Month: September 2023

I have to fill out the attached form (along with tuberculosis tests and vaccination information, which I don't mind) and it's causing me anxiety. It's just doing data analysis research for the Veterans Affair hospital. I don't even have a medical degree nor do I see patients/people–I'm just a PhD working remotely doing research for them. They keep insisting I need to fill this out for medical clearance. I don't want to sign the last page circled in red where they said they can pull all of my medical records anytime while I work for them. I don't have any real medical problems and am not on medications, but I hate this invasion of privacy. Also, I don't want to have to tell them that I had an abortion, but it looks like that needs to be listed. They said they just recently decided this is mandatory, and tbh they're…

I'm writing this for my mom, who is a monolingual spanish speaker working at a cosmetic company warehouse in California. She's recently found another job and has decided to quit her current job. She has accurued over 155 hours of PTO (worth ~$2,500), and when asked about her payout policy, she was told that her employer won't be paying her out at her hourly rate, and that payouts were only reserved for “emergencies”. As of now, we have a paystub copy that explicitly shows the # of PTO hours she has accrued. She wants to ask for a copy of the PTO payout policy (since she has lost the original document), but she is scared that this inquiry will seem suspicious and be met with retailiation from her employer. What are our options in this case? It is our understanding that in California, this is wage theft. Should we file…

Just got laid off after 5 years with this company. I was told it was for financial reasons and they are doing a corporate reorganization (fine, whatever) and they’re consolidating my position with the position below me. Laid me off so they can pay this person less to do both jobs. Decent severance package, so hoping this is for the best. The catch is that I have to train my replacement, or else forfeit the severance package, over the next 2 weeks. Obviously I’m planning to give absolute minimum effort, but still. This requirement seems to have zero regard for interpersonal relationships or employee’s emotional well-being. On to the next job, I suppose…

I worked as a janitor at a rec center near my house. I’ve been there for almost 4 months. It’s been a nice easy job. I work 4 hours but get everything I need to get done in 1.5-2. I’ve had several of the front desk people thank me for my attention to detail and that me being there is a huge help. I would leave about 15 after my boss got there so I would go talk to him about how the day went, current situation like if there was a party or something, and ask him if there is anything I need to work on or am missing. Every time he said no. The outdoor pool closed so my morning shift was no longer available and I had to work the evening shift instead. I’ve been working it for one day a week already so I knew what…

I have been debating about leaving my job over the last year for a few reasons. The typical, over worked underpaid, shifting responsibilities, and general stress to my own mental health. In January my partner was laid off, and fearing the unforeseen financial gap this could mean I was gunning for a promotion. I did get the promotion and the compensation did not balance out the major change in workload. I had regrets but i was trying to ensure that we had as much extra money as possible. I asked if there was any room for negotiation but was told it was pretty much no room to discuss it. So for the first 3/4 months of the year had lean into the financial crunch that everyone was feeling. Not doing so hot but partner landed a job, but due to that and a few other life events my credit cards…

I detest sayings like “happy Friday” or when you ask someone how it’s going and they sarcastically reply with, “living the dream” or other garbage intraoffice sayings. Have you ever heard anyone say ‘happy Sunday’ because they’re excited for the work week? How shitty is it that one has to joke about ‘living the dream’ when clearly that person would rather be anywhere but at work. Lack of authenticity and assimilation via unoriginal quips are part of the ick factor in corporate America. Don’t be an idiot. Be yourself. Change the game.

I work at a company that has no middle management. We are highly successful and profitable because we get a lot of corporate middle management work accomplished under the guise of giving back and paying it forward. Our volunteer roles normally range from 5-15 hours a week. This is considered part of the company culture. This consists of team meetings, training for colleagues and presentations. The motivation to volunteer is for the opportunity to become a regional manager. The regional manager role receives significant income from the profitability of the company. Is this as fucked as I feel it is?

What the fuck is going on? I’m at my fourth job in a year, for some very valid, unrelated reasons. The first was a production worker job at a steel mill, and week one everyone was screamed at for going on smoke breaks too much. Fine. I don’t smoke but that’s valid. Week two, “word came down from above” that they saw everyone talking too much. Weird. Nothing to do but talk to each other while we spray painted piles of steel. Left that job. Then I worked at a dealership for about three months. Started great, then by the end we basically got told that we were all too happy and talkative at work (while working with each other) and even though our numbers were great, we got told “stay at your bay and don’t socialize. Then I worked at a fucking industrial supply company replacing pc parts and…