I started working as a cleaner for a major cleaning company in my city. I say major, because there are more than twenty and this one holds more stakes because they accept any job under any circumstances, they even accept when people ask to clean the garage area under their windows (even if it’s for free).
You can only imagine how this looks for workers. A guy who started working when I did was already duped to work not only one shift, but TWO full shifts. Today he worked whole morning, and he spent whole afternoon cleaning the meat factory. He has a pace-maker and he mentioned this, yet he’s pulled to work demanding jobs such as cleaning out the attic, etc. He’s a good guy, but I immediately saw what they do – unless you object and stand your ground, you do more and more and more work until you spend the whole day working. You get paid for it all, but the job is extremely physically demanding and the money isn’t everything.
By some miracle I kept fighting against a large wave of irregular shifts coming against me, I stood my ground and demanded only to work certain work-hours in certain neighborhoods. However, I don’t see this lasting for a very long time. Yesterday I was working from 8 am until 5 pm, because the colleague and I had to take trash-bin duty from another colleague who was sent to clean a factory floor on demand. After it took us 2 hours to do this I was sent to clean 4 buildings. My shift is supposed to last 6 hours. It lasted eight (which is a normal shift… if you don’t work Saturdays like we do) and if I didn’t reject my colleague pushing me to take meat factory cleaning shift, I would also work the second shift from 7 pm to 11 pm.
I can’t stand dust, I’m allergic and if I do everything they asked, I would be hunched over 90% of the time which would do wonders for my spine (I have scoliosis, I wonder why I even applied).
I am extremely stressed out and depressed, today I cried because I feel trapped and I can’t find a way out. Finding a job in my city is extremely hard, and I can’t afford being without paycheck anymore. I really have no clue how to handle this. I will be grateful for every suggestion.