i am FREAKIN here, chime in, should i quit my job??

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Background:
The setting is a small privately owned college,

the hero is recently finished (february)community college where she took office technology. As she finished her 1.5 year course, she took the first job she found, which was at HELL college.

Fast forward to summer. Paychecks bounce like rubber balls, staff turn over faster than hotdogs in a streetvendor rotisserie.

Things are GRIM friends, grim indeed.

The villain, a huge bulking man, with an evil wicked temper is often heard to shout JESUS CHRIST KELLI WHATS WRONG WITH YOU? He makes the hero cry, at her desk, twice.

In comes the saving face of the new director, the villain stops yelling at the hero, and all is calm.

BUT <cue forboding music> there is financial problems brewing…

First, they cut off the schools internet service, lack of payment, then its the water, then threats for power, etc, creditors, revenue canada, receiver general, its bad bad bad…

There is no money for printer or copier paper, no money for anything. Pays are bouncing again, health insurance is suspended for lack of payment.

the villain (owner) appears to be gearing up for bankruptcy, at first our hero is releived! She has faith that the dept of education will step in and educate her precious students, and that she will be laid off, will receive tasty unemployment benefits and she will have time to find better work. OR the dept of ed might keep our hero at the school to answer phones, do transcripts, etc.

Sweet deal for all.

The hero finds out today that is not the case at all.

IF the villain goes bankrupt, the trustees seize all funds, including payroll, the shareholders get whatever is in the bank, and fuck the staff. NO PAYCHECKS. as far as benefits - NOPE, none, cant get unemployment without having your ‘record of employment’ or ROE. Its up to the trustees to do up the ROE for all staff, and it takes weeks and weeks to get around to it.

So, the hero, who has been looking desperately for work since her second week at HELL college, keeps looking, and find nothing.

Should she quit NOW, and get her pay, her record of employment and HOPE that the Unemployment people will give her benefits (not supposed to if you quit) or should she stick it out and hope against hope that she doesnt end up on welfare?

I am really freaked out. I cant afford to lose a whole paycheck, or more, and i certainly cant afford to go months with no income!

WHAT AM I GONNA DO??? :smack:

2

Quit. Quit immediately.

I’ve played this game more than once. If YOU choose when to act, you can salvage as much as you can. Being unemployed sucks, but at least you can strike while the iron is hot and maybe salvage your paychecks.

If you let your BOSS make your decisions, you will be up the creek without any rowing implements. Your paychecks will bounce sky high, and the boss will weep big tears, boo hoo hoo. He’s got bigger problems than his employees’ paychecks.

I have always made it a rule of thumb: NEVER WORK FOR ANYONE whose priorities do NOT include paying me. Charity work is one thing, but I expect to get paid for a job. When paychecks bounce, it’s time to move on. When the boss begins to play any kind of weird games with my pay, it’s time to quit.

3

Quit so you can search for something else full-time. Do temp work or night shifts at a restaurant if you have to, to make ends meet. At least you’ll be PAID for your shit work there.

Even if you get your pay checks, and all the back pay checks it sounds like you’re owed, you’re still not being paid everything you’re entitled to with this job. The suspension of your health insurance is a BIG deal. For me, that would be tantamount to my employer saying: “Not only do we not have the ability or the caring necessary to PAY you, but we don’t really care if you get sick and have to go into debt because we screwed up.” It’s just an extra little slap in the face.

Do you know the new, not evil, director well enough to ask him to fire you? Could you count on him firing you if you didn’t show up for work or refused to do anything while there? I imagine you don’t want to tank any positive reference you might get from this current job, but getting unemployment would really help you out a lot right now, it sounds like.

Good luck with everything.

4

Mez 'em all and gate out.

Seriously, though, is there any temp agencies or other types of places where you could get a quick job to tide you over until you find a real job? You might not want to make a career of, say, working at Target, but if it pays the bills and gets you out of the Hell Job then it might be a good idea.

I second the idea of trying to get fired instead of quitting - or, even better, get laid off because of budget cuts. Who knows? They might go for the idea if you suggest it. Then you’d definitely have unemployment to count on.

5

I am so scared right now, i am unable to concentrate on anything, i cant do my work!

It all seems so pointless :frowning:

I am afraid to quit, i have a phobia about confrontation… the last person who gave two weeks notice was escorted off the property.

He is so intimidating.

The director is an angel, but she lacks the power to fire me, and being fired would GUARANTEE no unemployment benefits.

I cant work shifts, i have two kids and no spouse, i promised the boys i would be home every night, thats why we sacrificed so i could be in school full time, I promised i would never work shifts again.

Temp work will soften the blow i guess. I do have marketable temp skills, I can type (cant tell here eh?) i speak french, file, i am database and excell whiz.

I feel so sick right now, i went to FUCKING SCHOOL to get a SAFE SECURE job, i tried HARD in school, goddamn deans list, i barely missed a day of class, i took only three days off when Mom died, THREE!!! i came back on friday before her funeral to write my accounting test!

This is NOT what i went to school for. Fuck i am falling apart.

6

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WITH UNEMPLOYMENT PRIOR TO QUITTING!
In Florida if you quit you are NOT eligible for unemployment.

With that said…look for work at a temporary office. Take time off at lunch to go and take the required tests and fill out applications. Tell them you want a long term assignement. As soon as they call you with a long term assignment leave HELL COLLEGE.

This way you will never be without pay.

If your paycheck bounces you can call the state and get them involved right away. They will handle all the legalities of getting your pay that is owed.

Don’t forget to say your prayers at night.

Good luck!

7

They wont let me go, not ever. I will be the last one off this sinking ship…

Nobody else knows the files, nobody else can run the database, they cant do anything without me to wipe their bums, they wont lay me off, wont fire me.

25 minutes till lunch, then i will go home and curl in a ball in my bed for an hour.

8

Where are you living, kelli? It sounds like you’re in Canada. If you are in a large city like Calgary, rest assured that if you are willing to answer phones, you can be working as a temp tomorrow. You could probably have a good job as a receptionist by the end of the week. The receptionists at the oil and gas companies in downtown Calgary make good money, complete with benefits. Drop off your resume in person to all the temp agencies (they don’t really look at the ones that are faxed or mailed in), and use your lunch hours to go test with the temp agencies, and once that is done, quit quit quit. Or just not show up anymore - all bets are off once they bounce ONE paycheque.

Don’t write EI off completely, either. They’re not completely heartless bastards (just mostly). If you tell them about the bouncing paycheques and abusive boss, they may be willing to bend the rules a little for you.

9

featherlou has it right kelli - in a large Canadian city you should be able to find something within 2 weeks, temp stuff right away.

Where are you?

10

kelli-

Don’t give up! Like Isabelle said, know your rights. (My suggestion of getting your boss to fire you was based on US unemployment rules, so obviously that won’t work in your case since you’re Canadian.) I understand that you have a fear of confrontation, but you are worth being paid and the benefits your employer promised you. If you have to, come in this weekend and leave a letter of termination on the bad guy’s desk. Tell him in the letter that you will not speak with him directly, but rather only through a lawyer, or some such person. I know that costs money too, but you can’t let youself be trapped at Hell College just because you’re the only one who’s competent and your boss is an asshole. If all you want to do at lunch is curl up in a ball on your bed, you’re not really even surviving, let alone living.

Please don’t lock yourself into this problem.

11

Kelli,

I am in the most similar situation (although my employer is a 49 year old female (insanity-laden-materialistic-psycho) who only retains her office for purposes of social status in her ritzy little neighborhood. The business itself is a joke.

What I HATE, and what I understand from your situation is how eveyone you talk to gives you a stupid look and just says, “well, just quit!” Ha!

Like it’s that easy.

There are so many factors involved, that unless someone is standing EXACTLY in your own shoes they will never truly understand what you are feeling and experiencing.

I have been “stuck” here for two years now. My co-worker (also female) has been delegated to grocery shopping, gassing the LEXUS SUV, for my boss. Last week, she was told to go over to my employer’s house, take a magic marker, and color in the letter “Y” on the front porch doormat that sits in front of their house (her last name starts with “Y”)

The job market is not well, and with a college degree, and extreme unhappiness about my situation, I can only hope that I get the courage to go back to school. I loved college. I loved school, just don’t know what to go back for.

I hope you can keep your head up, and I sympathize - but could not give you advice without knowing more specifics. I will keep checking to see what your status is!!!

12

Oh Kelli! Haven’t got a damned thing to offer except the hope something good happens and soon.

13

Are you certain that a bounced pay-check doesn’t count as a lay-off?

About the confrontation: you have to do it.
After you arrange a new job, or unemployment:
Subtly remove all personal stuff; get copies of everything you need (job description, documents you have written, you get the idea); get ready to walk out the door.

On a FRIDAY morning walk in with a typed and signed letter of resignation, or go in EARLY and type one at your desk (no, that won’t work, no paper). Say you are leaving for a better oportunity, or because the paycheck bounced; do not complain about boorish bosses in writing, it can be made to make you look like a whiner.

Do NOT quit verbally. Carry a very small pocket-book, with nothing personal in it.

Go into the director’s office. Say you have to speak to the Evil One and her together immediately. If she will not arrange that, hand her the letter then. Tell her you understand you must be escorted from the building immediately, and want to wait in her office.

If any-one tries to discuss your resignation, keep repeating your original reason; do NOT be drawn into a discussion, or forced to justify your decision.

If they want you to work out your two weeks, tell them you feel your position is too sensitive, and that you fear being accused undeservedly of unprofessional behavior. Insist on being escorted from the building immediately.

And have a little sympathy for your villian (very little); he’s going through the same thing your are, and he can’t type.

14

Kelli: Your health and sanity are never worth sacrificing to stay in a job you hate.

Looking for a job is a scary thought. For me, the process has always been grueling and full of uncertainty. But every time, I ended up someplace better. Once, for reasons too boring to go into in any detail, I stayed for far too long in a job I wasn’t happy with. Good pay, good work, but some idiot bosses like you describe. My only regret is I didn’t get out sooner. And finding another job wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.

Cardinal rule is, it’s always easier to land a job when you have one. So don’t quit – just start applying everywhere.

Best of luck.

15

Lots of good advice here, and i thank you all.

I am gonna wait and see what happens tomorrow. Admissions is in the same boat as me, and they have leaked to EI people the incredibly BAD conditions we are working under.

I hate to leave and lose health insurance, i had to wait so long to GET it, and then had to save the cash for my initial pay out (we take receipts to blue cross and get reimbursed) and evil boss SWEARS it will be back up by tuesday…

He says alot will be fixed tuesday (first day of term) when the student loans come in.

I think when the big quit comes, it will be en masse. my whole department will likely go at once.

I have been looking CONSTANTLY, got one interview. OH, and i am in New Brunswick, thats all i better say.

Thanks for the help guys, and j66, if/when i quit, thats EXACTLY how i will do it, thank you!

16

I don’t know Canadian law, but if the employer’s paychecks are bouncing, you haven’t been paid, as required by law. In that case, the employer is violating your contract (or the contract implied by employment at will, or the Canadian equivalent) In many jurisdictions, this is very different from simply ‘up and quitting’.

You might want to call the relevant Unemployment Department and ask them about your case (simply telling them "My employer hasn’t been paying me, but has been writing me worthless checks and expecting me to keep working) Try to talk to someone who actually handles cases, and get their name, in case the Unemployment Office gives you any grief later.

As I said, I don’t know the Canadian system, but I thought this might get you started. Waiting for the bankruptcy is the worst possible course. The default action usually is - who would stick around if they thought they had better options?

17

Can I just suggest you talk to the EI people first and maybe get a feel for how sympathetic they are about your situation?

Good luck. I can’t imagine being in that situation.

18

UPDATE:

School has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Greaaaaaaaaat. SO payroll will be met by the trustees for now, untill enough students quit and then they can close this shithole.

19

ARG! Didn’t you already lose your health insurance because your fool boss bounced checks there?

20

Kelli: I’m pretty sure where you’re working is the place I went to college - does the word “success” mean anything to you?

I’m sorry about it - I’d really encourage applying over at xwave if you can take the weird shifts - the money is better and the benefits are good (and within the last year they’ve trained people who didn’t know squat about PCs, so your background wouldn’t be a hinderance AFAIK - at the -very- least I know you know how to post here :wink: so you can use a mouse!) Also I’ve seen people who were on the floor moved ‘up’ to office staff so you’d have a chance of getting something in your field with a good (mostly) stable company.