Vent : Am I just a bad employee?

[Nevetharine]

So I got "politely told off" from my job. Again.

No first, second, or third warning. Just G-bye!

I kept my mouth shut, swallowed other people's %$&#, and got told off.

My first job in this town, I DIDN'T keep my mouth shut. And wasn't very popular.

The one inbetween I put my all in, worked at home without extra compensation to learn what had to be learned, got told off because "they couldn't pay me after the first month."

Add to that that I just don't fit in with people in my community. I'm that weird yoga-fitness writer chick... who doesn't care about anyone's mundane troubles.

Because having been where I've been, losing everything I had at 20-something except my husband, my parrot and my cat, I find a lot of people complain with pennies of gold in their purses.

I can't relax in a job anymore, because I never know when I won't have it. Can't plan anything ahead. What if I made plans where I have to pay something off over 2yrs and get let go on year one?

Apparently I got fired this time because a lady that bought a suitcase put up a fuss. There was an additional suitcase inside that one that she hadn't paid for...me assuming she only had the one since they are SUPPOSED to all be displayed on the shelf... and she wondered why she only got two of the set of three, when meanwhile she actually got it for free.

Why let me go because of that? I would've happily paid for it... by all means, deduct it from my salary so long as I keep the job.


The girl who has the responsibility of the shelf still kept hers...

I find it so hard to connect to people, being such a reserved person. I like talking about the bigger, deeper things in life. And people just look at me like I'm nuts and ask me things like "why do you do it?!" When I tell them I exercise.

Did I fall out of the sky into this world?


TLDR ; ...... WHY ARE YOU ALL SO FAR AWAY?!?!.... **sobs**.

 

[Nevetharine]

I swear I've developed such a complex from this. I'm too afraid to try something new, because apparently I can't even master being a cashier. I can't make a mistake.

Feeling bad for not working and feeling bad when I work too.

 

[aerochic]

@Nevetharine. I don't have any advice. I've never i felt I belong anywhere. I regularly have imposter syndrome and an inferiority complex at work, with some good reasons behind both. I hope you can find something where you feel more comfortable. We in the hive are here for you even when it all goes wrong and just know you aren't alone.

 

[Henryk]

We get bosses or supervisors even some teachers that either have it in for us or just don't like us for no real reason. You have to let go and move on and find that job that you like and have good work mates.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

@Nevetharine I am sorry that happened to you.

I hope you can try not to read too much into it. You know how much of what went down was your responsibility and how much was not.

I once had a job working at a sandwich counter. It was a crappy job. Which I hated. (Obviously. Does anyone truly not hate working at a job where they're paid minimum wage and given flaky hours all over the place that get changed on them at a moment's notice, all while being shit on by customers who think it's okay to take their bad moods out on service industry workers, and micromanaged by a supervisor who is pretty much too stupid to breathe?)

But I needed money. So I took the job. I showed up. On time. (It was a 90 minute walk each way, because I couldn't afford the bus on what they were paying me. And they often called me in for only 2 hours to cover the lunch rush and then sent me home. Which I didn't know at the time isn't even legal in Ontario.)

I plastered a smile on my face.

I bit my tongue when the customers were abusive.

I bit my tongue harder when the supervisor (who--I'm not kidding here--needed three friends to help her figure out how to fill out an instant bingo card) didn't notice that I had bussed every table in the restaurant (while she was sitting at one of them with her friends trying to figure out the stupid bingo card) but did notice me standing behind the counter doing nothing (because there were no customers, and I'd already bussed all the tables and restocked all the sandwich supplies) and so told me to go bus the tables. And when I told her they were all already done, she told me to go check them again.

This same supervisor also freaked out when she discovered that--oh my gawd!--I'm left handed! I might leave one of the serving utensils sticking out of the wrong side of a pot of sandwich filling! I assured her I would not. And I then spent two weeks reaching across every pot to grab the serving utensil from the opposite side and then dutifully reaching across to leave the handle sticking out of the right side of the pot again when I was done with it. Because heaven forbid one of the poor right-handed employees should be asked to suffer the same inconvenience I had to deal with for literally every sandwich topping requested by every customer--even when I was the only employee working the frakking counter! (Again: not joking here. They required me to use the sandwich counter in a right-handed setup even when I was the only person working it.)

After two weeks of this, the manager of the place (who was the mother of the supervisor--go figure!) terminated my employment. This was no surprise. The sandwich counter was not as busy as they had hoped it would be, and they did not need the extra help. But instead of just admitting this, the manager tried to pretend it was my fault I was being let go because "you don't like working here."

There are, unfortunately, a lot of crappy jobs out there under the thumb of a lot of crappy bosses. I cannot promise you you'll never land in one again. But please do try to remember: It's not you. It's them. Regardless of what you were told, you don't know the true reason(s) why you were let go or why the person who had incorrectly stocked the shelves was not. All you can do is do your best, and move on when things don't work out.*

*In some cases you can get compensation for wrongful termination. But in a low-paying job you've not had for long, it's likely not worth your time to pursue that avenue. (I'm not familiar with employment law in your jurisdiction. So I could be wrong. But my guess is you're better off to just walk away.)

 

[Nevetharine]

@Nevetharine I am sorry that happened to you.

I hope you can try not to read too much into it. You know how much of what went down was your responsibility and how much was not.

I once had a job working at a sandwich counter. It was a crappy job. Which I hated. (Obviously. Does anyone truly not hate working at a job where they're paid minimum wage and given flaky hours all over the place that get changed on them at a moment's notice, all while being shit on by customers who think it's okay to take their bad moods out on service industry workers, and micromanaged by a supervisor who is pretty much too stupid to breathe?)

But I needed money. So I took the job. I showed up. On time. (It was a 90 minute walk each way, because I couldn't afford the bus on what they were paying me. And they often called me in for only 2 hours to cover the lunch rush and then sent me home. Which I didn't know at the time isn't even legal in Ontario.)

I plastered a smile on my face.

I bit my tongue when the customers were abusive.

I bit my tongue harder when the supervisor (who--I'm not kidding here--needed three friends to help her figure out how to fill out an instant bingo card) didn't notice that I had bussed every table in the restaurant (while she was sitting at one of them with her friends trying to figure out the stupid bingo card) but did notice me standing behind the counter doing nothing (because there were no customers, and I'd already bussed all the tables and restocked all the sandwich supplies) and so told me to go bus the tables. And when I told her they were all already done, she told me to go check them again.

This same supervisor also freaked out when she discovered that--oh my gawd!--I'm left handed! I might leave one of the serving utensils sticking out of the wrong side of a pot of sandwich filling! I assured her I would not. And I then spent two weeks reaching across every pot to grab the serving utensil from the opposite side and then dutifully reaching across to leave the handle sticking out of the right side of the pot again when I was done with it. Because heaven forbid one of the poor right-handed employees should be asked to suffer the same inconvenience I had to deal with for literally every sandwich topping requested by every customer--even when I was the only employee working the frakking counter! (Again: not joking here. They required me to use the sandwich counter in a right-handed setup even when I was the only person working it.)

After two weeks of this, the manager of the place (who was the mother of the supervisor--go figure!) terminated my employment. This was no surprise. The sandwich counter was not as busy as they had hoped it would be, and they did not need the extra help. But instead of just admitting this, the manager tried to pretend it was my fault I was being let go because "you don't like working here."

There are, unfortunately, a lot of crappy jobs out there under the thumb of a lot of crappy bosses. I cannot promise you you'll never land in one again. But please do try to remember: It's not you. It's them. Regardless of what you were told, you don't know the true reason(s) why you were let go or why the person who had incorrectly stocked the shelves was not. All you can do is do your best, and move on when things don't work out.*

*In some cases you can get compensation for wrongful termination. But in a low-paying job you've not had for long, it's likely not worth your time to pursue that avenue. (I'm not familiar with employment law in your jurisdiction. So I could be wrong. But my guess is you're better off to just walk away.)

Yeah I was working there for four months so it's not worth pursuing anything. I didn't particularly like the job, but you know what, I did with the smile of The Joker.

If there's one thing I can't stand it's hypocritical people. And I know for a fact she was one. I have a meter that tells me these things.

She's this holy "prophet" in church but she tells an employee (who was also let go after 5 years of service) that she (and this is such a paradox) doesn't want to, but she can be a b%#*$ if we provoke her. And she will make our lives very difficult if we cross her in any way.

I'm no saint, but I at least TRY to practice what I preach... mrs. Prophet.

Me, wanting to keep my job, did everything that was asked of me as best I could. But well.

And South Africa's work prospects are just outstanding, at a 48% unemployment rate.

 

[Henryk]

South Africa's work prospects are just outstanding, at a 48% unemployment rate.

London Ontario Canada this year 5.9%. The easy way to get work is through a temp agency, I ended up getting one of the best jobs ever as a general labourer for a builder and got a $400 gold watch when I retired after 13 years.

 

[Nevetharine]

London Ontario Canada this year 5.9%. The easy way to get work is through a temp agency, I ended up getting one of the best jobs ever as a general labourer for a builder and got a $400 gold watch when I retired after 13 years.

We don't have those, unfortunately. The problem is that there literally ARE no jobs. Apparently no money to create them, either. And few small businesses receive the attention they need to stay on foot long-term, because there are so many people who are unable to participate in the economy. Our lovely government is considering implementing a permanent unemployment grant for the youth of our country, instead of spending that money to start businesses, a.k.a, create jobs.

 

[Nevetharine]

Also, the government said they could afford this grant, which is speculated to be around ZAR5 billion a year, if they let go of some of their cabinet ministers.

Let that sink in.

5 Billion a year - if they let go of some of their cabinet ministers.

 

[elie]

Hey there! I'm sorry you went through some unhappy times.

Sometimes, it's not about us or what we do, but about petty workplace politics - and us being collateral victims, or the necessary scapegoat to a wider, unfair system.

If a cash registry job ain't for you, could you consider other positions that may not necessitate contact with the public (or minimal contact)? If there aren't any open positions, could you consider engaging in a professional course or anything to that effect that could polish your skills? (Possibly with the help of the government or the town, or with some scholarship.)

In any case, I hope everything will get better for you soon

 

[Furrymama]

I swear I've developed such a complex from this. I'm too afraid to try something new, because apparently I can't even master being a cashier. I can't make a mistake.

Feeling bad for not working and feeling bad when I work too.

I know that it seems bad, but maybe the best fitting job for you hasn't happened yet? I really don't know what else to say except I've been there too, feeling so incredibly frustrated with the jobs I've had in the past. It does get better and you will find that job that's a good fit for you.

 

[dopaw]

I hope you keep pushing.