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I know it makes me sound like a bad person, but it wasn't even the effort or boredom of stacking boxes, but the dead looks in employees eyes that had been there

I know it makes me sound like a bad person, but it wasn't even the effort or boredom of stacking boxes, but the dead looks in employees eyes that had been there for decades. I didn't want to end up in a loveless job. I love what I do now and would do it even if I were independently wealthy (well, not put up with PMs, etc), and that's more than I ever hoped to achieve while working in a factory or warehouse.

fleitz 12y ago
This is exactly what I was thinking when I posted, those people. Did you happen to call them lifers? That's what we called them, I was pretty sure that their primary goal in life was to spread their misery to others. I felt like Coolhand Luke there, one of the lifer managers really seemed to hate me because it was just a stop along the road for me, and made it pretty much his mission to make my life miserable which I countered by not being miserable, as an example one night he started by giving me 4 hours extra overtime, he was looking for me about 5 minutes before my 12th hour, so ducked around the racks for a few minutes before making it to the break room for my 30 minute paid break after 12. He found me in the break room and I thanked him for the overtime, he was not impressed, then I asked if I could show up late the next day due to all the overtime I worked, he flatly refused and started telling me that first thing tomorrow I'd be sweeping the docks on the driveway. So I get there the next day at 7 AM in full freezer gear (more OT because the stupid fuck was so caught up that he forgot about the 8 hours between shifts rule) find him and complain about having to sweep the docks, he smiles hands me the broom and tells me to get to work, get outside, beautiful day, take off my gear, throw my freezer jacket in a puddle, and start sweeping. About noon, he finds me with a smile on, and I let him know I just got paid time and a half to sweep, and didn't even have to work freezer on this beautiful day, so he sends me to the freezer, and I refuse because my jacket is soaked. Funny thing is he ends up getting in shit the next pay cheque cuz I'm way over on pay and way under on cases.
- will_work4tears 12y ago
  Yep, lifers, that is indeed what they were called. My last gig before I decided to go to college was a "corregated board" factory. 100+ degree (F) temps (pretty hot in the winter too), second shift type work (printing and cutting), and I played the "points" game with sick days/leave. Union job, so us noobs got stuck with the manditory overtime if the older guys didn't want it. You could use points to not have to work over, but you only got so much. I played it badly and they let me go. I was signed up for classes that next day.

fleitz 12y ago

This is exactly what I was thinking when I posted, those people. Did you happen to call them lifers? That's what we called them, I was pretty sure that their primary goal in life was to spread their misery to others. I felt like Coolhand Luke there, one of the lifer managers really seemed to hate me because it was just a stop along the road for me, and made it pretty much his mission to make my life miserable which I countered by not being miserable, as an example one night he started by giving me 4 hours extra overtime, he was looking for me about 5 minutes before my 12th hour, so ducked around the racks for a few minutes before making it to the break room for my 30 minute paid break after 12. He found me in the break room and I thanked him for the overtime, he was not impressed, then I asked if I could show up late the next day due to all the overtime I worked, he flatly refused and started telling me that first thing tomorrow I'd be sweeping the docks on the driveway. So I get there the next day at 7 AM in full freezer gear (more OT because the stupid fuck was so caught up that he forgot about the 8 hours between shifts rule) find him and complain about having to sweep the docks, he smiles hands me the broom and tells me to get to work, get outside, beautiful day, take off my gear, throw my freezer jacket in a puddle, and start sweeping. About noon, he finds me with a smile on, and I let him know I just got paid time and a half to sweep, and didn't even have to work freezer on this beautiful day, so he sends me to the freezer, and I refuse because my jacket is soaked. Funny thing is he ends up getting in shit the next pay cheque cuz I'm way over on pay and way under on cases.

will_work4tears 12y ago
Yep, lifers, that is indeed what they were called. My last gig before I decided to go to college was a "corregated board" factory. 100+ degree (F) temps (pretty hot in the winter too), second shift type work (printing and cutting), and I played the "points" game with sick days/leave. Union job, so us noobs got stuck with the manditory overtime if the older guys didn't want it. You could use points to not have to work over, but you only got so much. I played it badly and they let me go. I was signed up for classes that next day.