I got a new job after months of being unemployed. It’s a decently paying administrative position at a highly regarded small business in a competitive “fashionable” industry. Many people would LOVE to be in my position, so I try to keep my head up, work hard, and learn.
It’s only been a month or so (so I don’t even qualify for healthcare yet) and it’s already SO OBVIOUS how overworked and over stressed every employee is. The work day is 9 hours, but that’s really a minimum, and management thinks you’re lazy if you take your lunch hour and leave at 6 on the dot. People come on weekends, stay late at night, etc. There’s a lot of turnover and burnout. They complain about past workers being idiots, under hire and pretend they can’t afford more staff (they can). It’s so so toxic.
I feel so trapped because I will suffer if I’m not willing to work extra hours for free, due to being an “exempt” salary employee. I need the salary with cost of living increases, and I feel extra trapped because I was fired from my last two jobs, which was really depressing. (Both of these last positions were also at companies in different fields with extremely high turnover who don’t feel any obligation to nurture employees properly, and instead would rather fire people who can’t meet shifting goalposts)
I’ve had such bad luck running into these types of employers again and again in recent years. The people I work with tell me I’m intelligent, friendly, and they were shocked both times I was fired before. I have ADHD which makes it an extra struggle for me to overcome certain challenges, but when I get a boss that cares about me, I work my ASS OFF.
It’s killing my self esteem and making it so hard to plan for a solid future.