First: I am glad to have a full time job that pays ok. I was homeless for 5 years, and I am so glad to have an apartment and a job. I just wish I could get a job testing software again, or something I would be allowed to work remotely. I started at company X two years ago. They paid an ok wage at the time and among the benefits noted on the application was the ability to gain promotions within 6 months. I asked for more training starting on my last day of training, but it took a year for them to prioritize additional training – turnover is so high that they focus almost all training on new hires. So I got 3% raise at 1 year. A month or 2 later I get trained up a level, and instead of a $1 raise, I get 55 cents to get pushed to the base of the next level.
But then around Christmas, they realize similar jobs in the market pay more, so they increase the company minimum by $2.50. Cool, right? And the next level – and I only need to learn one more function at the time to get there – would bring another $2.50. Now, there are people who have been here longer, who are not working a variety of functions, who get paid that upper level. But hey! I get trained!! And after a month I say, “Please, sir, may I have more?” But no, because now they have added another function requirement, covering for another department – even though there have never been enough people scheduled in my department to allow us to stop our tasks and work on something else. Even though, when this requirement was mentioned to a trainer, he asked, “Why the hell would they teach you THAT?” And two more months passed, and I asked again for that magic training (as a manager had told me to)… and, nothing, half a year later.
But hey! I have this job working on computer applications and speaking with law enforcement representatives and people awaiting trial and victims. It can be interesting and challenging and fulfilling. Every now and then. And while we are on calls, co workers who don't care chit chat with one another while supervisors do nothing about that, or yell (really horribly loudly) about backlogged calls or tasks. Nothing like trying to hear a phone call and react professionally while some -idiot- supervisor is yelling at you.
Some of the people we speak to are wonderful, some are jerks. A couple of days ago I had to call someone to ask them to fulfill a little task to avoid getting a violation and maybe going to jail. I had 3 potential phone numbers. The first device disconnected without response. The second connected, then disconnected without a word. The third was answered, and a man said. “If you call me again, I'll blow you up,” swearing on his mother's life. I reported the call to a supervisor, who reported it to the person's Probation Officer. According to notes in the file (after my note of 'a threat',) they texted him with no response. I'm not saying more wasn't done – just that there's no note in that file, and no indication in the profile of … well. of anything. No indication that anyone gives a rat's behind that I phoned a person as part of my job and he calmly and succinctly threatened my life.
And I just hit my 2 year anniversary… getting paid the same rate as people who started yesterday, who haven't (yet) gotten threatened.
I'm tired. I remember the months of depression before I became homeless… and it started with being tired. I can't do it again, I just can't.