Across the board I hear from friends and people I know that their bosses are rude and expect too much from them. Co-workers leaving in tears because they can’t meet the expectations foisted on them when other co-workers are let go or leave and not replaced. There are only so many hours in a day and only so many hats you can wear. Am I a hygienist or a secretary? Am I a data entry clerk or a graphic designer? Am I an administrator or a personal assistant? More and more employers are taking advantage of the jobs situation, knowing that jobs are scarce, and thinking that gives them the excuse to be rude or heap on more and more work to the breaking point because there are no job opportunities out there and employees will do anything to keep their jobs.
Yes you can say that these “bosses” are under the gun too – does that give them the right to take advantage of people beneath them? I was divorced and had three children and my boss knew that I needed to keep my job and would do anything to keep it and he nit-picked me to death, critical, demanding, and condescending, often leaving me in tears at my desk. Yes, I stayed, because I had three children and needed a paycheck. I tried to find another position and was told by Human Resources that no one wanted me. Why? They wanted me to stay where I was because no one else wanted to work with my boss.
The day I lost my job I thought back over the 11+ years I had been there. My children were grown now and had their own homes and jobs and the subsequent frustrations that came with them. I was living alone now and better able to tighten my belt without thinking of others. The first Monday after my layoff I woke up and felt as though a load had been lifted off my shoulders. I never, ever had to go back there again and that was when I realized how depressed I had been there.
Is it better now? Yes and no. I still worry about money and how I’ll make my mortgage and if I’ll keep my home and if I don’t what will happen to my dog and cat (and myself). I have signed on with head hunters – to date no offers. And so I try and keep upbeat and talk with people who I can help by listening, and having dinner parties with friends that fill my 7 foot table with laughter, good times, and cheer! I pinch my pennies and wait for the day when I get another paycheck, until then I complete projects at home I couldn’t do when I worked and had no time. I walk with my dog and lose the weight I always promised I would as I ate chips at my desk because I had worked through lunch and was hungry. I tell myself that things are always darkest before the dawn and when the sun rises and shines through my brilliantly clean windows – I feel at peace – at least until the 1st of the month and the mortgage is due again! More to come.
