Work Diaries (29): It’s About Time!
2 Months Earlier…
I have really had it with my boss, he keeps giving me more and more tasks, more and more responsibilities, more and more duties, as if I’m some kind of robot. I had to face him and have a very serious talk with him to explain that I can no longer go on this way, no matter how good I am, I’m still flesh and blood, I can’t continue this way, this is pure slavery. And I don’t want to keep whining and complaining about how much I hate my job, I had to do something. I did try before to draw some limits, but they never worked, maybe coz I never used a really serious way of discussion! So I decided to go right away and talk to him. And just when I pick up myself to go to his office, I find him at my office door…
Boss: Eman, I need you to leave everything and take a look at this, I want you to translate this, then go to our client in person, hand it out to him, get it signed by him, drop by our lawyer, get the contract approved , come back here before 3 and scan the contract as well as the first 70 pages of the proposal, and have them emailed to our headquarters by 5!
Eman: Well, I’m afraid it’s impossible, I can’t do all this alone, in that short time, look, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this whole thing, seriously…
Boss: Eman, let’s do the talking later, this is really urgent, everything emailed by 5, end of story. (he goes away)
Eman: WAIT! I cannot do all this.
Boss: Sorry? what’s up Eman? what’s this new tone!
Eman: Actually, we need to talk right now, I will not do anything else before we’re done with the conversation.
Boss:(looking really pissed off) Ok, make it quick, let’s talk in my office.
We go to his office. He picks up some kind of paper, adds it to a pile of files, and gives them all to me.
Boss: I need those double-checked and signed by you by tomorrow afternoon. So you were saying?
Eman: Listen, I believe you’ve got used to me doing everything here, I’m basically doing every single thing in the office. I’m no machine, I have capabilities, and when I say I can’t do this or that, you get offended and accuse me of not doing my job.
Boss: I see where this is going, look, if you mean you need me to hire a new employee, then better not have those dreams, I’m never EVER going to hire someone to help.
Eman: But I can’t go on like that. Look at our branches worldwide, my work is done by 5 employees, each is paid double my salary!
Boss: So it’s about money huh!
Eman: No, although I believe I’m really underpaid, but still I’m arguing about exhaustion here, I can’t do all this alone. I’m expected to give you professional quality work on all levels, on time, with no help whatsoever, and I get nothing in return, no appreciation, no money, no promotion, nothing but more work! it’s not fair, and I wont wait till I make mistakes and take responsibilities of unbelievable pressure ok!
Boss: Listen, there’s no raise, because our revenues weren’t that much. And I’d rather help you myself than hire a new employee and pay him/her a salary. Ok. I’ll help you out and will do my best not to overload you.
Eman: (not completely convinced, but at least I’ll give it a last chance) Fine, starting this minute, we’ll split work.
I end up doing the whole thing alone, coz it turns out he had an URGENT meeting and couldn’t make it to the lawyer.
For a whole month, I get no assistance whatsoever, just more and more work to do. Not only from my boss, but from our head management abroad. Tight deadlines, a lot of work, and I’m supposed to be on time and expected to make no mistakes whatsoever.
Things keep worsening by the day, I get extremely sick, take few days off, come back to find out my boss got a huge raise from the head management. I ask if there is any kind of promotion or raise for me, but he tells me there is nothing for me this year and that he’s not happy with his raise either.
I tell him that I didn’t get any assistance ever since we talked, but he insists he’s helping as much as he can. And then he tells me: By the way, I’m sending you for training to UK next month.
Eman: (A spark of hope in my eyes) What kind of training exactly and what would happen afterwards.
Boss: Nothing, you’ll learn to access our new software and will then be responsible for more data entry, and a couple of other duties you’ll know about there.
Eman: That’s it? Only MORE WORK?
Boss: What were you expecting a promotion?
Eman: I have NO TIME for more jobs, I have NO EFFORT to do more work, I CAN’T! I’m Not Going.
Boss: Oh no you are.
Eman: Sorry I’m not going.
Boss: I’ll postpone it till you’re more free, but you’ll have to go eventually and you’ll do the extra work ok.
Last Month…
Everything’s out of control. Phone ringing constantly, fax beeping all the time, “new email has just arrived in your inbox” keeps popping up every 5 minutes, the door bell’s ringing every half an hour, my boss is calling every other minute asking me to do this and that! I go to home with no effort to do anything but get off my shoes, nothing else…everything’s in total chaos. I look at my reflection in the mirror and see how exhausted, how angry and how disappointed I look… I keep accepting more work, with nothing in return, not even a thank you, nothing but a very low salary convincing myself that one day I’ll reach what I want, will that ever happen in this stupid company? till when am I going to represent the same business card of the same job I hate, working with an ignorant boss who has no understanding whatsoever? whom am I doing all this for? what’s worth giving away all that time and effort and health? is that what I wanted to become? is this where I want to be 5 years from now? is this what I deserve? is this what my home deserves? HELL NO!
Next morning, and once my boss gets in, I go to his office.
Boss: What is it Eman?
Eman: I QUIT.
