Hi,
First corporate big-boy job.
Got hired as IT for higher education company under the parent company.
Get there, day 1, told I'm to support all universities under the parent company. Suddenly, salary makes no sense. Told it will be rare that I am asked to step in and help other companies because we have 3 total colleagues who are dedicated to each one and they're finding another. Sold to me as a “we all help each other out” type of deal.
Ok, I stay.
Spoilers: It wasn't.
Week 1: Fired the guy who recommended me for the job and was to be my colleague.
I start regularly doing other universities' IT responsibilities. I am being told it's because we can't find an IT guy for the other 2 universities. My colleague and I (which is the whole IT dept + our manager) are being asked to do more than our responsibilities every day. I mean seriously, one of these universities just wants one of us to sit there and listen to classes for any potential issues. We are understaffed. Why don't they just call us when they need help?
I know we do extra at all our jobs. It's a thing that happens. It's fine. But when that extra happens every day, it's an additional responsibility, no? Well, HR and management don't agree with me. Fine, whatever, got tricked, keep going.
The company is moving locations. My colleague and I do the bulk of the labor while managers sit in the office figuring out where to place printers for 2 months. Lol.
Every time I go to a new location to set something up — a total shitshow. Try to tell PMs about issues that will prevent us from moving forward. Email and meeting game. Nothing gets fixed. Told not to worry about it by my manager.
Spoilers: It mattered.
Fast forward to last week, get an email. “Overtime will be mandatory to get the move done” — ok… talk to my manager about it. He says everything is a priority and we will need to support the classes which are happening Monday – Thursday while moving the campus with a 1 month timeline. So that leaves one day a week to get shit done. Told I might have to work Saturdays too until the move is done.
Ask if I will be compensated.
“You might get comp time.”
“We have unlimited PTO, so I'm going to get nothing”
The manager starts laughing. My colleague starts laughing. I start laughing.
I snap and say “We're all laughing, but it's not a joke. I'm serious. I'm not working Saturdays. It's not happening.”
A long conversation ensues. Not a good one for me. I explain that something has got to give. Our colleagues need to understand we are understaffed and moving, and if their second monitor doesn't work for a few days they'll have to deal with it because the move is a priority and I don't want to work OT for 3 weeks + Saturdays straight without being paid for it.
“That's why you signed the dotted line”
…
I feel disrespected in so many ways. Do I just quit? Am I going to get blacklisted if I just quit? I definitely don't want to take the mistreatment and disrespect anymore. I realize I am being taken advantage of. I mean seriously, I feel like I'm being gaslit because everyone at my job keeps telling me “it's like this at every company”
IS IT? Cause I have EU citizenship if that's seriously the work culture here I'm fucking out. I know it isn't great, but LIKE THIS?