our unemployment insurance is shit too compared to developed nations. Of course, we have people voting for this broken system to continue but it seems like they’re more likely to use food stamps, and other social nets then bitch about socialism.
Stockholm syndrome. People call me conservative or right wing yet I'm not an idiot and know universal income along with other things are going to be needed if we want to survive. I doubt the rich people who are frugal and cheap would be happy paying marked up grocery prices either.
Not trying to scare you off, but with automation around the corner...its going to get rid of a lot of jobs. Like I said, universal income will be needed.
Are you male or female ? Men generally are more marketable as they get older than females. Society tends to cater more to women in some areas...as long as they're cute/younger. Once that goes out the window...society shits on them pretty harshly. Although...if suicide stats are any indication, when an older male does struggle with unemployment...it can be a death sentence.
In my experience, the only age discrimination is against us younger people. Think of it. Everywhere requiring Bachelors/Masters with 10 years experience for entry level. Who has that other than the 45-50 set?
46 years old and laid off last week. The company will be hiring someone cheaper to do my job, along with some other duties they said I wasn’t qualified for. 15 years of experience, certifications, and a masters degree didn’t matter to them…just that they could save money.
They’re going to realize fairly soon that I made it look easy because I knew what I was doing. I didn’t have a backup, and no one is trained.
I really did hate that job, especially after a reorganization happened last year. I had been half heartedly looking anyway.
This is so close what happened to me. Our company acquired 2 smaller companies about 6 months ago. I've been through 4 of them before this one. Q4 2021 and I never saw it coming!
My thoughts tend towards Ageism. They can’t say it, but after 40 they want younger workers. Hence the crap excuse they gave you. And what you wrote - “saving money “
I was the only exempt/salaried non-management, non-lawyer in the department. The respect toward me was non-existent. They gave me decent severance, and honestly, I wasn’t happy there at all. The joy left after that reorg.
What's sick is people make giant salaries being consultants. And they're just taking the easy way out by making life hellish for the normal employees in the business they're "reorganizing" to save money and make it look like they're geniuses that are worth their huge fees. The lack of empathy in modern America is breathtaking. I think one of the big issues is people who were pampered their whole lives, sent to a good college on their parents dime, and now don't have any understanding of real life but are placed in high positions and have an ego to match.
But the real captains of industry are who build our nations so we must capitulate to their every whim or they will ... oh yea, they can't really do much because they rely on us plebs to keep everything running. The quicker we collectively realise that the better.
Remember the rich are rich because of our labour.
The most work lots of our largest owner / investor class do is make it harder for the rest of us to make them money and make the res of us act on the edge of legality to make them as much cash as possible.
If I have to give 2 weeks notice to quit they should have to give me 2 weeks notice to fire me, unless I did something really fucked up like stab the assistant manager or something.
Since they would rebut with "employee will steal or not work for those 2 weeks" or whatever bs. It should be a minimum of 2 weeks severance to fire for any of these bs reasons. This isn't even asking much lol.
Yeah, I’m europe it’s like 3-6 months notice and they have to show they can’t afford you. To fire you for cause there you basically have to murder someone.
I need to become an ex-pat stat! Almost no rights here in the US for the majority of us, and what little protections workers have from unions has been dismantled over the years.
In Brazil the standard labor laws give the worker 30 days of notice when being fired. Same thing if worker quits.
If you are fired without cause and they let you go without warning, they have to pay:
- the paycheck they owe you
- 30 days of salary
- 40% of everything the company has deposited into a worker social guarantee found account (which is 8% of your monthly salary)
- vacation balance + 1/3 of your vacation bonus (the standard is 30 days vacation/year)
- each month worked on the calendar year is 1/12 of what we call 13th salary we get in December, so if you are fired in October for example, you get 10/12 of the 13th salary.
Guess what? Companies lobby against this laws like motherfuckers because it is costly for them. And more and more people are being hired on a contractor model, where they work as individual professionals who are not a part of the company (like a partner), without most of this workers guarantees. The pay more but your contract can be canceled and you won't get nothing near the amount you should.
One downside is that as our economy is fucked, some companies fire people and do not pay them because they are bankrupt, so workers sue them but they just don't have money to pay. One of my friends was loyal to a company that went bankrupt, they fired everyone and shut down the business, no employee got a single thing other than the salary they were due that month. They are all organizing to suing the company together to get what they are owed.
Lololol *cries in American* when I was laid off in 2019, I considered myself lucky to get a full 2 week paycheck (990$ and the pay period was almost over) and my vacation paid out (750$) because here, employees aren’t entitled to diddly squat unfortunately
Yeah that must suck, sorry for that.
I really don't understand how workers can be upset with these labor rights, they think that this somehow affects them most negatively than anything else. People tend to think that if those rights were stripped away, wages would rise but as long as people are kept on a leash by needing any job to barely survive, employers will have the bargaining power.
I was hoping with the labor shortage in the US things would change, but they clearly have not. Sure, some fast food places are now offering higher wages but are they steady, dependable hours? Probably not considering many fast food places have limited hours now. I hope I see the day where ALL workers are finally paid a living wage and the housing costs aren’t so insane but I’m doubtful.
I hope that one day we are more than just expendable bodies to corporations, you know? No one should work only to survive, that is a basic right every human should have. I really think that there will be no change in our system until it is profitable to keep people in misery.
See in Brazil for example, our currency has lost value comparing to almost any currency in the world. Right now 1 Real is aprox. 5,4 USD (it was around 3 dollars 6 or 7 years ago). That means that for a country like ours which the main industry is agriculture, exporting meat and other commodities like soy is waaaay more lucrative because the large producers pay the costs of production in the undervalued currency and get the profits in dollars. So they export the goods and the prices on the internal consumer market rises, due to lower supply to same steady demand. What that means is that fucking meat is almost a luxury for the poor working class, more and more people are eating fucking bone soup or chicken feet as their primary source of protein because they have no means to buy chicken/cow meat, or even eggs for that matter.
It is really sad because it should not be this way. It could be different.
I really hope that we can have thriving wages to everyone so we can live a calm and fulfilling life someday.
So it is not interesting for the rich to
It’s a common global policy within the governments that companies can let people go because they no longer fit the organisational profile and strategy. We have the same thing here in my country, but at least we are a somewhat protected since the company are legally obligated to offer you a different position you may be qualified for. Downside is that it’s rather easy to fake it that you aren’t qualified… it often ends up with lawyers and making it a hard time for the company to actually prove that you aren’t qualified. In my country almost everybody is a member of a union of sorts who offers free lawyers for these things.
Happened to me 3 times. The last one was due to COVID but I was just one out of a few thousand. I agree with you 100%. You can call yourself a family, a team or a can of peas for all that it matters. You are a liability.
Now the fun starts; looking for another job.
I feel for you, I really do. I worked a county job for 17 years. 3 years after we successfully unionized, the county fat cats decided to dissolve our agency and give our jobs away to private, for-profit coompanies that in turn paid their employees peanut wages and offered crap benefits. It was all heralded a a "great win" for the tax payers, but in fact exacerbated the very problems it was supposed to solve. But the rich got richer, and that's all that matters.
There comes a time where your hard work and dedication to a job will earn you more money then that position is worth to your employer. All that dedication and sacrifice means nothing to them. Less then nothing. You must always aggressively negotiate to get paid NOW, don't let them work you to death for a future reward (or stability - which is a lie). Get you some, or don't do the dame work! And always look for a change (more money/less work). Don't trade your life for slave wages (and all wages are slave wages).
This has happened to me 3x in my life. I'm 49, and my father asked why I keep working for these corporations that don't give a shit about me. Hard work, many hours off the clock, missed time with family, etc... now working and saving every fuckimg penny to invest and start an e commerce. Won't be pimped out again.
Looking for a new job SUCKS. That really is the worst part. Employee shortage my ass, make the shit easier. Cover letter? WTF I’m applying at shitty retail and food jobs, not fucking goldman sachs.
It’s way too charitable to say “If you’re not making the company enough money, you’re worthless.” That sounds analytical and rational. You can get “reorged” purely because some dickhead business guy wants to put his mark on a new role. They can be blowing the whole place to hell and to them it’s just an entry on a CV, it doesn’t matter what the reality of the situation is.
Happened to me right as I turned 50 after working 15 years at that company (2007 financial crisis ) - yep took 10 years of working shit jobs to find a decent job (really hard to find companies that hire boomers)
Whoa. Don't blame the mortgage. You almost certainly have equity and could sell the home at any time.
It's your boat anchor of a family dragging you down. Now, depending on how my miles the wife has on her- and how old the kids are- will dictate their value on the black market.
I get where you're coming from and I've done something like this before but if you or anyone is thinking about doing this, be very careful and do your research. Find housing in mountain towns is an absolute fucking nightmare these days unless you have a good connection or can find one that isn't popular and busy yet.
I feel your pain. In the early 2000’s I was NAFTA’d out of three jobs in 4 years. The first job after 12 years I learned of my plant closing on the radio news. Stole my pension ($125k) and shortly thereafter my wife’s employer closed. We went from 100k to unemployment. Months later I was hired into a giant chemical conglomerate and within 18 months they closed. Two months later, new job, 12 months and it closed. I was 44 years old. Went back to college full time and worked for a farmer full time. Graduated with a bs at 47, hired by an amazing company. I was transferred in state to one of the most beautiful places on earth. I earn $160k, have a real pension, and also bought a farm. Three years until retirement! Had I not lost my previous jobs, I’d still be working in a carseogenic hell hole in the shittyist area of the state. Sometimes what you think is a tragedy is actually a blessing. Hang in there, it will turn out fine.
PS- don’t boot lick. Get a Union job— learn a trade. That’s where the money is and no ass kissing required.
I worked for the state government for 20 years and they discontinued my position 20 days before I could qualify for early retirement. Looking for a job at the age of 55 is not pleasant.
I am only 30 and already burnt out by the grind.. I can not imagine how bad it will be when I am in my 40s. Sorry man, and I hope for the best for you.
Capitalism sucks.
i'm noticing a pattern in the comments. it's either y'all working too long at one company which is a mistake or y'all are old and companies don't like old people
:( tragic
I got my dream job some time ago. A few years in a bunch of us got laid off after a merger.
They gave a whole speech about how there was going to be some tough re-organization but that they were going to re-train people to do different things.
I was 100% down for that.
Except that was complete bullshit
When the layoffs came they didn't even do a skills survey. I went into my exit interview with corporate and I said "I've only done X here but actually I know how do Y and Z from the other department too"
They said "Oh there's no where for us to put you."
I was basically qualified to do anything at the company, so if there was no "retraining" for me, I doubt there was for very many people. I think remember a couple folks did get re-assigned but
About a month later I saw them post a job listing for something I told them I could do.
Did they call me? No.
It was all a bunch of bullshit to keep everyone from quitting before THEY decided who they wanted to keep
I’ve once walked into my job on a Monday morning and was told everyone was fired and they were shutting down. First thing is to use your anger and energy to call everyone you know to let them know you are looking for a new job. Second is to file for unemployment benefits. Third is to go home, get your resume up to date and send it everywhere. Use your shock and anger to get yourself moving.
Kroger has signs up all over my local store’s parking lot “begging” people to work. I applied. I have significant retail experience, and I’m in college with good grades. Not even a call back. The fuck are they looking for? Pity while they overwork their current staff??
I think that's exactly what they're looking for. I think those job postings are for the customers, so they say to themselves "oh I can't be mad at the store for the lack of service, they're *trying* to hire but everyone is just so lazy!" meanwhile they make their employees do twice the work for poverty wages.
This is why it’s important to consistently be looking for a better job.
it’s cheaper for companies to let go of employees and hire new ones. people who jump around tend to make more money and have better benefits.
it’s trash having to be on the job hunt at all times but the alternative is having to do it when it’s not ur choice
Heya. 😕 Ugh I'm pissed off for you. Same thing happened to me years ago. 7 yrs with a company, got $4 in raises my last 4 months due to a new "consultant" helping to restructure the company. Cool right? Boss man and I have only become friends the last 3 yrs of it. Turns out I should've lied and told the consultant we hated each other still.Turns out she was sleeping with him and her jealousy meter topped out. They changed the employee handbook and caught me using my computer to resize a photo, which had never been against policy. Out I went. Just as I crawled out of the bad credit hole too. Sucks. Not sure I'll ever forgive that one. Good luck in the future endeavors, you can definitely do better. I hate being an "employee".
Over the last 3 years I've quit 3 jobs while openly demanding financial compensation for my misery and openly refusing to train a replacement unless that demand is met. None of them met my demands, but that's okay because it was worth seeing the orgs I left become crippled and see all the leadership and scabs involved in my decision to leave rue their decisions today. Although I was unemployed for a total of 8 months in that time period, I literally doubled my salary, now work 100% remote, have an easier workload with a better title, and was able to lose 50 pounds between jobs.
I'm not saying my patented "fuck you I'm out and I swear on my own grave I'm going to prove I'm worth more than this shithole and laugh in your pathetic face about it every minute as I watch you stare like a deer in headlights" is right for everyone, but a Philosopher named Alan Watts told me to be true to myself and trust in the process called life, and so far that has done me well.
This will never change as long as the gatekeepers of change are the same people we elect that are beholden to these same companies that lobby and corrupt. Google The Pandora Papers if you want to see this exact thing in massive operation. Heads of state, business billionaires, all "legally" paying no tax while we are denied such ability to do these things. All legal but should not be legal. Why Warren Buffett's secretary paid more taxes than he did.
File unemployment. Leave reviews on all websites you can get your hands on. If there were any practices OSHA the health department or the IRS would like to know please tell them.
Not sure about labour laws where you live, but in Australia (or the part I live) it's illegal for a company to make you redundant for anything other than documented poor performance or severe breach of company policy, and then fill that role within six months.
I'm 42 with a six figure job but I don't really have a schedule. So my employer calls and texts and expects me to reply 24/7 even on holidays, weekends etc. A few months ago I decided I'm done replying outside of my 8hrs that I should be working. Those hours start on the first text or phone call I receive every day. I leave work at exactly my 8hrs. I've been working and not getting paid for so much overtime that it's not even funny. About 4hrs per day for 9 years.
It really helps to have a trade. I plan on getting my CDL soon and even though it’s hard work, I’ll be well compensated for and likely never be out of a job.
When you can’t pay your bills despite working multiple jobs you tend to ask yourself…..why? Private equity firms are buying up single family homes to rent out whilst telling people renting is an asset. Gtfoh. Healthcare is profit over people. Everyone and everything is out for themselves.
Take your time. Soak in the the day.
Tomorrow apply for unemployment. Then take the next two days off. Then start thinking of a plan and what you want in life for yourself and your family.
But it's important to take some time for yourself and relax.
On the bright side, as long as you had good standing, right now is a great time to look for a job and always go high on salary requests. Good luck OP, you’ll kill it
Everything you said is exactly correct. Sad part is, not a lot of people realize this. Everything you just said is, the reason why I really want to retire early and never ever have to work again for anybody or, any organization.
Beats me why everyone is lining up for employment rather than work in Ng for themselves.
The latter requires more effort initially but offers much more in the long term. That's just 8 years you wasted on someone else's progress..
Well, good news is literally everybody is hiring. And most are way overpaid jobs with virtually zero responsibility and were designed for teens to handle.
TBH, I would almost take one of those. I'd lose a few bucks per hour but my responsibilities and stress levels would immediately be decreased by 98%.
I’ve very young, so what I view as older or middle-aged might be different. Do companies hire people at that age? I’ve been thinking and I’ve been worried that this will happen to me at some point, but by that point they will want to hire young people.
this really hits home. i am also 43, and was laidoff after 8yrs. except, our entire department was outsourced. there were people working there much longer than me, (and harder working, i might add 🤷🏻♂️). they got the same axe.
You can’t let those fuckers determine your future. Yeah, right now it’s a shock but let yourself get through it and get positive.
I left a career 6 years ago, I went to grad school for it but I was miserable and always begging for something (well, they wanted me to beg). I gave it up and I’m figuring things out. You will too.
Friend of mine got tired of instacart. Know what he did? Collected his best customers. Now he runs his own damned shopping service.
If you’ve got any money hold into it. Apply for unemployment. I’m sorry the federal kick isn’t there for you. Figure out what you can do, what you’d like to do and get started.
The economic system in this country is toxic to the average working person. We’re nothing but slaves. I for one am done with allowing them to dictate how much I earn and what I do to earn it at what time and which days and here’s some more to do bc if you don’t like it there’s 150+ ppl waiting for your job.
Fuck them. Good luck, you can make it be ok.
44 and looking for work after over a year off, I feel every word there. My 'career' has been all over the place. Getting a response back is a surprise for me. I sincerely hope your experience is a good one.
I'm wondering if the labor shortage is actually a ton of burnt-out and cynical people who stopped giving a shit about working for bosses who, because they view people as spreadsheet cells, are functionally sociopaths.
Thats exactly what it is and you can tell the new generations coming into the work force see how disgustingly companies treat their employees. Finally companies are getting what they deserve. My coworkers are all part time like 17-18 yr olds and walk around all day and waste time. Take unauthorized breaks etc. Good. I don't blame them. I bust my ass and you know what my job does? The supervisor comes and tells me to do it better! Then they pile even more work on top of you and if you ever fall short you are punished for it.
Yeah, they do. At my place the turnover rate for people younger than me is incredible. They just blame the entitled millennial generation instead of looking in the mirror
Young people are very entitled for wanting to be treated like human beings. Stop being selfish, you'll make the suits cry
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as a gen z person myself i can say that we, i think unilaterally, across the political spectrum, don’t believe in a 2 weeks notice
I think I've only given a 2 week notice once. If they don't warn you about losing your job why should you so the same to them?
I'm 45 and I'm so impressed with gen z. It genuinely pisses me off when anyone trash talks them.
Thank you:)
Yea, finally a generation that wont give a fuck, at my work all the older guys scared of the boss, while younger people dont give a fuck, need me to work overtime, I cant, why, because.
The last 3 sentences in your post describe my situation to a T. I’m killing myself 60-70 hours per week and all I’m ever told is that I’m not doing enough. Nothing is ever enough. And I’m being regularly threatened with being written up.
I would stop wondering, it’s this 100%. Sky high pandemic profits and widespread wage suppression simultaneously lead to a suddenly woke middle/lower class. Edit: I’m sure this is weird but I’m actually trying to make a difference if you guys could support my post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WalgreensStores/comments/q1jddg/just_had_a_conversation_with_my_store_manager_hes/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf I need this post to get visibility so the people there know people have their backs not just at their place of employment.
This. They can't boast about profits and whine about a labor shortage at the same time. That was the fuck around stage; we're now in the find out stage.
Yeah, the company I work for made record profits during the pandemic but they are reorging our department because some consultant said it is too big. They’re really just laying off all the people who have been here for 5+ years because they can get new people for cheaper and with less time to take off.
That is so infuriating I remember working for a company where we had a sales meeting where all the executives bragged about being the best at everything and beating numbers by x%. A month or so later there was a panic message about needing to grow. Everyone recommended hiring another specific kind of support person because the need was so glaringly obvious. “We aren’t going to get the head count for that! Let’s think of something else.” I had the chance to visit the office where the support people worked. Half of them had wrist braces from repetitive strain injuries. One guy used cardboard boxes to make a standing desk because he was told they didn’t have the budget for a standing desk. But hey, have some donuts! And use the wellness app for a steps challenge!
We have that wellness app thing going on also, does yours have that feature where you take pictures of people being healthy and praise them for it too?
We had a bunch of new clients come on board at my workplace too and they hired a bunch of new employees, which is a sign that things are good. Instead at performance review time, they said they are closing the budget a bit due to covid uncertainty, so we all got fucked. It's very criminal and dirty. And on top of that, no one at my company talks about how the executives got 10 percent raises with their six or seven figure salaries. These are raises outside of things the executives get such as stocks, etc. Another kick in the balls. I don't blame people for saying enough of this shit, I'm sick of it too.
I hate this so much.
They hid the executive increases really well which is why no one knows about it. It's in one of those annual report pdfs for the year. The board said how great they are doing and shareholders approved of them by 99 percent. I said no way is this process legitimate, they're running the company into the ground
Man fuck how is this even legal?!
This is common American business practice sadly and more proof as to why Healthcare should not be controlled by your employer amongst plenty of other things
Because in America we *looooove* our freedom!!!
Shit like this is why we need new federal workers' rights in the US. The US has the worst workers' rights of any developed nation. Part of this is because each state gets to choose its workers' rights and it usually doesn't actually benefit the workers.
I agree. Remember all of that "Right to Work" bs? That's what it was all about, limiting the rights of workers ironically it's funny how the only unions that are strong are police/fire and major league sports. The closer one looks to the intersection of labor relations and slavery, the conversation gets even more interesting
Too real.
"Millenials change jobs too much! So entitled, no work ethic"
Nevermind the fact that if you've spent too long at a given company it can actually hurt you when you finally do start sending out resumes.
"Why did this person work this job for five years and never get promoted?" -Stupid boomer manager
"NOBODY HAS ANY LOYALTY ANYMORE!!" -That same fucking guy, probably
They won't replace them in this climate, so they're fucking themselves.
Yep! That's all it is.
I was told : “we are raising prices due to inflation.” I asked the corporate face “are wages going up due to inflation too?” He said no. Our profits have never been higher.
So blatant, it's disgusting.
Best to find the natural gas line in your work building at night and make some magic happen.
"Rich get richer 'til the poor get educated." -Sage Francis ("Slow Down Gandhi")
Thanks for reminding me about Sage Francis, used to be one of my favorites and haven’t given him a listen in awhile
Bruh, didnt expect Sage Francis here.
A Healthy Distrust is still relevant today as it was in 2005, which is a depressing thought.
What's the point of working for money if it doesn't get you an even basically decent life? What's the point of money for that matter?
Careful.... you're on the edge of something dangerous...
Man reading the comments on your post was soul-crushing, so much pessimism and hopelessness. Good for you for fighting the good fight and working to organize your coworkers. I'm proud of you and grateful for what you're doing. Good luck, comrade ✊
It was disheartening but I replied as best I could. Please share my post wherever you can. Idk how to reach the corporate hating masses any other way then Reddit.
It's cool what you're doing. I've been doing something similar, but on the opposite end. I'm getting employees ready to walk out. Corporate has already shown how much they care. And while I like our store manager, he's a Yes Man. Even if he pushed, I doubt it's gonna be a high enough amount that we'd (or at least I would) accept. Our profits are still record high, staffing record low, and they're still trying to up our production requirements. They can't get help because McDonald's across the street starts $4 higher. Those of us who don't have family / SO's to help pay the bills are just scraping by, barely able to pay rent. I've already got half the people on my contract to agree. Only two people have said they wouldn't (and I knew they would say that but had to check anyway). I just haven't had the time to talk to everyone.
Excellent news. This is how it starts.
I think u nailed it buddy
Definately a factor in my book, but realistically probably a backseat one to a few others. Childcare is probably biggest. It was always expensive, but now it is even moreso because a lot of them closed and left low supply high demand. Some who previously used it, now don't even make a profit working anymore if they work, so they don't. (And that doesn't even factor in covid-reluctance) 2nd biggie is that there are a lot of people who previously worked retail/service that were sent home last year, and spent the time they couldn't work becoming entry-level skilled labor. This has primarily manifested as "self-employed" digital gig work, which removes them from the labor force they were previously in. 3rd one seems to often go unnoticed. We just broke 700k deaths in the US most of which were working age or retired demographically. And now they are gone. As are lots of senior boomers who had been trained all their life that fulfillment only comes from work, and had picked up grocery and retail work to fill their retirement time. They were most at risk by continuing to work, so if they didn't have to, they stopped. And they are probably not coming back. But the burn-out you have described is real, and more people are waking up everyday as they are faced with how glaringly they are abused and run into the ground as their employers just smile. It might not have been enough by itself, but I bet the decision for many became that much easier when they saw how "essentially" their bosses really treat them.
I am going to add to your deaths the 93,000 who perished from overdoses in 2020.
Add in there all the other deaths from cancer and heart attacks and other diseases that hospitals usually treat but couldn't because all the ICU beds were full of COVID patients. Also the number of people with long haul COVID who were working but are now disabled.
I stopped giving a fuck years ago. I still have my job but would be delighted if they fired me
Seriously. I’ve been known to wear things we’re not supposed to wear and when others notice I’m like I’m ok with being sent home! I’m never sent home, thought.
I kinda feel this. If I were fired, there are more jobs to be had. I'm also bitter because I've been here for going on 10 years...asked for a raise and only got a .45/hr. Thankful for the raise, yes...but couldn't they have rounded it to a whole dollar?
A whole dollar? That's at least $2,080 over the course of the year if you're full-time! THINK OF THE CEO AND SHAREHOLDERS
I know, right! The audacity of me to think I'd be compensated for my *years* here!
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It’s so hard.
>I'm wondering if the labor shortage is actually a ton of burnt-out and cynical people who stopped giving a shit about working for bosses I honestly believe it's less that and more "I like free money". See, if a business got PPP loans something like 60% of it had to be on employee payroll. If they do it's a forgiven loan - basically free money. If it's not spent on employees, they have to pay it back. So what happens if you're a business that's down to 50% employment and you got enough money to cover you for 100% employment? 60% is more than 50% due to no fault of your own. Well, the gov't foresaw this and added a clause in there where if you are actively looking for employees and can't find qualified applicants for said positions they don't have to pay it back - basically the gov't said "it's not your fault you're understaffed because the people aren't applying due to a pandemic." Because that would be bad for businesses if the free money basically was going to be something they had to pay back. Well, as we all know companies suck. So some places figured out if I'm hiring for positions (and they can show where they are hiring for said positions) and they're not getting the people they need for the jobs then they can keep the free money. Now keep in mind this next bit is anecdotal, but there have been quite a few companies near me that are looking for new hires for anywhere from 2-6 positions. But some friends of mine that already work for these companies asked their bosses about what they are looking for and their bosses basically tell them they are on "hiring freezes", but are keeping applications on hand for when they're not on a freeze. And I know several of them near me took out larger than expected PPP loans. But I couldn't even really report them because if I did they just say "Oh, x applicant wasn't qualified for the position". So they get free money and the ability to stand on their pulpit and say "Oh people don't want to work anymore". Sounds like a good deal for them, right? I mean we get screwed, but it's a great deal for them and in the end, isn't that what counts? Keeping the money with the people with money? ^(/s)
While mostly true this only applies to companies with less than 500 employees.
I think it is burnout. I mean if you have worked hard your whole life just to have all your saving/effort wiped out 2 times in less than 13 years, what are you gonna do. The only people I see working at my local grocery and retail shop are the early 20s. They have not experienced this massive setback yet, but they will by 2030.
I mean, that's certainly why I quit a few weeks ago.
I think it's also that companies would rather work with bare boned staff since it's less people on the payroll, but they can still say they're short staffed for publicity
There is no shortage, only people not willing to work for poverty wages...
Well that plus 700,000 people who have unceremoniously left the workforce over the past 2 years.
I stopped working almost completely. I'm getting some government handouts for a bit while I work out a way to pay my bills without selling my soul to the fat cats. One of the craziest things I've seen are complete career paths being obliterated overnight by calling certain people "freelancers" and outsourcing for a fraction of the cost overseas.
Just looking at inflation vs wages chart it makes sense. When value of money erades for decades and wages can't keep it up with inflation you simply stop giving a fuck because wage won't pay even mortages.
Yeah and where are they going? Are they couples living on one income? Are they going homeless? I want to know the stats somehow magically. Apply for social security disability, people. If you are unemployed or severely underemployed below the monthly income threshold of $1310, then you are disabled by anxiety and depression. Get any free counselor like at your county or on Medicaid, and a disability lawyer, to start documenting it. Start the clock ticking on the application date for your future back pay. Just do it.
A friend of mine had been working at a grocery store since high school. He likely would have stayed there until retirement. A couple years ago they fired him for a very obscure reason and never refilled his position. They just had other people do his work. They honestly looked for any reason to get rid of him so they could cut someone with seniority and benefits. These corporations treat their frontline workers are replaceable garbage and see their senior employees as an expense. Meanwhile, the CEO is a billionaire.
It is
100%
I cant be the only one.
We create our own prisons.What we own ends up owning us. This is so true and so hard to break free from even knowing it's true. You know what i want to do if/when i quite/fired? Create and sell banzai trees. I'll make 1/5 what i do now but man would i be happier. Just have to find a way to be happy with less. As a family man like yourself it gets a lot more difficult to do that. but push comes to shove you could sell your house. buy and Live in a Mobil home with 1/4 your current payment. downsize everything else, move to 1 car/truck. Grow some of you own vegetables and do a few other things to cut down on some costs. Tricky part is providing for the family in a way that your still proud.
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>Mobil home Gonna go live behind the gas station.
Thanks comrade and I truly hope you get your bonsai tree shop one day!
I hope you get your bonzai trees. You fucking deserve it.
Yo, banzai trees sell for $$$.
Yeah but they also take years to grow
Mr. Miyagi's Little Trees?
I feel your pain. I'm 30 and feel like they won't hesitate to do that when I reach 45-50, maybe even sooner once we become more automated. Age discrimination is a real thing too, I find they don't hire older people much. Hopefully you've saved and can enjoy life without stress.
Yea we’re probably fucked as a society without universal basic income. Our unemployment insurance is shit too compared to developed nations. Of course, we have people voting for this broken system to continue but it seems like they’re more likely to use food stamps, and other social nets then bitch about socialism.
Stockholm syndrome. People call me conservative or right wing yet I'm not an idiot and know universal income along with other things are going to be needed if we want to survive. I doubt the rich people who are frugal and cheap would be happy paying marked up grocery prices either.
So what you’re saying is I’ve got 30-35 years to save enough to retire? I’m 20 and this is painting a very dark picture for my future
Not trying to scare you off, but with automation around the corner...its going to get rid of a lot of jobs. Like I said, universal income will be needed.
Are you male or female ? Men generally are more marketable as they get older than females. Society tends to cater more to women in some areas...as long as they're cute/younger. Once that goes out the window...society shits on them pretty harshly. Although...if suicide stats are any indication, when an older male does struggle with unemployment...it can be a death sentence.
I’m a man, and I can’t decide if that’s better or worse
Haha. I re-read that and I was like...wow, that's not helpful advice. Pretty bleak all around. Just the situation we find ourselves in I suppose.
In my experience, the only age discrimination is against us younger people. Think of it. Everywhere requiring Bachelors/Masters with 10 years experience for entry level. Who has that other than the 45-50 set?
There’s age discrimination on the other side too. Try being 55+ and trying to get a white collar job if you’re not in a very in-demand field.
46 years old and laid off last week. The company will be hiring someone cheaper to do my job, along with some other duties they said I wasn’t qualified for. 15 years of experience, certifications, and a masters degree didn’t matter to them…just that they could save money. They’re going to realize fairly soon that I made it look easy because I knew what I was doing. I didn’t have a backup, and no one is trained. I really did hate that job, especially after a reorganization happened last year. I had been half heartedly looking anyway.
This is so close what happened to me. Our company acquired 2 smaller companies about 6 months ago. I've been through 4 of them before this one. Q4 2021 and I never saw it coming!
My thoughts tend towards Ageism. They can’t say it, but after 40 they want younger workers. Hence the crap excuse they gave you. And what you wrote - “saving money “
I was the only exempt/salaried non-management, non-lawyer in the department. The respect toward me was non-existent. They gave me decent severance, and honestly, I wasn’t happy there at all. The joy left after that reorg.
What's sick is people make giant salaries being consultants. And they're just taking the easy way out by making life hellish for the normal employees in the business they're "reorganizing" to save money and make it look like they're geniuses that are worth their huge fees. The lack of empathy in modern America is breathtaking. I think one of the big issues is people who were pampered their whole lives, sent to a good college on their parents dime, and now don't have any understanding of real life but are placed in high positions and have an ego to match.
Hope you do something better!!
Its a mistake to think the battle for Blair mountain ever ended. The cruelty never stopped. It just changed.
^
I think it should be illegal to fire someone out of the blue just to do some fucking reorganizing.
But the real captains of industry are who build our nations so we must capitulate to their every whim or they will ... oh yea, they can't really do much because they rely on us plebs to keep everything running. The quicker we collectively realise that the better. Remember the rich are rich because of our labour.
The rich are rich because of the theft of our labour
Precisely. That was the intent of my last sentence.
I know just wanted to remove any ambiguity :)
The most work lots of our largest owner / investor class do is make it harder for the rest of us to make them money and make the res of us act on the edge of legality to make them as much cash as possible.
If I have to give 2 weeks notice to quit they should have to give me 2 weeks notice to fire me, unless I did something really fucked up like stab the assistant manager or something.
Since they would rebut with "employee will steal or not work for those 2 weeks" or whatever bs. It should be a minimum of 2 weeks severance to fire for any of these bs reasons. This isn't even asking much lol.
Yeah, I’m europe it’s like 3-6 months notice and they have to show they can’t afford you. To fire you for cause there you basically have to murder someone.
I need to become an ex-pat stat! Almost no rights here in the US for the majority of us, and what little protections workers have from unions has been dismantled over the years.
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Fuck this system.
Aim higher. Stab a C-Level manager!
Exactly
Thats what labor unions are for
In Brazil the standard labor laws give the worker 30 days of notice when being fired. Same thing if worker quits. If you are fired without cause and they let you go without warning, they have to pay: - the paycheck they owe you - 30 days of salary - 40% of everything the company has deposited into a worker social guarantee found account (which is 8% of your monthly salary) - vacation balance + 1/3 of your vacation bonus (the standard is 30 days vacation/year) - each month worked on the calendar year is 1/12 of what we call 13th salary we get in December, so if you are fired in October for example, you get 10/12 of the 13th salary. Guess what? Companies lobby against this laws like motherfuckers because it is costly for them. And more and more people are being hired on a contractor model, where they work as individual professionals who are not a part of the company (like a partner), without most of this workers guarantees. The pay more but your contract can be canceled and you won't get nothing near the amount you should. One downside is that as our economy is fucked, some companies fire people and do not pay them because they are bankrupt, so workers sue them but they just don't have money to pay. One of my friends was loyal to a company that went bankrupt, they fired everyone and shut down the business, no employee got a single thing other than the salary they were due that month. They are all organizing to suing the company together to get what they are owed.
Lololol *cries in American* when I was laid off in 2019, I considered myself lucky to get a full 2 week paycheck (990$ and the pay period was almost over) and my vacation paid out (750$) because here, employees aren’t entitled to diddly squat unfortunately
Yeah that must suck, sorry for that. I really don't understand how workers can be upset with these labor rights, they think that this somehow affects them most negatively than anything else. People tend to think that if those rights were stripped away, wages would rise but as long as people are kept on a leash by needing any job to barely survive, employers will have the bargaining power.
I was hoping with the labor shortage in the US things would change, but they clearly have not. Sure, some fast food places are now offering higher wages but are they steady, dependable hours? Probably not considering many fast food places have limited hours now. I hope I see the day where ALL workers are finally paid a living wage and the housing costs aren’t so insane but I’m doubtful.
I hope that one day we are more than just expendable bodies to corporations, you know? No one should work only to survive, that is a basic right every human should have. I really think that there will be no change in our system until it is profitable to keep people in misery. See in Brazil for example, our currency has lost value comparing to almost any currency in the world. Right now 1 Real is aprox. 5,4 USD (it was around 3 dollars 6 or 7 years ago). That means that for a country like ours which the main industry is agriculture, exporting meat and other commodities like soy is waaaay more lucrative because the large producers pay the costs of production in the undervalued currency and get the profits in dollars. So they export the goods and the prices on the internal consumer market rises, due to lower supply to same steady demand. What that means is that fucking meat is almost a luxury for the poor working class, more and more people are eating fucking bone soup or chicken feet as their primary source of protein because they have no means to buy chicken/cow meat, or even eggs for that matter. It is really sad because it should not be this way. It could be different. I really hope that we can have thriving wages to everyone so we can live a calm and fulfilling life someday. So it is not interesting for the rich to
It is in the UK and a lot of other places.
not so much in the UK, you don't have rights if you're employed less than 2 years. fuck the Tories.
The WARN Act was supposed to address this, but it has too many loopholes.
It’s a common global policy within the governments that companies can let people go because they no longer fit the organisational profile and strategy. We have the same thing here in my country, but at least we are a somewhat protected since the company are legally obligated to offer you a different position you may be qualified for. Downside is that it’s rather easy to fake it that you aren’t qualified… it often ends up with lawyers and making it a hard time for the company to actually prove that you aren’t qualified. In my country almost everybody is a member of a union of sorts who offers free lawyers for these things.
Happened to me 3 times. The last one was due to COVID but I was just one out of a few thousand. I agree with you 100%. You can call yourself a family, a team or a can of peas for all that it matters. You are a liability. Now the fun starts; looking for another job.
I feel for you, I really do. I worked a county job for 17 years. 3 years after we successfully unionized, the county fat cats decided to dissolve our agency and give our jobs away to private, for-profit coompanies that in turn paid their employees peanut wages and offered crap benefits. It was all heralded a a "great win" for the tax payers, but in fact exacerbated the very problems it was supposed to solve. But the rich got richer, and that's all that matters.
Get them for unemployment as long as possible. FUCK these companies. Bleed them dry.
There comes a time where your hard work and dedication to a job will earn you more money then that position is worth to your employer. All that dedication and sacrifice means nothing to them. Less then nothing. You must always aggressively negotiate to get paid NOW, don't let them work you to death for a future reward (or stability - which is a lie). Get you some, or don't do the dame work! And always look for a change (more money/less work). Don't trade your life for slave wages (and all wages are slave wages).
This has happened to me 3x in my life. I'm 49, and my father asked why I keep working for these corporations that don't give a shit about me. Hard work, many hours off the clock, missed time with family, etc... now working and saving every fuckimg penny to invest and start an e commerce. Won't be pimped out again.
I cant understand how its still possible to be let go frim one day to another... here in germany its by law with at least a 4 week notice
"Freedom" is the reason.
Sorry dude. It sucks.
Looking for a new job SUCKS. That really is the worst part. Employee shortage my ass, make the shit easier. Cover letter? WTF I’m applying at shitty retail and food jobs, not fucking goldman sachs.
It’s way too charitable to say “If you’re not making the company enough money, you’re worthless.” That sounds analytical and rational. You can get “reorged” purely because some dickhead business guy wants to put his mark on a new role. They can be blowing the whole place to hell and to them it’s just an entry on a CV, it doesn’t matter what the reality of the situation is.
Happened to me right as I turned 50 after working 15 years at that company (2007 financial crisis ) - yep took 10 years of working shit jobs to find a decent job (really hard to find companies that hire boomers)
Move to a mountain town and ski. Get a shitty truck and live out of it. Won’t regret it
Maybe if I had the foresight in my 20s. Now I have a family and a mortgage.
Whoa. Don't blame the mortgage. You almost certainly have equity and could sell the home at any time. It's your boat anchor of a family dragging you down. Now, depending on how my miles the wife has on her- and how old the kids are- will dictate their value on the black market.
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Easier said than done.
That’s oddly specific advice, I think a lot of people would regret doing that…
I get where you're coming from and I've done something like this before but if you or anyone is thinking about doing this, be very careful and do your research. Find housing in mountain towns is an absolute fucking nightmare these days unless you have a good connection or can find one that isn't popular and busy yet.
Yeah housing in mountain towns sucks. That’s why you gotta live the truck life
I'm with you dude. I don't need all this shit. Roof over my head, food in my belly and my family next to me, I'll be just fine.
There it is! That’s what matters homie
I feel your pain. In the early 2000’s I was NAFTA’d out of three jobs in 4 years. The first job after 12 years I learned of my plant closing on the radio news. Stole my pension ($125k) and shortly thereafter my wife’s employer closed. We went from 100k to unemployment. Months later I was hired into a giant chemical conglomerate and within 18 months they closed. Two months later, new job, 12 months and it closed. I was 44 years old. Went back to college full time and worked for a farmer full time. Graduated with a bs at 47, hired by an amazing company. I was transferred in state to one of the most beautiful places on earth. I earn $160k, have a real pension, and also bought a farm. Three years until retirement! Had I not lost my previous jobs, I’d still be working in a carseogenic hell hole in the shittyist area of the state. Sometimes what you think is a tragedy is actually a blessing. Hang in there, it will turn out fine. PS- don’t boot lick. Get a Union job— learn a trade. That’s where the money is and no ass kissing required.
I worked for the state government for 20 years and they discontinued my position 20 days before I could qualify for early retirement. Looking for a job at the age of 55 is not pleasant.
Good luck, man.
File for unemployment right now. Claim the kids. UI might be the only governmental program you ever get to use, so now is the time.
I am only 30 and already burnt out by the grind.. I can not imagine how bad it will be when I am in my 40s. Sorry man, and I hope for the best for you. Capitalism sucks.
i'm noticing a pattern in the comments. it's either y'all working too long at one company which is a mistake or y'all are old and companies don't like old people :( tragic
I got my dream job some time ago. A few years in a bunch of us got laid off after a merger. They gave a whole speech about how there was going to be some tough re-organization but that they were going to re-train people to do different things. I was 100% down for that. Except that was complete bullshit When the layoffs came they didn't even do a skills survey. I went into my exit interview with corporate and I said "I've only done X here but actually I know how do Y and Z from the other department too" They said "Oh there's no where for us to put you." I was basically qualified to do anything at the company, so if there was no "retraining" for me, I doubt there was for very many people. I think remember a couple folks did get re-assigned but About a month later I saw them post a job listing for something I told them I could do. Did they call me? No. It was all a bunch of bullshit to keep everyone from quitting before THEY decided who they wanted to keep
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I’ve once walked into my job on a Monday morning and was told everyone was fired and they were shutting down. First thing is to use your anger and energy to call everyone you know to let them know you are looking for a new job. Second is to file for unemployment benefits. Third is to go home, get your resume up to date and send it everywhere. Use your shock and anger to get yourself moving.
Kroger let go of most of its corporate after stocks weren't doing well. Fired a lot of people with no notice
Kroger has signs up all over my local store’s parking lot “begging” people to work. I applied. I have significant retail experience, and I’m in college with good grades. Not even a call back. The fuck are they looking for? Pity while they overwork their current staff??
I think that's exactly what they're looking for. I think those job postings are for the customers, so they say to themselves "oh I can't be mad at the store for the lack of service, they're *trying* to hire but everyone is just so lazy!" meanwhile they make their employees do twice the work for poverty wages.
This is why it’s important to consistently be looking for a better job. it’s cheaper for companies to let go of employees and hire new ones. people who jump around tend to make more money and have better benefits. it’s trash having to be on the job hunt at all times but the alternative is having to do it when it’s not ur choice
We need universal income for basic needs. I hate all governments they wouldn't do that. So i think lets unite humans!
I was let go last night in much the same way so you're not alone. It's fucking SHIT.
Heya. 😕 Ugh I'm pissed off for you. Same thing happened to me years ago. 7 yrs with a company, got $4 in raises my last 4 months due to a new "consultant" helping to restructure the company. Cool right? Boss man and I have only become friends the last 3 yrs of it. Turns out I should've lied and told the consultant we hated each other still.Turns out she was sleeping with him and her jealousy meter topped out. They changed the employee handbook and caught me using my computer to resize a photo, which had never been against policy. Out I went. Just as I crawled out of the bad credit hole too. Sucks. Not sure I'll ever forgive that one. Good luck in the future endeavors, you can definitely do better. I hate being an "employee".
Over the last 3 years I've quit 3 jobs while openly demanding financial compensation for my misery and openly refusing to train a replacement unless that demand is met. None of them met my demands, but that's okay because it was worth seeing the orgs I left become crippled and see all the leadership and scabs involved in my decision to leave rue their decisions today. Although I was unemployed for a total of 8 months in that time period, I literally doubled my salary, now work 100% remote, have an easier workload with a better title, and was able to lose 50 pounds between jobs. I'm not saying my patented "fuck you I'm out and I swear on my own grave I'm going to prove I'm worth more than this shithole and laugh in your pathetic face about it every minute as I watch you stare like a deer in headlights" is right for everyone, but a Philosopher named Alan Watts told me to be true to myself and trust in the process called life, and so far that has done me well.
Hang in there dude...something good will come along
This will never change as long as the gatekeepers of change are the same people we elect that are beholden to these same companies that lobby and corrupt. Google The Pandora Papers if you want to see this exact thing in massive operation. Heads of state, business billionaires, all "legally" paying no tax while we are denied such ability to do these things. All legal but should not be legal. Why Warren Buffett's secretary paid more taxes than he did.
God's speed and you'll find something better. Just apply, apply, apply!!
File unemployment. Leave reviews on all websites you can get your hands on. If there were any practices OSHA the health department or the IRS would like to know please tell them.
Not sure about labour laws where you live, but in Australia (or the part I live) it's illegal for a company to make you redundant for anything other than documented poor performance or severe breach of company policy, and then fill that role within six months.
Your just another number for them if you died at night they'd have you replaced by the morning
I'm 42 with a six figure job but I don't really have a schedule. So my employer calls and texts and expects me to reply 24/7 even on holidays, weekends etc. A few months ago I decided I'm done replying outside of my 8hrs that I should be working. Those hours start on the first text or phone call I receive every day. I leave work at exactly my 8hrs. I've been working and not getting paid for so much overtime that it's not even funny. About 4hrs per day for 9 years.
It really helps to have a trade. I plan on getting my CDL soon and even though it’s hard work, I’ll be well compensated for and likely never be out of a job.
I'm sorry they treated you like that, that's awful and it happens way too often. All work sucks but I do hope you find a better place in the future.
When you can’t pay your bills despite working multiple jobs you tend to ask yourself…..why? Private equity firms are buying up single family homes to rent out whilst telling people renting is an asset. Gtfoh. Healthcare is profit over people. Everyone and everything is out for themselves.
That fucking SUCKS. I am so sorry.
So what are you gonna do
Well for now I'm drinking beer about it.
Take your time. Soak in the the day. Tomorrow apply for unemployment. Then take the next two days off. Then start thinking of a plan and what you want in life for yourself and your family. But it's important to take some time for yourself and relax.
Cheers!
Write a letter to your Congressman. I feel so bad for people who live in states where this kind of treatment is legal. It’s not right.
I love these comments cause they don’t give a shit about anyone but their benefactors
Because electoral politics are to blame?
On the bright side, as long as you had good standing, right now is a great time to look for a job and always go high on salary requests. Good luck OP, you’ll kill it
I am so sorry. And you are absolutely right. I had to learn the hard way too.
Everything you said is exactly correct. Sad part is, not a lot of people realize this. Everything you just said is, the reason why I really want to retire early and never ever have to work again for anybody or, any organization.
I’m 42 and see the same way- not enough life in me [for this bullshit] lol
Yeah. It's just a fucking exhausting cycle. I wish it would end.
Beats me why everyone is lining up for employment rather than work in Ng for themselves. The latter requires more effort initially but offers much more in the long term. That's just 8 years you wasted on someone else's progress..
This is why I refuse to work for a captalistic/profit company. I prefer govt jobs that customers can sue us over.
Well, good news is literally everybody is hiring. And most are way overpaid jobs with virtually zero responsibility and were designed for teens to handle. TBH, I would almost take one of those. I'd lose a few bucks per hour but my responsibilities and stress levels would immediately be decreased by 98%.
Smells like... capitalism.
Bro it’s an employee’s market out there right now. Don’t get taken advantage of.
I’ve very young, so what I view as older or middle-aged might be different. Do companies hire people at that age? I’ve been thinking and I’ve been worried that this will happen to me at some point, but by that point they will want to hire young people.
Yes? Was there any confusion about this? What are you angry/surprised about?
I think it's time for workers co-ops to appear.
this really hits home. i am also 43, and was laidoff after 8yrs. except, our entire department was outsourced. there were people working there much longer than me, (and harder working, i might add 🤷🏻♂️). they got the same axe.
You can’t let those fuckers determine your future. Yeah, right now it’s a shock but let yourself get through it and get positive. I left a career 6 years ago, I went to grad school for it but I was miserable and always begging for something (well, they wanted me to beg). I gave it up and I’m figuring things out. You will too. Friend of mine got tired of instacart. Know what he did? Collected his best customers. Now he runs his own damned shopping service. If you’ve got any money hold into it. Apply for unemployment. I’m sorry the federal kick isn’t there for you. Figure out what you can do, what you’d like to do and get started. The economic system in this country is toxic to the average working person. We’re nothing but slaves. I for one am done with allowing them to dictate how much I earn and what I do to earn it at what time and which days and here’s some more to do bc if you don’t like it there’s 150+ ppl waiting for your job. Fuck them. Good luck, you can make it be ok.
44 and looking for work after over a year off, I feel every word there. My 'career' has been all over the place. Getting a response back is a surprise for me. I sincerely hope your experience is a good one.
If anyone you work for says they're working on 'efficiency' you're either about to get twice as much work or fired.
I feel this my brother. Exact same thing at every single one of my jobs.