One From the Bowels of Retail Hell
When I was a child, I thought everyone worked 8-5 Monday through Friday. My dad left the house at 6:45am and returned around 5:45pm. We lived in the suburbs and he commuted forty-five minutes to an hour each way depending on traffic. All my friend's parents (fathers mostly) worked a similar schedule, so my assumption was perfectly logical. I don't know how I explained the people who worked in stores and restaurants that were open 'after hours' and on weekends. I probably figured that they worked 8-5 and had a second job OR that they weren't grown-ups yet with a grown-up 8-5 schedule. Little did I know that I would spend most of my career working jobs without a grown-up schedule.
When I left grad school, I started working at fitness clubs. The hours sucked. I worked mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. I was happy to have the job and the hours. Then I became a manager at a fitness club (technically a YMCA). The hours sucked even worse. I worked mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, plus I was salaried so I was expected to be there 24/7. After that I taught and coached so in addition to the 8-5 routine, I had after school practice and matches. Nearly five years into my career, I got my first 8-5 job. I was a corporate trainer and had corporate hours (with the exception of an occasional third shift training). I no longer worked evenings, weekends, or holidays. I was finally a grown up. I had arrived.
Then I moved to Texas and found a job working for a big box retailer. I worked Monday through Friday, but my hours during the week sucked. I took a promotion. I was still Monday through Friday, but my hours sucked even more. Then I took another promotion and became a salaried manager. Once again, I was expected to work 24/7, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. I took a mandatory demotion and went back to Monday through Friday, but my hours sucked worse than they had ever sucked. I moved to Austin and got yet another taste of the traditional retail schedule. I wasn't salaried, but I was expected to work mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. One day I'd have to open at 5:00am, the next I'd be closing at midnight. My days off became scattered and sporadic. I'd work three and get one off, work six and get one off.
Welcome to the real world, 2010 style. I don't know many people who work 8-5 like my dad did. Trust me, a college degree guarantees nothing. At least not for me and a dozen of my retail co-workers. We are at the mercy of the schedule, a schedule that requires us to work when 'most' of the world is off. This means a lot of evenings and weekends. And for some reason split days off. I'm not sure why so many of our days off are split, but they are. While this means that we seldom work more than five days without a day off, we never get to enjoy two days off in a row. It sucks. My typical schedule has me closing the store until midnight or later (often 3:00am or later) on Wednesdays, off on Thursday, and opening at 7:00am on Fridays. My other day off may be Tuesday, Saturday, or Sunday. Sound like fun? Maybe until you live it week in and week out.
It's not all bad. I tend to see silver linings. I have to otherwise I'd probably need more pharmaceuticals. For example -
1. I get to sleep in more often than people who work 8-5. Of course, I have to work well into the evening to afford this benefit.
2. When I finally do get two days off in a row (though probably not on an actual weekend), it feels like I'm on a mini-vacation.
3. I seldom have to deal with typical commuter traffic.
4. Hump Day is often my Friday.
That's about all I've got in the positive category right now. Yes, yes... It's a job and I get a regular paycheck. And honestly, I don't know what I'd do with a real live grown up 8-5 schedule. It would be weird after working crazy hours for so long. I'm used to being off when others are working (which has its own set of quiet benefits) and it's kind of exciting on the day the new schedules are posted. Some schedules are better than others - you might get blessed with two days off in a row or maybe a REAL weekend. You just never know.
Right now I'm on the cusp of a two day mini vacation. I can't remember the last time I had two days off in a row. I think it's been six weeks, maybe more. And the best part? I got off work 'early' tonight - 11:00pm instead of 3:00 or 4:00am. I don't have any plans. None. I figure I'll bask in the glow and think about how great it is having two days off in a row and end up doing absolutely nothing all 'weekend'. I'm good with that. Retail may suck, but it's what I do. Someone has to.
When I left grad school, I started working at fitness clubs. The hours sucked. I worked mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. I was happy to have the job and the hours. Then I became a manager at a fitness club (technically a YMCA). The hours sucked even worse. I worked mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, plus I was salaried so I was expected to be there 24/7. After that I taught and coached so in addition to the 8-5 routine, I had after school practice and matches. Nearly five years into my career, I got my first 8-5 job. I was a corporate trainer and had corporate hours (with the exception of an occasional third shift training). I no longer worked evenings, weekends, or holidays. I was finally a grown up. I had arrived.
Then I moved to Texas and found a job working for a big box retailer. I worked Monday through Friday, but my hours during the week sucked. I took a promotion. I was still Monday through Friday, but my hours sucked even more. Then I took another promotion and became a salaried manager. Once again, I was expected to work 24/7, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. I took a mandatory demotion and went back to Monday through Friday, but my hours sucked worse than they had ever sucked. I moved to Austin and got yet another taste of the traditional retail schedule. I wasn't salaried, but I was expected to work mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. One day I'd have to open at 5:00am, the next I'd be closing at midnight. My days off became scattered and sporadic. I'd work three and get one off, work six and get one off.
Welcome to the real world, 2010 style. I don't know many people who work 8-5 like my dad did. Trust me, a college degree guarantees nothing. At least not for me and a dozen of my retail co-workers. We are at the mercy of the schedule, a schedule that requires us to work when 'most' of the world is off. This means a lot of evenings and weekends. And for some reason split days off. I'm not sure why so many of our days off are split, but they are. While this means that we seldom work more than five days without a day off, we never get to enjoy two days off in a row. It sucks. My typical schedule has me closing the store until midnight or later (often 3:00am or later) on Wednesdays, off on Thursday, and opening at 7:00am on Fridays. My other day off may be Tuesday, Saturday, or Sunday. Sound like fun? Maybe until you live it week in and week out.
It's not all bad. I tend to see silver linings. I have to otherwise I'd probably need more pharmaceuticals. For example -
1. I get to sleep in more often than people who work 8-5. Of course, I have to work well into the evening to afford this benefit.
2. When I finally do get two days off in a row (though probably not on an actual weekend), it feels like I'm on a mini-vacation.
3. I seldom have to deal with typical commuter traffic.
4. Hump Day is often my Friday.
That's about all I've got in the positive category right now. Yes, yes... It's a job and I get a regular paycheck. And honestly, I don't know what I'd do with a real live grown up 8-5 schedule. It would be weird after working crazy hours for so long. I'm used to being off when others are working (which has its own set of quiet benefits) and it's kind of exciting on the day the new schedules are posted. Some schedules are better than others - you might get blessed with two days off in a row or maybe a REAL weekend. You just never know.
Right now I'm on the cusp of a two day mini vacation. I can't remember the last time I had two days off in a row. I think it's been six weeks, maybe more. And the best part? I got off work 'early' tonight - 11:00pm instead of 3:00 or 4:00am. I don't have any plans. None. I figure I'll bask in the glow and think about how great it is having two days off in a row and end up doing absolutely nothing all 'weekend'. I'm good with that. Retail may suck, but it's what I do. Someone has to.
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