"Look Happier Or Leave" (or, Ralerin has had enough. Language)

[ralerin]

I've been slaving at my job for over 5 years. For the past several months, I've been shoved onto the register and left there even though we're supposed to take turns and get out onto the floor. I hate the register. I've said as much to my managers, but nothing has changed. I've been taken for granted. Naturally, 8 hours of standing on your feet and repeating yourself can make you hate your job. I know I hate the register but I didn't think it showed until yesterday. SM gave me an ultimatum.

"Look happier or leave."

I have my 2 weeks notice typed up and in my purse ready to give to him when I go in today.

Lest you think this is a stupid reason, it's been a very long time coming. "Studmuffin Is A Horny Creep" thread in CoC describes the sexual harasment that SM still hasn't done anything about and I know I've mentioned the crappy management elsewhere on this board. And the customers. I hate every last one of them. So being told to buck the fuck up and look cheerful when I despise every aspect of my job? From being overworked and underpaid and not having any time to myself on the weekends like I should be doing, like a nirmal fucking person? No. Shove the job up your ass. I am done.

[evilhomer]

I had that situation once, my boss was more civil about it though; he knew that I hated the job and that it sucked but he asked me to muscle through it all and put the act on again. Your managers sound like complete asshole morons that don't give a single shit about you. The only advice I'll give is to make sure you know what you're doing, it's tough to find a new job out there. Other than that, best of luck. And I would consider going to a lawyer and/or the labour board about the sexual harrassment. You could be looking at a nice settlement but at the very least it will help you get unemployment benefits while you look for something new.

[Aislin]

Please look into filing a hostile work environment claim. That will help you file for unemployment even when you have quit. I know 2 of my coworkers who still got unemployment even though they quit due to hostile work environment.

[Bright_Star]

They don't pay you enough to be cheerfull. From the last time I looked, being deliriously happy working in retail isn't in the job descrption.

[Pixilated]

They don't pay you enough to be cheerfull. From the last time I looked, being deliriously happy working in retail isn't in the job descrption.

Ditto. Unless you're actively scowling/snarling at the customers, management should just STFU.

Had an editor like that once ... he complained to a couple of us that we never looked happy. Well, we weren't happy, but the facial expressions he was complaining about weren't making it obvious ... they were just calm, neutral expressions. I guess he wanted "deliriously happy" as well. Wasn't gonna happen.

[evilhomer]

[BlaqueKatt]

You could be looking at a nice settlement but at the very least it will help you get unemployment benefits while you look for something new.

I was once informed that sexual harassment wasn't a valid reason for leaving a job.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I hate to endorse depriving yourself of your livelihood, but...

you're doing the right thing. Good luck finding a job that deserves you.

[evilhomer]

I was once informed that sexual harassment wasn't a valid reason for leaving a job.

I honestly have no idea. Sexual harrassment on it's own may not be, but managements refusal to do anything about it can turn it into a hostile work environment and unsafe working conditions which would be valid reasons.

[eltf177]

It's a damn shame that it seems to be coming to crap like this more and more. Management never seems to get it through their thick skulls that happy workers are productive, reliable workers. Treat them like something unpleasant you stepped in and you can never depend on them showing up or doing their job if they do.

Leaving makes sense. Let the damn place implode, they don't deserve you or anybody more qualified than breathing without being told to...

[Bob The Random Boy Wonder]

Ralerin, I was in your situation back in the day at the retail plantation. We had a day where things were really busy and they pulled all the cart slaves off the lot to run register. That one day of lane turned into six months of nothing but running register.

You might think that's better than cart slaving, but it quickly started to suck. I hated running lane. Standing in one place for 8 hours straight got really boring, as you already know. Finally, I went to my good boss (before she got fired, oddly enough) and told her that I'd prefer being scheduled down at self-checkout so I could at least move around--or if that wasn't possible, to go back to being a cart slave. The next weekend, I was back to carts. Cart slave isn't the greatest job in the world, but I was never happier to be back out in the lot than I was at that point.

I'm sorry your boss seems to be a flaming douchenozzle. I completely agree with Irv: you're making the right decision. I read the sexual harassment thread, and I can tell you I also went through a situation where management completely ignored my constant harassment complaints--up to the point where corporate relayed it to the store when I went over my (bad) boss' head, and she turned it around on me and fired me instead. Trust me, you're making the wise decision to get out of there before it makes it to that point.

Good luck in your search for a new job. Your current one certainly doesn't deserve you, and I hope you have better luck in the future.

[ralerin]

Thanks guys. I have a 2nd, already part time job, but it is NOT enough to pay the bills. I'll think of something. I wish I was leaving on better times but, eh. :/

I wrote up a long, profanity laden post on FB last night about why I was qutting (said nothing about the managers, only that I hated the customers and the job itself) and got reamed about it when I handed the notice into SM this morning. SM doesn't have FB but several of my managers do and they forwarded the post in question to SM. took it down. Learn from my fail, kids. :/

[PepperElf]

Please look into filing a hostile work environment claim. That will help you file for unemployment even when you have quit. I know 2 of my coworkers who still got unemployment even though they quit due to hostile work environment.

That's a good point.

I almost wonder if the constant register shifts and the "look happier or leave" is perhaps retribution for complaining about Studmuffin.

[Zellie Crescent]

perhaps retribution for complaining about Studmuffin.

That's what I got from it, I know for a fact that (at least in my store) the people in charge of the front will make your life miserable if you upset/tell on/try to take hours from their favorites. They will also lie their asses off about it and alter the paperwork, at least until they're caught and put on final notice.

[EricKei]

ralerin -- did you include the sexual harassment issue in your notice letter?

As for FB -- screw it. Put it back up AND include the update since then. Their behavior and his reaction could back up a "hostile workplace" claim. Besides, what are they gonna do? Fire you? ... Well, OK, yeah, they could, but would it make that much of a difference at this point? Also, that should qualify as being terminated, rather than fired, afaik, making it easier to seek at least partial unemployment. Consider reposting it on your last day along with a mega-update with all the details