Sorry it's a little long, but hope it's worth it.
Back in the time before cell phones, I got a job at a local grocery store. I was fairly fresh out of high school. I actually enjoyed the work, liked my co-workers and my immediate supervisor ( we'll call him Bud) He and i were close in age and we got along great. Things weren't great but i dealt with it. Until i came into work one evening (over night stock) after having a weekend off and the store manager (let's just call him Bob) called me up to the office.
Bud was sat there looking like someone had just died and Bob proceeded to tell me he was going to write me up. My very first write up. YAY! I am paraphrasing as this was a long time ago. But the conversation went something like this.
me: For what? (yes i did have the 80's/early 90's equivalent of shocked pikachoo face)
Bob: We were short, needed you to come in and you didn't answer your phone.
me: I wasn't home.
Bob: Doesn't matter, you should always be available in case we need you.
me: Am i getting paid extra for being on-call? (it's a freakin grocery store)
Bob: No. Of course not.
me: Then I'm not on-call and…
Then he cut me off and gave me the whole “you're being insubordinate bs, you're lucky to have this job, and if you don't straighten up and fly right” spiel.
At the time i was only 18-19. Inside, i was shitting my pants, but the more he barked the angrier i got. Eventually, anger overruled my fear and somewhere in between the straighten up and fly right part, i got up and headed for the door. Bud looked like he'd just witnessed something both horrific and awesome all rolled together.
As a little side note here are a few things to show why “Things weren't great, but I dealt with it.”
-Got passed over for the 90 day raise they promised because i hadn't been there long enough. At my last reckoning 7 months is longer than 90 days.
-Given extra duties because one of the other guys quit so his work became mine.
-Got shorted on a couple checks, which took them weeks to fix and finally pay me.
And the kicker was being dropped from full time to part time because I wasn't doing the work of two people fast enough for Bob. Basically, same work, same pay, dropped what little benefits i had and they'd work me right up to just barely under 40 hours. With the promise I'd get fulltime back when my productivity went back up.
The store manager yelled “Where the fuck do you think you're going?” I didn't look back just shouted “Home, I quit.”
But wait there's more.
A month or two later I had stopped in on my way home from work to pick up a few items and Bud spotted me. We caught up for a few minutes and i found out that shortly after i left, Bud's assistant had quit. Actually quite a few people had quit, cashiers, bag boys, the produce manager and the General Merchandise lady all had quit. He asked where i was working and if i liked my new job. I told him “It's a job.” Then he asked if I wanted my job back. My first response was “Hell no.” Then he told me Bob had “left the company” and he wasn't allowed to say why and that there was a new manager (Steve) and asked if I wouldn't mind talking to him.
I thought for a moment and was like “What could it hurt?” Well to shorten this already long recollection it went well.
Bud had been giving Steve the skinny on Bob and singing my praises apparently. Steve offered me the assistant to Bud position, making $7.25 an hour and benefits. When i quit was making around $4 an hour, so a little over minimum wage at the time. I worked there for a while and took over Bud's position when got married and moved out of state. When Steve left for a better position with in the company, another Bob came in and I quit shortly after. Again.