My Hostile Workplace Story

 My last job was in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. I was working as a cook at the county jail, when all of a sudden, they decided to change food service providers. They laid us all off without severance or vacation pay. In late 2024, I decided to rejoin the workforce one more time. I had just signed up for Medicare and needed to find a job to help pay the monthly healthcare premium. Prior to that I was on Medicaid, but once I turned 65, they told me that I wasn't eligible anymore. I am waiting until my full retirement age to sign up for Social Security, which is in a couple years. So, without any income, healthcare expenses would slowly deplete my checking account.

Finding a job at my age isn't easy. The only experience I have is restaurant and retail sales work. Most fast-food work is a revolving door. The turnover rate is so high that they always have a listing for jobs, even if they don't have an opening. After applying at several restaurants near my home, I finally settled on a pizza place which I had worked at in the past. I don't want to name them because I have no proof of what I experienced was unique to this store or the whole franchise. I was hired as a shift manager, with a promise of a pay raise after a few months. 

At first, things seemed fine. But it wasn't long before I encountered employees who refused to follow my directions. The previous shift manager would look the other way when employees helped themselves to food. Some would make the wrong order just so they could take it home for themselves. There were arguments about stealing tips because there was no tip sharing policy. Just a lot of things that contributed to making the business less profitable and more stressful than it should have been. Things that frustrated me were not cleaning properly, running out of supplies, and not doing prep for the next shift. I don't know if I'm just from a different generation, but some employees would do as little work as possible. Often leaving early without the shift manager's permission.

The stress from employee behaviors came to a head when one of the cooks threatened me. He basically told me that he was not such a nice guy outside of work and that people who challenged him often came to regret it. He was much bigger and darker than me, someone who could easily be classified as a thug. After that, I told my boss that I would not work if they put him on my shift. This was actually the second person that I had asked to not be on my shift. I found out that the company does not require a background check for new hires. I don't know if this is only for this franchise or if this is a common practice now in the fast-food industry. It could be because after the pandemic it was hard to find food service workers. The threat and knowledge that they hire people regardless of their criminal history made me decide to quit. I suppose I could have filed a formal complaint, but I didn't want the risk of retribution. The job only lasted about 3 months, and I never did get the raise that was promised.

Retired Again

 Over the years I've held many different jobs. Most of them have been in the food service industry. My last job was working in food service for Mystic Lake Casino. For the most part I liked working there and the money was good, but I had to leave for medical reasons. It was getting to the point where I was having to call in sick at least once each week. When you are having more bad days than good, you know it's time to take a break. Unfortunately, I'm not old enough to collect social security and they don't give medical disability for my condition. How then do I pay my living expenses? Well, out of my savings until I can qualify for social security. Even then, since my work history has been sporadic over the years, I don't expect to get much. I still make dreamcatchers and jewelry when I feel up to it. That isn't enough to live on of course. I'd have to be making them non-stop and then the quality would suffer.

My writing has gone by the wayside. The amount of work it takes to write a novel is very time consuming. Without the proper motivation, it is impossible to start such a long tedious project. People don't read books anymore. If they do, it isn't going to be a book by an unknown author. The amount of effort you have to put into promoting your work is easily twice that of actually writing the darn thing, if you want to be successful and have any sales. I like to tell people that I meet that I have written a book. Somehow people are still impresses with that, even if you have only sold a handful of copies. I usually direct them to my website if they need proof. The book isn't on Amazon anymore. I never sold a single copy there.

What does the future hold? I usually don't think about that too much. I'm actually more interested in looking into the past. I spend a lot of time researching my ancestry. You can find so much information online about your family tree. The average person usually knows who their grandparents are, but a lot of people enjoy looking much deeper than that for long lost relatives. I've even taken the home DNA test. They send you a report about what part of the world your ancestors came from. Although, the information is fairly general. You need to dig into online public records if you want to get details. A lot of the census documents are handwritten, and people didn't always stay in one place very long. I've moved around a lot over the years too. Maybe I'll to write a book about that someday... for my grandchildren.

8 Year Update

 I can't believe that 8 years have past since I last updated this blog. A lot has happened since then. Too much for anyone who isn't friends or family to care about. My writing has taken a back seat to work and other hobbies. These days I spend my time making necklaces, bracelets, and dreamcatchers. I sell the necklaces and bracelets as fast as I make them. When I wear my creations out in public, people often ask about them and I end up selling the item right then and there. The price is usually only $10, and people seem to be able to afford that. I don't make much after deducting the cost of materials. That's why I still work a full time food service job. Each week it gets more challenging because of my health issues. My doctors have been unable to figure out why my blood pressure fluctuates and my heart sometimes races. My partner thinks I have Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (Pots). There is no cure for Pots. You can only manage the symptoms. I rarely have symptoms when I'm at home. It's only when I overexert myself at work. Being a hard worker is having an adverse affect my health as I get older.

Because of the pandemic, I have been unable to visit my friends and family who all live over 1000 miles away in other states. I still need to get my enhanced drivers license and a Covid shot first before I travel. I've been putting it off getting the shot because of my health issues. Last April, just as the pandemic was getting underway in the US, I had partial knee replacement surgery. I've been dealing with side effects from that for over a year now. It took me 6 months before I could walk without aid. First I used a walker, then crutches, and finally a cane. I can manage without help now. But, I walk slower these days and have a noticeable limp. It was one of the hardest and painful things I have ever experienced. They make it sound so simple and easy. Make sure you have a high pain tolerance. After surgery, we found out that I was not able to tolerate the pain meds they were giving me. It was several days of trial and error before they come up with a prescription to control my pain that didn't cause a bad reaction. If you are considering knee replacement surgery, make sure you are healthy enough to endure the recover process.