I want to tell you the story of Contents Recovery Experts, and the time in my life when I truly embraced the antiwork mentality. CRE was a restoration company, we restored textiles, electronics, documents, and art to “Pre-loss condition” in the case of a disaster; fire, flood, that sort of thing. We were based in Illinois, but had three or four other locations around the US. I was an Estimator, the only other one in the company other than my boss. Together, we handled all the estimations for every branch.
I came into this company by luck. I signed up with a recruiting agency, and they got me in as an Estimator. Basically, my job was to itemize the job, estimate how much it would all cost to restore, and send it to the insurance companies for review. After training, I got my own office, and was basically left to my own devices. As long as my job got done, they didn't care what else I did during the day. I listened to music, watched movies, played games, pretty much whatever I wanted. It was the life. I loved my job. For the first time in my adult life, I wanted to go to work in the morning. I didn't get paid enough ($11/hour), but I was still in that conditioning of “earning your pay,” and I had never done this job before, so I didn't mind at the time. I was told I would get a raise at six months, and then yearly after that. Plus, I had a roommate, so bills weren't really an issue. Then came the power struggle.
The details I have are a little sketchy, as I was never part of the inner circle. My boss told me what he could, but didn't divulge much, both for legal reasons, and protecting me if things went south. Well, south they went. Way south.
The CFO wanted to merge with another company. He brought forth a compelling argument, promising higher profits, bigger influence, and better turn around on what we do. He, personally, stood to make an enormous amount of money if the deal went through. The CEO, on the other hand, shot this idea down, as his concern was for the employees, and under the merger, most of us would get laid off. This was unacceptable to him. The CFO decided to go behind the CEO's back and try to do it anyway. This may not have been where the fight for control over CRE started, but this is definitely where it got hot. Legal battles, money issues, company cards being cancelled, the CFO did everything he could to grab power. At one point, I was even told by my boss that if James or any of his followers came to me, to direct them straight to him, as this wasn't my fight. At one point all the company accounts were frozen. The CEO took us all out to lunch, and promised that we would all be paid on time, even if it came out of his own pocket. When the time for my raise came around, they came to me and profusely apologized, saying I deserved way more than what I was getting, but the fight was taking everything they had. I believed them, and told them not to worry about it. I knew that raise would be there when everything settled down. Eventually, though, the CFO won.
It was like a corporate version of Order 66. Every manager or person in power was fired immediately, my boss included. I was brought in and told that I was now the only Estimator in the business, and both my workload and responsibilities would increase. I could either do my job, or be fired like the rest. I called my boss that night, and asked him what I should do. I still needed to work, my roommate had left recently, and I was handling bills on my own now. Suddenly $11/hour wasn't cutting it. He advised that I keep working there, as my basic job wouldn't change. New management happens, and we just have to keep going.
I worked there for about another year, as the place went to hell. It was awful. Micro-managing, people trying to tell me how to do my job, when they had no idea how to do it, I'm pretty sure I even witnessed some illegal activities, but I kept my head down. I needed a job, after all.
Some point in, I asked for a raise. After a significant delay and avoidance by the CFO, who insisted on handling everything now, I got $2. Before he was fired, my boss was making $18/hour. I brought this up, and even tried to compromise by saying that I only wanted $16/hour because I knew I wasn't as experienced as him. Their response was that my former boss was overpaid. In no uncertain terms, I was told that $13/hour was the best I was getting. That's when I wrote this place off once and for all.
I went back to doing things the way I had before, but with less effort and enthusiasm. This company was going to hell in a handbasket anyway, why should I fight to keep it afloat if I can't even be paid properly? I started ignoring calls from insurance companies, watching movies and playing games again on company time, and snubbing anyone, CFO included, who tried to get me to do more.
Eventually I took my vacation time, and moved away. The only time I looked back was when I had to threaten legal action to get my last paycheck, the one with the vacation time. They tried telling me it wasn't approved, and it wasn't until I showed that approval in writing and reminded them that the law said I was owed even if it wasn't approved, I finally got my last week of pay for that company.
It took way too long, but I eventually figured it out. Good jobs, good bosses can exist, but they are so few and far between; you're better off looking for that needle in the haystack. Before the takeover, I felt appreciated, I felt like I belonged, and I still believe that I would have been paid a reasonable wage if not for the troubles. Today I would insist on that up front, but that's how we learn, sometimes.
By and large, companies don't care about you. They care about profits. You are just an expendable stepping stone to get there. Don't be afraid to treat them the same way they treat you.