Bargaining for a better position or raise

One of my jobs I have worked for a few years now, with no benefits other than hourly pay is really starting to make me physically sick.

I make a recovery every day once I leave the building and or start driving down the road. Infact I have left early a few days for fear of being too tired to drive, just to find a few miles later I feel find.

I was thinking about turning in a letter, copy of resume, driving record and see what I can do. THe letter would be a thank up at first, request for change, then notice of effective immediate resignation. I am waiting til I can really do this, walk out after I pay off one more bill and be able to safely and comfortability live off my part time night job.

Any opinions?

If your job is making you physically sick then it's time for a change. No job is worth that. My last full-time employment outside home was a job I had repairing taximeters. Anyway, the environment in the shop was rather depressing plus the constant motions were making my carpal tunnel syndrome worse. To make things worse, every day was a carbon copy of the day before. I was planning to quit at the end of 1990 but fortunately for me the company decided to close their NYC branch in September. As a result I collected unemployment for 15 months (the normal 6 months was extended twice by the President due to the poor economy at the time). I guess I lucked out. They actually offered me a job in their Virginia plant (I was the only one they offered this option to) but with no raise. There was no way I was relocating to a place where I wouldn't want to live for a crappy job I hated anyway so I took the layoff instead. And I couldn't make ends meet on $10.94 an hour anyway, even in Virginia. As crappy as that job was it was the only job I ever had where I got paid sick days and a few paid holidays. Every other job was no work, no pay.

Anyway, if you can get by on your night job for a while by all means quit and look for something better. Far too many jobs these days will make you ill eventually with the depressing working conditions, poor salaries, little chance for advancement, etc. Nothing more depressing then working somewhere knowing if you stay you'll be doing the same thing at the same pay 20 years from now.

I simply start looking for another suitable job if I find that I am no longer happy with my current one. During my apprenticeship a few years back I used to get sick alot as I began to hate my boss and what I was expected to do each day. I alomst threw the hole thing in. But luckily I stuck it out and gained my qualifications. I would never leave a job without another being lined up first.

Good point, I think a hugh weight would be lifted off of my shoulder just to give notice and leave, vs hopeing for a raise, advancement, etc. It is a small company and I may be stuck in a stigma as I started there being disabled.

I updated my resume again and will see what comes. I find I really enjoy driving and being physical vs at a desk and will see if I can get a job at a local parts store, small or national chain and work a few more weeks to buy a gps and give it a whirl. I doubt I can pass a cdl, but seems there are other driving positions out there.

I have a part time second shift job that seems to be going well with promise of full time, advancement and more benefits than you can shine a light at. So far its going well too.

It seems as though so many people change jobs frequently these days. I know that company's, in general, don't offer the security they did decades ago but I also know people's attitudes towards long-term company loyalty have changed a lot. I don't have any opinions either way. I have been at my job for going on 33 years now and in looking back - am so glad i stuck it out. In doing so, I have set myself up with a life-long pension that will allow my wife and I to live nearly at the same level we are while both working. I guess this has been the benefit of staying the course. Its not for everyone but its worked for me.

BVH said:

I have been at my job for going on 33 years now and in looking back - am so glad i stuck it out. In doing so, I have set myself up with a life-long pension that will allow my wife and I to live nearly at the same level we are while both working. I guess this has been the benefit of staying the course. Its not for everyone but its worked for me.

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Defined benefit pension plans like you have are a thing of the past. Most jobs these days, if they offer anything at all, offer 401Ks. Since you take these with you when you leave there is no advantage any more to staying at a job you might otherwise leave just to get a pension. Most of the people I know have one rule regarding employment-once the opportunities for advancement at their current job run out it's time to look for something else. I work from home now for myself but my upper limit for staying at any job is around two years. By then doing the same thing with the same people every day just gets excrutiatingly boring. And if you haven't gotten a decent raise or promotion by then you're probably never going to. I give you credit for staying at one place 33 years but I could never imagine doing that myself.

One thing I've always hated is the "poverty" excuse when asking for a raise. The employer will talk about your work glowingly, fully agree you deserve even twice what they're paying you, but then mention how bad the company is doing and how they can't afford to give you even a lousy $0.50 an hour more. The taximeter repair place did this with me. At the same time the shop manager was spending about $40,000 a year on largely unnecessary business trips. These were trips to established customers who would have bought from us anyway. The profits from any new business due to the manager's business trips were way less than the cost of the trips. Unfortunately, the mindset at the main office was that business trips were always worthwhile even though in this case they were basically so the boss could see his out-of-state drinking buddies. All this money wasted and they cried poverty when I first asked for a raise (I was making a lousy $7 an hour at the time). Second time around I said I either get a decent raise or I walk. They gave me $10.94 an hour. The whole out-of-town meter repair business would have been in shambles if I left and they knew it. Eight months later they closed the shop entirely.

I think I am in the same position as jtr. I have no benefits than coming and going as pleased. Others have benefits, weeks of vacation, sick leave, etc. Boss goes on a week a month vacation and those I work with seems occupied with other things than the job at hand. I guess if I can screw off, 8 hours would blow by quickly, but I just cant do that. I have the personaility to work or leave and have left on many occastions when the power goes funky computer or phone problems pop up. I just call it quits for the day and come back tomorrow.

My second job does offer a 401k and matches up to a few percentpoints, after you have been there a year. Seems many are promoted within a few months of being there after they enter through the call center.