I want to start this by saying I’ve never quit a job before. So I’ve been unemployed for a few weeks and it’s been incredibly frustrating. I moved and wasn’t able to get a new job immediately, and so I decided I’d help pay the bills by working part time at the place I used to work over a year ago. I really didn’t want to go back there because of how absolutely miserable I was at that dead end job, by I knew one of the owners and I knew he’d hire me immediately and I needed to money.
I went in and talked with the owner I knew, he’s a genuinely nice guy, and he said I could start the next day. I decided to come in with a really upbeat attitude, not necessarily because I wanted to impress, but I was thankful for being hired so quickly, even at a job I truthfully hated. I hated this job for several reasons, some of it was due to the personal issues I was going through at the time, and some was the nature of the job itself. It’s a small business, and as such it’s really disorganized and your job isn’t really clear, particularly when you’re working “on the floor” as it were. You do the normal stuff like stocking and deliveries, but in between that what you do is essentially aimless busywork when business is slow. It’s incredibly isolating and monotonous, particularly since you’re allowed absolutely no leisure time while on the clock, but it’s a job. The real issue was the OTHER owner, who was there every day 9 to 5, and is, without question, the worst person I’ve ever met.
I actually heard stories about that guy and how much of a prick he was before I first worked there. Luckily while I was there I didn’t get much overlap with him in my shifts, since he left every day at 5 and I’d often get the overnight shift. It also helped that he’d take month long vacations to Florida (not making that up) regularly in the offseason, so I’d have long stretches where I didn’t see him at all. Of course when he was there he was always an asshole, calling employees lazy, being rude to customers, and generally being a dick when he wasn’t cooped up in his office. He was an intensely miserable man, despite the fact that he’d drive to work every day in a luxury car and get to choose his own hours, which rarely exceeded 40. He’d complain incessantly about how hard he worked and it always annoyed me because all I’d ever see him do was hang out in his office and come down to bully people. Like I’m sure he’s a hard worker but to me I always got the impression he had to tell himself that so he could justify his behavior.
Anyway, after 7 long miserable months working there I moved away, and only moved back to the area recently. I took up the job again, which they gladly gave me, and I was determined to be optimistic, as I was genuinely happy to have a paycheck after getting a few rejections. I started my shift, not being told anything by anyone as to what to do, but the old managers were glad to see me back. I did my normal job, making sure everything was stocked, all the back was looking good and organized, and I did a lot that wasn’t even my job technically, like taking other peoples tasks when they seemed busy. I’m the type of person who tends to keep themselves busy constantly. Eventually though it hit a point where I really didn’t have much to do after several hours, and I started walking around the store somewhat aimlessly looking for customers who I could assist. Instead I run into the prick owner, who was out of his office. He got into my face in front of two other employees and told me he’d seen me “standing around” and that if he saw me do that again, he’d fire me. I kinda laughed it off, thinking it was a joke as it was my first day working there in well over a year, but he got even more pissed and yelled at me. He then stormed off and I was basically taken aback but said nothing.
After he left for the day I continued with my shift, but it bothered me a lot. Not only did I not like this job, but I couldn’t stand being around that owner. The employees who saw him yelling at me told me it was fine, and that he has those tantrums and threatens to fire people randomly a lot, but it really got under my skin. I couldn’t believe I was already getting treated like this. For the record I’m used to that kind of treatment, but I’ve been trying to gain some self confidence and stand up for myself. I made up my mind and turned in my uniform at the end of my first shift, notifying the man who hired me that this job wasn’t going to work out. I’ve felt so much happier since even though I know I need another job, and soon. I’d never had the guts to quit any job I had, no matter how shitty. It’s nice to know I do now.