I work 2 x 14hr shifts a week completely alone (I'm 22F) as a key holder + supervisor + salesperson for $16.50 in Ontario, Canada (minimum wage is $15.50) I don't get paid for the extra 15-30 minutes it takes to open, or the 15-30 minutes it takes to close.
I don't get breaks. I sit in the back for the majority of my day either reading, watching Netflix, scheduling my next week, doing my budget, or whatever else I feel like doing to pass the time. I eat when I'm hungry, and if a customer walks in, I drop whatever I'm doing to help them.
I know some of this is illegal but I can't even bring myself to care because I basically sit on my ass all day two days a week and I make the same money as if I was working 4 x 7hr shifts at any other job. It's dead boring and feels like a waste, but the way I see it, I'm winning.
Over half my day is spent doing something other than work, but I'm still getting paid!
This is definitely not my dream job. I don't want to stay here too long because I find this setup to be pretty messed up even if I am benefitting from it. It feels a little pointless and boring, and I feel like a lazy parasite, while simultaneously feeling like Smaug rolling in his gold coins.
I'm posting this here because I think jobs like this shouldn't exist. No person should be working alone for over 8 hours. No person shouldn't get a real break. No business should anticipate the majority of the shift to be “down time”. No person should be getting paid for a 14 hr shift if there isn't enough work to fill that shift.
I can't wait to get into my field of choice over the next few months. I should be out of here before the end of the year.
This isn't a complaint post or a praise post, it's just my reality right now. I'm interested to see what other people think.