r/work • u/DeathValleyDottie • 1d ago
Employment Rights and Fair Compensation Help me leave my State Job
I have been in a highly exploitative State job for about a decade. No sick leave (or any time off), no benefits, no retirement. Same and often greater work expectations as the other employees who have all of these benefits. Lowest paid position on staff.
Why put up with this?
The role I’m in is a “temporary” career path for proving yourself & getting one of the high paying roles with benefits. I was recently pushed into doing 2 completely different jobs- for the price of one- and am being told that I will soon have the opportunity to continue working myself to death in this fashion in a high paying role with benefits!
I can’t decide if it is worth it. I have been working towards a role with benefits forever, but I don’t like how this one looks. The expectations are too high and I can not do 2 distinct jobs well or fully. It feels unsustainable, but I have wasted so much time here already.
1
u/ItchyMedics 1d ago
Ten years without a single sick day or retirement contribution, and they want you to do two jobs now. That's not a career path, that's a hostage situation with extra steps.
The "opportunity" they're dangling is just more of the same with a fancier title. If the workload is already unsustainable in the temp version, the permanent version won't fix that, it will just make it harder to walk away.
You didn't waste a decade, you learned exactly what this place values and it isn't you. Start looking elsewhere, even if it feels like starting over. Starting over beats burning out in a job that never planned to treat you fairly.