I'm a camera operator/filmmaker. Work hasn't been great since graduating into covid so I'm taking any work I can in my field. That's led me to my current situation; contracted with a small company i cant stand being a part of.
My boss is a grandstanding prick who, since day one, has had no consideration for my time, especially when I'm not on the clock. He want me to drive hours away for work but not pay for travel, tell me he pays by hour for editing but that only counts when my ass is in the seat and he says what I'm doing “counts” (ex. I arrived at 6pm for editing, he only “allowed” me to edit at 8pm. I left at 2am and was only paid $50 because his internet crapped out for 2 hours). But its fine because he feeds us cheap pizza he keeps in the same room he keeps his cat's litter box (right next to his office/editing bay so the smell of cat piss lingers in the air). You don't belive in paid training, fine, im a contractor. That doesn't mean im going to give you entire shifts for free to meet your arbitrary standards and going frame by frame of my footage without compensation, only broken up by another awful project pitch.
He loves to talk politics. I dint care what he believes, but I care when its thrown in my face and im expected to agree with the nonsense he propsoses. Covid being one of the biggest thorns in his sides and his general lack of awareness and general cleanliness makes it worse. Multiple times he's been sick and claimed its not contagious while hacking all over his hands and my gear while alcohol wipes and sanitizers sit unused around us. If you want to believe entrepreneur gifts and lean right, you do you, but dint tell me to deny reality for the sake of my employment.
He dangles carrots of future projects in great detail but never regarding the pay. These plans never come to fruition, only more talks of what we'll do and how I won't be paid. This is a typical behavior he uses on his revolving door of young, impressionable staff looking for a foot and the door who don't know any better.
He's flexed before about how he's relished handling workers who quit or who he has fired, how they never wanted to work, they're lazy and how much he enjoys threatening legal intervention and denying unemployment. But screw him and his deliberately convoluted contract. He cannot make me work so of he won't let me resign professionally can fire me.
They didn't like that I put my foot down When they over scheduled me (on days they already knew I couldn't work no less) and left me without any word for weeks and expect me to go back to being their golden boy? Not this time. I was desperate and probably still am, but there's a point and I've reached it. It will suck, and no doubt be drug out by this guy…but it'll be worth it.
Tldr:I work for a shitty production company and if they won't agree to my resignation they'll just have to fire me.