I don’t know if this is a common work experience, or if my job is just bad. I’ll break things down into point form cause that’s probably the easiest way to get through this all, and I’d just appreciate some feedback and/or advice.
- When I started my job I told them I was a full time student and needed to make sure I had enough time for classes. They assured me this wouldn’t be a problem. However after I started working there I found myself having no time for school, let alone appointments, visiting friends, or seeing my family. I was working full time (sometimes even more) while trying to also manage being a full time student. I since have gotten my schedule slightly reduced and down to certain days, so I’m hoping this fixes the issue but I’m honestly not sure it will.
- I don’t get proper breaks at work. If I am eating lunch and a customer comes in I have to stop what I’m doing and help them.
- For added context, my shifts are at least 10 hours and I rely on transit to get to and from work. This makes my days around 14 hours long. Because of my long shifts and lack of breaks on the days I work I am unable to call my parents, who are in end of life care. I am the only person they have that calls them, and being unable to do so knowing I don’t have a lot of time left is upsetting. Obviously my job isn’t responsible for my personal life, but I feel it’s unfair I don’t get proper breaks.
- My job wants me to complete a training program outside of work hours and without pay. I genuinely don’t have time, and my priority is on my university courses. Personally, this expectation frustrates me as I already give so much time to my job I do not believe they are deserving of more, especially unpaid.
- I’ve developed severe anxiety (to the point of vomiting and having extreme panic attacks at work) because mistakes aren’t allowed. I’m expected to be perfect, which is impossible. This has also started to affect my self esteem and I catch myself putting myself down quite often. This wasn’t a problem prior to this job. I should also add that I have been yelled at while at work for things as small as the way I stand (yes, seriously) or a minor miscommunication. Obviously this hasn’t helped with the anxiety and self esteem issues, and I find myself overthinking everything.
- I make $2 above min wage, which does add up and I’m thankful for. However, all my co workers (including ones that have been there less time) make a decent amount more than I do. It frustrates me that I haven’t seen a single pay raise and that new employees, with less stressful positions, make more. With that being said, even making $2 above min wage isn’t enough to survive off of. I only get by because I also have grants/scholarships to help cover some of my living costs. This especially frustrates me when my work asks me when I plan to get a car and start driving, why I don’t just move closer, why I don’t use uber etc. as all of those are far beyond what my pay is.
- I broke a tooth at work (not a workplace injury). I couldn’t leave and had to work three shifts with a broken tooth in my mouth. I couldn’t talk or eat properly. Part of this tooth ended up falling out, and by the time I saw a dentist I was told that the gum had grown over where a filling would be needed and I would have to pay out of pocket for dental surgery to fix this as my insurance (private, my work doesn’t offer insurance) doesn’t cover it. This has left me with a bill which could’ve been avoided and I honestly can’t afford.
- I told my work I had covid, to which I only got two days off. I texted them again letting them know I wasn’t feeling better and needed more time, to which I was given an additional few days. I’m sick and contagious for 10 days and am being rushed back to work while still sick and infectious. There’s an expectation for me to return in a few days and work 70 hours, without overtime pay, which I told them I couldn’t manage when I was healthy, let alone now. I don’t know what to do about this, but I can’t manage this unrealistic expectation. I’m also extremely worried about how I’ll be treated when I get back, and I’m assuming based on prior behaviour management will be mad at me for being sick and needing time off, despite this being out of my control.
I will add, there’s been various red flags as well, but again I can’t tell if this is common or just an average workplace such as: high turnover, severely understaffed, complaining about paying overtime, talking about wanting to dock pay without valid reason, speaking negatively about staff when they aren’t around, openly discussing wanting to fire staff, being told I must go above and beyond and offer customers an “experience”, etc.
I’ve gotten mixed opinions when I tell people about my job, most tell me to quit (easier said than done), and some have told me this is a normal adult experience. I genuinely don’t know which it is, or how bad this is. Even if this job is bad, I do rely on it to get by and need it. Alternatively if I quit I look at making min wage again which would be even harder to get by on. Additionally, I also have a very noticeable disability which in the past has made me lose employment opportunities. I don’t know what to do, and I worry that maybe I’m the problem here, not my job. Like I said, any advice or insight is appreciated.
Edit: I should add friends have suggested going to the labor board, however that sadly is pointless. It will 100% get me fired (this has happened to previous employees) and the labor board always favours the employers.