Six day work week? What do you think we are, France?

I've decided that I live to work. Work consumes my life, my very soul. I usually come home from work drained, and fall asleep. I wake up in time to get ready for work. I go to work and then come home, and the cycle repeats.

I've been lethargic on my days off, not wanting to even stir from my home to go out and drink and see if I can't hook up with someone. I work so I can pay the rent, my various bills, and so I can eat, and it takes over a third of my paycheck to cover my rent. Combine that with my cable bill (Internet and basic cable only) and my cell phone bill (both of which are necessities to me), as well as my food expenses, and there is very little left over for me to amuse myself with or even save. In fact, I often have decide which is more important: my Internet service or my cell phone.

Now, I've worked for Road Ranger for over a year. I've requested one holiday off (New Year's). I've never even requested my birthday off. I've requested various minor cultural holidays off (Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day), but never a serious one like Independence Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I've made myself available to work as many as 64 hours. I've come very close to actually working 64 hours a couple of weeks. I've been worked for over seven days in a row on two different occasions, only once by choice, without complaining to the Illinois Department of Labor. I don't get a lunch break, and, if I want a cigarette break, I have to wait for a dead period and hope I get no customers while I'm smoking. I have not complained about any of this, and it would be well within my rights to do so, as Road Ranger is violating Illinois labor laws (820 ILCS 140/1-9).


My schedule as calmed down since then. I work around 38 hours per week now, but I still feel physically and emotionally drained upon coming home. I shall discuss more about that later.

Who Am I?

Due to the nature of what I'm posting, I do not wish to identify myself. I could face retaliation at work, and this is not acceptable. Perhaps, once I move on to bigger and better things, I can reveal my identity, but for now the pseudonym, Heywood Jabuzov, will have to do.

I cannot say much without revealing key details as to who I am, but what I can tell you is this: I am a rank-and-file cashier, and I've given over a year of loyal service to Road Ranger. I do a thankless job that often exposes me to the worst in humanity, both from the clientele and the corporate masters. I have worked extreme amounts of overtime, often volunteering not because I need the money, but because I want to help my manager out. I respect my manager, and I generally like the people I work with. It's the people at the corporate office I have issues with. If asked to come in early, stay late, or to otherwise work overtime, I will usually agree, because I feel that I am part of a team. Sometimes I feel like I am the only person at my store who feels this way.

I have recently become very bitter with Road Ranger, for reasons that will soon become very clear as I make more posts. I hope that you will read what I have to say, and join me in boycotting Road Ranger until they treat their employees with respect and dignity.