Request for work advice, or not.

[Zipmafia]

Hello all! I don't know about you, but I am loving the beta release.

So getting to the point, I desperately need some work advice. I am not sure if it is ok to make a thread like this one, but I didn't see any rules against it. If I am violating and rules or codes of conduct, please let me know and/or ignore this thread.

Now on to my story.

I have been working since I was 14. I was able to work so early because it was part of a work ethics training. I have had a job every year since then, and not gone without a job for more than 6 months (happened once or twice). I am now 28, I married my wife in 2009, we had our first child in 2010, and the second this may.

The way I was able to do so well (I think) was because of the job I got 8 years ago. It is the closest place of employment (the others being over 30 min away), was a really fun place to work, and I am payed pretty well.

Well recently my company has gone through some rough times. Our general manager (my mentor and close friend) quit due to stress reasons. The company was in turmoil, nobody knew what to do, or who should decide what to do. I am the senior employee at this point, and I have over 5000 work hours logged. I also spent the last 2 years "shadowing" our old GM, so I knew what needed to happen. So I decided to propose to be the general manager. The owner didn't want to approve anything that the remaining management team hadn't agreed on. This is where my actual problems began.

The management team (which I am on, and the only employee there longer than 2 years) voted one of their own as general manager, because the guy has a college degree for business management. This sounded good to me, I would be able to contribute, but would not be the one responsible for making everything work. Since then I have seriously regretted not fighting tooth and nail to make sure he didn't get the job. Almost everyone has quit, and I am starting to have serious stress issues associated with his management. My problem has nothing to do with him having the job instead of me, it is because he has the authority to get things done and he does absolutely nothing. I have earned the responsibility to be general manager, and I know what to do. But this guy weaseled his way into a position of power, so that he could make his resume better, and is killing the business. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem, if I didn't care about the business. But I do. It has been good to me, and I want to reciprocate.

I have confronted him, and the other management team members about the problem. We have given him several "chances" (even though I didn't get mine), but they are so inexperienced that they have no idea what to do, and they can't come together to figure it out. Now it is almost time for the heavy season to begin, and we have nothing worked out. I am being forced to "be patient" and see how he does, although I already see him following patterns that predict that he will fail, and make our situation much worse. Like I said earlier, everybody is either quitting, or making plans to leave within the year. Our business usually employs about 6 people for the off season, and around 20 for the heavy season. At this moment, if nothing changes, the only people who will be left when the heavy season hits will be him and I. Him doing nothing but seeing if I'm working, and me training an entire new work force.

At this point I don't see any option but to wait it out, hoping that I will get a chance to fix the business before it completely fails. Either that, or I am proved completely wrong, and this guy pulls through and saves the day. Neither one seems very likely, and the stress of seeing the business that has treated me so well crumble is starting to effect my daily life. I space out: went to go use the golf cart to bring in a load of wood and got in my car and drove to work instead. Insomnia: usually my kids are the only thing that wake me up, but recently I have been waking up every couple of hours for no reason. Depression: I usually use my family to help me forget about work stresses, but I find myself recycling worries, and forgetting to spend time with them. Lots of other stuff, that's just what I can think of on the spot.

Has anybody else been through a similar situation? Is anybody in some sort of proffesion that they could give me advice on work ethics while dealing with strife at work? Does anybody know a good website for free or cheap counseling/therapy? I don't know what to do, I just know something has to happen.

I am sure I am leaving details out, just ask and I will provide more. Thanks for taking the time to read this far (if you have).

Any and all help is appreciated, not expected.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Zipmafia

[KerbMav]

Concerning the company, your future, your health:

Who owns this place, if the management team votes for the general manager on its own - who could intervene, because he has his money invested in this company?

Can you bring it to them - without being branded as having a big mouth?

How are your chances to find another job with at least equal pay elsewhere?

How long will your savings last - would you be OK with staying home for a while?

[Red Iron Crown]

I understand your feelings of loyalty to the company, but IMO it's time to polish up your resume and start looking for another gig. There's no honor in staying aboard a sinking ship when you're not the captain.

[TheDude]

Get out now.

The company is going under and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

From your post it seems that you already know this but you haven't accepted it yet and you're clinging to the hope that somehow if you're put in charge you can turn it around. You can't. You'll never get the chance. This sounds like a small family run company and from my experience they're the WORST when it comes to management decisions. They'll always go with family or a close friend no matter what the credentials.

You said it yourself that the guy weasled his way into the position so he could make his resume better. Of course he did. He's using this as a stepping stone to another position elsewhere. Beleive me - having the title on your resume is KING.

You need to get out NOW. If everybody is leaving like you say then you're going to get stuck with the work. When things go bad it will be YOU that will be blamed. You don't need that kind of stress. The place was nice at one time but that time is over.

I've been in this situation before and it sucks. You need to start SERIOUSLY looking for other work because it's MUCH, MUCH easier to find work when you're employed. Once you're unemployed it becomes VERY hard to get new work. IT's a stigma that sticks to you and is very hard to shake. It doesn't matter if you've been laid off or if the company went out of business. It's just the way of things.

Best regards,

The Dude.

[Ikaneko]

You seem like a good guy who's worked hard. I feel sorry for you.

Does your wife work? If so, then I think you should get out of there while you still can and look after your children for at least a while, until you aren't as stressed.

Then, you go searching for another job.

I hope this helps.

[Brethern]

Put in your two weeks and leave, there's other jobs to be had.

[Guest]

You know inner workings of that kind of business (you not stated which one, or I missed?), so quit and start your own company in some field.

[Zipmafia]

Thank you everybody for you input. It means a lot to me that somebody cares enough to at least read what about my issue.

Just to answere a few questions, and then I have an unexpected update.

No, there is no chance what-so-ever of getting a similar pay at a different job within my commuting area. I live in a low income part of the state, and this job is far better than anything else being offered.

And you all are right, I really should get out while I still can. But I am not going to. I am either going to make this work, or I am staying home to raise my children while my wife makes the dough.

It is funny that you mentioned the sinking ship analogy. Like I mentioned, the old general manager is a good friend of mine. And that is almost exactly what he keeps telling me. He says there is no reason to try and save a sinking ship that the captain, cook, and engineer have abandoned. I tell him that he forgot to mention the Jew on shore (thats me) who saw a free boat and paddled his ass out there to bucket water out like mad. I keep thinking, "If I can stop all the leaks, I will have my own ship!".

Ok, now for the update.

It ended up being extremely coincidental that I created this post last night. Because the situation might have just been resolved this morning. Let me explain.

There are only 3 members left on the management team. Me, the weasel, and Matt. Matt is a good guy, who happens to be both of our friends. Since it is just us left, all any of us need is for two of us to vote on an issue, and it has majority. So for the last few weeks I have been working on Matt, to try and convince him that the weasel is ruining the business and causing all of us undue stress, and that I can do better and run the business the way it is supposed to be run.

Well a few days ago I called Matt up to talk about my frustrations (he had invited me to call him whenever I needed to talk about it), but he didn't have time to talk. So I asked him to call me back when he had time. He never did call me back. Instead, this morning he confronted me about my frustration with the weasel. I blew up. I mean really blew up. He started the conversation in a stance of authority, and by the time I was done, he was curling in on himself sitting in the corner.

I apolagized to him for jumping down his throat, it just set me off because it was already in line with a lot of stress that I had already been dealing with. I told him that I couldn't continue talking about it at the moment due to stress, and that I had to get to work in order to calm down. Well it turns out that he called the weasel down to work to tell him a few things. He told the weasel that it had become evident to him that the weasel didn't care about the business, and that he wasn't being progressive, or doing anything productive. He said that it had become extremely apparent that I really do care about the business, and that I have a ton that I bring to the table. He told the weasel that he should accept one of the job proposals that the weasel had received, and leave general management to me.

I am kinda in shock right now. I had resolved to spending the next year in a state of constant stress, not being able to make any headway. And now it seems that my requests have been granted. I think that since the only other member of the management has expressed his opinion that I be general manager, that all that stands in my way right now is a technicality. Once the vote is made next Monday, I believe I will be granted general manager.

[KerbMav]

Have fun, boss.

I hope it does not create another form of negative stress for you.

[Red Iron Crown]

Sounds like good news, Zipmafia, glad to hear it. Hope it works out for you.

Now that you'll be the boss, can we all get raises?

[Camacha]

I think I at least deserve a bucket!

Edited December 23, 2014 by Camacha