I might loose my job

[Milk-Drops]

I currently work at a cell phone store that is privately owned by 2 people. It was a great job when I first started, decent base pay and great commission and benefits. I had full time and my coworkers were great.

About 4 months after I started ( a year ago) the company started to change. Our quotas started skyrocketing, and only one store could make quota. It wasn't from lack of sales, our sales actually started going up, but the quota kept climbing. My pay changed so I only received over the minimum wage base pay if I hit 75% of goal ( which became harder and harder each month because the quota was modeled after our largest store and I work at a satellite with about a 1/5th of the population.

Dental was dropped, I went several months on about a 3rd of what I used to make a year ago. Every once in awhile I'd get thrown a bone but then I'd go back to just the base pay. I stuck through it because it still payed slightly more than my last job. Then Mileage was cut and I was made to drive to a store location about 50 miles from my home store. The staff was required to be on half hour meetings every week without pay, and if you didn't your regular hours would be cut.

I offered to be part of a project that was supposed to be more pay an hour, but as soon as I volunteered the owners decided to not increase my pay but demanded I still do all the extra work. We don't have lunch breaks yet are expected to work 12 hr days most of the week. There are mandatory work functions that if you don't attend you loose hours and the owners will actually tell customers that you can't be trusted.

I want to quit but with limited job opportunities in my area and trying to help my family I'm kind of stuck. I now fear for my job because the owners demanded I give even more of my time and even spend unpayed hours on their projects, then added several more stipulations to my sales quota so I couldn't afford to buy my Mom A Christmas gift this year. So I stood up for myself and said I wouldn't work the unpayed work, so they owners threatened to black ball me if I quit. There are barely any written records of anything in the store for meetings and how we are paid so I can't prove most of this to authorities. The place is run relentlessly with 10 to 18 day work weeks so its hard to interview, but the hours are chopped up so that we still barely make 40 a week. The only reason I'm afraid of loosing my job is because I don't want to loose my vehicle ( I bought before the job went to heck), and I don't want my heat and water to get turned off again. I live paycheck to paycheck as is.

I literally miss Walmart after this experience. I just had to vent.

 

[Mike S]

I currently work at a cell phone store that is privately owned by 2 people. It was a great job when I first started, decent base pay and great commission and benefits. I had full time and my coworkers were great.

About 4 months after I started ( a year ago) the company started to change. Our quotas started skyrocketing, and only one store could make quota. It wasn't from lack of sales, our sales actually started going up, but the quota kept climbing. My pay changed so I only received over the minimum wage base pay if I hit 75% of goal ( which became harder and harder each month because the quota was modeled after our largest store and I work at a satellite with about a 1/5th of the population.

Dental was dropped, I went several months on about a 3rd of what I used to make a year ago. Every once in awhile I'd get thrown a bone but then I'd go back to just the base pay. I stuck through it because it still payed slightly more than my last job. Then Mileage was cut and I was made to drive to a store location about 50 miles from my home store. The staff was required to be on half hour meetings every week without pay, and if you didn't your regular hours would be cut.

I offered to be part of a project that was supposed to be more pay an hour, but as soon as I volunteered the owners decided to not increase my pay but demanded I still do all the extra work. We don't have lunch breaks yet are expected to work 12 hr days most of the week. There are mandatory work functions that if you don't attend you loose hours and the owners will actually tell customers that you can't be trusted.

I want to quit but with limited job opportunities in my area and trying to help my family I'm kind of stuck. I now fear for my job because the owners demanded I give even more of my time and even spend unpayed hours on their projects, then added several more stipulations to my sales quota so I couldn't afford to buy my Mom A Christmas gift this year. So I stood up for myself and said I wouldn't work the unpayed work, so they owners threatened to black ball me if I quit. There are barely any written records of anything in the store for meetings and how we are paid so I can't prove most of this to authorities. The place is run relentlessly with 10 to 18 day work weeks so its hard to interview, but the hours are chopped up so that we still barely make 40 a week. The only reason I'm afraid of loosing my job is because I don't want to loose my vehicle ( I bought before the job went to heck), and I don't want my heat and water to get turned off again. I live paycheck to paycheck as is.

I literally miss Walmart after this experience. I just had to vent.

I pray you can find work where you can be happy, productive, and well paid. I think you've probably earned that by this time.

 

[Milk-Drops]

I pray you can find work where you can be happy, productive, and well paid. I think you've probably earned that by this time.

Thanks Mike, I'm just a tired man. Had to close down my side business of computer and cell phone repair because of that heck hole. Asked if it was a problem when I interviewed, was told it was fine as long as I promoted their business. then they hired a guy to fix cell phones and bullied me into packing up. I'm about to reopen if I get the chance.

 

[Mike S]

Milk-Drops, I understand. I eventually had to run my own small business in order to be happy. It was a lot more work, but I was a whole lot happier.

 

[AirDancer]

You're in my prayers, Milk-Drops .

Give your hiring documents a read. If there's nothing in them pertaining to side work, particularly competing side work, then go ahead and get your former business up & running.

 

[Milk-Drops]

My handbook has nothing preventing me from having my side business in computer and cell repair. The company actually stopped handing out hand books and even asked us to return ours because they keep changing rules. I actually learned this last week I had a boss and an inventory manager over me that I had no idea existed. The place is nuts. I made copies of my handbook before I handed it over and some of the stuff was interesting. Last year at the Christmas party they gave me a gift basket of soap from the dollar store while everyone else get a jacket. Want to talk about embarrassing, one of the owners even came up to me and started hinting at my hygiene afterwards....................I shower daily sometimes twice.

 

[Eugene]

Dear Milk-Drops, I'm sure sorry to hear of the situation you find yourself, but with less pay, decreased benefits, and increased hours assigned, it really appears to be a blessing to get away from that business before wasting more time with them. I too will pray for new opportunities to be presented, and that this all works together for your good in the long run.

 

[AirDancer]

That could be viewed as a form of harassment.

As unobtrusively as possible, I'd ask if there's a recent copy of the hand book that could be reviewed. My concern would be there's something in the company's 'rules' that would prevent you from starting up your business again.

 

[Milk-Drops]

Dear Milk-Drops, I'm sure sorry to hear of the situation you find yourself, but with less pay, decreased benefits, and increased hours assigned, it really appears to be a blessing to get away from that business before wasting more time with them. I too will pray for new opportunities to be presented, and that this all works together for your good in the long run.

Thanks Eugene, I'm definitely trying. I hope something comes up soon.

 

[Corn Pop]

Thats the world we live in. Its always about the employer, business and profit.

My boss is having a winge because I didnt go work today, its the last work day and im flying home. If they not happy they need not have a cry about just sack me and see if I care. They put others on fulltime after me, 3 month probation I been there 6 months, and I get no holiday pay, no entitlements and im classed as a casual even I work 40 hours a week. And they cry because a casual has a day off.

 

[Milk-Drops]

That could be viewed as a form of harassment.

As unobtrusively as possible, I'd ask if there's a recent copy of the hand book that could be reviewed. My concern would be there's something in the company's 'rules' that would prevent you from starting up your business again.

There is no handbook anymore. As I mentioned the company asked for all copies back and now everything is just a piece of paper they make new hires sign. There has been a new handbook in the works for about a year now with no news. Several other employees have burnt the bridge and ran as soon as they could. If it wasn't for my gramps and newly purchased used truck I would have ran as well. I'll probably try and get a part time job and as soon as I start I'll reopen my business on the side.

 

[Mike S]

Hey, Milk-Drops, if all else fails, give me a call. They'll have a lot of cars with New Jersey plates around their business the next day. Nothing like a bunch of knee-busting gumbas to give them an attitude adjustment.

 

[Milk-Drops]

Hey, Milk-Drops, if all else fails, give me a call. They'll have a lot of cars with New Jersey plates around their business the next day. Nothing like a bunch of knee-busting gumbas to give them an attitude adjustment.

 

[AirDancer]

There is no handbook anymore. As I mentioned the company asked for all copies back and now everything is just a piece of paper they make new hires sign. There has been a new handbook in the works for about a year now with no news. Several other employees have burnt the bridge and ran as soon as they could. If it wasn't for my gramps and newly purchased used truck I would have ran as well. I'll probably try and get a part time job and as soon as I start I'll reopen my business on the side.

Your New Year's Resolution is: Open your business as early in January as possible. It might take a bit of time to get it up & running. Then, tell the person who does the scheduling that you can't work 12 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Employment laws require a lunch break for people working over a certain number of hours. There's also that 15 minute break in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon for full time employees. Also, if you're paid hourly, then, in many states, hours over 40 worked are to be paid in time-and-a-half or set aside as comp time that can be used at a later date. You could look online for the laws in your state.

 

[Milk-Drops]

Your New Year's Resolution is: Open your business as early in January as possible. It might take a bit of time to get it up & running. Then, tell the person who does the scheduling that you can't work 12 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Employment laws require a lunch break for people working over a certain number of hours. There's also that 15 minute break in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon for full time employees. Also, if you're paid hourly, then, in many states, hours over 40 worked are to be paid in time-and-a-half or set aside as comp time that can be used at a later date. You could look online for the laws in your state.

Indiana doesn't require lunch or breaks. Being a right to work state makes it fuzzy. I do get overtime, but as I stated the hours are chopped up. I"ll work an 11 hour day one day, an 8 hour day the next, 2 twelves, then a 5, or your work 10, 7hr days in a row. Its nuts. We also only get our schedules the day before the next scheduled work week. I've never worked in such and insane environment. This started getting like this last year after Christmas and just kept getting worse. If I somehow get my commission check this month I'll probably just throw my arms up and just quit. I'm seriously just done with this place. My Mom has offered to help me out a little, but I don't want to depend on her because she doesn't need the stress. I'm doing what I can and as soon as I see an out I'm taking it.

 

[Lewis]

They should be put in jail

 

[Milk-Drops]

They should be put in jail

It would be nice, but as I mentioned its hard to prove anything because barely anything is written down and everything is slapped together. Its just a mess of a place to work at. It started out great because the hours were reasonable and the owners didn't come off as loons when I started. Most of the people I worked with had been there for years and enjoyed the job. Something happened last year and ever since the owners have just become vindictive and hateful. I think around Feb last year when the Commission and pay structure changed 6 of the 10 plus year people left. Only a handful of people I started with are left and most are in the same situation I'm in, family obligations or got suckered in and have a hard time escaping.

 

[Mike]

I feel for you, brother. So many employers are cutting their cost of doing business by chipping and even hacking at employee benefits. I left my last job, because they had a pay increase freeze. I interviewed internally and was offered the promotion. Although it was a few levels higher with more responsibility, they could only get approval to keep me at the salary I was at.

It's so hard to mount a serious job search and go through the whole process while you're working so much. And it's extremely tough to prove harassment. You have to prove that it was motivated by personal agendas, and it's costly. There's that spot between a rock and a hard place. My practical suggestion is to make sure your resume is up to date, and scrub it, scrub it, scrub it for perfection. If you're not on LinkedIn, get on it and build a network. That often proves to be invaluable.

The best advice I have is to be in prayer and in the word. Paul said he found the secret of life to be content in all circumstances. That's not always easy or seemingly possible. That's why we need that daily reminder that we are loved immeasurably, and this too shall pass. The trial we're about to face is seldom as bad as we fear. He will see you through. Amen.

 

[Milk-Drops]

Well, it finally happened. I was terminated yesterday after a mixup on the schedule. I'm currently looking for work now. Thanks everyone for the support.

 

[jasonc]

Well, it finally happened. I was terminated yesterday after a mixup on the schedule. I'm currently looking for work now. Thanks everyone for the support.

I will pray for you