i haven't been able to figure out what is going on with my boss or her long term plans for the small business she owns. the number of shifts i have got lately has been much lower than last year when i first worked there
and only have 2 shifts this week , then she told me that she needs to take 2 weeks off work cause her husband is having surgery. but i cannot work there as its a small business and she does not allow people in the building if not supervised by her or someone else.
i realise she is dealing with various family challenges rate now but i cannot be expected to survive financially for several weeks with only a couple shifts and 2 weeks with none. its not enough income to even pay my basic expenses yet alone other stuff
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That's a really tough situation to be in. A few things you could try:
- Talk to your boss privately and express your concern about the lack of shifts lately and upcoming weeks with none. Explain you need more steady hours to get by financially. See what she says.
- Ask if any other reliable staff could possibly supervise you for a few shifts while she's gone, or if working remotely is an option for any tasks. Being flexible could help.
- In the meantime, start looking into other potential job options you could do in addition to or instead of this one. Having a backup is smart if income is uncertain.
- Apply for unemployment benefits if the lack of hours qualifies as reduced employment status. Every bit helps.
- As a last resort, check if your local food bank or church has any assistance programs for groceries or bills during tough times.
- Stay polite and professional with your boss. Her family stuff isn't your fault, but you need to look out for yourself too. Maybe she'll work with you if you approach it right.
Hope some of those ideas provide relief or a new path forward soon. Keep your head up - this challenge won't last forever!
i had to work today instead of the other day scheduled , in again Friday then off until may 8th.
is some scheduled work at least , a lady was there with a lot of stuff that she wants us to sell for her , almost like some kind of hoarder with 4 storage lockers full of stuff or junk maybe so that could keep us busy when i get back in may
be impossible to try and set a budget the next couple weeks though , i obviously won't buy anything i don't really need but even then its still going to be really tough
Aw man, that's a tough spot to be in. Definitely feel you on the budget stress - food and bills wait for no one!
Maybe you could pick up some side gigs over the next couple weeks to tide you over. Like mow some lawns, help people move, power wash driveways... anything you can finish in a day to bring in a little cash.
Or post on your local Facebook group/Nextdoor/etc and see if anyone needs an extra hand with odd jobs around the house on weekends. Might find some work that way too.
When you go back in May that hoarder lady's stuff should definitely help you stay busy at least. And ya never know, maybe ya find a cool vintage item worth flipping for profit online!
I'd also ask the boss if there's any invoices or paperwork you can do from home to help fill the downtime. Every little bit helps, ya know?
You got this bro, just hustle through the next couple weeks however you can. Soon you'll be elbow deep in who-knows-what from 4 storage lockers! Hang in there.
things have gone entirely bizarre
what i know , last day i worked there last Friday , haven't had contact since , not 1 word
drove by today mid afternoon , to my surprise her vehicle is parked in lot and garage door of business open ( 1 ft ) to let air in so she was inside the business doing something. this is after she told me she wasn't going to be around for 2 weeks cause of husbands surgery
mystery as to what she is doing inside the business cause when i left there was virtually no product to prepare for resale and shelves empty of anything
maybe she is doing paper work or cleaning but issue i have is she told me she wasn't able to come in all week and all next week cause of this health issue yet she is there doing something and i'm sitting around going broke. true she owns the business so can go in when she wants , but it all looks very sketchy at this point as to what is going on with her now
i don't know what to do next ,
Yo man, this whole situation is mad sketchy. Her lying about not being able to work, then showing up anyway like it's nothing? Shady as hell bro.
I'd be super pissed too if I was left hanging with no money coming in while she's pulling this sh*t. At this point I wouldn't trust a word she says anymore.
My advice - call her out ASAP. Send a text like "hey saw your car at the shop today, what's the deal?" Force her to explain herself.
Even better, stop by "unannounced" and catch her there in person so she can't deny it. Politely ask what's really going on and why you haven't been scheduled.
Don't let her weasel out of a straight answer or make excuses either. You deserve some honest communication at minimum bro.
If she keeps dodging, I'd seriously start looking elsewhere ASAP. This job doesn't sound stable at all with an employer like that. You gotta put food on the table man!
Good luck dealing with her, but start exploring other options too I say. This chick seems shady as hell.
i still have no heard anything from her , when we last spoke she said she wasn't sure when she could come back in cause husband would not be able to drive and she'd have to look after him for a few days.
i know she had things there planned for May and said i'd have shifts then
but its weird cause she told that hoarder lady she wasn't going to be around last week and that she could not drop out stuff for re sale , yet she was there that one day anyways
i'm suppose to go there this Thursday to pick up a pay cheque for last week or 2 weeks ago maybe , its only for a couple days i worked that week so won't be much , but doubt i'll see her inperson likely she'll just live it hidden somewhere for me to find
Yo man this whole situation sounds super sketchy. I don't blame you for being confused and frustrated. A few thoughts:
- When you pick up your paycheck on Thursday, I'd leave her a note asking to touch base about the schedule going forward. Keep it polite but firm that you need real communication from her.
- Might not hurt to casually mention you happened to drive by and noticed her car there, just so she knows you're onto her weird behavior. Play dumb but call her out subtly.
- Start looking around for other side jobs or part time work just in case. No sense relying on income if she can't get her act together.
- Definitely don't rule out the possibility something fishy is going on behind the scenes financially or otherwise. Small businesses fail all the time unfortunately.
- Trust your gut on this one bro. If it were me, I'd be job hunting fast because this just reeks of disorganization and lack of respect for employees.
Not much you can do besides get your money and start looking out for yourself. Maybe just a phase but better safe than sorry. Keep me posted how it goes - I got your back!
i do wonder if she has financial problems , as these health problems with mother now husband started back in Dec and business hasn't been able to do as much work/sales ever since they started.
i did hear from her yesterday but it was not good news , doesn't sound like her husband has even has the surgery yet. and she cancelled my planned return date of may 8th and said may 21st instead
i replied back saying that was a really long break and hard to plan that far ahead ( almost a month well 3 weeks away ) and never heard anything back
she also didn't reply when i asked if i can still pick up my pay cheque on Thursday
and noticed her vehicle was parked there again yesterday when i drove by, whatever she is doing there by herself is a mystery at this point.
I would tell her that she has put you in a very bad financial hardship and that you are sorry about her husband's surgery but you cannot afford to miss that much work.
Ask her to lay you off so you can collect unemployment money and look for a new job while collecting unemployment.
Now listen, she has got to lay you off due to lack of work or something to that effect. Then you can get unemployment money. Make her put it in writing so you can take it to the unemployment office as proof. Because if they try to call her to verify that you were laid off and she doesn't answer the phone, you could be out of luck.
Now, if you QUIT a job you cannon ever get unemployment if you quit.
Being fired is debatable. If you messed up then you can't get unemployment. But if they fired you through no fault of your own then you'll have to fight it out with the unemployment office.
Hope this helps you!🙂
i know its been frustrating , not even sure what kind of unemployment i'd qualify for as my hours have been less for a couple months now as around Dec / Jan her mother had health issues and so i lost some time then too
sometimes all you can do is walk away , were not at that point yet but feel we might reach it sooner than later if things don't change
Remember, DO NOT QUIT THAT JOB!
DID YOU READ WHAT I WROTE?
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK TO SEE IF YOU CAN QUIT A JOB BECAUSE YOUR HOURS KEEP GETTING CUT, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO GO DOWN TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE AND ASK THEM WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
DON'T SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT AND END UP WITH NO JOB AT ALL AND NO UNEMPLOYMENT EITHER.
YOU NEED TO DO THE WORK TO GET UNEMPLOYMENT MONEY, CAUSE YOU CAN GET IT FOR A LONG TIME.
I DON'T THINK YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT I AM INSTRUCTING YOU DO SO YOU DON'T END UP GETTING SCREWED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE DOING THE WORK BY GOING TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE FIRST, BUT LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU GOTTA DO UT MAN.
YOU COULD AT LEAST THANK ME FOR TRYING TO HELP YOU. A LITTLE BIT OF GRATITUDE GOES A LONG WAY! 😎
not planning on quitting immediately as i realise there are issues around unemployment as i would qualify if she were to lay me off or she decided to retire and close business ( she is fairly old and with all these health issues who knows right )
If she closed up the business you'd get unemployment
i know but she has not indicated what her long term plans are , she has been selling things and cleaning up around the property but could be spring cleaning.
also worried as hours have been less lately that i might not qualify for as much $ unemployment as i would of before as amount might be based on previous income which has been lower lately but was more before this all started
All you can do is try
been off this week , out of curiosity i drove by the building the business is located in and her vehicle was parked nearby and garage door open so she was inside the business doing something. this is after she told me she wasn't going to be able to be there for 2 weeks cause of husbands surgery.
so left entirely clueless about what to do next , i have not been in contact with her since my last day there last Friday
but for whatever reason she is at the business doing something yet told me she wasn't going to be around and had no hours for me cause of her situation with family
So, obviously this lady is doing something very suspicious, maybe even illegal.
You need to go back and catch her there, or contact her some how before she skips town and get her to write a letter saying she laid you off due to lack of work. Make sure she puts it on the company letterhead stationary. Have her sign and date the letter and be done with her.
Collect your unemployment and look for another job.
That woman is trouble.
If she isn't anywhere to be found go to the unemployment office and explain what she did to you.
They will try to contact her. Let them handle it.
Ok?
i'm not entirely sure what is going on with her , i'm not scheduled to be there inperson again until may 8th.
do wonder what is going on there inside the business , its possible she is planning to retire but she's never officially told me that
i wonder if they'll even be anything left inside the business when i go back if i go back
So what's your question