Worked retail all through high school and college and worked in marketing in a retail environment for a while after college before getting my current job.
In high school I worked at bath and body works and when I was 2 minutes late getting to work because I had to come straight from school, I was accused of time theft and not being “committed” to the brand.
When I was a college student taking 19 credits per semester and working multiple jobs, one of my THREE jobs (think green siren) kept raising my hours against my wishes until my part-time status became fulltime. And when I ended up with tonsillitis due to stress, my manager berated me for being so unreliable. To sling fucking coffee at bitchy office workers.
Even working a cushy retail marketing job my manager (the owner) considered me a slacker if I asked for a day off instead of working 6-7 days a week while she dicked around and didn't come in until the afternoon.
I thought this was all normal. That it was my fault for being a student or for not being committed enough. For most of my life I've been trained to think that working sucks and there's no hope for the future. That the pay will always suck, that my coworkers will always be untrustworthy, that management is out to get us.
Today I've taken a fully-paid sick day from my 100% remote job. All my boss said was “Of course, feel better!” when I let her know I was taking a sick day. Other bosses would still expect me to work seeing as I work from home anyway. Other bosses would have guilted me into working instead of taking time to rest.
And yet I'm not selling hand lotion, making coffee, or creating marketing for overpriced women's clothes anymore. I'm a proposal writer for multi-million/billion dollar government contracts. Objectively my job is WAY more “important” than the retail jobs I had before.
What I'm trying to convey in this rant that there is some tiny degree of hope for the future. The majority of bosses, managers, c-suites don't give a fuck about us but those that do are who we need to support.
So fuck the job that gives you shit for being a human. Don't be afraid to look elsewhere and leave them scrambling without a two weeks notice.