Topic : Stress at Work

It certainly sounds like you are skilled and have a good reputation in the community. I understand what it's like to hang on to a job far too long because of fear of change. With your skills and reputation, you would have no problem finding another job - maybe more money!!  It might be a good idea to have letters of reference from your satisfied customers. You might be able to bring a good customer base to another employer.  Remember, you have OPTIONS and you have something to offer!

i'm working for my uncle's company and he promised that i will get a raise from him after working for 2months and its almost 6months and i havent received any raise? how can i ask him for a raise nicely?

I understand about stress.  When I graduated from college and moved to Arizona to educate students, I was so happy.  My first job was a charter school experience.  Unfortunately, the people were in it for the money and didn't care about anything else.  The charter school disolved and I worked for two other charter schools.  They were wonderful jobs.  I had wonderful principals, but I had to worry about getting a paycheck and was concerned about the school closing.  So, I tried the public school.  I decided to work a distict on the west side.  I worked 12 hours a day and weekends.  They gave me 34 students in the class.  I worked for this district for 6 years.  The pressures increased each year.  All they cared about were test scores.  My boss would yell at the teachers in front of parents and students.  She went through 4 assistant principals, and every year we would have a 50% turnover of teachers.  I loved my students and the parents.  However, the last year became so unbearable that I couldn't stand it anymore.  She would assign seats at meetings, not let anyone leave, and yell at people.  The atmosphere was so negative.  I lost so much weight and became so depressed that I hated my job.  The only time I was happy was when I was in my room with my students.  I left the district this year and took a $4,000 dollar cut in pay.  They wouldn't pay me for money  ($6,000) I earned the last year, because I wouldn't return, which I still feel is illegal.  However, where I work now is so wonderful.  My boss is so sweet and supportive.  He doesn't yell or degrade anyone.  The atmosphere is encouraging and positive.  It is difficult to live off the salary, but my mental health is a lot better than before.  I praise the Lord for that.

I myself am in the same situation.  I work 12 hour shifts and it makes it very hard to be able to take college courses.  My employer does not allow us to take time off of work unless we have vacation time to cover it or find someone to work that shift for us.  Even then, on days off, all you really want to do is sleep,I work overnights.  The best thing so far, I really haven't checked it out yet, is to take internet courses since they are designed more for those of us with weird hours and can take them at more our pace.  Oh, my work schedule is 4 days one week and 3 days the next. 

I truly know how you are feeling!  I myself, had done the same work for five and a half years.  Almost 2 years ago, I also did get out of it and had to make a job change for almost the same reasons.  Have you thought of maybe doing something different with your RN degree?  Maybe home health or a traveling nurse?  Check with your local schools to see if they are looking for a nurse.  If that is not what you want, start looking through your newspapers classified ads or by checking around by word of mouth from friends and family members to see what places they may know of that are hiring. 

 

I understand the feeling of the doctors, they aren't the ones who see the patients everyday.  I had done CNA work and know that nurses also see them everyday and know a lot more about what's going on with them than the doctors.  Well good luck and hope all goes well.

Hi, I need some advice really bad! I have worked in fashion retail for one year and in that time I have seen 4 people get promoted. I have never once even been addressed about being moved-up. I am currently a part-time sales associate and an MBA student. My undergrad is in Business Marketing. All of the management team have either non-business related degrees or no degrees at all.

 

Today, a guy who always calls in late was again 1 hour late for work because he brought pizza for everybody. He told me he was really hung-over. He is 21 years old, I am 36 years old. I have out-performed everybody in the store. I have sold more store credit cards than anybody. To make a long story very short, this guy was given MOD status for an hour. That means he was the manager on duty for a while. I was so upset over this, that I went into the manager's office and confronted them about it. I even started crying. I feel I am being totally overlooked at that store and discriminated against for my age. I have a lot of business education and I have been there 6 months longer than that guy.

 

I'm seriously considering submitting my two weeks notice. I have been looking for a new job, but nothing has panned out yet. I've never cried at work before and I do not know how to go back and work after this?  Thanks for the advice. :(

I work for a company that manages 230 Townhomes, I am 43 years old,140 pounds and consider myself a good looking woman. I worked at a company for two years through a Temp Service, and the company would not ever hire,so I took this job at the townhomes as the boss was a friend I have known for years and she knew I could do the job.

So in June I took the job and it pays very well.

When I started they had alot of Vacancys and I rented my butt off, by the end of July we were down to one vacancy. The Tenants loved me and I reorganized the maintenance staff and the guys respected me, I did the billing and I have to say I was really good at what I did. I think my boss(friend) felt threatened. The owner pulls into town and she acted like she liked me, and seemed excited to the No vacancys..

All of a sudden my boss is hinting to me to find another job, that the owner wants cute, young people to work in the office, that the owner feels I am stupid.The next week of feeling insecure all week, I confronted my boss and said if your going to fire me just do it, I canrt keep coming to work wondering if I have a job.  She said the owner wants me fired, that she wont fire me cause we are friends, but that the owner needs to do it. Then the new girl came in to train for my job, I was told I had two weeks to find a job, I asked to be out with maintenance till then because I cant be in the office under these conditions, They said yes...

I have now been working with the guys , learning all about plumbing,electrical, heating etc...

I have also been painting walls and trim and I am loving it. The guys have been great and they have alot of respect for me, and they are all like brothers to me.

Now the bosses want to keep me where I am with a huge cut in pay.. I took it for now because I dont want to be in the unemployment line, I need to work.

The new girl and I get along fine, I dont hold anything agaisnt her as she didnt know she was replacing me, and she is doing a great job in my eyes, but my boss, tells me the girl is to high maintenance for her, and they are firing the new girl at the other property because they just dont like her. These people are awful people, I see them discriminate with race, fat, skinny, or a tooth out of place people even though they are fully qualified. I am so angry but I have to stay calm because I need a job till I find another. I am just trying to stand on my feet, and I am having a hard time handling my emotions on this, and my husband isnt helping. I need support or a friend that wont stab me in the back......I just dont want to be angry anymore..

 

When I read your message I thought I was reading a message I wrote.

I am having that problem right now, I have been pulled out of a position that I was really good at and put to work on the property with the guys doing maintenance. I love the guys and I am happy but I was degradded by my boss and she is doing the same to the new girls,

I have seen her discriminate and I dont feel she should get away with this. But she will because I have a family and as long as I am working till I find another job I have to put up with her bully ways and her acting like god.

I hope she falls hard someday, but in the meantime I feel degraded, stupid, and like I cant do anything right, my self esteem has gone down the drain and I am not handling it very well. Good for you moving on, wish I had the smarts to.

As someone who has been there, done that, and threw that T shirt away, the best advice I can give you is to take some courses.  Research your local area and decide which skills are in demand in the clerical field if that is where you want to be.  You would be amazed at how much leverage you have with just knowledge of one or more specific computer programs.  You have many levels open to you at this point from a Dept Secretary to Admin Asst to Dept Admin to Exec Admin to Office Mgr and with each step you gain the skills you need for the next.  I like the site Brainbench.com, each month they offer free certifications which allows you to assess your skills and decided if it's something you would be content doing.  Try it out and best of luck!  P.S. I have experience ranging from retail, distribution, medical, land surveying and most recent real estate-all clerical positions and each one gave me what I needed to excel in the next.

I need some suggestions please.  I have a lung disorder and perfume really affects me, it feels like my lungs are burning and I cough to the point of choking.

 

It started with one woman.  I asked her to please not wear it because it affects my health.  Her response was, "If you die, someone will give you mouth-to-mouth".  She has said that I don't say anything about other's perfumes and that I am picking on her.  She has since told me that she "has" to wear perfume because she feels naked without it.  I kind of feel that breathing is a bit more important than "feeling naked".  I even gave her printed information regarding my disease.  This has been a problem for the 2 1/2 years that I've been here and I just avoid her as much as possible. 

 

So, a new manager starts last year and also is into the perfume.  She at least will back away if she see's that it is bothering me.  However, she continues to wear it. 

 

I like these women but it really bothers me that they seem to believe that their perfume is more important than my health.

 

I checked with the HR a while ago that told me that I would have to be tested for specific perfume allergies and we can request that these women not where those.   I can't seem to get through to them that this is not an "allergy" and that ALL perfumes affect me.  I do not sneeze, I choke.

 

This really sucks because I like my job.  I stay in my office as much as possible but I have to go out in the hall or offices at times.  I started seeing a pulmonologist again because my lungs hurt and my coughing has been uncontrollable.  I had to do a short round of steroids and some other meds but I'm still coughing.

 

Any suggestions about how I should handle my work situation??  I really am willing to accept any ideas.