SaharaSenior Contributor
facing the enemy...
Hi everyone,
this is a philosophical post, more than anything.
I live in a very small town. Since moving here over 2 years ago, I've had abut 5 different jobs.... and have been treated very badly in 4 of them.
Business owners in this town do not pay award wages, for the most part! They expect you to work un-paid over-time on top of that..... one job I had only gave me one 10 minute break in a 7.5 hour shift.
Another job underpaid me just over $1000 dollars in the course of a fortnight and I had to take them to the fair work commission. (long story) That same boss also said I was 'fat' and tried to make it into a joke. (by the way, I'm not fat; I'm just not anorexic like she was.)
Another employer stated "I cannot afford to pay you this week". So I left that job.
In another job, my boss spoke sarcastically to me and also underpaid me around $3 to $10 per hour, depending on the day...(you are supposed to be paid a higher rate on weekends.) I left that job too.
This morning, there is a meeting on in town for small business owners to discuss the problem of trying to retain staff and recruit new staff. Apparently, they are having trouble getting people to work for them? Really???
If you were me, would you go to the meeting to see the kind of things they are saying about their staff, or would you run in the opposite direction?
I keep feeling I want to go to the meeting, sit in the back row and observe what goes down. Only, I know I will feel extremely self-conscious and anxious if I go. I don't really know exactly how it will effect me. I think I am still angry about how I was treated. I keep asking myself "What do I hope to gain by going?" Especially since I don't want to say anything.... just observe them.
I guess I must want to prove to myself how stupid and ignorant these people really are. But I already know that.