Appreciation (Bitch it Out Thursday 5 days late or 2 days early)

I debated for weeks about posting anything on here about my current job, but decided what the hell. Let me start of by saying that I probably have the best boss and best job since post college. My boss bought me a birthday gift, says "thank you" more than anyone else I know, and is usually pretty flexible when I want to take some time off. There have even been a few occasions where she bought me lunch including last Monday to celebrate my 1 year anniversary here.

Here's the thing, there are basic things EVERY employer should do to retain their talent and they are as follows:

Competitive Salary: I have a four year degree from a major university where I graduated in the top 10% of my class. I came into this position with more than a decade of customer service experience although no sales experience. My salary is barely above what my first job offered me when I was fresh out of college and I recently accidentally found out that the part-timer is paid higher than me when I break down my salary to an hourly rate.I think for all I do: the only full timer in the office working the last few hours of every day by myself, probably 3/4 of the general office admin work, and last I checked bringing in the most sales...I should be paid more. It would be nice if she offered it to me based on all my hard work this past year, but I'll most likely have to ask for it. And if I hear something about her financially not being able to "swing it" I would be insulted given she can "swing" all these other personal luxeries in her life. I won't list them, but they are plentiful believe me.

Benefits: I was offered medical benefits, but they were minimal and insufficient for someone with as complex a medical history as myself. As far as paid time off I get about 8 days a year. Every previous job has given me at least 2 weeks. The paid holidays only include the "usual" that just about every business does except major retailers; New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Right now my husband carries the benefits, but they're very expensive and exclude a lot of the basics. This is the first job I have had where I didn't have benefits. What if something happens to my husband? I'll be screwed because I can't afford the COBRA or to outright buy a private policy on my own. Even if I don't elect the benefits offered at my job I'd at least like to know the option is there for comparable coverage. It's a sense of security I'd rather not be without.

Equipment and Supplies: It's a beautiful little office, but the desk set-up is completely wrong. 2/3 of the desks in the main part are set up with our backs facing the front door. There are two issues with this, the first is security. There have been several occasions where customers have snuck up on me. In the wintertime when it gets dark early and both stores on either side of us are vacant, someone could easily come up from behind me with a gun or knife. Our front door isn't very loud so we don't always hear people when they come in. A simple wind chime from the dollar store could help alleviate some of this issue, but in reality the desks need to be taken apart (three piece "C" design) and turned around. This request was made over two months ago and has still not been done. It's a pain in the ass to do because my desk would have to be swapped with the other girl, but it probably wouldn't take more than 2 hours at best. I even offered to help but the boss refused for fear of me getting injured in the process. The second issue with the desk set-up is from a customer service stance. If I'm on the phone and can't get to a customer right away, I would like to be able to give them a visual acknowledgement so they know I know they're here. Customers have made several comments about not seeing us (there are partial partitions creating a cubical like atmosphere). Sometimes customers walk right passed our backwards desks and right into my boss' private office because they honestly didn't know anyone else was here. Why not move to the front empty desk that is properly facing the door? Because it's in front of a full wall of windows with horrible sun glare that offers no privacy to me or my customers.

Opportunities for growth and advancement: Simply put there are none. This is a small office: my boss, a part-timer, and me. The only way for me to grow is if she invents a new title/position for me or I decide to branch out on my own. When I was hired I was told she would hire someone else a few months down the line to work under me, but a year later that still hasn't happened. This is a problem when I want afternoons off and when I get slammed during our busy spurts because I'm here by myself.

Open Door Policies: I am an innovator. I come up with ideas all the time at any job I've ever had to improve both myself and the business as a whole. It's disheartening when I sit across from someone who nods her head, praises me, and then basically throws my idea away. It's even worse when I get snapped at for having an idea. Am I just a warm ass in the seat? I want to contribute. Let me prove how valuable I can be to you. And if you don't think my ideas can work then give me a valid reason instead of brushing me off. One example: Instead of hiring a part time afternoon person, why not approach the local colleges for an intern. This area is overly saturated in colleges boasting about 20 within a 20 mile radius. The intern can earn course credits or get paid minimum wage. After a few months if they have proven their worth then you can offer them an employment opportunity. This is a win/win situation that would cost my boss nothing but time. She thought it was a great idea and put me in charge of it. I drafted an email, contacted some of the schools, and fielded the phone calls from prospects. In the end my boss decided she didn't like the idea and would rather just hire someone direct. Wow, what a waste of my time.



When you don't have these BASIC things at a job, then people leave. High turn over with employees could potentially lead to a turn over in customers. Customers like to establish relationships and they are going to get put off if they see a new face every few months. It'll raise questions like: why doesn't anyone stick around? can I trust this person? I have seen this happen at job after job where really solid people leave and it's unfortunate, but people get burned out. With the crap economy people aren't switching as often, but that shouldn't be the reason someone stays at a particular job. They should want to stay.

I have said my piece.