Please read...rant Advice needed

Im sorry, but I have to rant. I am here in my office like a wimp, in tears. If someone comes in here I dont even know what Im going to tell them.

I hate my job. I have never hated anything with a passion, but I definately hate my job. I started out here working as a simple warehouse employee. I did not go to college or anything. Heck, I didnt even finish high school. I got this job after I broke up with DH and I was on my own. I had been a stay at home mom, and had no need whatsoever to work.

Well because I am bilingual, and am a total computer geek, my boss promoted me to secretary. Well when I asked about a raise he informed me that I would have to go through a trial period and then we would discuss my raise. Well I have been working here in the office since March 14, and still no raise. We are talking about 8 months working at 5.15 an hour. I have tried to get him to give me a raise numerous times, and he always tells me now is not the time. Im telling you im at the point where I will work anywhere, but I dont want to risk losing my job in the middle of Christmas. Also, I have a house I need to pay.

This truly sucks. To make everything worse I got zero sleep last night, and got to work 5 minutes late. Well I still put down 8am because my boss knows that if Im here 5 minutes late I stay 5 minutes after, and there are times I work 15-20 after 5 and dont even jot that down. So the office supervisor comes to my office and yells at me because I put 8am and it was 8:10. So I promptly told her that it was only 8:05 and she needed to either readjust her watch or the clock thats on the wall, and that there were many times I stayed after or came in early and no one saw that.

Man, what can I do? Is this really worth it? I know DH is getting his settlement money soon, and maybe I can stop working then but what can I do? Even if DH were to move back in, hes not making enough money to pay all our bills

This is a tough situation to be in.

Can you start looking for jobs, doing interviews now? It's not the best time of year to job hunt in Ireland (it tends to slow done around now and pick up again in January), but that may not be the case in PR.

Can you call recruitment agencies? (tip: they should not charge YOU any money to help you - they get their money from companies who hire through them). Find out how much you should be getting (it may be more - or less - than you expect). Figure out if it's just the money you're unhappy over, or if there are other factors. If it's just the money, get yourself in a good place to start job hunting, figure out when is the best time to enter the market (something else the recruitment agencies should be able to help with); if it's more than the money, start job hunting immediately. It will be stressful, so take it seriously, but remember that it will take time, and don't go crazy over it. As soon as you get a better offer, jump ship.


Editted to add: also consider doing tech support, not just secretarily work.

I agree with Satai.....theres lots you could do "in the back-ground" and this will give you something else to focus on and hopefully it will make you feel better about things.
When I was fed up with work, I always used to re-do my CV, get registered with Employment Agencies, check out the job-ads etc............this always made me feel better, cos it took the attention away from the crap and doing my CV made me realise what skills & qualities I did have.
You obviously have got loads to offer, so I am sure if you start working on finding a new job now, things will work out just great for you

Good Luck and a big fat to your work place

When you were "promoted", was there a "trial period" stated? Such as 3 months or 6 months?

It sounds to me like your boss is skirting the issue. And it also sounds like he's praying on your fears and taking advantage of your "lack of education" in order to get cheap help.

I can't give you advice on what to do because you sound so upset and afraid of risking your job and whatever you choose impacts your life and not mine, so only you are in a position to decide what is best for you.

However, personally I've always had the belief that there is always another job out there, so I've never had a problem speaking my mind to my bosses, much to their dismay!

If I were in such a situation I would go to my boss, sit down with him/her and tell him that when I was promoted I was promised a raise after a trial period, and it's been 8 months and I've still not gotten the raise that was promised to me.

I would further tell him that the promotion to secretary meant an increase in my work responsibility. I would also add that I felt that I've learned a great deal in the new position and that I feel that I have been doing an excellent job and haven't heard anything otherwise.

I would also tell him that my personal situation has changed (no need to go into detail) and that I am unable to support myself and my kids on $5.15 per hour. I would also tell him that I had been counting on the raise, and that I want him to honour the promise he made to me 8 months ago, which is way more than a reasonable probation period.

If he won't, I would tell him that as much as I like my job and the company, that I really need to look after my children and to do that I need to be making more money and then I would have no problem giving him my 2 weeks notice and then seeking out a different job that paid more.

Unfortunately without a high school education or better, higher paying jobs aren't that easy to come by

Have you looked into collecting welfare for you and your kids? I know a girl where I live (Canada) that was in much the same situation as you (stay at home mom, no high school diploma) and she wanted to go back to school but even though her husband was working, they had a hard time supporting them and their 2 or 3 kids and couldn't afford to put her through school. What they did was legally separate and she went on welfare and they put her through a 6 month secretarial course and she got a job with Hydro and was making more than her husband immediately upon graduation from the course. They got back together after she got a job.

Also, what you might consider before going to talk to your boss again, (because to me it sounds like he's really cheap and you are really afraid of being fired and unemployed), make up a resume and start sending it out. Specify that you do not want them to contact your current employer. You have 8 months of secretarial experience under your belt so you might be able to get something else based on that. I got my first secretary job based on a whole lot less because I "embellished" my resume (not recommended). Luckily I got hired by a company that had really, really, archaic equipment (I'm talking 1960's type stuff!) so I just told them that I had worked on more modern fax and telex machines.

Another option is a department store. My friend lives in California and she went and got a job at Walmart. I think she started off at $7.00 per hour or something.

Or what about driving a transit bus? My brother didn't have a high school diploma and he was able to get a good paying job with the City driving a transit bus. At first the hours are really crummy, but the money and benefits made up for it. Maybe it will be the same where you live.

I can't stress enough to women who marry and have kids that it's important to not depend entirely on their spouse for income because stuff happens and it's always the woman who loses out

If there is anyway you can possibly manage to get back into school...welfare, student loans...moving back to your parents house for financial help, I urge you to do it. Long gone are the days you can get more than minimum wage without a high school, or even with a high school diploma

I do wish you well

Being bilingual and a computer geek puts you very much in demand. I suggest you sign up at some temp agencies and see what they have to offer. If they can assure you a position that will take you through the holidays I would tell the present guy, bye, bye. You can even explain to the temp agency how you are underpaid and you can't accept anything less than??

Also, get your resume together. By woprking for a temp agency you will be able to see what else is out there, and have an inside track on avauilable jobs. If you get a temp job at a company you like, you can apply for other openings that might come up, that aren't tremp assignments. Many of the te,p agencies include health insurance too.

Don't sell yourself short. You possess two very in-demand skills.

good luck

The only thing I have to offer is a little story. About 1 1/2 years ago - I was you. I took a job that I thought was a good one and I was also a single mom. I needed to support my kids (and my X husband). Well after about 2 months I knew the job wasn't for me. I began to hate it - hate it with a passion and speaking from exeperience - you need to get out as soon as you can. I know it's tough, but this is how my story went - I grew to hate the job so much that I became an awful person to deal with. I was always depressed and angry, I was a contstant fixture of road rage because I hated where I was driving too every day, my friends and family began to stay away and asked me why I was such a b*tch and so miserable all the time, I was short with my kids, the relationship I was in suffered because I was miserable (and actually never recovered), and then ultimately the job began to suffer because I hated it so much and thus began a downward spiral because as soon as your job begins to suffer - you get horrible reviews, the horrible reviews cause you to be more upset and depressed and the circle goes round and round. Trust me - I know!
You know what I did? I secretly found myself another job. I interviewed for months with various companys (took sick days to do it), then when I had secured another job I just walked out. No 2 weeks - no nothing. I read my corporate manual first to make sure that 2 weeks was not mandatory and it wasn't - it was "courteous". So, I spent 2 hours that morning writing up my letter of resignations, packed up my desk, put the letter in my bosses mailbox (never spoke to him), walked out and never looked back. It was the best thing I could have ever done. Your job effects your life more than you will ever know. Don't let it get to that point. Start looking for work now and get out. Trust me - I am a totally different person today than who I was when I worked at that place (and actually I started an exodus with my leaving - 6 others left after me in similar fashions. I had started a trend out of a company that was awful to work for).
Good luck to you!!

Originally Posted by gailuvscats

Being bilingual and a computer geek puts you very much in demand. I suggest you sign up at some temp agencies and see what they have to offer. If they can assure you a position that will take you through the holidays I would tell the present guy, bye, bye. You can even explain to the temp agency how you are underpaid and you can't accept anything less than??

Click to expand...

Side rant - why do managers always see female computer geeks as the perfect secretary???

Anyways, yes, being Bilingual puts you a notch up from those that can only speak one language. Being a Computer Geek AND Bilingual...well, IMO you should be in the $8-10/hr range as starting.

I would do what Gail mentioned, get your Resume/CV together and hand it in to a temp agency and see what can happen. Perhaps at the minimum a support call center for a software or hardware. Then I would tell that manager ba-bye. If you are a computer geek, avoid secretarial work, unless it pays well.

Also before you tell the guy ba-bye, make sure you sit down with him regarding that time clock person. She really should be talking to HIM, not you if its such a matter.

Actually JulieKit, I will be more blunt and come right out and say that you are being taken advantage of. I know this is a hard time to start looking for a job, but if nothing else but to give you some satisfaction, I would get today's newspaper and start looking.

Go find another job headbuts and stop being taken advantage of licks from KittenKiya's Clan.

Also For future reference, next time you are promoted and offered a raise after a trail period, make sure you get the offer in some form of documentation (email, letter, witness, etc) that says after X days of her trial period, JulieKit will receive a raise of X% or $X. The first 2 of the 3 are better.

Anyhoo, yes, then if the employer doesn't pay up, you have documentation to back you up.