This is a bit different than the posts you’d usually find here, but this is a post for those who are just now entering the job market and for those who may not realize they’re being mistreated.
I currently work as a swim instructor and the man I work under is easily one of the best bosses I have ever had, if not the best. As a veteran, some of the best people I have worked under have worked under a similar but specific policy:
“I will never make you do something that I would never do myself.”
These are the individuals who “lead from the front,” rather than making others do the work for them. The individuals who are aware of the work at the lowest level, despite being multiple tiers above them. The individuals who actually treat their workers with respect, remembering that on a fundamental level, they are human too.
My boss who I will call Walter (fake name) has been an incredible guy since day 1. I’ve had no days where I have been forced to work. Any days I have needed off has been accommodated. Are we short staffed? Absolutely, you’d be hard pressed to find people who aren’t these days. But instead of forcing people to work or complaining about how “nobody wants to work,” he steps up and takes the shifts himself if needed. The people he has employed see that he’s willing to work right alongside them and it’s a morale boost like no other. Walter is the kind of boss to aspire to be and if any other boss isn’t willing to do what he does as a leader, it is not worth sticking around. Your job should not be your entire life, it should be a means to allow you to live the life you want to live.