A few years ago, my husband was laid off at the start of summer. I had a part-time gig as a teacher, but it didn't come with benefits. I had to take a job, any job, to provide health insurance (Murka!) while hubby looked for a new gig. I got a job as a teller at a bank.
I tried, but was new to keeping a till, so a few times a week, my register wouldn't balance. Never very much money - under a few dollars. But the whole staff had to stay late until we straightened it out. I felt horrible for the rest of the staff.
As if that shame wasn't bad enough, my supervisor, "Mel," would remind me that I worked "at will" and they could fire me at any time. Our family's health insurance going up in smoke was terrifying to me. Sometimes it was hard to hold back tears.
I got better as the summer went on, but every few weeks, if I would make a mistake, Mel would smile as she warned me that "You can be fired for no cause and you'd have to leave immediately." It was so fantastically over-the-top. At one point, I pointed out that constant threats didn't create a healthy environment. Her smile only broadened. "It goes both ways. You can quit at any time, you know."
When the school year started in the fall, I needed to take my daughter to tour her new school for her first day. I asked to take my lunch in the afternoon, so I could help my daughter.
Though they approved it, when it came time for my lunch, they insisted I work through my lunch because they were being slammed...By then, hubs had found a job with insurance and, even better, I'd been offered more hours teaching, tho still not full-time. It was enough.
The next day I practically floated into the bank. I waited until 10 am, then told Mel I needed to talk with her. She replied that she was very busy and it would have to wait until after we closed. "Oh, I won't be here then," I said. She looked like I'd smacked her with a brick. "Wut?" I smiled.
"Remember that I needed to bring my daughter to her new school yesterday? You wouldn't let me do that, so I'm doing it this afternoon." She didn't get it at all. "You can't just take an hour off when you-" I had to interrupt. "I'm not taking an hour off. I'm leaving. For good. At noon. You kept reminding me that I work "at will." Thanks for those reminders. I'm leaving for good in two hours."
While Mel fumed, I waited on customers. I practically sang my greetings to them and was so f*&^ing cheerful, customers kept asking me why I was so happy. :). I was delighted to tell them, "Because I'm leaving forever at noon!" After a half hour of that, Mel thought I should just go right away. And I did. I f%$#ing skipped right out the door , then gave Mel a very elaborate curtsey at the door. :)
tofuroll says:
lol, that's fantastic. S^ck it, Mel.
DonaXDFursp says:
If you didn’t all get paid for the extra time you spent working when the tills were off, that’s wage theft that might still be within the statute of limitations.
TheRed467 says:
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. People don’t quit jobs, they quit managers.
Glad-Championship-59 says:
I love everything about that story except for the fact it had to happen in the first place!!!
Uberijk asked:
I’m confused why you even went in and wasted your time that day? You gave them half a day notice in reality. Should’ve just rang them saying you quit.
Public_Pressure_4516 OP responded:
Because curtsies don't work over the phone.
[deleted] said:
Yeah I'm not on OP's side here. Sounds like she is flaky or not very good at her job. A teller's drawer should always balance.
But Mel should have been professional and told her she has three strikes and then will be let go. Methinks because OP took the job just for insurance that she was sloppy and didn't do good work.
Public_Pressure_4516 OP responded:
I agree with part of this! It was a steep learning curve for me and I was really bad at first. By the time I became proficient at it, Mel had made the workplace intollerable.
Not sloppy, though. Some people struggle with calculations just like some people struggle with spelling or reading. It doesn't mean they're lazy or they don't care. It means our brains are wonderous (and maddening) and different people struggle with different things.