March 8, 2010

• I finally did it

  Well, I finally did it. I gave notice.

  Last week I had a talk with my manager. I basically told her the store looks like ass. Give me more hours so I can fix it. But I was more diplomatic about it (of course). o.O She said, oh, well we’ll have some extra hours next week. No problem.

  But what really happened was, they eradicated my Supervisor’s position. The poor guy, he’s had his job pulled out from under him for about the 4th or 5th time now. I’ve lost count. He’s been a supervisor several different times and even a manager once, and each time they decided, whelp, don’t need that position any more, and “fired” him, basically allowing him to stay on if he wanted to but not in that position. Now they’ve told him he can come back as part time if he likes, but probably at a pay cut in addition to the loss of his position. Now I am an extremely conscientious, hard working person. I don’t feel a job is worth doing if it’s not done right. But he bends over backwards for Borders. In regards to the sheer volume of work he does on their behalf, he does the work of two or three men. He does our manager’s job and isn’t it going to suck if he decides not to come back? It would actually be better for him if he took unemployment. He’d make more money at this point than he will coming back to “help” (which is to say, do most of our boss’ job).

  And you know what, I’m not going to profit from his loss. There’s zero job security at Borders. Any position higher than supervisor, and you can forget people acting with any kind of human compassion. I am not going to sacrifice my humanity for a job and a company I despise with every fiber of my being. So I told my boss that she can consider this change in store management my two week’s notice. They’re hurting for hours so bad, they can have mine too. I only stayed on because the amount of work they expect the merch team to get done is completely ignorant of the hours they give us. I refuse to be the only merch person left, busting my butt to get everything done on 8-15 hours a week because they don’t feel that the merchandising needs a supervisor any more.

  The thing is, my manager knew a week ago that they were going to do this, and she played it like nothing was going on. That they were finally just going to give us more hours. But they didn’t; they simply got rid of a full time position to divide those hours among the remaining employees. You know what that reminds me of?

  cannibalism
  

  
  Borders is now cannibalizing itself. And despite what they think, this does not help us with our workload. The people who work there will still have to get everything done that my supervisor and I did. And you know what? I don’t care. It’s someone else’s problem now.

  And I don’t care if Borders catches me blogging about them either. What are they going to do? Tell me not to come in? Coming in barely pays for my gas. I continued to work for Borders as a favor to my manager and my supervisor because I know how to show loyalty, not to a company but to the people that work there.

  Borders, you suck. Your business plan sucks. Borders does not know how to run a business. Borders does not care about its employees or its customers. Borders forces its employees to sell books that most of its employees don’t even want to read, let alone foist on an unsuspecting public. Whatever hinky deal they have going with the publishers to push these books on people is just not worth the effort and certainly can’t be worth the profit. Borders runs around all proud of itself for pushing books that end up on the bestseller list because of it and all I can think is that they’re like three year olds pleased with themselves for painting a wall with their own feces.

  So goodbye Borders. I don’t care any more. (And that’s a pretty sorry state of affairs, considering I’m one of the most conscientious people you’re ever likely to meet.) I hope you rot. I hope disgusted customers bring rotten fruit and vegetables to fling it at your windows. I am currently trying to get my fellow employees to walk out with me and picket. I foresee you out of business or at least greatly diminished within a year. Money isn’t everything, and the sooner you and other corporations like you realize this, the better. I am not a slave and no one who works for you is a slave. Stop treating us like we are worthless and easily discarded. We are people. Maybe, and I could be wrong here, but maybe, if big business chose to show their employees the same loyalty they demanded of them, the “positive work ethic” might not be such an antiquated notion.

  Borders… is a soulless, soul-sucking, undead monster of a business and the sooner someone comes along to drive a stake through its cinder of a heart the better.

  • 1:26 pm
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