My Thursday vent.

Please forgive me now, because this is gonna be loooonnnnngggggg.

For 5 years I ran gas stations. I was the boss, I was responsible and I did my job very well. I trained 4 assistant managers to be managers. One of these people still works as the manager of the station she was running when the company sold her station to someone else.

I was a busy woman. I ordered everything for my store, hand checked the stock in when it was delivered, stocked shelves, stocked coolers, ran the register, dealt with all of the vendors personally, counted cigarettes at least twice a day, hand counted my inventory (sometimes daily-if required). At the beginning of the month, when the new sales started, I changed all of the signage.

If someone called in sick, I was the first person that was called. If I couldn't find someone to cover the shift, then I was the one that went in. I was available to my crew 24/7. If something happened in someone's life and they were unable to work the hours that they had been working for a while, then I would work with them and try to find some kind of schedule that would accomodate them.

When the company I worked for went bankrupt, I was out of a job. I did get a severance package, which wasn't a whole lot. I spent 10 months looking for a new job.

In July, I started working at a local gas station in a LARGE chain as an assistant manager trainee. The manager talked a great game during the interview and I was pumped. I would work for him for a bit and then probably get my own station. This was one hard working guy and someone that, like me, didn't ask his crew to do anything that he would not do himself. Yeah!

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is the laziest man I have ever met! His assistant managers do EVERYTHING! He doesn't do any of the things I used to do unless he absolutely has to. And if you are the one that didn't stock the cooler so that he has to - you sure will hear about it. And don't even try to get a hold of him on the weekends. It isn't going to happen - it is his family time.

A couple of days a month he gives me some training on becoming an assistant manager. The system that this chain uses is VASTLY different then the system my old chain used so to give me two days training two months ago and then expect me to be able to do everything now is ridiculous.

David leaves for Kentucky in a month. When he was filling out the paper work to join the Army, I talked to my boss about scheduling. I explained to him that I was very concerned about leaving my children home every evening alone and most weekends. I asked if it would be possible for me to work days for a while and have some weekends off when David left. "Sure, no problem. You are a good employee, I am sure we can work something out."

Yeah, well, Monday I reminded him of these needs coming up and was told that company policy was the assistant managers do not work the same shifts as managers so I was going to have to work evenings and weekends.

AAARRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since I can't afford to be unemployed right now, it looks like I get to spend my days off looking for a daytime job. These are not easy to come by right now. David did tell me though then when he goes active in December, if my boss is not willing to let me work days so that I am home with my kids, I am to quit this job that I hate so very much and look for a new one then.

Sorry. But I had to vent. Thanks for listening.

What a horrible person why do people do that talk the talk then do nothing annoying!!!
I hope you find a new job he doesnt sound a nice person to work for perhaps theres a better one out there fingers crossed!! :thumbs up

Good luck and just think he wil be sorry when you go he will loose a good employer.

all the best
jackie

LavR I'm sorry to hear that things are so crappy at work, that guy is a man's genital!! It sounds like you're over qualifies for this job anyway and he would be very screwed if you were to leave! That's good for you! Best wishes, I hope things work out!

I will be thinking about you and your family when David goes into active duty!

I am sorry you work for such an idiot. He obviously does appreciate the fact that your husband is going active for his country. You would think he would be appreciative instead of acting like an a$$. I would think most employers would have a little compassion for their employees who have a spouse serving their country. You deserve to work for someone who appreciates your hard work. He is probably one of those guys who takes credit for someone elses work.

I am sorry you work for such an idiot. He obviously does appreciate the fact that your husband is going active for his country. You would think he would be appreciative instead of acting like an a$$. I would think most employers would have a little compassion for their employees who have a spouse serving their country. You deserve to work for someone who appreciates your hard work. He is probably one of those guys who takes credit for someone elses work.

If he didn't take credit for everyone else's work, he wouldn't have a job! The only thing he does is make the schedule and put the daily paperwork into the computer. The other day it took him an hour to do a price survey! To do this you have to drive down the road (about 2.5 miles - round trip) and see what your competitors gas prices are. It takes me 10 minutes if I take the long way.

I will just remind myself that I only have one more month of this and then I am out of there.

LR,
Have you and David talked about you moving to him station with him? After he is permanant party, sometimes even in AIT, the family is allowed to live with the soldier, and they will provide a house for you. I live right on base with James, and it is really nice living here. The there are military stores only, where there is NO sales tax, and food is cheaper. It is worth thinking about.

Ok, LavR, I'm going to go all Zen on you and say this: Everything in the universe happens for a reason. Whatever comes of the situation, just keep that in mind. Maybe this situation was meant to force you to look for a new job, and because of that you'll find something you absolutely love to do. You're in the States, right? Well, there are oodles of telecommuting opportunities for folks in the US. You might want to give some of those a shot. That way, wherever your hubby winds up being stationed, you can take the job with you. Just be careful, because for every legit job there are a handful of scams. If you're so inclined, check out www.wahm.com. They have a job listing, and they try really hard to weed out the scams for you (no, I'm not affiliated with this site at all - just a fan, like with pets.ca :D ). Whatever comes your way, I wish you the best of luck!

LR,
Have you and David talked about you moving to him station with him? After he is permanant party, sometimes even in AIT, the family is allowed to live with the soldier, and they will provide a house for you. I live right on base with James, and it is really nice living here. The there are military stores only, where there is NO sales tax, and food is cheaper. It is worth thinking about.

Having been a military wife before, I can assure you that I have been looking at property in Kentucky already! But alas, I can not move until we sell our current house.

David is an E-4, so housing would be an option. I would like to have a place off base though. I so hate having to ask permission to plant flowers, etc.

I do miss shopping at the PX and the Commissary though. Can't wait to pay less then $45 for a carton of cigarettes either.

I really feel for you Sandi - I know what it's like to work for an incompetent, pompous moron who got where he is either because of relatives or because he has a certain appendage(probably itty bitty :p ) , when you could do the job much better. :mad:

I hope you will find employment with someone who appreciates your qualities and experience!

Anyone know if there is a job out there that involves surfing my forums? I sure would love to get paid for that!

Anyone know if there is a job out there that involves surfing my forums

IF there are, let me know. I've been trying to find a job that will pay me to do internet jigsaw puzzles and drink coffee!:p

Wow, I just responded to the loking for forum work comment and it has somehow disappeared. Weird!!

I just wanted to say I have a friend who left a teaching position at a university to run a web site on resources for web site affiliates and that kind of thing. She works from her home and loves it! So there ARE innovative jobs out there. As for crosswords, that would be fun, lol (I just recently read about some 17 year old who sells his crosswords to the NY Times for $750 each! Now that sounds like a wonderful way to make money!!)

LR,

I am going to miss the PX and commissary. When James leaves for Korea, I am moving back to my hometown. There is a base in the state, but it is a good hour away. I will still shop there, especially for milk and stuff. I mean, you can get a gallon for 1.09 here, at the commissary, but you go off post, and you pay 2.65 for half a gallon!
James and I would like to move off post, but everything is expensive living on the east coast, and the cheapest, is 10 miles out, so he wouldn't be able to come home for lunch and stuff like that. James is E-3 now, and may be promoted again in the next couple of months.
I am hoping that all goes well, and you find a buyer for your house.

If I remember right, from when I was a military wife, the rent near a military base is outrageous! It seemed like all the locals were out to take advantage of the military people! I worked for the telephone company at the time and I was able to keep my job and travel with him. That was in the days when it was just one big company, before the breakup of Ma Bell. Believe me, we needed that 2nd income. I sympathize with your predicament! The military really needs to provide a decent wage to those who are putting their lives on the line serving their country.

Property in Kentucky is CHEAP!!!!!!!!

While I realize that anything I look at online now will probably be long sold by the time we are seriously looking, I have my eye on a couple of places. One is a 4 bedroom, one bath house on 6+ acres of land for $112,000. Around here that would run you $350,000 easy! There are a couple of other places with less land for less money. Easily doable on 1 income, though I might have to get a part time job.

Right now we have a mobile home. Our house payment is about $400 a month plus $475 for lot rent. And the lot rent goes up $15 a year! If they find out about the second dog, then my rent will go up another $10. For this kind of cash, I could have got a $150,000 to $200,000 house and not had to worry about whether I cut the grass this week!

We really want to buy and if we really like it, then Quin and I will stay in Kentucky while Dad travels the world. We shall see what happens. I want out of Michigan in a bad way though.

We pay $1200 for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, apartment, that ia falling apart. It is over 80 years old and the ceiling and walls are cracking, and half the stuff works like crap. This palce really isn't worth more than 300-400 a month.

My husband found out that when a soldier is going through basic training, they only get paid about 80 cents an hour. He is now E-3 and works roughly 10 hours a day (not including breaks, another 2 hours), 5 days a week, and he gets paid $1300 each month. Good thing that the Army pays for housing.