Okay, so I have worked in the same store (a pet food store) for the past 5 years. I started during my last year of high school, continued during my four years of university, and for some reason stayed after I graduated last year. I have been working full time for two years. I like working in retail, I like the customers, and I usually like the people I work with (I mean, they piss me off sometimes, but you are bound to get pissed off at people you see more than you see your own family, right?)
I was going to quit when I started university, but the owner, who I have always liked, asked me to stay, told me I was like part of their family (it’s a small store, at the time I was the only employee,), so I did.
After I graduated instead of going off and getting a job in my field (I graduated as chem. tech, but I could put another year in and become a chem. engineer) I stayed at the store, Which I am sure sounds strange to lots of you, engineers start at like $50 000 per year, and I only make $23 000, and that’s working about 60 hours per week. But I ** like ** my job. The people I work for have always been great to me, when my parents kicked me out of the house they let me stay with them until I bought my own place. I like helping people with their pets, and I like the feeling I am making a difference (I have set up an adoption program between the store and the local humane society where we take animals into the store who were going to be put down and find them homes). I really don’t see why I need more money anyway, I own my own house, I have a relatively new car, and I am a happy person.
I work in the store currently with the man who owns the place, and another full-time employee. The owner’s wife has gone back to school. Three days ago the wife took my co-worker and I out to lunch and told us there were going to be changes in hours. But she wouldn’t tell us what. She said the store hasn’t been doing well since a pet super centre opened in the area (two years ago) and they need to cut costs. Now, I’m going to mention that the store just bought a new $40 000 car, and the store is paying for her to go to school. They just came back from a two weeklong ski trip, and this march they are going to Florida with their kids for a month,
Yesterday they bring my schedule in. They have cut me down to 28 hours per week. Starting this week. No way I can pay my mortgage with the amount of money. I am not really worried about the money though; I don’t think I will have that much trouble finding work. That’s not what this is about. I am upset because I have worked for these people for 5 freaking years. This holiday so that they could go away I worked way more hours than I wanted to. I have brought many, many big customers to this store…several humane societies’ and many dog sledders buy their food from us because I went out and sold them on us. I have worked very hard for not much money, because I like what I do, and I believed them when they said I was part of their family. I have been a loyal employee.
Three days notice is no way to treat your family.
The other part that offends me is that the hours change is only in effect until March (because that is when they will be going on vacation, so it will be convenient for me to be working full-time again). I almost wish they would have just fired me, at least then I could have said I must have been doing something wrong, instead of having had to come to the realization that these people who I thought were my friends were actually just self centred pricks.
Or am I being unreasonable?
No, I don’t think you are being unreasonable. However, I can see the story from both sides. If you are as close with the owners as you indicate, like family, are you not comfortable enough with them to bring up the issue of everything you have done for them? Or maybe find someway to encourage greater revenue for less expenses? Maybe ask them if there is anything you can do to help out, because you would like to maintain your current level of income, and yet understand their position.
The thing about it is I am obviously not as close to them as I thought I was.
I can see it from their side too, and we did talk about doing other things, cutting back on outside suppliers so that hours would not have to be cut back, more advertising. She said she would think about it and let us know. That was during the luch (* the lunch *) three days ago, so I guess she decided cutting back hours was the way to go.
The other thing that bothered me that I forgot to mention was that the lady who does property maintaince for this strip mall knew my hours were going to be cut back before I did. What’s up with that?
Unfortunately as much you feel like (and they tell you) that you’re family, this is primarily a business relationship and in the end they will do what is best for the business and themselves.
This can be a difficult lesson to learn. I wish I had some good advice other than to chalk it up to experience.
Sorry to hear of your troubles.
Well, like I said, I don’t consider myself to be in trouble, I am just…I dunno, shocked is a strong word, but surprised I guess. And a little angry. But thanks for the support Zoid.
Last September my pay was cut by 30 percent. I didn’t even give notice, I just walked. I contributed a LOT to the company I worked for and was (and still am) highly pissed at them.
I’m living on unemployment now (look into it, you might be eligible if you were cut from 40 to 28 hours per week) and struggling, but everytime I think about walking out on those assholes I get a BIG grin!! 
It was worth it to me, although YMMV.
Seems to me loyalty in a company should go both ways. It doesn’t look as if your loyalty is appreciated. And appreciation or not, you have bills to pay - you need to do what you have to in order to meet your obligations.
If that had happened to me, I’d be looking elsewhere for work. Hope you can work things out to your satisfaction. Good luck.
Now you know they market value of loyality. Reality sucks, huh?
Get the resume out there - and give them as much notice as they gave you.
Yeah. Don’t keep working for them and give them the satisfaction of STILL taking advantage of your misplaced loyalty.
The reason you’re upset is because you are realizing that your loyalty was misplaced – you were loyal to them in a way that obviously they aren’t to you. Continuing to work for them even after they cut your hours like that will just show them even more that they can do whatever they like to you because you’re such a caring person.
Get another job and don’t look back. You enjoyed your time with them and now it’s over.
That’s my advice anyway.
Just shake it off Magayuk. I can see their side and yours. You say you have a degree, right? If you can get a job making more money by all means go-for-it! Yes, I know you like your job at the pet store. I would too. But take that degree, earn you some real money for as long as you have to, and then look into opening your own pet store. That will make their butts pucker, you think their worried about the competition now. Wait till they found out their ex-employee just opened up shop in town. You probably know more than enough about the job to do just that and give them a run for the money$$$ Good luck!
This is a fairly unusual story that you have put in the time and effort and have a technical degree in a well compensated field and you’re focused on your hours being cut back at the pet store? Are you going to do anything with that degree or have you decided chem tech is not for you at this point?
Um… gee, bud, I don’t know how to put this nicely, but it sounds to me like you were lied to, used, and generally jacked around by your employers.
I’m sorry. I realize that this is no comfort whatsoever, but you’re in good and generous company. LOTS of us out here have been there…
I did a month long placement as part of my degree…turns out it was something I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life (or the rest of that month really) doing. And the thing is, I did well in school, but I did come to the realization that I probably wouldn’t do that well working in the field (my lab tech said I was an “incident” waiting to happen).
Not that I planned on working in the store forever either, I’m just not sure what I want to do. Go back to school for something. But I wasn’t in a rush.
Thanks for listening all, I know lots of you have been though something similar, so I am in good company anyway.