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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Work is so sad

May 23, 2009 4:13 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

So I have been out of work since the end of Novemeber. I recently got called back and I cannot believe what has happened to the place.

For those that do not know, I am a Theatre and A/V tech in the casino's in Atlantic City. I mostly work at Harrah's Atlantic City.

When the budget crunch hit, they took the oppertunity to lay off everyone they could. It got to the point where you were afraid of payday because that was the day they would call you down to HR and send you packing.

I get back, and the whole place has a "I don't care" attitude, nobody smiles or talks to anybody else. The cafeteria is SO bad we generally have to rely on the food court to eat (we are not allowed to leave property, so they by law have to feed us) and my department went from 18 people to 6 and they doubled the work load at the same time.

So, everyone is doing three times the work, and when they cannot be in two places at once, they get yelled at for not getting it done. My supervisor gets no info from his director, so the staffing is totally off for what needs to be done, and nothing gets relayed down to us.

Our big fear, Management is going to think they can run the largest casino in Atlantic City on half the staff of the smallest. They went beyond the straw that broke the camel's back, they dropped another bale ontop of it.

I would say morale is bad here, but we would need to have some first.

Sorry, just had to vent
May 23, 2009 7:08 a.m. NYG95GA Dork

Sorry to hear all that; it sounds pretty dismal.

Are people not gambling anymore?
May 23, 2009 7:18 a.m. BobOfTheFuture Reader

Wow, Doesnt sound like a place id want to be in.

Good luck with whatever happens man, use the adversity to build your resume.
May 23, 2009 8:34 a.m. ignorant SuperDork

http://www.therepublic.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=111&ArticleID...

Thinks at my old job are bad...

Now things at new job are not much better...
May 23, 2009 8:53 a.m. pete240z Dork

Sorry to hear about your job.

I see it everywhere as I travel as a salesman, including seeing it at our own office. Sales are down everywhere in the industrial market and we are doing all we can to hang onto the people we have.

One of the costs cuttings will be no raises at our annual review next month. The top manager was told that 7-8 people will walk if they don't get raises next month.

Doesn't everyone read the newspaper?
May 23, 2009 9:36 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

Just got home.. heard a couple of stories that horrified me.

One was a 9 year old that drowned in one of the pools because the life guards had been cut. (no comment on the parents not watching)

The second, and this bothered me because it got squashed.

We had a legal immigent from mexico working in housekeeping. He went to his supervisor with chest pains and was told to get back to work.

Later, when the chest pains for worse. he went to the onstaff nurse who took a look at him and was told he was ffine and had to go back to work.

Towards the end of his shift, the pains were unbearable and he went to another supervisor (his first had left for the day) and was told that if he did not get back to work he would get written up and fired.

An hour later he dropped dead in one of the rooms.

Here was an older guy, trying to support a family on the meagre pay housekeeping gets, and because his english skills were low and he was an immigrant was not up on his rights as a worker, literally got worked to death through long hours (mandatory overtime) and a lack of caring by his supervisors.

The last supervisor, the one who told him to get back to work or get fired, was sent packing with a nice package.

What riled people up, because he died in house, everyone knew it. Up until this death, if a fellow employee died (in house or at home) a small memorial would go up on the bulliton board. This time... NOTHING. Not a single word said.
May 23, 2009 10:08 a.m. pigeon Reader

Man, that totally sucks, but on the brighter side you got called back to work. Crappy work situation beats no work at all, right? Anyway, here's hoping that things get better fast.
May 23, 2009 10:19 a.m. EastCoastMojo Dork

The story about the immigrant really pisses me off. Someone should remember this poor fellow. My thoughts go out to his family.
May 23, 2009 10:35 a.m. wherethefmi HalfDork

I'm so glad I'm in the military at the moment, there's no where else where there is such job security. Everytime one of you guys says they are going to get laid off or have been out of work for a while I really hope you consider joining. I don't make that much, I'm just an E4, but I make enough my wife doesn't have to work and can stay at home with the kids. Honestly if you have college there's a ton you can do making really good money, especially for the times.

Ok I'm ending my ramble
May 23, 2009 11:12 a.m. Opus Dork

pete240z wrote:

Sorry to hear about your job.

I see it everywhere as I travel as a salesman, including seeing it at our own office. Sales are down everywhere in the industrial market and we are doing all we can to hang onto the people we have.

One of the costs cuttings will be no raises at our annual review next month. The top manager was told that 7-8 people will walk if they don't get raises next month.

Doesn't everyone read the newspaper?

Look at it this way, if the 7-8 people walk, they will open up at least 3-4 positions for people who want to work. Also, since they volunteered to not work there, they will not be eligible for unemployment benefits.
May 23, 2009 1:29 p.m. zoomx2 New Reader

I started working a new back in November at a company that does restaurant grease p/u and recycling. I must say that I am happy to have finally found a company that could not be greater to work for. All the management knows all the employees names, we all got nice raises this year, they still gave out Christmas gifts and turkeys, all the small stuff that makes employees feel appreciated. We have more work than we can handle and in the history or the company NOBODY has ever been laid off. I have always heard that there was companies out there like this, but I never saw it. Mind you I worked for a HUGE garbage company for 9 years before this and after getting yelled at by my boss one too many times for him not doing HIS job (which prevented me from doing mine) I walked. I left for another job that sounded great except the owner turned out to be a racist prick. For the next year I worked crap jobs and went from a nice comfortable living to worrying every day how I was going to pay my mortgage. After submitting a resume to my current employer I was working within a week. My point is that there is hope out there. I have to drive 45 min. to work each way but I am happy way more than I ever was before. Keep the faith and good things will come.
May 23, 2009 4:44 p.m. porksboy Dork

wherethefmi wrote:

I'm so glad I'm in the military at the moment, there's no where else where there is such job security. Everytime one of you guys says they are going to get laid off or have been out of work for a while I really hope you consider joining. I don't make that much, I'm just an E4, but I make enough my wife doesn't have to work and can stay at home with the kids. Honestly if you have college there's a ton you can do making really good money, especially for the times.

Ok I'm ending my ramble

Some of us might be too old to enlist. (cant belive I fall into that group ) What is the max age these days anyway?
May 23, 2009 5:16 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I am too old and 4f.. (crohnes disease) shame too.. I could go in as an officer
May 23, 2009 5:51 p.m. MikeSVO Reader

zoomx2 wrote: all the small stuff that makes employees feel appreciated.

Yeah, miss that stuff.

I hate to say it, but I recently became one of those 'bent of out shape' guys at work. Things were great until a big customer said he was going to be late making a payment (they're big payments). So the owner freaked out at whipped up a non-compete to prevent people from going to work for the guy directly. We were herded into a room, the boss shut the door and more or less said, "Sign this or go job hunting. You have 5 minutes to look it over."

I wish I had walked. I signed it to keep my job, but feel like I got bent over since I handed over a bunch of my own rights and got nothing for it (so now I have limited work options AND no health insurance or vacation). I used to be gung-ho about the cause! and supporting the company! and all that rah rah bullE36 M3. But now? Couldn't care less.

It makes me sick when I think about it. The only reason I stay is because my supervisor and I have a good working relationship and I told him I wouldn't leave. He depends on me, so you'd think I might have some pull, but no...nothing of the sort.
May 23, 2009 6:04 p.m. porksboy Dork

I was booted from one company that treated me like E36 M3. I was bummed that it happened and all that crap. Then I went to work for my present employer and they are the best people I have ever worked for. I know my job and they dont, They know their job and I dont. We both recognize this and leave each other alone to do it. It is a small company that only has 30 employees and is very sucessful. Shure they have their quirks but so do I.
May 23, 2009 6:08 p.m. wherethefmi HalfDork

The max age right now is 42! You Aint too old.

In reply to: mad_machine, I am too old and 4f.. (crohnes disease) shame too.. I could go in as an officer

If you're under 42, they may have something that you could do. Also there are other Govt agencies that are hiring that have nearly the same benefits and exactly the same job security. Homeland security, Customs and Border patrol. Some of the 3 letter agencies are looking too. there's one that I want to work for when I get out. Believe it or not they have jobs where all you'd have to do is what you already do, they have the need for people to produce videos and television shows. Look into it, there's jobs that don't require alot of physical demand. there's a system to determin what jobs you can perform. http://www.us-army-info.com/pages/mos/profile.html

Porksboy, just barely missed it.
May 26, 2009 7:02 p.m. porksboy Dork

Yep, Looks like I missed it. Back in the 80's Uncle Sams Misguided Children and I were in negotiations. They said "we will have you on the flightline in 6 months repairing aircraft" problem was I was making more $$ working for Mercedes and I wanted to kill people. (hey I was young and insane)
May 27, 2009 1:58 p.m. billy3esq Dork

MikeSVO wrote:

... So the owner freaked out at whipped up a non-compete to prevent people from going to work for the guy directly. We were herded into a room, the boss shut the door and more or less said, "Sign this or go job hunting. You have 5 minutes to look it over."

Depending on the state, that non-compete is likely void. If it really bothers you (or you have reason to bolt) you should talk to a lawyer in your state who knows something about non-compete agreements.
May 27, 2009 2:45 p.m. slefain Dork

billy3esq wrote:

MikeSVO wrote:

... So the owner freaked out at whipped up a non-compete to prevent people from going to work for the guy directly. We were herded into a room, the boss shut the door and more or less said, "Sign this or go job hunting. You have 5 minutes to look it over."

Depending on the state, that non-compete is likely void. If it really bothers you (or you have reason to bolt) you should talk to a lawyer in your state who knows something about non-compete agreements.

Yup, I know in Georgia a non-compete is pretty much worthless. I signed one for my last employer but only after my labor lawyer friend looked it over. He laughed and suggested I sign it in crayon, it'd hold up in court about as much as the document.

Having a job right now is a plus, but having a job where you're treated as a commodity sucks. I just left a company where the GM would routinely remind us "this is a right to work state, you can be terminated at any time for no reason without warning". He'd usually leave off the other half of that statement which is "you also reserve the right to quit at any time for no reason, without notice".

My favorite was a meeting where the employee handbook was being rewritten yet again (down the memory hole it goes). The GM starts the meeting with saying "disappointment is the gap between expectation and reality". We EXPECTED the company to actually live by the rules of the employee handbook, the REALITY was the handbook was worthless and changed all the time, usually without notice to employees. I began squirreling away memos and bringing them out every time a policy change was snuck in unannounced since the company acted like the change had been in place all along (1984 ring a bell?). Moral soared.

With the GM reminding us often how lucky we were to have jobs at all, I struck out and decided to find a job. It was rough and took a lot of work, but I landed a good job in a lousy economy. Gotta sell yourself, but don't oversell yourself. I got a job at a mega-conglomerate in a niche division. Sure I'm just a spec on an org chart here, but I'm a ton happier and I know what is expected of me. My manager is great and I'm starting to make my mark in the circles that matter.
May 27, 2009 4:11 p.m. spitfirebill HalfDork

Boy, you guys are making me fell pretty lucky.

Oddly enough, a ton of work came in the door today.

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