Off Topic Discussion Megathread

[Kennar]

We're hemorrhaging people (my department should have eleven workers, we're down to five, three of them in the last four months), half of our equipment is breaking down AND it's so old that the parts aren't even made anymore, and the only maintenance guy who knows how half of the plant works anymore just quit because he's tired of working 70-plus hour weeks. Management's response? Mandatory overtime. I think the only reason I got away with refusing to work Saturdays is because they realized I'm the only one left who knows how to operate the annealing furnaces and they can't afford to do anything to me right now (and god forbid the furnaces break down....again....because no way in hell am I qualified to do more than the most basic troubleshooting, and I will absolutely not play with the nitrogen and ammonia lines). And I'm not gonna lie, I'm updating my resume and getting ready to start looking again. I'm willing to put in a fair amount of hard work, but screw this noise.

I feel for you. Long story short, I work for an 83 year-old farmer and his nephew. They have separate operations, but share equipment and labor (i.e. me). At the end of July, the old man badly broke a leg doing stubborn old man things (octogenarians have no business being anywhere near a Hi-Lift jack), and has been completely out of commission since. The entirety of the day-to-day operations is now on my shoulders. I'm not really overworked since there are only so many hours in a day, but it's been hell trying to stay on top of things and get ahead, especially dealing with old equipment and years of deferred maintenance. I'm going to have to sit down and have a long uncomfortable talk with my bosses this winter.

[Snorky]

I feel for you. Long story short, I work for an 83 year-old farmer and his nephew. They have separate operations, but share equipment and labor (i.e. me). At the end of July, the old man badly broke a leg doing stubborn old man things (octogenarians have no business being anywhere near a Hi-Lift jack), and has been completely out of commission since. The entirety of the day-to-day operations is now on my shoulders. I'm not really overworked since there are only so many hours in a day, but it's been hell trying to stay on top of things and get ahead, especially dealing with old equipment and years of deferred maintenance. I'm going to have to sit down and have a long uncomfortable talk with my bosses this winter.

Wow, God bless him for working that long. And God bless you for being there for that farmer. I am glad I retired. It was not an easy decision to retire because somewhere along the 47 years of my working life I became my job. It didn't happen over night but the older I got the more I thought about how I lost my identity and it melded with my job. I realized I had to retire or risk losing who I truly was. Employers consume people now, it's not like they appreciate you and reward you for service to them anymore. The large corporations use you until they have no use for you then replace you. There is no two way street of loyalty it's rather sad. Good luck talking to your employer I hope it goes well .

[Larirawiel]

Cheers