For clarity, I was shopping around for a new full time job, as the company I'd been working for was downsizing, and so I was losing hours, and not likely to ever gain them back.
When I began scouting, I started with two local companies. Well call them Company A and Company B.
Company A is actually two sister companies located directly next to each other; one part produces steel balls, and the other uses those balls to make bearings of all types.
Company B is a high end windows and doors company, specializing in custom orders.
I worked for Company A for a little over 2 years (2012-2014) singlehandedly running their heat treat department on second shift.
I worked for Company B for nearly 2 years (2017-2019) operating what was called the Clad Cell. Both of these positions are fairly technical and require a massive amount of attention to detail.
Company B offered a higher starting wage and a larger sign on bonus, and so I made that Preference A; Company A remembered how efficiently I ran heat treat (normally people struggle, and hard) and so they wanted me more badly than Company B from the start.
Anyhow, during my interview with Company B, they got hung up on the fact that I put in my two weeks notice and left, after working 80 hour weeks (12 hours mon-sat, 8 hours sun) for a good 6 months. It's also important to note that I, as the Clad Cell operator, was the only employee being mandated to do this. I'd had similar scheduling/burnout issues with Company A, as their most proficient heat treat operator (random call ins, etc) …. What all this means is that Company B looked at me with a smirk after wasting 30 min of my time and declined to extend an offer.
That being the case, I then went directly to Company A, who'd been chomping at the bits trying to get me back anyway. During the interview, they asked what they'd need to do to tempt me. I outlined my past concerns with both companies, and simply stated that I wouldn't return unless I had a signed agreement barring me from any mandatory overtime exceeding 60 hours per week, I said I'd need to have day shift heat treat, and I said we'd need to discuss the wage.
After a couple of sitdowns with corporate, I'm now Company A's day shift Heat Treat Operator, I'll never work more than 60 hours per week unless I so choose, and they bumped my starting wage up by nearly two dollars, bringing it about 60 cents over what Company B had to offer.
But, it gets better! The same day that I left the interview with Company B, their Clad Cell operator walked out, and anyone care to guess why? Because he was tired of 80 hour weeks, and had heard that he could get on with Company A as a material handler at a comparable wage, and with far less mandatory overtime. So guess who started emailing me, stating that they'd like to reconsider and asking me to come back for another interview..? Why, you got it! It WAS Company B! I politely declined, wished them the best, and haven't answered any of the four emails I've received since. As it stands, I'm hearing that a good number of their general laborers are applying at Company A. Looks like Company B's about to have to increase that starting wage and sign on, again! 🤣🤣
The TL;DR here is that Company B seems to think that people should reorganize their entire lives to deal with the bs, and STILL feel honored to have the job; whereas Company A knows we are just there to pay the bills and want to have a life outside of work as well.
Thanks, Company B, we rockin' over here at Company A!