Would you say something? (re: quitting work)

[blueeyedgirl]

Sorry, this is super long...


My boss is a total flake. He runs a small business and has only one employee other than myself, and will often decide to take days off for no real reason. I work for him full-time in the summer and 30 hours/week during school. (I am a full-time college student). I am constantly getting yelled at on the phone by his clients, because he doesn't follow through on work. I hate getting yelled at!

Although I live with my parents, the money I make is very important. My parents pay for nothing other than our house - I pay for school, books, my car payment and insurance, gas, food, etc.

Anyway, on Monday of this week, my boss told me he was going on a short vacation and would not be in the office Thursday or Friday. Since the other employee was also on vacation all last week and all this coming week, he told me not to bother coming in. Which means I wouldn't get paid. I was a little stressed, but figured it would be a nice long weekend. I scheduled a placement test for school on Thursday afternoon. On Wednesday I needed to leave right at 5 pm, because I was going to a concert an hour and a half away at 7, and there would be traffic. He kept me until 5:15 doing pointless things he could have done himself. THEN, told me I needed to be at work the next two days, as he had changed his mind about his vacation. I told him I still needed Thursday off for my exam, but would be in on Friday.

Friday, today, he texts me at 8:05 am and says to stay home (with pay) because he had been out too late the night before. This is all well and good, but my direct deposit for this week didn't go through. I texted him back asking about my pay, and he said he would fix it and call me later. I texted him again at 3:10 pm, as I still had not been paid and he never called or responded. It is now almost 10 pm.

Also of note: my boss switched to paying me every two weeks instead of every week with no notice, and I haven't been paid in 2 weeks now. Also, I need to take some morning classes, but can't because of my work schedule.

So I applied for, and got, a waitressing job. The hours aren't as great as my current job, but I'll make tips and I can take day classes instead of night classes.

Finally, down to my question- when I quit on Monday, should I just blame it on school, and say I failed my placement test and now have to take a class in the mornings and cannot work for him? Or should I say something about the way he has treated me? I don't want to be rude, but I don't want to be a complete pushover, either. I feel like if I just mention school, I'll seem like I am flaky, just up and quitting, as opposed to it being about him as well.

[Crystalina]

I'd say something about the way he treats you. If you already have another job to go to, what could it hurt saying something to him?

[Irishgal]

I would say take the high road. Don't say anything that somewhere down the road might come back to haunt you.
I would say something like "thanks for the opportunity to work here and gain experience, but I have found something that fits my schedule better".

I guarantee if you just say something neutral rather than saying something to him about how he treated you you will walk out feeling much better, more professional.

Good luck on Monday!

[meganfm]

I've always used school as an excuse to quit my jobs, even when there were things seriously wrong with the way they were running their business. I didn't want to burn bridges in case I needed a reference in the future. It sounds like you're doing office work, and if you try to apply for another office job after you move on from waitressing, they would probably want to get a reference from our last office job.

[apey_grapey]

Originally Posted by Irishgal

I would say take the high road. Don't say anything that somewhere down the road might come back to haunt you. I would say something like "thanks for the opportunity to work here and gain experience, but I have found something that fits my schedule better". I guarantee if you just say something neutral rather than saying something to him about how he treated you you will walk out feeling much better, more professional. Good luck on Monday!

Irishgal's is the advice you should follow. I once had a supervisor that made me debate everyday whether I'd rather get hit by a bus or go to work, but when I left I kept it professional. I was just glad to escape.

[blueeyedgirl]

Thank you for your replies! I definitely don't want to burn any bridges. I guess I just didn't want to feel like I should have said something and didn't.

I think I am just mad because I still haven't gotten paid for this week, and he keeps saying he'll call me and take care of it, but will not answer me when I call.

I think I will keep it professional and blame school and my schedule.

[BittyMonkey]

Sounds like the firm is having money problems (no small wonder). You are right to get out now. I would honestly not anticipate getting paid for that time. So if he gives you a hard time about no notice, you can remind him that he can consider your unpaid time as notice if he doesn't fix it by, say, Wednesday.

I think there's a real possibility you could end up working another two weeks without being paid. One of the last things employers do before they drown is start playing with payroll.

[lovinalotofbags]

You are moving on to something that is more compatible with your school commitments. Leave the other stuff out. If he has a clue, he will know why you are leaving.

[gacats]

Use school as the excuse for leaving. It would do no good to tell him anything else.
Do keep us informed about whether you got paid, though. I'm curious to see how this is going to play out.
By the way, I have been working for 39 years now and this may sound weird but I just love quitting jobs.
I know, weird.......

[blueeyedgirl]

I will definitely keep you informed as to what happens. I am so nervous about quitting. I'm not great with confrontation, and I am worried he'll be mad. Plus, it will just be him and I in the office, so it feels so personal.

[Irishgal]

First, if he gets mad and says anything at all that makes you feel uncomfortable, stop the conversation, tell him you have given your notice and leave. Do not allow him to vent on you or yell or anything. Be in charge of the conversation. In life you will encounter many times where you have to be assertive, so look upon this as some great practice. You are not obligated to listen to him rant or anything, please be clear about this before you go in. And say as little as possible. If he starts to question, or confront, just say nothing, or say "this meeting is over" Try not to allow him to get you to start making excuses, saying sorry, etc. Good luck!!!

[PurseAddict79]

OP... how'd it go??

[digby723]

Would it be possible to cut wayyyyy back this week until you get paid?? Becuase I am almost positive that if you just you leave then he will not pay you for your time worked, which would mean taking him to court. I hope everything went well though, and I agree with everyone else, the high road is better thantelling him how much you hated how he treated you and ran his buisness...you might need him for a future refrence.

[blueeyedgirl]

It went... a little weird. He never came into work today! He went to an appointment this morning, but never stopped by the office.

I tried to quit Friday, he canceled work, tried to quit today and he never showed up.

[silkfringe]

I agree totally with irishgal. But, blueeyedgirl,are you shure his business is still running and he's able to pay you?