So this is a little older story now, given these events transpired in 2017/18 but I wanted to share what made me realize how working really is especially now.
I have worked since I legally could at the age of 15, which was fine it got me extra money and I saved a lot. That first job is a story in of itself given I made 7.25 for 2 years at a pizza place and was never given a raise. But anyways, I had graduated HS in 2016 and then dropped out of College that fall cause it just wasn’t for me. By early next year I needed a full time job. A friend of mines dad used to work at the local Coca-Cola warehouse and had told me I should apply so I did.
First red flag was I was told I would make 14 a hour I believe if I remember right, but it actually was 12. That changed like 3 months in though cause the insanely high turnover rate. So it went to 13 starting. But my job would be order picking, putting the product on the pallets. All day until ALL the work was done. I had never done warehouse work at 18 almost 19 so I just went a long with it. It was a tough environment and I almost walked out but I got the hang of it and really liked my co workers.
The hours were insane though, when I said you don’t leave till it’s all done including cleanup I meant it. 70-80 hour work weeks were the norm. I wish I remembered what the most hours I did in a week were close to 90 I’m sure. I remember the 4th of July 2017 it landed on a Saturday. The Thursday and Friday before were hell. Back to back 17 hour shifts. We all got like 4 hours of sleep before the next day. I was doing really good myself though I thrived in the environment somehow and liked the camaraderie from my co workers I had never had it before.
Eventually I would start taking on more tasks to help. (Never compensated more for learning them either) checking pallets to ensure product is right. Learning forklift to load trucks, run the dock, volunteer overnight to fill the aisles with the forklift. And for those who know jobs like this and case counts, when it was a super heavy day I would have my “2k” days where I would build 2k cases or more to get us out faster. I actually built 2,776 cases once. Never once was I compensated extra.
Well the warehouse was growing a lot we had moved into a bigger building and so staff would get bigger. I thought I’d try to make a career at coke. So I applied to a supervisor position. But before that we had a yearly review, and my first pay raise was .13…. I was so insulted. I was one of the hardest workers. Everyone got bad raises. But being young and naive I didn’t let it deter me and I actually got that supervisor position. I was in training for a month and suddenly they needed me else where to help with production and my training stopped for a little over a month. I eventually got sat down and told my job didn’t exist anymore. But I could apply for a different supervisor position.
That was my final straw, I stopped trying and after a year and a half I quit. I had put in so many countless hours bent over backwards to get work done and help the company. Yet I got slapped in the face every time. I learned from my first job never ever go over the top unless it can actually benefit you. Do the bare minimum and go home, and always look out for better opportunities.
Sorry my story was long, I’ve meant to share it here for sometime. I hope if anyone is in the position I was you find something better and don’t make the mistake 19/20 yo me did. These companies don’t care about you and will always screw you over.