Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How much would you tolerate, your job? How much would you put up with?
For the sake of health insurance, which is mainly why I'm working there.
I work in a call center and have tried to find another job, but haven't succeeded so far. I'm too old to go back to school at this point in my life. Wasn't ever a "student" when I was a student.
There was another thread having to do with work/life balance, and that got me thinking. How much would people put up with, before they throw in the towel. If that's an option, and or some it isn't. For me, it is an option. I "can" afford some horrible health insurance, if I have to (something with some astronomical deductible).
Who here would do so, throw in the towel on it, when there is no work/life balance?
I work, as I said, in a call center, procedures change, almost daily. Such is the life of a call center worker in a Fortune 500 company. Everything we do, down to how long it takes you to go to the bathroom, or how frequently you go to the bathroom, is monitored (virtually).
I work Saturdays as part of my normal shift, and have done so now for 6+ years. When I came to work there, there were some folks (more senior than myself, who actually had Monday - Friday shifts), and it was my hope I could one day be one of them, and work a normal shift, Monday - Friday and have my life back on weekends. They have since changed all of that, and the old timers that had been there and working Monday- Friday, they've gone on to other jobs, and/or quit. There are no longer any Monday - Friday shifts to be had. If you work in this capacity, you will work weekends, one or the other if not both Saturday and Sunday.
This company has moved all of their operations, essentially, to other states in this country, and so basically all that's left here locally, if you want to stay with this company, is call center work, so looking for a different position, within this company, not a possibility, unless I'm mobile, able to pack up and move to another state, and I'm not.
I do get vacation with this company, but actually being able to take it is like moving heaven and earth. It requires a supervisor over-ride in order to do so, and when approaching a supv, you can count on being asked to work someone else's shift, in other words, if you need that day off, ask if you can trade with somebody. Well no, I was actually looking to use some of my vacation time, and not work, and be able to enjoy some time off.
My shift is Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
I can take almost any Tuesday I want off, unless it falls around a holiday, in which case, the answer is a resounding no.
A Monday, Friday or Saturday .. days I work, almost impossible to take off, and see above, if it falls around a holiday, a resounding no.
I miss being able to be with family that gathers around holidays, which would require that I take some time off to be able to do so, family lives out of town. I would have to travel. They come to see me, but I can't be off work, so I can't be with them, I have to go to work.
I miss being able to do things on weekends, that people do. Go to a local art festival, a concert, a farmer's market, etc.
How much is it worth? The job. How many would throw in the towel and take that horrible health insurance that has an astronomical deductible, and is costly to boot.
I can quit (because obviously finding another job that makes me happier, isn't in the cards for me), and have "my time" back to do what I want with it. But would you? How many of you, would trade the above arrangement, and so much more, for the fact that you have good health insurance, .. yes I get paid, it's not a lot, it's a call center afterall, but it's an income.
Things that make me crazy are the constant changes in procedures, handed down from on high. Our call times are monitored, as are all call centers. We are "ostensibly" to handle a call within 5 mins, and dispense with that caller and move on to the next caller. Yet they keep adding more and more and more points, bullet points that we are to hit (or get *coached* on to not have done so) into the call flow. Nobody meets the metric in place, not myself, not anybody. But they keep adding more and more into the call flow that they want us to touch, bullet points. When it's asked of management, when they keep adding more and more onto us, "are they looking at adjusting that call flow metric, because more and more keeps being added in, and we aren't, any of us, meeting goal", the answer given is, "the analysts are looking at that". That has been said for over a year now, .... and in the meantime they have probably added another 20 items that we are to touch on, (or be coached on for not doing so). That kinda thing makes me crazy.
The lack of ability to be off around any holiday, to enjoy time with my family. Seems to be the time when the rest of the world gathers, as a family to enjoy one another, 4th of July, T-giving, etc. But I work in a world where it is operational 24/7, 365, they never close, and holidays, getting time off around a holiday is near impossible. Oh I may get lucky and actually not have to work the actual holiday, xmas day for instance, I may be one of the lucky ones, since I've been there long enough at this point, and not actually have to work on xmas day, and get to observe it as a holiday, and with pay, but try to take the day before, or day after, to put with it to go out of town to enjoy family. Not gonna happen.
They need butts in seats, answering phones, and so the "business need" comes before the "employee need". That's the bottom line there. I'm not gonna fight city hall, it doesn't work.
What would you do? Work/life balance, is it worth it?
When there's no other option, you deal with it. Period.
I've vented about my work environment on these forums. It's pretty much intolerable at times. But if I dont work here, my mortgage doesnt get paid. I have 3 children. So, that's "worth" it to me.
Police officers, firefighters, hospital employees, etc. run 24/7 as well and miss plenty of holidays, birthdays and whatever. You either work the job or you don't. If my choice is to work weekends and holidays or to live in a cardboard box, I'll take the weekends and holidays, thank you very much.
Police officers, firefighters, hospital employees, etc. run 24/7 as well and miss plenty of holidays, birthdays and whatever. You either work the job or you don't. If my choice is to work weekends and holidays or to live in a cardboard box, I'll take the weekends and holidays, thank you very much.
I would venture to say that the above professions may very well start out working nights/weekends/holidays, always. But, eventually, they get enough seniority they can move out of nights/weekends/holidays. At least some of those holidays to be more precise.
I have worked Saturday for years and I actually prefer it. I can get my shopping and chores done so much faster on Monday when everyone else is at work. In the recent past I worked many holidays and did not mind, it paid the bills. Holidays can be spent with loved ones any time, it doesn't need to be on a specific day. What I don't like about a schedule that is not Mon- Friday 9-5 is that everyone assumes that is when everyone works. Why haven't folks like governments and utilities figured out and arranged their hours for all of us that serve them on their days off? What would they all do if no one worked week-ends or holidays??
I think at this point I might be willing to invest in some certifications (depending on what you want to do) and possibly hire a coach to help me polish the resume or interview skills, etc.
You need to make yourself a more attractive applicant to other jobs.
You are choosing to have limited career options by not seeking to improve your skills. You don't have to run out and get a degree. However, you do have to do something. Take some classes, get a certificate, build a portfolio, etc.
There will always be sucky jobs. That doesn't mean you have to work one. Empower yourself.
I have a relative who has managed various call centers and this is the culture in all of them. If possible, another type of job might be a better fit for you.
Not that much I am quitting and looking for something better fit, less money less stress. 12 hour days are not for me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
