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ChrisK

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
1,376
Location
Ottawa, Canada
It's that long awaited Friday night -- the one night of the week I could be sleeping in, but I can't sleep. I'm starting to realize that I'm on the cusp of a major life change.. I've worked the same job for 10 years, but it's almost time to move along now.

I have really loved working at this company, but recently got a new boss who treats me poorly, and the company just began a major re-org, turning us into a massive call-center type of place. It's no longer even remotely like the place I was hired into 10 years ago.

I was hoping to work here until I retire, but i don't feel ready to retire yet, and I also feel too old to start a new job starting with less vacation, seniority, etc. I was thinking I could just coast for a while, but the workload is extraordinary, and the politics is ugly. So I don't expect I will be able to stay there long before work becomes too stressful/depressing to continue.

Right now the only thing that sounds like a good idea is relocating to a warmer climate :) Too bad that's not really an option..lol
 
Awww I am so sorry...I felt that way in my last company...I realized that I had forgotten to smile and the stress was getting to be too much for me, just make sure you have a job waiting for you, just in case you need to make a quick exit. I didn't and now am in a worse job :/
 
I really feel for you. That's not a nice to place to be. I wish I had all the answers you deserve. But in my experience, situations like your current working environment tend to get worse and drag you down as precious time passes. You owe it to yourself (you've worked so hard) to take a chance and try for another job in a happier environment. Anything has got to be better than what's currently on offer to you. It sounds bloody soul destroying and noone should have to deal with that. Noone.
 
It sucks to be in that position, but I'm sure you are not alone. Sometimes change is a good thing. My BFF worked in retail for 30 years, but she was finding it really hard on her back and knees. She decided to take the plunge and make a change - now she is working reception/management in a dental office! She is still working with the public, but it was a huge learning curve and her brain was (is) challenged. It was a big risk, quitting her job, but it was necessary for her and I think it has woken her up a bit, getting her totally out of her comfort zone and facing a whole new position.
It's not worth it to stay if it's going to suck the life out of you. But I restate what Lilspaz said - do not quit your job until you have a new job to go to, or you may be worse off than you are now.
The other side of the coin is; is there anything you can do to make your job better where you are now? And if not, is there anywhere you can move to laterally in the same company so you don't lose your seniority?
 
I've been looking around internally to see if I can move to a different job, but I work in a specialty area, and have always been one of a kind there, so it's gonna be hard to do.. I'm meeting with my former boss (left the company last July) this week for lunch, and I'm hoping he can offer some insight. My real hope is actually that I'll be laid off, because then I'll get a good severence package and the luxury of time. After working hard all these years, though, I'm not sure I can "strive to be mediocre" lol

edit -- "strive to be mediocre" so that the company would see me as a good person to lay off during the next round of cuts.

Other options I've thought of, but both will cause hard feelings in the company -- 1. ask if my job can be moved to report to a different boss; or 2. directly tell my boss that I want to be considered for a package next time there are layoffs. (and then hope it's soon!)
 
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I'm so sorry you're going through this. 10 years is a very long time. Id suggest speaking with someone higher up about this new boss. :(
I hope things get worked out soon! :suspicious:
 
I'm very glad I met with my former boss. He suggested that I speak to the other people who were nearby last time my new boss tore a strip off me. That's to get confirmation that they'd heard what I heard, and also because if so, I could mention that "other people have heard" my new boss speak to me this way, when I talk to my boss's boss.

My former boss then suggested I speak to the boss's boss. Mostly to let him know of the situation so that he has a chance to address it if he wants to.

Other than that, my former boss suggests if that leads me no where, I should leave. He shared his story with me, and I was stunned.. he faced a similar situation at this company. Wow!

Then my former boss asked for my resume because he said I'd be a good fit at the place he's at now, 'though there may or may not be any jobs at the moment.

I'm not certain I'm going to address my boss's boss at all. I'm starting to look around for another job, and planning to check my finances. I am anticipating we'll have layoffs by June, so if I can afford it, I will ask to be laid off in June. But in any event, I'm getting my head around leaving now.
 
Well, it sounds like you have thought this out. I'm glad your meeting was productive - it's always good to hear from someone who was in the same position. To me, ideal sounds like early retirement from your current place, and then going to your former boss's new place, banking the retirement buyout.
 
I really hate when employers do this. You could go to labour board with this harassment, especially if your co-workers have heard your new boss bully you.
 
jorats said:
I really hate when employers do this. You could go to labour board with this harassment, especially if your co-workers have heard your new boss bully you.
Click to expand...

Agreed.. but I really don't want to add all that aggravation into my life. Frankly, I don't want to just leave after 10 years either, but this weekend I did my calculations, and looks like I can retire in about a year.. so.. I'm going to look for a one-year contract somewhere else.. and in the meantime, if it looks like we're going to have those layoffs early summer, and I'm still there, I'll ask for a package instead. That would be my preference.
 
That's a hard situation, so common these days. You are doing some smart things, looking at options & talking to contacts. An exit will come, and you can offer your specialty elsewhere. In the meantime it's very hard to go in, day after day, when the atmosphere has gone bad.
Hang in there, and call on all your support systems. Just don't be tricked into thinking it's your fault!
 
Do what you need to do but make sure you take care of yourself.
I stayed longer then I should have in my last job .... while trying to get another job.
I stayed to long and the impact on me was so great that I have been unable to work since ...
 
I feel like I've come to the end of my tether now with this job. Usually Friday afternoons I'm feeling pretty good that it's weekend time. This Friday I just felt dread knowing that in two short days I'd be back at work again.

So I had a chat with my husband about the finances tonight, and I've decided that I'm going to leave my job within two months, whether or not I have something else to go to. I've already been pounding the pavement looking for work. I function better overall if I have a job, because scheduling gives my day structure. But this job is just too toxic.

Please send me good vibes.. Somedays I just feel too old to deal with this kind of cr*p. But I still have a lot to offer in the business world and I'm sure someone else will value what I bring to the table.
 
Sending good vibes. You sound like an amazing person, anyone would be mad not hire you. I'm so sorry you've been so terribly let down. I'm sure you will do the right thing for you. You've given it your all, and noone should have to live like that. I think you're very brave. Really pleased to hear you're sparing yourself of this misery.
 

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