Monday, August 19th was my last day at work. I had worked at my job for about a year and a half. I loved so many things about working there but equally disliked many things.

It was expected and unexpected for me. I guess I had gotten to the end of my rope there that day. My boss’ main communication preference during busy times was email. So I simply stated that I would be leaving and I was giving him 3 weeks notice.

Of course, that is the right way to do things, but not with him. He takes everything as if it is a slight and he emailed me back to take the rest of the week and next as my paid vacation. Which, he already owed me a paid vacation so it was no favor.

I screwed myself. I hadn’t found a new job yet, and now I was only going to get 2 more weeks of pay, plus the one coming that Friday. Instead of 3 and the upcoming pay. With a boss like that, you should do what all his past employees do. Find a new job, don’t give notice and just don’t show back up.

I, however, am not that type of person. I certainly give people the benefit of the doubt to do the right thing. He could have just appreciated the notice and move on. He definitely needed my help and there was no one to take my place. Most of the employees have told me how it’s gone further downhill.

So the thing is this…When he hired me it was to help with marketing, social media, customer care, and other office functions. We agreed on my pay. He knew all I was capable of doing and I have a great work ethic. I will do what I can for a company. He definitely took advantage of this.

He wanted his company to go paperless. Install and integrate software. He wanted this mammoth software to include 4000 clients’ information in a database…Long story short, suddenly I was the tech person, no one else there could do it. Most could barely text or do any data entry.

So here I was setting up all this software, teaching it to employees. Setting up company phones and emails. I was inputting client information. No one was doing the accounts receivable and they had open invoices for 2 years of about $100,000. I collected all of it. I started doing the payroll, hiring, and onboarding of employees. Handling the maintenances of the company vehicles. I was processing payments and doing customer care. This list DOES go on and on.

I talked to my boss back in February stating I was more than willing to do everything that could use my background and knowledge but not at the pay scale we first discussed because that didn’t include all of that. I would work till 5, 6 or after 7 pm and come home and remote in until 12-1 am. I was putting in work on the weekends. This place was literally a mess. Both customers and employees told him and I that the company was much better after I started. Not only did he not pay me more or even pay me any overtime in that year and a half, he never once said thank you!

He had one other employee in the office that rarely showed up or called in sick a lot. And I ended up covering his job while doing mine. And he was still getting paid when he didn’t show up. And guess what? This guy couldn’t even change an ink cartridge in a personal printer or type 2 words a minute, literally, and he was earning the same as me. I was done! So except for those few paychecks, I have spent the past 7 weeks job hunting and living off my savings, in hopes it lasts until my next job and paycheck comes in.

Enough was enough. I may have screwed myself out of some savings, but I will never tolerate being taken advantage of again. In the end, I will persevere and his company will continue to struggle and most likely tank.

Side note: Surely you know the title was a joke! 🙂