I work for a small company for the last 2&1/2 years. I handle the finances but it’s only enough work to employ me part time. They let me make my own hours so I chose 6am-12pm. I used to come in later but the owners are very needy and I can’t get my work done because they need my help with something else every 5 minutes. They are of the eldest genx and clearly have severe ADHD but don’t believe in it so it remains undiagnosed and unaddressed. They are like working with chaotic toddlers. What would take me 5 minutes to do takes them hours and sometimes days. I started coming in at 6am to allow myself a couple of hours to focus on my work before they get there with the constant interruptions.
This schedule has been great for me because I get the afternoons off and can take care of appointments for myself and family. In addition to handling the finances and office administration, my bosses asked me to work sales for one of their companies in my spare time. I started doing what was asked and they paid me commission for my sales. It came out to be $500-ish per month. Which was also great since they can only offer part time hours.
They decided they wanted to grow the business I was dabbling in sales on. I offered to go full time and handle the other company’s sales in the afternoons. I offered this because inflation has changed my family’s financial needs. I needed full time and more money. They turned me down and hired someone for the position. That was fine, I liked her a lot. She was great to work with. But it took away the money I was making from sales. So, I effectively got a pay cut which is the opposite of what I needed.
Then they asked me to work sales on a different company they own. I told them that the type of sales that company needs takes an absorbent amount of time and I would only be able to do it if I have full time hours. I also mentioned that there are layoffs happening at my husband’s job and we are worried he will lose his job. He is the breadwinner. So going full time and getting commission would relieve a lot of stress in my household. I verbalized exactly this to them.
They agreed and I started working full time. 3 weeks later they realize the company’s finances are a little low. They called me and told me to keep it under 30hrs. But they still expected me to do the sales. Also, they still had not provided a commission structure. So I had no idea if the sales were even worth my time and effort. They tend to be cheap when it comes to staff. Also, the financial troubles are because they kept taking too much money out of the business and putting it in their pocket. Being the bookkeeper, I am privy to that info.
So at that point, I didn’t put much effort into sales (it takes a long time to get a sale when you’re cold calling trying to sell expensive stuff via a dying medium). I really didn’t have much time to do it with my current responsibilities. They also had left me with the admin work for the other company where my commission disappeared because they let the person they had hired go. I started looking for another job. At first I was only looking for a second job I could work in the afternoons. But I applied for a full time position at a few places where the salary range met my needs.
While I was interviewing for jobs, I kept doing my regular job and did not mention it. Fast forward to this week. They suddenly laid off and employee who had worked there for 23yrs because they can outsource his job. No warning, just suddenly let him go. Of course this made everyone feel like their job was in jeopardy. I interviewed for a company that afternoon and was offered the position the next day. It’s full time, same position I’m in now. They seem really nice and have good reviews from former employees online. So I accepted and they allowed for me to give my current employers 2 weeks notice as a courtesy (which they didn’t give my former coworker).
Last week they had spent a lot of money for some of us to got to a trade show so we could make connections for sales. So, my resignation was a surprise to them. I was asked if I had been actively looking to which I told the truth. They said “I wish you would have told us. This is such a huge loss. There aren’t many bookkeepers/accountants who are also good at sales.” I responded “I did tell you. I told you about my husband’s job. I told you I needed full time hours and you turned me down. Then you offered full time only to take it away 3 weeks later. I know there is a potential to make more from sales but this job is a guaranteed salary making more than I’ve ever made. I told you about inflation killing me and how high my grocery bill has become. You just didn’t listen. You forced me to look elsewhere to meet my family’s needs. I’m always going to do what’s best for my family just like you do what’s best for your company”
Now things are awkward. I’m finishing out my two weeks because no one else knows how to do my job, not even the owners. They keep grumbling about how it’s such a huge loss and we have such great chemistry. No one can run payroll except me. They posted my job on indeed and are hoping to find someone for me to train before I go. The owners told me their feelings are really hurt by how all of this transpired. They consider me part of their family and love me which makes it hard to let go. They said my words were harsh and they don’t think they deserved it. But it was the truth.
TLDR: bosses kept dangling a carrot in front of me only to yank it away when I caught it. I started looking for a second job but found a full time gig making way more money. Now they are hurt and upset about me leaving.