I started with a solar company last September and everything was great… or so I thought. I’ve been wanted to work for this company for about a year.
I got hired as an installer. I was immediately put on a crew with a former co worker over mine from another company. He wanted me to be his #2 so I agreed. Everything seemed fine. The two guys who worked under me were a bit younger. Fast forward to about three weeks in. Everything is a little chaotic but we’re making it work. Safety shows up and chews me out specifically bc I’m supposed to be responsible for the two guys under me. Keep in mind I’m still at the same pay rate I was hired at even tho I shook the branch managers hand on a two dollar raise. I never got that raise. I didn’t complain because we were making extra money anyway on our 60-65 hour weeks. I was also working Saturday. After safety came and put extra stress on all of the crews things just seemed to go down hill drastically in ours. I know the guys under me were staying after work and bad mouthing me to the branch manger and the guy under him. No matter how hard I tried to get along with them they just didn’t want me to be their lead. I could kind of understand but at the same time I’ve been doing Solar for about 4 years and them about 5 months. I ended up catching Covid at the former co workers wedding and was out Wednesday to Friday. I then worked a full week + Saturday with little hang ups. When I came back to work on Monday my grandmother called me from across the country and told me my dad was going to pass away any day. I called the guy under the branch manager and asked him if it would be ok if I flew out the next day and came back Tuesday the following week. He said that would be fine and to not worry about the job and to take care of my family first so that what I did. I came back Tuesday and was promptly laid off because apparently there’s not enough work for me. So now I’m sitting here miserable hoping I can one day work for that company again one day. My dad didn’t die btw he just skipped dialysis and went on a meth binge. Thanks for reading. I’m hopeless.