Help Concerning Job

So for a long while an old lady working for over 12 years at the place I work at ran the place. After she left, shit went downhill.

A coworker of mine just quit today and left the bosses son and daughter to work the whole day by themselves. I work at a bottle depot. It's not tough work, but you bust your ass. Now I started work about a year ago, last summer lets say, and the old lady was still working. Shit was smooth, we had 4 people working almost every day and even though it was busy as hell we managed smoothly.

Now the old lady left, along with the two experienced workers. I know my shit, I know how to run everything but closing. He puts his daughter in charge, a woman 3 years older than me. She seems to think shes high balls cuz she's the bosses daughter. Fine, I guess. But anyway...

After a while, instead of replacing workers who leave we just bear with it. it's me and another guy working and busting our asses for low wages while the bosses son and daughter get paid double us. The actual boss is in mexico, so I'm told.

A couple days ago I simply said we need at least one more guy to back us up. They just gave it a thought and went about their business. They're cheap, so says the older woman who used to work there. Really, she seems like the only thing that held the joint together. Anyways, after saying we need more people I figured he'd consider it, seeing how busy it was. Well no, he waits till I go for lunch, sneaks behind the trailer with his sister and calls me and the other worker lazy and thinking we can't handle it.

Really, it's me and the other guy working every day, just the two of us. Now that he's gone the daughter's freaking because she may have to work more than a damn half hour. I'm really sick of it and can't do it anymore. It was an amazing job back in the day, but now it's gone down the shitter. What should I do?

My initial plan was to talk to them and tell them what's up -- why the other guy left and why, if things don't change, I plan to leave. I don't want to leave simply because I need the money. Ask me anything else you need to know, I work tomorrow and I don't know if I can handle another day with people who think I'm shit because I'm not family.

There's a few things to consider here:

1. What's your pay like? Are you putting up with this shit for minimum wage or are you making more than you could at any other job available to you?
2. Are you able to get days off if you need them? Do they hassle you if you want to take vacation time or if you call in sick or are they relatively cool about it?
3. How did you approach your boss on the subject of hiring more workers? Did you just mention it in passing, like it wasn't that big of a deal, or did you actually speak to him in a professional manner and address it like a concerned employee? Also did you list reasons why you think they need to hire more workers, or did you just say they need to do it?
4. Is this the only boss you can go to? Is he the biggest of the big? If there's someone higher up, is there a way you can approach them about the issue in a manner that's not disrespectful to your direct supervisor but still gets your points and concerns across?
5. Last that I can think of off the top of my head: Are you full time and are they giving you decent benefits? If you want full time and they're not giving it to you, or if you work full time and get shit benefits, I would say start looking for something else.

After thinking about these things if it looks like you can get a better job that might pay you more or give you better benefits or have a better working environment, then start searching. Pick up applications, print off resumes and get your butt in gear. Personally I don't think it's worth it to go to a job you hate unless the pay and/or benefits and/or coworkers are so awesome that you really don't have many complaints by the time you punch out for the day. I'm not saying you're going to find a job that makes you wake up feeling like sunshine and rainbows, but you should be able to find something better.

Don't leave until you have another job as a back up. Deal with this shit until you can find a new place to hire you, then give your two weeks notice and go on with your merry life. Even if they don't keep you for the two weeks (some places do, some places basically say get the hell out) then at least you gave them that option, which is what responsible employees do. It also looks better for the place that is going to hire you. I think it gives them some kind of reassurance that even if you do leave their place in the future you'll give them that heads up that they need to hire someone else. Don't burn any bridges with the old job, it might come in handy for future references or if you need employment in an emergency in the future.

If you're not happy then you're not leaving just because of money, you're leaving because you think there's a better work environment for you.

If you're not willing to try and find another job then suck it up and stop complaining. Do the job and leave the crap at work.


tl;dr
Find a new job or suck it up and don't complain.

Personally, I'd go and ask them for a written job reference. It's scary the first time you do it, but once you do it once, you'll realise what a profound, positive effect that doing this can have on your job and career.

a) The most likely chance is that they will immediately start kissing your ass and taking your requests for assistance more seriously. Being the shitty employers that they are, it's unlikely that they've ever spared a moment to consider that you're a valuable, experienced employee who they would be up shit creek without a paddle if you left. Asking them for a reference will be the perfect opportunity for them to realise this.

b)The second most likely result is that they will give you a written reference, grumble about what will they do without you and you will be able to use it to get a new, better job.

c)The least likely result is that they will refuse to give you the reference and sack you - VERY unlikely though, because it just doesn't make any sense at all - Why are they paying you to do the job in the first place, excepting they either don't have the time, or are too lazy to do the job themselves? Asking them for a reference is hardly going to make them jump for joy, but if they are really that stupid that they don't realise the error they have made with not valuing you, and really that lacking in basic human decency that they refuse you a reference, then the sooner you get out of this shitty job and into a real job the better.


The good news is, no matter which happens, from the most likely to the least it's still a win for you.

Remember, a bad job is more than just a bad job - it's an environment where you spend most of your waking hours feeling bad and picking up awful work habits from bad employers which will stay with you for the rest of your life. Worse is that it is time spent wasting away the best part of your life when instead, you could be in an environment that gives you positive experience that will help you develop a career that's more than just "what I happen to be doing right now". And these positive experiences you could be having elsewhere are the only thing that can and that will improve your prospects for better employment and ~better wages~ in your NEXT job after that.

I went into work today and found out they ended up hiring a new guy and plan to hire another once the real boss gets back. Even so, I told the bosses son to come have a talk with me and sorted some shit out. We talked about what was going on, why an employee had to quit for something to happen and why he was talking behind both of our backs calling us lazy. I said he should have just came and talked to me about it if he felt I was slacking or doing something wrong.

He apologized and was sincere. He told me he was just as angry about the situation as I was but has a problem confronting people. He even admitted that his family likes to try and ignore problems and hope they go away, which is no way to run a business.

More things were talked about and by the end of it we shook hands and both felt better about what was going to be done. It was a huge load off my shoulders and the whole day I felt like I did when I worked before. I didn't loathe every customer who walked through the door and didn't feel like I had the shit end of the stick.

Thanks for the advice, I should have just sat down and talked to the higher ups about how I felt a lot sooner, it would have saved a lot of grief. We'll see how things go and if shit actually does start to change.