TL/Dr: mail your documents to your personal email before you quit. Managers: don't put all your functional weight on one position, and then do them dirty.
I had a job where in the four years I worked there, we went from a support staff of 11 to 5. We were at 7 pre-pandemic.
The workload didn't decrease, it just got spread out.
On top of my normal job, I picked up extra duties as a second job at the same place. I worked 60-80 hours a week a lot of the year because of this. It's important to note here that including my extra work, I was doing the work of three full time staff.
When the pandemic hit, my original role was temporarily decreased to about 20% of its workload and my second job became my normal job.
I dealt with the huge loss in income best I could. I was also one of two people to return on site for the higher risk face to face jobs. Thankfully it was our slowest time of the year. We normally get half day Fridays for the summer, but my manager said not for me. I needed to be there. When I asked if I could have a half day on another day, I was told that it was discretionary and not mandated and they didn't need to give it to me.
I also had accrued so much vacation even before the pandemic, that there was no way I would ever get back those hours because of pay out policy (which also changed with the pandemic). I asked in writing if I could take Mondays off for the summer since that was a day I didn't need to be there. My supervisor would only have that conversation in person and would not admit to this in writing, but told me that I absolutely couldn't do that. But that they would consider an occasional Monday off here and there. Two days later, they scheduled a four hour recurring mandatory meeting on Mondays for the rest of the summer because it was “the only time that worked” for them.
I was getting upset and asked to see my position description. It got re-written to be so general that a lot could get swept onto my plate. I also was told that come our busier season, I would be in full force of my normal job duties pre-pandemic and taking over one of the other support staff positions “but with volunteer help.” And that I would receive no extra income for any of this. So basically still doing the work of 3 people.
So, I quit. No other job lined up, just fuck this I'm out. The shocked Pikachu look on their faces. I got pulled into a meeting with my supervisor's supervisor. Unheard of. That's how I knew they were panicking.
I told them I would only stay if they increased my pay to what I was making when I was working. They said no, but I could take more on to get paid more.
Nah, I'm out.
Unfortunately, they immediately terminated access to my email.
Few months later one of the remaining support staff suffered from a stroke. Which was horrible.
So that's my anti-work story I've been meaning to post. Honestly, I'm ashamed of how long I stayed with that company. But when I remember the look on their faces when I handed in my notice. That is a moment I'll never forget.