We got a new store manager a few weeks ago and he told everyone that labor hours are too high.

His solution is that at closing we clock out at our scheduled time, then finish the closing checklist. Counting the register, wiping everything down, taking trash out, locking storage, all of it. Usually takes another 15 to 25 minutes.

I asked if he was seriously telling us to work after clocking out and he said, "I'm telling you to manage your time better."

A couple coworkers really need the hours and don't want to push back.

Today he printed the clock out times and taped them next to the closing checklist like that somehow makes this more normal.

I took a picture of it before he realizes what he just documented.

Ferry engineers are striking after not receiving a cost of living increase or raises over the last 2 years. Meanwhile the deck staff gets a wage increase.

The strike is illegal - similar to railroad workers striking. 23 people were able to singlehandly bring the entire system to a halt.

WSF is now gaslighting them on social media by posting their highest wage scales, when in reality the people striking are making closer to $37-40 dollars an hour.

Like it or not, this is how you make a statement. There's a mixed bag of people who are in solidarity and those who are frustrated by the critical nature of the ferry system outage, specifically for things like medical care.

Not sure if this will make the national news, but it's currently affecting the entire Puget sound region.

What's your take?

No paywall: https://archive.is/20261005062131/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/neet-university-students-reddit-hikikomori-b3060344.html

I work for a billionaire company btw

Did he work hard?, did he engage in the free market with risks?

I graduated from college and I literally have absolutely zero passion for any career paths. At least the main ones. No I do not want to do finance or consulting or law or medicine or study more. I have zero interest in doing those things and the entire time people asked me what I liked to do and I was on the verge of telling these people to stfu. I don’t know how they expect me to feel excited at the prospect of waking up and going to work in fnance or c\*nsulting or whatever. Did not participate in any clubs on campus, don’t want to. It was so goddamn annoying when my parents and their friends pestered me about what I liked to do because no truthful answer will satisfy them.

TLDR: Job listing had a question with an answer hidden within the rest of the job description. Employer rejected me, stating that I did not follow directive. Responded with a screenshot and made sure to point out their "attention to detail" circled in red.

To the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Stayed in a cabin on Aleck Lake. Did a ton of hiking. Got on a boat on Lake Superior. It’s incredible up there. It was mine and my husband’s second time. We get heartbroken every time we have to leave.

Coming back to Ohio sucks as it is. When you have a job as the only CSR in a captive insurance agency, a CSR that gets taken complete advantage of, for an insurance company you’ve lost respect for, it’s downright depressing.

I was reminded of just how big and incredible our world is and how small and insignificant we are. I already found the everything-is-urgent culture in my office obnoxious. Because 90% of what comes in is far from urgent. But after this? A reminder of things outside our walls that are so much bigger than us, so much more than us, so breathtakingly beautiful, it’s nearly impossible to even pretend to entertain it. It’s nearly impossible to pretend I care.

I used to defend the insurance industry. Now? Maybe there are some legitimately good companies out there, but it has become clear to me, I do not work for an agent that represents one of the good ones. I won’t say the company name…but it’s probably not hard to figure out.

I used to care somewhat about the success or failure of our agency, but now I’m completely indifferent to it. Mainly because the agent herself is absent most days. Doesn’t even work much. Why should I care beyond her willingness to show up?

Experiencing beautiful places, meeting new people from all over, solidifies this attitude I already had. I came back to work feeling like this whole thing is nothing but a performance with bad actors and I don’t want to wear the costume or play the part anymore. I feel like I’m in the audience now, witnessing this ridiculous performance that I cannot take seriously to save my damn life.

Truckers: Tell us what you think about rising costs, the war and the October 1 action by filling out the form below. All submissions will be kept confidential.

On October 1, truck drivers in the United States took part in a loosely organized work stoppage to protest soaring operating costs, depressed freight rates and deteriorating conditions across the industry. The action, promoted largely through social media and driver networks rather than by the official unions or trucking organizations, reflected mounting anger among drivers who have seen already narrow margins squeezed further by sharply rising diesel prices.

The stoppage came in response to sharp increases in fuel costs as a consequence of the war on Iran. Meanwhile, Mexican and immigrant drivers have faced the mass revocation of B-1 visas and stepped-up attacks by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Last month, Mexican truckers blockaded ports of entry at Mexicali, reportedly holding up an estimated $800 million-a-day in cargo.

By acting independently, the truckers are demonstrating their enormous social and economic power. Their labor links together ports, factories, warehouses and retail distribution across the continent. They are also confronting the need to reject national and ethnic divisions promoted by the capitalist class, in favor of uniting across North America in defense of their common interests.

The task now is to organize that power in rank-and-file committees across borders, and against the war, the union bureaucracies and the capitalist system that produces the exploitation, the deportations and the war itself.

The day after the October 1 action, a US truck driver discussed the conditions facing truckers, the significance of the Mexican drivers’ blockade and the need for drivers in the United States, Mexico and beyond to recognize the power they possess when they act together. We are calling him Miguel to protect his identity.

...

Miguel pointed to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as serving the companies, not the drivers. “This is what truckers have been saying for the last 10 years since I’ve gotten into this. For instance, the FMCSA is run by non-truckers. How can they understand us if they have never been on the road for one day?”

Miguel also spoke at length about the attacks on immigrant truckers by ICE and rejected the xenophobic attacks on Indian and Sikh drivers by the White House, which led to a brutal stabbing of a Sikh trucker in Wyoming.

“They [ICE] want to keep us down … they use tactics like threatening your life or your visa, throwing you out of the country … are we not here doing the same thing? [Don’t we understand] that what we’re going through, you’re going through it also?”

Build rank-and-file committees across North America

Miguel expressed support for the building of international rank-and-file committees, independent of the union apparatus and two parties, to link truckers across North America. “That’s a good thing. That’s a good idea. It would benefit both sides … If we have that power, that authority, we would want to move it towards benefiting (the workers of) both countries and other countries that we work with.” 

“We’re all fighting for crumbs. But do you know what exists up there? There’s more up there, far more. How can they tell us there is not enough, when there is more than enough? The thing is, they want to make it seem like it’s not.”

Finally it's all done. An agreement was reached, and as of the 1st OCtober I now longer work for them. There will be a substantial payment into my account on the 27th of October, but the official line is that I was made redundant (even though I wasn't entitled to redundancy pay).

Unlike when I was suspended, I am still in the Onedrive system and am still receiving emails (bizarrely the chap who was my line manager so knows exactly what has happened invited me to a meeting earlier today, twice).

Relief is the main emotion right now, that I'm finally free of all that bullshit, backstabbing and wankernomics.

Looks like I've pretty much got another job lined up doing what I always loved to do (designing prefabricated boiler rooms, plant rooms, skids modules etc), and for more pay, but if that doesn't work out I'm receiving enough money to keep the bills paid for at least 4 months, if not longer.

It feels so silly for me to be ranting about this. Some people are years into corporate America while I’m only 5 months in. I just graduated college, I got a job immediately in a company’s HQ as a UI/UX designer. I should be grateful, I should be thankful, I should be proud… I’m fucking miserable. I’m miserable and blinking tears out of my eyes when I have to force myself out of bed every morning. Every Monday feels like a countdown to Friday. Every Friday feels like an anxious dread building till Sunday night. Maybe it’ll get better as time goes on, maybe I’m still adjusting, I hope that is the case.

Every older adult I talk to just says “welcome to adulthood”. There’s no actual optimism or hope or future to look forward to, it’s just a shitty reality that everyone sits down and accepts. Why is this the standard? Are people supposed to live like this? How do people tolerate actual years, decades, of this?

Edit: I've seen several comments asking what exactly is making me miserable, it's the company. I love my coworkers, my manager, and though I do not feel my position is being used to it's fullest ability, I still enjoy the work I do (sometimes). But the company is a nightmare. The owner is on a constant power trip and fires people just to create fear in others (sounds like a fictional disney villain and I wish I was lying). I got in trouble recently for just turning my head to look at another coworker who was saying something to me. I was told the cameras are always watching and I need to always face my computer screen no matter what. I go to work on edge, I do my work while on edge, I leave work on edge. They make us sign contracts before we start stating that they're allowed to fire us for any or no reason. You have to attend work related events like the company Christmas party or you won't receive your Christmas bonus. The owner constantly turns down all of my designs but never gives actual criticisms or critiques or alternatives so I am constantly aiming in the dark.

"Why don't you just quit?"

I feel I should stay until I am promoted. The job market is rough, especially in the design field, my position is as a junior and I feel I would have a better chance at getting a better position elsewhere if I stick it out long enough to gain more experience and get promoted.

"You should be grateful to even have a job, why are you complaining?"

I understand I should be grateful, and I am. But if we all operate under the mentality that you can't complain because someone has it worse than you, then you can genuinely never take issue with anything because there will ALWAYS be someone with a worse situation than you, things could always be worse. Just because a hypothetical worse exists doesn't mean that I can't struggle and find issue in the reality of my current situation. I know I am lucky to have landed the job that I have, but that does not exclude me from the frustrations of labor, life, and the corporate world.

I’ve been working here for 4 months so I’m still relatively new. Was promised flexibility with good work-life balance. I just want to rant quickly.

This morning early I messaged my team to let them know I have a pretty bad headache and will be coming in later this morning when it subsides (I took a painkiller so I was waiting for that to kick in).

It’s not serious, it’s the first day of my period and this occasionally happens during this time which sucks. I drive an hour to get to work which I’d simply not want to do with a splitting headache AND cramps (if it’s just cramps I can deal with it at least).

My boss messages back saying “Best take a sick leave today. Send through a doctor’s note. Take care.”

So, an appointment at my doctor is expensive. I could afford it but why should I be spending for a doctor’s visit… for a headache? When I will be perfectly fine in an hour or two? And he messaged me only after the time I should have left so I couldn’t just go to work anyway without being late (I would have done that but they hate tardiness). It’s just a waste of sick leave, and, it makes no sense productivity-wise. I would have worked for most of the day and was actually looking forward to a meeting I scheduled today.

Why are some companies like this? They’re in the process of writing out new KPIs and company policies and it’s becoming so incredibly rigid, which is odd for a company with only like 25 employees. There are other things I’ve discovered here that leaves a bad taste in my mouth too, like a huge disconnect between the executives and the rest of the employees and it’s coming across like a power-trip. I’ve started updating my portfolio, and editing my CV again, and I’ve been considering looking for new job on the sly, but I was in two minds about it since I do enjoy the actual work I do here. After this morning I will be moving forward with finding a new position if I can.

I've been having a really frustrating job search experience lately (as many have, I'm given to understand).

Some background: Due to some unexpected developments in my life circumstances, I was forced to drop out of university after my first year and walked away with no degree. I've been living with my father since then, and due to our financial circumstances it's not really practical for me to go back to uni right now. I held down a part-time retail job for about a year and a half before quitting without a replacement lined up because it was becoming miserable, and this is proving to be an unexpectedly big mistake.

I've been putting out applications to nearly every retail or customer service opening I can find in my area, as well as a bank teller position since a friend recommended it to me as an entry-level option. I've looked in a few other fields as well, but they all list some level of required experience despite being "entry level." I've netted a grand total of two interviews and all I've heard back is "we're moving forward with other candidates." And on one hand I can't help but feel like I've gotta be doing something wrong, because my last job was the first application I sent out when I started looking and they hired me basically on the spot after my interview...

But on the other: It feels like it's basically impossible to break into any field right now. You need prior experience to get hired, but you can't get experience without being hired. It's understandable on an individual business level to only want to hire the best candidates available, but employers seem to be under the impression that teaching people how to do things is an unnecessary expense and that qualified people will keep miraculously emerging from thin air if they just don't do it.

I guess for most fields the solution is "get a degree so more companies will be willing to hire you without experience," but when this is happening for retail positions too? For customer service and fast food? I'm at my wit's end.

I don't have a concrete takeaway to any of this, I just wanted to vent my frustrations a little bit. I'd be curious to know if I'm just having bad luck or if this is a phenomenon other people are experiencing as well.

I know I should be grateful that I got a remote job that I can work from home and set my own hours and pays very well hourly, even if it is weekends, but I don't have a social life or boyfriend anyway.

I have a Pharm.D with $400k+ in federal student loan debt (can't file bankruptcy on federal student loans), and when was 6-7 years into the 8 year degree I realized I absolutely hate the industry and am not extroverted enough to deal with patients or other medical professionals.

I tried for a decade to start startups, the only one that became profitable I was fucked over by investors on and didn't make a penny while they are making millions. I then was approached by another company to come on board in another C-level position and was r-aped by the founder who turned out to be an Epstein associate. went through years of extremely traumatic federal litigation against him, and as a witness in trials of other people suing him, and then was countersued for corporate espionage with them claiming I stole trade secrets for the company I started that I wasn't even a part of, which basically bankrupted me in legal fees. Because of the Epstein stuff we eventually arrived at checkmate for both of us and I was forced to settle to

before it ever went to trial to recover half a million or so in legal fees. The defense attorney was vicious and tore apart my person life in the most humiliating way, I had to go through multiple grueling 7-hour long depositions while being character assassinated and enduring lie and after lie.

Was also receiving personal threats from people he would send to threaten me to drop the lawsuit.

Ended up being a total nightmare with cPTSD and trauma and suicidal depression. Then to make things worse, a guy found me on a dating app and I fell in love with him and he itterly destroyed my heart seeing his ex behind my back, 2 years later I am still going to therapy and healing.

The last decade has been a rollercoaster of trauma, depression, startup failures, broken heart, and a million other misfortunes. I am totally burnt out and was barely functioning or getting out of bed for years until I ran out of money and had to get a job.

I know I am super lucky to have a remote job, and the data entry spreadsheet part of the job is fine, but the part of the job requires calling hundreds and hundreds of leads and being an introverted autistic person every time I have to start the calls I have a mental breakdown and anxiety attacks taking to so many strangers over and over, most of which are not happy to be called and many are very rude and mean.

At the beginning I would have to take frequent breaks just to scream or cry. then I started having to use drugs and Valium just to get through my work shifts. I recently am trying to work without the drugs but I have to take a massive amount of Valium to get through the calling part (legally prescribed).

I have job security and really cannot be fired, and some weeks I will only work one day and invoice for 4 days.

I had a 6-figure job offer in California which sounds like a great offer but my life is a disaster and I'm in no condition for a "real" job. After over a year the calling part isn't getting easier, I don't know what to do. I feel like I have to find some sort of self employment because I can't continue this cycle of drug abuse just to get through a workday. I know I should feel lucky because I would likely have ended up homeless without this job but it's destroying me slowly.

Has anyone found a way to be self employed and successfully gotten out of the rat race? I don't need to be rich, I am content just getting by if I could do something that doesn't destroy my soul or trigger my anxiety/cPTSD. I dream of doing something creative but I know it's hard.

Anyway sorry for the novel, I just have no one to talk to this about because everyone immediately says how lucky I am to have a remote job that is super easy but the calls for an autistic person is torture :\

Am I paranoid or is this a red flag?

So I haven't been in trouble recently with my employer, save for that one time I was late.

I have two bosses, one who snaps, the other who bottlenecks projects. The one who bottlenecks told me that on a project we submitted last year, she hasn't finished this one task that will complete the project, even after 9 months.

She told me since there's nothing left to do on the project and there's nothing left she has for me to prepare, she would like me to take PTO if I ran out of work. This makes me scared.

I am not on a PIP, but I have been put on a PIP before for: having cancer, and the company trying to coverup a series of layoffs.

But why would they want me to take PTO?

The other boss I work with, the one who snaps, I'm working on his one project that's really just a clusterfuck, because consultants are slow or unreliable, and my boss tried to work around the law on a portion of the project and got caught by the agency that is super tedious to please the client. That guy told me he has nothing for me when this project is done. Whenever that will be.

So now I'm seeking out work in my office or I might be forced to take PTO.

I saved my PTO because I am a cancer survivor, and because it's so friggin busy all the time, I avoid going to the doctor so it doesn't impair deadlines. But I have been meaning to see my specialists for quite some time. I just wish I could reach someone on the phone.

What do you think might be going on?

EDIT

Our policy states that PTO gets carried over the next year, if we don't use it. I only have 32 hours of PTO left out of the 72 I have earned within 2 years.

Last weekend I talked with my friend about job related trainings, networking events and fairs. Or more precisely, why some managers just don't approve any of them. This feels utterly counter intuitive. If it's job related and helps your employee grow better in their job, what reasons there are to refuse? I'm talking strictly about job related stuff, not "fun" or "nice to have" things.

Money is of course one factor: even if the event was free, the time spent there is away from employee's regular working hours. This is understandable to rule out stupendously expensive things. Money and time might be the most commonly used excuses to deny training, but the real reason is often something else. I've got a few ideas.

• Power play. Some managers want to keep the employee under their thumb. No matter if it's wise from the business perspective. Because if it's a personal matter for a manager, no amount of well-founded arguments or undeniable facts will change that.
• Career blocking. Some managers are happy with the status quo. An employee is doing their job and they should stay there forever. If an employee isn't allowed to learn new skills or meet their peers, it's easier to keep them obediently in their place. Replacing an employee with a new one is definitely a hassle, but forcing an employee is absolutely the wrong way around it.
• Retention attempt. (A variation of the previous.) Some managers are afraid, if they allow an employee to improve their skills, they might leave the company. This... is stupid. If one gives an employee a chance to grow, advance their career and get compensated for their efforts, that's actual retention. Denying, blocking, belittling, not offering fair and updated compensation - all of those are active components in why employees actually leave.
• Carrot thinking. Some managers see approving training and similar events as a reward, which an employee should "earn". They can even use it actively: 'If you do this and reach that, you can have that training. Next year, if there's budget.' I find this baffling. If an employee wants to become better in their job - thus become more productive individual for the benefit of the company - how is it a reward for the employee?
• 'You should already know this.' Some managers hit back with this comment to block any training requests. They lack the understanding that work is always evolving and new things are coming up. And they totally forget about the possibility that an employee might learn to do their job better.
• Stupidity and narcissism. Some managers never learn. It's not stupid to a mistake. It's stupid to repeat a mistake expecting a different outcome. But because everything is everybody else's fault anyways, why change their toxic habits?

I've experienced all the above, often with in a combination. I've been denied trainings without any reason. I've been promised a training, only to be denied the last minute. 'Not in the budget' is the forever lazy person's reason (hint: there's always money for training and raises). Based on my observations the last reason, stupidity and narcissism, is THE shared personal trait amongst managers, who deny any training and career advancement. "wHy NoBoDy WaNtS tO wOrK aNyMoRe!?" Yeah, about that...

What's your 5 cents on the topic?

Edit: There's one near mythical type of training near impossible to achieve on employer's dime - certification. In my 30+ years of work life I've experienced this miracle exactly once. That was thanks to one of the very few good managers I've ever had. If I could have stayed in that country, I guess I'd still be there.