Work Ethic

Switch Kicker · Post by **Switch Kicker** » 22 Apr 2008 00:48

I work at a company called Wood Harbor Doors and Cabinetry. My job is pretty simple. Sand doors according to what type they are, and repair imperfections before they move onto finish. There is a lot of heavy lifting, and some repetetive movement as well, but other than that it is a pretty good job for someone that won't finish college for two more years.

I started out on the first shift. 6 am to 3:30 pm. Last week, I was asked if I was interested in second shift, 3:30 pm to 1 am. I said I'd think about it. End of the week comes, and I tell my boss that I'll try out second shift, but if I dont' like it, I'll go back to first shift. He agrees with this.

So I try it out, and as it turns out. Second shift blows DICK. The people are highschool kids and <22 year olds. Everyone has a shitty attitude about everything, brings their drama to work with them. Not only that, but because second shift is so slow, the day seems to take forever. And for some icing on the cake, I've never been able to handle working during late hours, even if I adjust my sleeping schedule. I feel like I'm gonna explode before the first break, which is only 2 hours into the shift.

So I tell my boss that there is no way I can work second shift anymore, after 3 days of working it. He tells me he already replaced my position on first shift.

So, I look at all my options, and the only two are to continue on second shift (after much discussion with my boss) or to quit.

Here's where the work ethic comes in. Would it be ethical to tell my boss (who just stabbed me in the back) that my last day is Wednesday?

Note that I flat out warned him that I would not continue working there if I was to be kept on second shift.

I have only ever unethically quit a job once before, and I was 16 at the time. Other than that I've always put in a rather big notice well ahead of time.

So yeah, post your opinions, snide remarks, w/e, I dont' give a shit.

Maybe swap some stories of people you despised working with? Idk. W/e.

max · Post by **max** » 22 Apr 2008 03:10

I think that it is always a good idea to quit a job in good terms. The world is a small place and you never know who you might bump into again down your career path.

With this in mind what I would suggest you do is the following:

- Discuss this calmly with your boss, explain your position as you have above. Ask him to put you back on the day shift as it's just not working out for you. If that still fails then,

- Keep the late-shift (it pays) while you:
- look for another job. You may inform your boss about this, in a calm non-cocky way.

Once you have a new confirmed job, give your notice and leave.

Theatrics and door-slamming have (in my experience) never been a good long-term strategy.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 22 Apr 2008 05:42

When I employ new people at work I always call their referees and especially the contact for the last place they worked. We have rejected people because of what their referees say. Leaving without telling your boss can only possibly have either no effect on you, or a negative effect. There is no positive benefit from doing such a thing.

sniikeri · Post by **sniikeri** » 22 Apr 2008 06:41

Agreed completely with Max and Jeremy. If you want to get the references rather act like an adult even if your boss didn't.
The damage you're going to cause him by quitting without telling is minimal.

Switch Kicker · Post by **Switch Kicker** » 22 Apr 2008 23:55

sniikeri wrote:Agreed completely with Max and Jeremy. If you want to get the references rather act like an adult even if your boss didn't.
The damage you're going to cause him by quitting without telling is minimal.

Not to argue against your advice, but the damage would be quite severe. I put out around 75 doors a day on my own, with total of 150 doors (and only 2 other workers) each day, that's a pretty big loss for the company.

Turnover is low in this company, and that's because the company can't really afford to lose it's employees. It's located in a lowly populated area of Northern Iowa, and there are many other companies like around here. Not only that, but each worker really does earn their paycheck here. An employee lost is about $3,000 loss in sales each day untill that employee is replaced.

Meh, either way, I was sick today, and I called in (with reasonable heads up of about 90 minutes). I'm still in a probationary period, and therefore I doubt I will have a job tomorrow because of it.

Probationary periods are a completely flawed way to weed out bad employees.

All advice was taken and appreciated. However, I doubt I would stay longer than the end of the week if I decide tomorrow to quit (if I'm not fired for being sick...). I really can't express just how retarded some of the people are that work the night shift. They're just so... obnoxious, and irrationaly angry about nothing... They yell and swear over literally nothing, and ever other word is "fuck." And they're lazy too... I'm putting out over twice as many doors as the two girls I work with.

I kinda just hope I'm fired so I can just spend the extra time I'll have looking for a better job. That and if I'm fired tomorrow, I'll be able to see my friend John off as he ships back to Kosovo to finish his deployment. Every mishappen has it's silver lining.

And to address the "referees" comments by Jeremy. If it came down to a nasty ending between me and a job, I just wouldn't list that job as a past job. I've been fired once before, and that was from Wal-Mart for setting my foot on the bottom rail of a shopping cart and skipping on it as I pushed it to a cart return area. I don't know what was in the manager's ass that day, or who put it there, but that was no reason to just flat out fire me... maybe a warning or incident report, but fired? I never listed Wal-Mart as a past job, even though I had worked there for 18 months.

Thanks again.

Blue_turnip · Post by **Blue_turnip** » 24 Apr 2008 21:10

max's advice sounds solid.