So for brief backstory the last few years I've worked restaurant and warehouse jobs with terrible employers and terrible conditions. I had a dream Job for about 9 years in the fire department until I was forced to resign due to my substance abuse and legal issues (DUI) about 4 years ago.
These last few years have been brutal. Long hours, insane schedules, poor conditions, terrible benefits all for low pay; less than a living wage pay. It's been very difficult having have had my dream job and now this.
I will say and own up that losing that dream job was 100% on me however that still doesn't make going from that to this any easier.
Over the last few years I've jumped from job to job each one with hopes of being better but never really being the case.
Fast forward to today I'm working in a warehouse I've been at 5 months. I'm also 10 months clean after relapsing at 2 years clean. Before this job I turned down an offer to stay at a previous job when they countered my 2 weeks notice with a life changing salary. I mention this because I decided to turn it down as I knew my insane hours would increase and I wouldn't stay clean and sober. It wouldn't be worth the money. I take my recovery very seriously.
This current job I've had has been ok. It's been a standard 40 hrs monday-friday with weekends off. This employer pays better than almost all other warehouses in the area including Amazon. It's hard work but I get along great and even promoted basically laterally but with a raise. It has been a blessing for someone like me in recovery. It's not my dream job but it's fair and I've done well.
Today my comfort and stability was shattered. Word around the warehouse the last several weeks has been business is finally gonna pick up after drastically slowing through covid. They've been trying and not been very successful at bringing on new hires.
Today they announced we will have mandatory overtime on Saturdays “until further notice”. This was soul crushing. I thought how ok things have been the last 5 months, how they've been stable and things looked up. I thought back to how miserable I used to be working 6 day weeks. My one day off I could barely get out of bed but had to being the only day to get stuff done. I thought about how working like that was exactly the way it was 10 months ago when I relapsed and nearly died.
I though all of that for about 2 minutes and then I thought “fuck them”. Fuck these assholes that never mentioned mandatory OT In my interview. Fuck them for preaching how they encourage a healthy work/life balance. 6 day work weeks are healthy?!
I specifically remember discussing in my interview unreasonable OT was not something I was not willing to do. It had been an issue for me previously and I'd be very happy working my 40hrs with an occasional hour or two here and there. Their response was it wouldn't happen. That's when they preached all about work/life balance and all that.
They've been slow my first 5 months and because of that the promotion of work/life balance has suited them. Now that they project business to increase it goes right out the door.
I've decided I will continue working but will absolutely not come in to work on a Saturday. If they want to fire me it's their loss. I've never collected unemployment or any benefits but will if it comes to it. My health and well being are too important to go back to that dark place where my life becomes work and picking up starts to seem like a rational idea.
Sorry for the rant. I've lurked here a while and thought I was a lucky one. I guess I really wasnt. I should've been skeptical about the situation. I should've known things were ok only because it worked for them.