Well, after almost twenty six years, I have left my job. Started in nov. of '81 as a floor mechanic in a contruction/ sand gravel operation. Done about everything there from clean toilets to run a hot top plant. But, as you all know, things evolve, and the lack of young people interested in mechanics and maintenance slowly shriveled our work force. As people retired, or left, manangement could not, or would not, hire to replace. I was shop foreman for about ten years, when fourteen months ago the road mechanic left. That left a 71 year old man, a guy with no drivers license, and me. Care to guess who had to do it? and still try to run the garage?. Just temporary, they said. and it was fourteen months, long months, some winter months, did not like it, hated it. I pissed and moaned and made peoples lives miserable. Still no hire, no classified ads, no nuthin'. So I gave my notice, said my good byes and left. Last Friday, at the end of the day, everybody had left, I stood, alone, with the lights out, and tried to imagine the hours I had spent working on that concrete floor, the miles that I had put on a creeper on that floor, the amount of shoe sole that I had left on that floor. I locked the front door, put my shop keys on the desk, raised the big garage door enough so I could walk through it, push the down button, and walked out, my heart just a little bit broken. So now a new day begins, out looking for a job, start from square one, exit stage left. tc
Good for you,hope you find something better. AND I hope the Dumb Fuck "management" wakes up... but probably not since they still get theirs.
Good luck in your newest endeavors,,,And always remember a healthy piece of mind is worth more than any employer's paycheck could ever offer
Their loss. No one wants to hire help anymore and every American worker is doing three jobs.My Sister works at Penny's and is doing 3. It's messed up!
I think a lot of people wish they were brave enough to mimic your decision and take action when the situiation is unhealthy. On to bigger and better things now~!
same here. I work shift work and the one thing that is NOT budgeted is overtime. We have lots of it and managent doesnt seem to care one way or another about our home lives. just keep showing up is all they care about.... Good for you man, as one door closes.....
What did the managemant have to say when you handed them your resignation? Did they offer you anything to stay? Management LOVES overtime... a worker and a half, and they only have to pay benefits for one worker.
That's the fucking truth right there man! I'm working shift jobs right now and can't find a damn teaching job to save my life. The nation cries like babies that they need educators, but aren't willing to hire. Anyways, sorry to steal the thread with that rant. It's a sad thing to hear when a guy gives a company so many years and it doesn't end on a good note...well a happy/positive note. Good luck with the job search! I'm sure the HAMB will be rooting for ya and could prolly provide some avenues for future jobs as well.
"Work-Life Balance" is what my firm affectionately calls it. Its written right on the firms glossy brochured "o-mission statement". Its not just for blue collar employees anymore. While putting in 50 hour weeks working for a local engineering firm doing concrete and steel design, I thought it would be a great idea to go back to school and get an expensive bachelor of science in accounting degree with enough credits to sit for the CPA exam. I then left my hourly design job for salaried "professional" position with a large regional accounting firm (big mistake). My department started out 2007 with 13 of us, 6 left for obvious reasons, that is when those of us that remained got called into the partner's board room for the "don't panic" speach. Panic.... hell that was months ago! Our workload is the same that we had with 13, and I am unfortunately not one of the corner window office elite with a vast amount of experience to jump right to the next firm. With another corporate tax season looming I am looking for any hourly job again that gives me Saturdays off and keeps me from having to live out of suitcase for 5 months of the year. All my buddies from the drafting/design days are asking how's the degree working out, well aside from the $6,000 pay cut, not seeing my family or being able to sit down because of the regular "not meeting revenue goals" ass chewing... the degree is super. Looking to get back with an engineering firm. s.
If you have the gifts of health, time, and an organized approach, then there's nothing like floating some new possibilities. 26 years(?) is a measure of loyalty as well. Some of this activity includes networking with others, and before choosing, a lot of careful observation. I've had best success working with/for people I respected as they offered it in return.
"Management" in this case, is a family run affair. Grandfather founded it, Father made it prosper, Son is saddled with the responsibility of sustaining it. The father is now in semi retirement, and the son is not bearing the pressure well. It shows, In the way he conducts business, In the way he interacts with people (especially his crew). My direct boss, the plant superintendant, was dissapointed,(as well he should be, because he will have to run the shop, untill a new hire is found), But none of the family even made eye contact with me during my last to weeks. By the way, I saw the ad for my job at the job center" Wanted, Heavy equipment shop foreman, must have working knowedge of construction equipment and heavy class 8 trucks, NO TOOLS REQUIRED, (insert much griding of teeth here please), They never offered me that opportunity. End of the biterness now guys, Thanx tc
SWDOBBS - I feel ya. I worked at Dell Computers for 1 year - every single week I worked 60-70 hours. And I was salary too, so no Overtime or Comp time, just a royal screwing from Michael Dell. They lied to me right from the get-go. Told me my shift would be 2pm-10:30pm, within a month, I my shift was changed to 4pm-2:30am . My wife loved that . Then 4pm-2:30am turned into 1pm-2:30am, plus 4-8 hours on Saturday. It's crazy - this is the company's expectation! People used to do this because they would get rich off the stocks (Dellionaires they call them) but now there's nothing like that - sure they pay a great salary, but not to work 70 hours a week...... Ben
#1 bad sign. Every family business I've seen is a cluster fuck in one way or another. My favorite quote from Scott Adams: "Leadership is the art of convincing other people to do the right things for you. Management is the art of sitting around waiting for the right thing to happen,so you can take credit for it."
Wish I had your guts. I've been employed at the same factory for 30yrs on Labor Day. I got my 30 yr bonus, but no type of congrats from my boss or anyone in upper managment. I started on the floor at $3.25 an hr. I'm now making a decent salary as a line supervisor, but I hate the place. If it wasn't for the insurance and the fact that I'm in the proceess of opening a resturant with my wife, I'd been gone yrs ago. I've been passed over on promotions because my boss doen't like me but can't find reason to fire me, he hopes to get me mad so I'll quit, but I play mind games with him. I love to see him squirm when I outsmart him in his own game. I do have detication to my job and do it well. At my age I really can't afford to just walk, so I stick it out. Hopefully I'll get the better of him until then......... Any ways GOOD LUCK your next adventure in life, find what you want and stick with it.
One door closes, another opens...do not let your age tell you, or anyone else for that matter, you are done...it's all bullshit...FIND a new career you LIKE...it may take some time to do that...but you will, eventually, be it a new business...or simply a "pastime"...then you can enjoy your own days, at your own pace... I did it twelve years ago and NEVER looked back...eight years ago I decided I wanted to write for a living...I went to school, learned how...and now I have two books published, another coming out in December (I think about then), I write a column for GoodGuy's, I've done freelance features for magazines and am currently working on two fictional thriller novels...and get paid for all of it. Enjoy your newfound freedom... R-
Unfortunately,being able to do the job is secondary,in many cases. Being liked,by the right people,and playing along with their games, is more important.
Sorry to here about the job . hope your economy is better than here in michigan . its so bad here i found out this a.m. that michigan was on e-bay
I did that once--couple of months later went by old place to get some empty barrels and boss took me to lunch. Asked what it would take to get me back -- seems he didn't know how much I did until I wasn't there to do it. Good luck -- hope it turns out well.
I second this notion. The owner of the company I work for is super-cool, and takes care of us, but my direct supervisor is a major doosh-bag (not spelled right, I know) and his hiring of only HIS bible-thumping family and friends is getting old..... I wish you the best of luck.... They say if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life, and I am a firm believer in this.... I still DO NOT love what I do however..... James
Yea, but they want to make sure the CFO is getting his 40 million a year, Plus a bonus! wtf is wrong with that picture!!!!
Hang in there. I did basically the same thing 9 years ago after 26 years with one company for just about the same reasons. Got with some friends, started our own deal. I'm finally able to do some things I wantedto do all those years but never had the time or the resources. I'm putting together my F-1 in my new shop. It would have been impossible had I stayed where I was. You'll do fine.
If you are willing to move to SC and know FRAMEWORKS or Microstation we can put you to work! send your resume to [email protected]
I was thinking the exact same thing when I got done reading that! I could see the whole scene in my head Jimmy
stepsideclyde, Good luck........It's a bit scary at first but......that'll pass. How do I know? Well......2 short yrs. ago I did the same thing......cept over vacation time - MY vacation time. I told them I was giving notice because they didn't have ANY intergrity (which they didn't) and two weeks later, with working the last day on overtime to get my last project finished........I made the long walk up the stairs. My boss had not talked to me the whole notice time except around 2 p.m. in the afternoon.......said he couldn't understand how I could just leave....my reply was I could not come into work everyday knowing that they were getting over on me & that it'd be a cancer that would eat me away over time. I've never looked back. Went in a different direction, found a small company that appreciates me & my talent. We'll see howlong this will go. Again - best of luck. It's better to be able to look yourself in the mirror each morning unemployed than hating your work everyday. Paco
GO west young man! Matter of fact send me a resume if you think you might like Colorado. Pretty good weather year-round. I have a shop and plenty of heavy equipment to work on, just not enough mature qualified help. If you know anything about electrontic, hydraulics, trucks, Gomaco concrete pavers, concrete plants etc..... I am looking for a mechanic or two and a shop foreman
Obviously,he wasn't doing HIS job if he didn't know exactly what you did every day. But I'm sure he got paid anyway.
I wish you the best. Never really thought there were so many others out there that work for a uppety cocksucker like I do. I've threatened to boogie from here for years just haven't snatched up my nads and did it. Want to, boy do I want to. I'd even like to give the old turtle face a knuckle sammich or drop a big steaming turd in the seat of his truck...ooops getting carried away.....Its became a 'family biz here too. He brought his 29 y.o. son in a little over a year ago and since we've lost 3 good hands. This 'kid' is 28 y.o. & this is his 1st full time job. He's lived off of mommy & daddy for the whole time. Don't know shit but Suduko (sp?) and is gonna be the man someday. I'm 45 and have spent 1/2 of my adult life here with this lazy motherfucker. Always takes the credit, works maybe 5 hours a week. Didn't earn the place or start it. One day he awoke to a call from the then owners. One wanted out. The other honestly went fuckin ga ga and gave millions away to some purple robe, Nike wearing, kool-aid swillin cult of some kind. Fat ass was in the right place at the perfect time. Became an owner rather than a mgr overnight. Got a killa up in pay that more than coompensated his buyout pymts. Doesn't know shit about the co or the industry. No shit. You and the other posters have given me a boost I needed. I don't know any of you but here's the virtual handshake. Thankyou. Maybe I'll do those concrete countertops ( my dream of my own biz) afterall. Again, good luck man.... Dertybert
The Jalopy Journal
