Hey, JJ5:


Sick leave is not an option for me. In bringing this problem to the boards I have chosen to exclude certain information because of the complexity of the situation and because I do not want to exacerbate thenegativity of it.Here is a summary of the problem:


- As some of you already know, I am a professional artist. I am an artist who actually paints pictures,participates in gallery shows, and alsohas work in museums, on magazinecovers and in other media. These are just a few things that a professional artist does.Like mostprofessional artistsI know, I must work another job to support myself because the art business is fickle.


-I took this currentjob nine years ago on a part-time basis, working only two days per week. Prior to that timeI had worked ten years at a major hospital in my state. I worked in an "upper crust" department and madenumerous contacts and good friendswhile there. Along with many of my co-workers, Itook a buyout when my position was discontinued.Throughout the years, I have remained in contact with many of my friends from the hospital. In fact, I am meeting for lunchone of my supervisors fromthat job on Wednesday. But we will be discussing elephants, not employment issues.


After leaving the hospital, Istarted my own business, using my buyout funds. The firstyear was good, the second year not so good.It was virtually impossible for me to run my business and continue topaint.


-In 2003, shortlyafter my mother died, I was still working part-time at this company. I left due to a disagreement with the company owner over a task that I declined to perform because I was not feeling well that day. I had come in anyway because they were short. Because of this,I was sent home andmy hours were cut in the interim.


I decided to take the high road by accepting what had happened, whileactively seeking other employment. For the next three weeks, I continued to come to work at the company18 hoursper week. At the end of that three week period, the owner of thecompany phoned me with a full-time job offer. She wanted me to return in the capacity of Team Leader/ Activities Coordinator.


I accepted the position because it would allow me to teach art to disabled people, which is something I had done in the past many years agoand enjoyed.There were also other duties involved, which have changed overa 5 year period. Because of the art factor and the freedom, I took the job with only the benefits of medical, dental and optical insurance. There were no paid vacations, no paidsick timeand no paid personal days. And there still is not.

Dear Scorpio,


Have you made a decision? Though it would be nice to hear what it is, please don't feel obligated to post something quite personal to you.


JavaJava5

Hey, JJ5,


I thought I had made a decision, but am still vacillating.I am also weighing some options in terms of other opportunities.The good news is that the anxietyknots haveeased, and I'm beginning to feel more relaxed.


Thanks for asking, JJ5.

Wow i'm actually surprised at what i've read here... on page 1 anyway. i truly believe that people in today's world have lost part of what it means to actually be alive, we stopping working to live and now it seems the general populations lives to work.


OP, you have written that you do not plan on using your current job as a reference - thats your answer right there. i don't know how things are where you live but i know that in the states i've lived they have what is referred to as the "right to work, right to fire". what this means is that you can walk into the office on any day and be fired for no other reasons than your boss doesn't like your socks. this applies to jobs from working at burgerking to a network admin position. employers for the most part have no loyalty to its employees in anyway, if they keep you on after they have decided to let you go, they do so simply to give them time to find your replacement, not to be loyal to you and they will not tell you until they have found your replacement in which case, its time for you to find the front door.


LEAVE, QUIT, SEE YA LATER! do not let a job become what its becoming for you - your biggest concern needs to be your own mental health, not this company. just do so with the understanding that they wouldn't be there as a good reference but by the sounds of it, they most likely wouldnt be there for that anyway.


don't let your job own your life - it's a job and not a way of life! unless your onw of the rare few that actually love their job in which case more power to you but that doesnt exactly sound like your situation.

Exactly! do not feel you owe anything to this company - given the reservse, you think they would have any reservations about letting you go?


As for this some how making an impact on your reputation later on down the road... so long as you do not list them as a reference, i can't see how that could happen. i mean there is some far off chance that somebody from this company could leave and take a position else there that might put them in the HR or or some hiring dept. at a company your apply at but what are the likely chances of that happening? in addiditon to that, if it were to happen, most likely they left the company for the same reaosns you did.


i personally feel that employers have to much "ownership and control" of its empoyees. as bigfincat said, they economic issues we are facing today are giving companies to much power that they are gladly excepting and taking advantage of. they will cut you loose with no notice, they will replace you with somebody younger and pay them comsiderablely less than what you were making and not have a problem at all.


PEOPLE WAKE UP! take your lives back, stop living to work! everyone needs a job, thats a sad part of today's world that many are faced to do things everyday that they hate. we do them because we don't have a choice, rent isnt going to pay itself. don't be scared to take chances, if your this unhappy at your current job, find a new one and quit the old one and unless it was a company that was really good to you or you need their reference - quit! let them take the loss.





keys