My husband and I worked together. We carpooled, worked the same hours. It was perfect. The actual job was at a car collision center. I was in the office doing billing along with helping out with customers when needed. I was there for 2 years. Made $65k and the job itself was really easy. But the company was trash. Didn't appreciate anyone at all. I was constantly walked all over, made to things that I wasn't even licensed to do and shouldn't be doing. Things that were way over my pay grade. My manager sat in his office all day doing nothing even when he saw we were drowning. I had breakdowns in his office a few times… he was nice about it and I kept telling him I was at my breaking point and he kept telling me things would get better, and that they couldnt afford to lose me so keep my chin up. I trained everyone that came through the door (prob 8 people since I had been there), I did payroll, I did other people's jobs when they weren't there, I was the only person who knew how to do my job. So they really couldn't afford to lose me.
I was getting screamed at by customers on the daily (when I really wasn't even supposed to be talking to them). One time they asked for a certain report, so I made an Excell sheet that was extremely easy to follow. Took me a while to put this report together, and i was so proud of it. When I turned it in they said it was great, but it needed to be hand written because the owner preferred that. I have carpal tunnel in my right wrist and it's very hard for me to hand write things, so I explained that to them and they told me too bad. It took me hours to hand write everything I had on this report and my wrist hurt sooo bad after. Some times I was missing money from my paycheck, and i would have to go get a physical check for it. When I had covid, they were supposed to legally pay me 5 days to be out, they paid me 3 and said I had to take 2 vacation days for the rest. I said no, and pulled up the state law about it and they ended up paying me 2 weeks later.
My breaking point was when my grandma died. I had been telling my manager that she was sick and asked about bereavement time. He said they pay it, so not to worry. She passes, and I take the day off. It was a Friday. So I traveled back to my parents (a few hours away) and told my manager I wouldn't be in Monday either. He texts me Sunday night and says “so and so has covid, can you please come in tomorrow”. I stupidly said yes.
I come in Monday and it was a complete shit show. Then middle of the day my manager calls me into his office just to tell me “oh btw I double checked on the bereavment and time and you are not getting paid for it”. I started crying right then. I was so tired. And emotional still over my grandma. I said “I have worked my ass off for this company for 2 years doing more than you've asked and you guys can't pay me for one day that my grandma died?? I can't do this anymore. This is my two week notice.”
My manager was visibly upset but was like “ok if that's how you feel”
Next morning he calls me in his office and goes “are you over being emotional?” And I was like “considering the circumstances, no” and he goes “well are you still going to quit or was that just something you said in the moment?” And I go “my last day is still next friday”. His response to me was “You're not fucking quitting.” I looked right at him and said “watch me.”
Now this was Tuesday morning, by Thursday they had thrown EVERYTHING onto me. It was end of the month, and they needed more than they usually asked of me. They piled so much shit onto me, that by the end of the day Thursday I had already mostly packed my desk. Friday morning I got up, walked in before anyone else got there, finished packing my desk, sent out a mass email to the company explaining why I was walking out and the numerous times I had brought concerns up to our manager with nothing done, and I left.
I received messages from people I didn't even talk to much thanking me for the email because corporate saw it and finally decided to make some changes. It took me physically being drained of my entire mental capacity for them to do something.
This was the end of September. Now October 13th, and I am still looking for a job. Unfortunately because my husband and I carpooled before, we had sold a vehicle and just went down to one. Now I'm looking for something WFH so I don't have to get another vehicle. It was dumb of me to quit without another job lined up. But trust me when I say
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IS WORTH MORE THAN YOUR JOB THAT DOESNT APPRECIATE YOU.