Friday, November 05, 2004
Some times you wonder. You can see a person in an abusive relationship and you wonder why they do. They some times leave that relationship just to go into one that is just as bad or worse. Then that causes them to wonder why they entered into this relationship. Some times they go back to the not as bad but sill bad relationship. Some times they stay in the worse relationship. And then you just wonder, why can't they just date some body decent? Anybody?
I've been told many times that spousal abuse is a problem not just with the person doing the beating. It's a problem with the person taking it as well. They don't know any other life other than abuse. They just know that if they want leave, then they have to go. Out into the world. A world that they don't know. Some place where they are not guaranteed comfort of any kind. At least now, they have a roof over their head. Sure they can see other people out there with better lives than theirs, but maybe it only looks that way. What goes on behind closed doors? Besides the abused become comfortable where they are. They know it, and what you know is always easier than what you don't. So they stay.
Now I am not saying this to point out any one. (Although I could name many cases.) I'm not saying this to belittle any one. (Although I have could name many times that I have belittled people for staying.) I'm not even saying this to talk about relationships. (Soon every one will know.)
I am quitting BTCA, a.k.a. Wal-Mart. That's right folks, what I have so lovingly referred to as "Big Time Corporate Anti-Christ" is actually Wal-Mart. Of course, at least half of the people that read my blog know me in the real world so this is not a big surprise.
I have been at Wal-Mart for 9 1/2 years. I started on March 3, 1995. I will quit on November 14, 2004. I am fully vested, which means that I get my full retirement. (100 shares of stock as I understand it.) I make 15.08 an hour. Which is twice what the current starting pay is.
You hear the talk about how little Wal-Mart pays, but the truth is that there is job security there. Wal-Mart will always be in business, and you have to almost kill some one to get fired at Wal-Mart. They can let you go in your first ninety days for any reason. You actaully have to sign an agreement to that says that. In all of my 9 1/2 years, I have seen two people let go. There may be more, but those are the ones that I know.
I know that had I put that 9 1/2 years into a place like a factory I could be getting paid much more than 15.08. Of course, Wal-Mart has no top out on their pay so I guess it's possible that I could earn thirty dollars an hour eventually.
Except that I won't Wal-Mart has learned that the percentage raises that they had been giving were just silly. Now I can expect a raise of 40 cents for standard and 55 cents for above standard performance. By those numbers, it would be 2013 before I hit 20 dollars. The truth is that now I can't even keep up with inflation.
The truth is that there is a lot of drama at Wal-Mart. Maybe I am the one that's dramatic, but who knows. People tell me there is just as much drama where ever you go, but the question is money. Am I willing to take that drama for ever diminishing raises. Before I would have gotten ever increasing raises. Next year's raise would be 75 cents. The next would be 79 cents. You can see how it's ever increasing. I kind of looks silly now that I look back on it. Because 4 cents a year times forty hours a week comes out to 83.20 a year.
But Wal-Mart has a great insurance plan. (If you can afford it at 7.50 an hour.) I guess but is it worth losing the 84 dollars this year? I am afraid not. Under the new pay raises that means that I am getting raises of 1124 dollars a year at the most?
I could move up in the company. (No, I couldn't. I've got a smart mouth.) Of course, I wouldn't be making any more money. Some of the guys in the meat department make more than some of our assistant managers. And I would have to work more hours.
I'll miss the hard work, but will I miss my knees popping? Or my wrists? Or my hip? Or my back, neck, elbows, feet, right big toe?
I started before we were a supercenter. We moved in six months later. I miss some of those days when we were a small store. I'll miss some of those days as a big store. I may have to go check out where I wrote my name in the dust on top of the duct behind deli back in 2000. Breanne wrote it there too. Poppa-matic said it was still there in 2003 when he added his name.
But now I venture out into a new job. Out into the scary world that I don't know.
I've been told many times that spousal abuse is a problem not just with the person doing the beating. It's a problem with the person taking it as well. They don't know any other life other than abuse. They just know that if they want leave, then they have to go. Out into the world. A world that they don't know. Some place where they are not guaranteed comfort of any kind. At least now, they have a roof over their head. Sure they can see other people out there with better lives than theirs, but maybe it only looks that way. What goes on behind closed doors? Besides the abused become comfortable where they are. They know it, and what you know is always easier than what you don't. So they stay.
Now I am not saying this to point out any one. (Although I could name many cases.) I'm not saying this to belittle any one. (Although I have could name many times that I have belittled people for staying.) I'm not even saying this to talk about relationships. (Soon every one will know.)
I am quitting BTCA, a.k.a. Wal-Mart. That's right folks, what I have so lovingly referred to as "Big Time Corporate Anti-Christ" is actually Wal-Mart. Of course, at least half of the people that read my blog know me in the real world so this is not a big surprise.
I have been at Wal-Mart for 9 1/2 years. I started on March 3, 1995. I will quit on November 14, 2004. I am fully vested, which means that I get my full retirement. (100 shares of stock as I understand it.) I make 15.08 an hour. Which is twice what the current starting pay is.
You hear the talk about how little Wal-Mart pays, but the truth is that there is job security there. Wal-Mart will always be in business, and you have to almost kill some one to get fired at Wal-Mart. They can let you go in your first ninety days for any reason. You actaully have to sign an agreement to that says that. In all of my 9 1/2 years, I have seen two people let go. There may be more, but those are the ones that I know.
I know that had I put that 9 1/2 years into a place like a factory I could be getting paid much more than 15.08. Of course, Wal-Mart has no top out on their pay so I guess it's possible that I could earn thirty dollars an hour eventually.
Except that I won't Wal-Mart has learned that the percentage raises that they had been giving were just silly. Now I can expect a raise of 40 cents for standard and 55 cents for above standard performance. By those numbers, it would be 2013 before I hit 20 dollars. The truth is that now I can't even keep up with inflation.
The truth is that there is a lot of drama at Wal-Mart. Maybe I am the one that's dramatic, but who knows. People tell me there is just as much drama where ever you go, but the question is money. Am I willing to take that drama for ever diminishing raises. Before I would have gotten ever increasing raises. Next year's raise would be 75 cents. The next would be 79 cents. You can see how it's ever increasing. I kind of looks silly now that I look back on it. Because 4 cents a year times forty hours a week comes out to 83.20 a year.
But Wal-Mart has a great insurance plan. (If you can afford it at 7.50 an hour.) I guess but is it worth losing the 84 dollars this year? I am afraid not. Under the new pay raises that means that I am getting raises of 1124 dollars a year at the most?
I could move up in the company. (No, I couldn't. I've got a smart mouth.) Of course, I wouldn't be making any more money. Some of the guys in the meat department make more than some of our assistant managers. And I would have to work more hours.
I'll miss the hard work, but will I miss my knees popping? Or my wrists? Or my hip? Or my back, neck, elbows, feet, right big toe?
I started before we were a supercenter. We moved in six months later. I miss some of those days when we were a small store. I'll miss some of those days as a big store. I may have to go check out where I wrote my name in the dust on top of the duct behind deli back in 2000. Breanne wrote it there too. Poppa-matic said it was still there in 2003 when he added his name.
But now I venture out into a new job. Out into the scary world that I don't know.
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