What is wrong with middle aged people?

[2LaneCruzer]

I used to paint houses when I was in college. We had all kinds! And I do mean all kinds. I've seen guys sign on and want an advance at lunch break. Many on welfare, would work a few weeks in the Summer (I assume secretly for a little bit of beer money) and quit for the Winter. I've seen middle aged men who couldn't drive or identify a particular car (been in prison for a loooong time) and couldn't remember the lie they told the next day. I've seen guys who never came back to work the next day because they were in prison for robbery.

My boss, thank goodness, was the consummate professional. He could paint a refrigerator and make it look like it was made from Oak, including the knots, and could color match from scratch any color in any ugly wall paper.

 

[Ford850]

My son started a job at a fabrication shop. He loved it, and would say one of the higher managers would occasionally say things like "We like how you're working out so we hope we can keep you". My wife and I thought they were talking about possibly laying him off when business slowed. After many months of the same type of conversations ("we hope we can keep you"), my son heard more of the story. Over the previous year they had hired several guys for this same position. Each time, the new employees came to work late, occasionally didn't up, or in one case just stopped coming to work after working there for weeks. It's shocking to learn this is our future, but maybe it's always been this way and I was too busy working hard to notice it.

 

[orezok]

About 40 years ago I worked for a large real estate developer in San Diego. They were large enough to occupy a 10 story building and part of another downtown. I was a Vice President at the time. Business was going south because they were double dealing on real estate. They would buy a property then sell it back to the original owner at an inflated price and book the profits to inflate the stock. They would then partner with the original owner to build the project which would eventually lose money. Both the CEO and President went to jail.

But the real story is that as they started to go down there were 2 or 3 rounds of significant layoffs. One day the President called a company meeting to tell everybody that the layoffs were complete. As we walked out of the meeting, the Pres told the Exec VP, a very good friend of mine to lay off the entire accounting department?

That was the chuckle of the day. I was one of the last to go before they closed.

 

[Dftodd]

PC (politically correct) is for people that don't have balls enough to say what they are thinking. A whole generation of ball less people.

My sweet lovely wife who never speaks bad about anyone looked at me the other night after seeing some ridiculous story on the news about someone's feelings being hurt. Said she would like to talk to that boys mother and congratulate her for raising such a pu@@@

Wouldn't have been so bad, but I had just taking a big bite of food, which then got launched when I started choking with laughter

 

[dragoneggs]

My sweet lovely wife who never speaks bad about anyone looked at me the other night after seeing some ridiculous story on the news about someone's feelings being hurt. Said she would like to talk to that boys mother and congratulate her for raising such a pu@@@

Wouldn't have been so bad, but I had just taking a big bite of food, which then got launched when I started choking with laughter

My wife is much the same as well as her sisters. They are all so sweet and never will say anything bad about others. But! In the last few years, my wife is starting to voice her opinions and it is causing a stir with most of her 7 sisters and 2 brothers all born within 14 years of each other. She is number 7 of 8 sisters.

I am proud of her for finally not holding back but there has been a couple of times at a family dinner where I have to put my hand on my forehead after a comment.

 

[Budweiser John]

Interesting thread. After reading all 47 posts and now being retired,
Thank God i’m Out of the rat race.

B. John

 

[YLee Kioti]

Interesting thread. After reading all 47 posts and now being retired,
Thank God i’m Out of the rat race.

B. John

2nd that!... :drink:

 

[Richard]

Who takes a job for one day and then leaves via text?

I sort of did once.

I don't recall if I was 17 or maybe 18... but I was driving town the road, about 30 minutes from my home. Saw a help wanted sign in the front of a machine shop. Being somewhat mechanically inclined, that caught my attention so I stopped.... spoke with the owner.... and was told to report to work the next day which happened to be a Friday.

I show up and of course, I was starting at the bottom of the pile verses on the CNC machines, that's certainly fair. I get that.

So spent the bulk of the first day being shown the ropes and some of the products they produced.... got a chance to machine some kind of widget.

Got numerous metal splinters in my otherwise young, soft, unworked hands.....

Over the weekend of pulling various splinters out of my hands, I realized that wasn't my right path so, Monday, I simply didn't show up.

Never got a paycheck for that (full) day's work either but I figured that was a fair tradeoff since I never went back.

For years after, I always felt "guilty" (to use a strong word) driving by there, as though they'd see me coming down the road and all come racing out to yell at me or something... (or even remember who I am!!)


Even today, if I were to drive by that location, I look to see if they're still there (I don't think they are)

So that 'stunt' left a long lasting impact on me.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I sort of did once.

I don't recall if I was 17 or maybe 18... but I was driving town the road, about 30 minutes from my home. Saw a help wanted sign in the front of a machine shop. Being somewhat mechanically inclined, that caught my attention so I stopped.... spoke with the owner.... and was told to report to work the next day which happened to be a Friday.

I show up and of course, I was starting at the bottom of the pile verses on the CNC machines, that's certainly fair. I get that.

So spent the bulk of the first day being shown the ropes and some of the products they produced.... got a chance to machine some kind of widget.

Got numerous metal splinters in my otherwise young, soft, unworked hands.....

Over the weekend of pulling various splinters out of my hands, I realized that wasn't my right path so, Monday, I simply didn't show up.

Never got a paycheck for that (full) day's work either but I figured that was a fair tradeoff since I never went back.

For years after, I always felt "guilty" (to use a strong word) driving by there, as though they'd see me coming down the road and all come racing out to yell at me or something... (or even remember who I am!!)


Even today, if I were to drive by that location, I look to see if they're still there (I don't think they are)

So that 'stunt' left a long lasting impact on me.

Lol, reminds me of my wifes first job right after we got married.

She answered a flyer in the mail, to work for arbitron, the tv ratings company. We only had 1 vehicle at the time, so i drove her to work. First week was training. When i picked her up that evening, she said. "I'm not going back", and she didn't. They paid her for the one day.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I am glad that I reached retirement age when I did. I sure would not want to start a career with my former engineering/construction company (I spent 40 years with them). I see most of my fellow workers are also with other companies now. What used to be the best place to work is now just barely hanging on with few projects to put workers on. They would expect managers to give 2 weeks notice but rarely gave anyone more than a couple hours notice of layoff. 40 years ago, even a laborer would be given a transfer to another job when wrapping up a project and they could take it or look for something else. The last few years I worked for them, upper managers were all that got transferred. Also no more standby time (full pay to set home while they looked to place you on a project), now they expect you to set home with no pay and wait for them to call you.
I agree with most others here that in todays market, workers don't owe the company anything since the companies don't feel obligated in the least to the employee.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Lol, reminds me of my wifes first job right after we got married.

She answered a flyer in the mail, to work for arbitron, the tv ratings company. We only had 1 vehicle at the time, so i drove her to work. First week was training. When i picked her up that evening, she said. "I'm not going back", and she didn't. They paid her for the one day.

Been there, done that. I reported to a job for training; they weren't too clear on what the job would be, but knew it was a door to door thing. After about the third day, I found out it was selling encyclopedias and yoru pay was based on commission. On that day, I turned in my materials and told them "no thanks". They were guaranteeing something like $75 dollars a week; found out later some of the guys had to sue them to get their guarantee.

 

[goeduck]

I reported to a job for training; they weren't too clear on what the job would be, but knew it was a door to door thing. After about the third day, I found out it was selling encyclopedias .

Sooooo,,,, what we’re you telling your customers you were selling on the first and second day?

 

[Jstpssng]

Been there, done that. I reported to a job for training; they weren't too clear on what the job would be, but knew it was a door to door thing. After about the third day, I found out it was selling encyclopedias and yoru pay was based on commission. On that day, I turned in my materials and told them "no thanks". They were guaranteeing something like $75 dollars a week; found out later some of the guys had to sue them to get their guarantee.

We middle aged workers are probably the only people who have ever seen an encyclopedia; let alone actually used a set.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Sooooo,,,, what we’re you telling your customers you were selling on the first and second day?

We had a three day (unpaid) orientation. It was sometime the second day I learned it was selling encyclopedias. I should have know after the first day it was a scam, but I was a young, country bumpkin trying to make enough money to pay my first semester's college tuition. I finally decided checking groceries was more my style.

 

[YLee Kioti]

We middle aged workers are probably the only people who have ever seen an encyclopedia; let alone actually used a set.

I actually miss my set and regret getting rid of it.
In today's climate of PC even well known old facts that no longer line up with the gate keepers are getting scrubbed.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
I've noticed that, also. Besides, every search you make is recorded to use later for an attempt to sell you something.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I had a nice encyclopedia set that I got rid of 46 years ago since my wife knows everything.
I worked for Paktron in early 70s, I was a mechanic working on the pneumatic machines that made capacitors. The noise level was beyond deafening and I quit after a week. Not just the noise but after figuring out how those complex machines worked it was repetitious.
It would be like repairing one specific model lawnmower, every day all day. Same thing, no challenge.

 

[Sigarms]

I sort of did once.

I don't recall if I was 17 or maybe 18... but I was driving town the road, about 30 minutes from my home. Saw a help wanted sign in the front of a machine shop. Being somewhat mechanically inclined, that caught my attention so I stopped.... spoke with the owner.... and was told to report to work the next day which happened to be a Friday.

I show up and of course, I was starting at the bottom of the pile verses on the CNC machines, that's certainly fair. I get that.

So spent the bulk of the first day being shown the ropes and some of the products they produced.... got a chance to machine some kind of widget.

Got numerous metal splinters in my otherwise young, soft, unworked hands.....

Over the weekend of pulling various splinters out of my hands, I realized that wasn't my right path so, Monday, I simply didn't show up.

Never got a paycheck for that (full) day's work either but I figured that was a fair tradeoff since I never went back.

For years after, I always felt "guilty" (to use a strong word) driving by there, as though they'd see me coming down the road and all come racing out to yell at me or something... (or even remember who I am!!)


Even today, if I were to drive by that location, I look to see if they're still there (I don't think they are)

So that 'stunt' left a long lasting impact on me.

As I mentioned, I expect that kind of behavior with "young people". Goes with part of the territory in learning and growing up IMO.

That said, I heard about this new employee from my supervisor, who is a VP, and although this wasn't what I would consider a high level job, it wasn't bad paying added he had experience when he moved into NC and he didn't have to look for a job.

I get people look around for other work, may have more pans in the fire, just that if you're in your 50's and you take a job in a new state you're moving to, you don't work one day, meet everyone, then text the day that it was your last IMO. To myself, it means either my company or the new employee did a horrible job on knowing what they wanted and what they were getting into.