Author: Olivia

Several years ago, I worked for a wireless phone retailer. I think we had around 60 stores. After working my way up to a regional manager of about 20 of those, I came to the realization I didn't really want to do it any more. I decided to try and run my own business. I decided to stick with what I knew best at the time. When the owner caught wind of my idea, he decided to let me go because he felt like I wasn't as loyal as he would've liked. At that point, I decided I'd open a store up the street a bit from one of the busiest ones they had. Business was good and it was starting to cut into theirs. He sent his second in charge to my store to check it out. While he was there, he voiced his displeasure with my location and…

I’m an esthetician and began working with an amazing team and manager. Lots of laughs and we all work well together and get things done. I’ve been working at my current job for a year now. In the past 3 months we gained a new manager that completely shifted the vibe. For context, they are 19 with no prior spa or management experience. All they do is refresh the booking page, re-organize their desk and ask estheticians to do things that aren’t in our job description such as getting her lunch from the local pizza shop or doing receptionist/manager work. Ever since starting they created issues and have been trying to crack down on employees. I’ve been on the receiving end of most of it, and feel bullied and picked on. One example: A couple weeks ago they said closing the spa was done poorly and wrote me up for…

Doesn't make sense to me how common this is from my quick research. But usually when it happens, the employer doesn't know the hired person is poor, in my case they DID and still expect me to buy clothing required to start the job. I'm just coming out of bankruptcy, at a friends place who's barely hanging-on, and is also one surprise bill away from doom, and I spent months looking for a job, finally get a call, pass the interview, pass the swab for the drug test, and nothing is brought up until I come in to do the computer training. Now all of a sudden my boss wants me to have on a full button down black shirt with a tie and khakis, which even at my local thrift store, the cheapest option I have, costs $55 (if I get two pairs of pants). When I got hired…

I’m very career focused. And I think people think that means that my whole life revolves around work. But no. It means that I want to have a job I somewhat enjoy, that makes decent money, so I can have a full life outside of work. But gosh, some people really do make it their WHOLE personality. Like, I'm hanging out with you outside of work, and all you can talk about, is work?! Are you really that boring? You already spend 40+ hours a week there, and you want to keep talking about it? One word: Yikes.

So I was recently charged with a felony in the state of Illinois for non violent drug offenses. I took a plea agreement for first time offender probation which is 2 years in length but afterwards my criminal record will be expunged. Although it will be expunged the charges still pop up on background checks which made me worry about securing a new job. When I finally got a new job offer I signed a preliminary offer letter that stated it was a tentative offer based on a background check. This made me nervous thinking that as soon as the employer saw the charges they would immediately disqualify me. Well after a stressful 3 week wait I get a call from the HR department stating that they were revoking my job offer on the basis of my criminal record. This destroyed me emotionally and made me think it was going…

Thank you for all of the solidarity you have demonstrated throughout our union campaign. On Friday, March 10th, we officially won our union with a vote of 136-87. While we had hoped to send you a short celebratory email, we have been forced by recent events to instead make a renewed call to action. On Monday night, only one business day after our election victory, TCGplayer management fired Iris St. Lucy, a member of our organizing committee. We had hoped that we could look forward to good faith contract negotiations after our decisive election victory. But management appears committed to continuing its flagrantly illegal attacks on workers and our newly won union. We will not let our rights be trampled on and we ask you to help us in securing them against union busting aggression. We are calling for a renewed demonstration of solidarity from the TCG community: Can you…