This is mostly a vent. I started my current job in February – I started as a receptionist (I won’t say where) and was quickly promoted to junior manager and this week to assistant manager. We’re VERY understaffed, and due to the nature of the business, my boss tells us a lot. We’ve lost three receptionists since I started, and will soon lose a fourth (the woman I’m replacing) as she’s going on maternity leave soon. There are two other AMs at one location I work at, and only one other receptionist at the second location I work. I started at $14.25/hour, and with the two promotions, I now make $16.50 (I live in Minneapolis, where min wage is $15, but work in a suburb where it’s lower). Since learning I would be promoted to AM (no one else wanted the job, we all knew it would be offered to me) my plan was always to turn around and use that new job title to apply for something better. This is mainly for context.
I’ve had a bit of a quarter life crisis recently, and decided instead to apply for an apprenticeship and learn a trade. Coincidentally, the place I applied to is ALSO understaffed and doesn’t even have anyone to look at applications at the moment. That’s fine, I can wait until they do. But I’m stressed about quitting my current job. I know my boss will struggle to replace me. Everyone she’s been interviewing to replace my coworkers who quit has asked for more than she has the ability to offer; she’s in a tough position where she’s “in charge” of hiring, but is only authorized to offer a certain wage. At one location she manages, she’s only allowed to offer $12/hour – that city’s minimum wage. They have ONE receptionist there to handle DOZENS of clients per day. They desperately need more staff. But no one can work for $12/hour. I explained to her that it’s not even a matter of pride, or of “knowing our worth”. No one can work for $12/hour, especially with inflation being what it is this last month. Hell, I can barely work for $16.50! My rent alone takes up half my take home pay, and I’m lucky it’s only half. Luckily, she understands, but her hands are tied.
The real reasons I’ll be quitting are 1) the commute at the trade school I applied to is 15 minutes, versus an hour currently, and 2) like I said, I feel like my job is a dead end, and I want to learn a skill. I’ll actually be taking a slight pay cut to $16, but with the shortened commute I’ll be away from home less. But I’m going to tell her it’s the pay. I just hope she can use my leaving to offer the next guy more. Corporate needs to wake the hell up and realize the real reason there’s a labor shortage. No one can survive on what they’re offering. I’m lucky I can. My coworker got offered a job recently at $22 to manage a local beauty store. She walked in and accidentally was wearing her name tag from work that says “assistant manager” and they practically offered it to her on the spot. None of us believe she’ll take it – she doesn’t want to leave this job. But I hope she does. We need to put our own needs first.