I had several pretty traumatizing work experiences in the past, but this is probably the top of the list.
I’ve always valued helping/working for smaller family businesses rather than a mega corporation. It gives me a sense of contribution, like I can make a difference, prove my intelligence and hard work ethic to move up the (small) chain of command.
My friends dad had a business. We put designs on apparel which is actually a very stressful, fragile process vulnerable to many mistakes that are easy to make, and once u ruin a garment u cost the company money. Sometimes we would only order so many garments so if we messed a single one up we would have to order another one from China that takes two weeks to get here and it slows the entire order.
I was on good terms with my friends dad who owned the business, I had worked w him before he seemed ok to me.
On the first day, when I was being taught my job I was already being screamed at, like 5 seconds in.
On that first day I was trained incorrectly by the owner, and I messed up a few garments costing the business around $60 give or take.
I’ve always tried to be an intelligent and productive worker so it bothered me I was already costing the business money me that I was getting screamed at because I wasn’t understanding how to perform the precision task of laying the ink on the garment.
I immediately took getting yelled at on day 1 as a red flag. Believe me I’m not so dysfunctional or stupid that I need to be yelled at. But I was really into the idea of helping my friends dad here so I stuck with it for a year.
The yelling at me continued, even got worse. It was always a 2 man team so just me and the boss.
I made it my personal goal to prove that I wasn’t actually an idiot and that I could learn and become a productive asset to the business. I didn’t argue or talk back to my boss who was always screaming at me he would blame things on me that I knew he did, he would say that he told me things that he never said.
I will admit I made some stupid stoner mistakes, and because of the industry they were costly mistakes. I always apologized and tried to learn from my mistakes. I offered to pay for damaged garments and on at-least one occasion I did.
SCREAMING SCREAMING SCREAMING
i couldn’t take it, I was coming home from work, crying on my walk home to go and argue with my mom, cry after that and then go sit my 110 degree attic and cry some more. All the while I cannot explain to my family that I am depressed because I would have to explain I am getting yelled at at work and that must mean I’m stupid and it’s my fault. Welcome to being a man…. Or young man (22) I was at the time.
I was getting paid $12 an hour to get screamed at every day.
I would hate goin into work. Can u imagine. Making $12 an hour in 2022 to get screamed at. U wouldn’t wanna go to work either. I would wake up with a rock on my stomach and dread the morning walk to work dreaming about the moment I will leave work later today.
Over the year I worked there I did indeed learn a lot and got much better at my job, my boss would agree. but the screaming never stopped.
Near the end I started pushing back a little bit and I kinda regret not pushing back more.
Eventually I quit, I put in several months notice hoping that might change the way I was treated. It didn’t.
Now he’s kinda mad at me. I think his son who used to be my buddy in high school is too.
I have a new job now working construction $20 an hour. Almost double the pay, and wayyyy more relaxed working environment. A little bit less physical labor and a much friendlier group of coworkers.
I’m not sure the point of me posting this other than to vent and document my experience.