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Antiwork

Owners: Don’t be cowards.

I work in a small (poorly managed by ownership) store. Only a few people, including myself, work there – it's slow and boring, but we get our work done. We sell things like video games, anime figures, the works. All of us are fans and love the stuff we sell! The owner, however, doesn't know anything about that stuff. He saw dollar signs and chased it. It made sense learning that considering his reputation is, “He's better now, because he only yells at managers.” He yells at the employees that he wants standing for 8-hours a day (more at other locations he's opening on a whim after closing another nearby – the one I was hired at when they knew it would close), constantly performing useless menial labor, and pays well under a living wage – assuming they get past the THREE-MONTH probation period. What got me today was I…


I work in a small (poorly managed by ownership) store. Only a few people, including myself, work there – it's slow and boring, but we get our work done. We sell things like video games, anime figures, the works. All of us are fans and love the stuff we sell!

The owner, however, doesn't know anything about that stuff. He saw dollar signs and chased it. It made sense learning that considering his reputation is, “He's better now, because he only yells at managers.” He yells at the employees that he wants standing for 8-hours a day (more at other locations he's opening on a whim after closing another nearby – the one I was hired at when they knew it would close), constantly performing useless menial labor, and pays well under a living wage – assuming they get past the THREE-MONTH probation period.

What got me today was I decided to stop in and say “hi” to my coworkers (whom I genuinely like) on my day off, since I was in the area. The owner apparently went behind my back to complain about me to my manager, claiming things that never happened, because he relieves stress by complaining about the people who pay for his house. It's worse, too, when I was having the worst day the day he was complaining about – off my meds due to a shortage, plenty of personal life woes, and the way some customers love to treat people… the owner has zero empathy. He does a nice thing every now and again and decides that's enough to get away with it.

I just wish he wouldn't be a coward and talk to me directly. He won't, though, because his ego might be threatened by actually acting like an adult. I do my work, but act my wage. Maybe he should stop being such a child.

(Before anyone asks, there are reasons for my staying here – hopefully it won't be much longer and I can find something with an owner who actually values their employees as people, not machines. Good luck, there!)

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