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site moron
Jul 5, 2006
4,827
521
Vernon, NJ
Today I started my new job. It is at a pet store that specializes in fish. They have over 400 tanks of fresh and salt water fish. Well as the noob my job is to clean all the tanks. Today I cleaned 130 tanks. My boss has already given me the store shirt, and says I am good at cleaning tanks. This is my problem. I am in high school, and this summer I am taking extra classes at the community college. This job is great but the hours aren't cool. The options I have to work are 9am-5pm or 1pm-9pm. Pay is minimum wage, and there is no way to get less hours. What is a polite way to say "Hey, give me my money for the day I worked. I can't be working here anymore. Thanks anyway, heres the shirt back if you want it"? I don't want to be a total douche to the guy because he is really cool. I also want my money for the hours I worked today, if he paid me today I would just never go back.
 

Rip

Mr. Excitement
Feb 3, 2002
7,327
1
Over there somewhere.
Suck it up princess, welcome to the real world. You have to make it work out. Also you just started so you shouldn't be surprised to be only making minimum wage.
 

CRoss

Turbo Monkey
Nov 20, 2006
1,329
0
The Ranch
Did you not discuss your pay rate and hours before taking the job? All the problems you mentioned should have come up during the interview and worked out then or you should not have taken the job.
 

CRoss

Turbo Monkey
Nov 20, 2006
1,329
0
The Ranch
Well it looks like you discussed two of the three things you should always discuss in a interview.

If it is not going to work suck it up and tell him. You could have definitely saved some face if you would have discussed this before hand.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
The thing about a job is you are getting paid for what a business needs done when they want it done... it your time they're paying for. I suspect they are scheduling the job based on business needs and not on employee convenience.

Bad on you for not clearly stating your availability and expectations.

Run out the back door with your tail between your legs...
 

skinny mike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 24, 2005
6,415
0
thank him for the opportunity, but just let him know that it's not going to work out in the long run with the hours that you have to work. apologize for not being able to work there anymore.
 

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,382
9,285
MTB New England
Did you not discuss your pay rate and hours before taking the job? All the problems you mentioned should have come up during the interview and worked out then or you should not have taken the job.
:stupid:

How the hell did you NOT discuss the hours you'd be working prior to getting the job? :confused:
 

vtjim

Beware of Milo & Otis
Jan 6, 2006
1,346
0
North Andover MA
As a manager of a busy office I do all the hiring/firing/managerial **** etc.

NOTHING, and I repeat, NOTHING burns me up more than giving someone a chance and then having them come back after one day and say they're not interested.

The only thing that burns me MORE than that is if they just don't show up the next day, as you said was your plan. Despicable.

My dad would have whooped my ass if I pulled a stunt like that when I was your age. But I wouldn't have done that because I was brought up with a sense of responsibility. This is the real world. Honor your commitments. If you didn't discuss the hours you had to work before accepting the position that's your fault. Figure it out.
 

MMike

A fowl peckerwood.
Sep 5, 2001
18,207
105
just sittin' here drinkin' scotch
I once bailed on a job after one shift.

I was told it was "general labour". Night shift. I was ok with all of that. However, general labour turned out to be stacking Megablocks into towers of 20 blocks and putting them into a box, as they came out of the plastic injection machine.

I was already working a student painting job during the day. There was no way I was going to spend 8 hours filling a box.

I went to the manager at first break and said I'd finish my shift but I was not coming back.
 

X3pilot

Texans fan - LOL
Aug 13, 2007
5,860
1
SoMD
Stick with the job, you accepted it without asking conditions. Complaining about the hours now is like bitching at a hooker's rates as you're rolling off her. Get clear answers up front.

Show the guy your work ethic, do a good job, be reliable and then, ask to discuss possible work hour flexibility to accomodate your school schedule.
 

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
4
CT
I too once quit a job after one day.
I was hired at a local ski shop. Up front, I told them I didn't know much about skiing. The manager was cool with that, said he'd train me on what I needed to know.

Show up for the first day...he doesn't. No one else knows who I am or that I'm a new employee. The other employees are d*cks, I'm not in their "clique", so they don't talk to me or help me. Spend the day trying to keep busy, but by the end, I was frustrated. I had no clue what I was doing and the place was dead.

Called them the next day, explained what happened and quit. I hated bailing on them like that, but it was ridiculous. I was surprised to get a check a week later for that day. I felt guilty since I didn't earn it.
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
Stick with the job, you accepted it without asking conditions. Complaining about the hours now is like bitching at a hooker's rates as you're rolling off her. Get clear answers up front.

Show the guy your work ethic, do a good job, be reliable and then, ask to discuss possible work hour flexibility to accomodate your school schedule.
Yeah, because a minimum wage job is so more important than showing up and doing good in school when your 17 years old.
 

X3pilot

Texans fan - LOL
Aug 13, 2007
5,860
1
SoMD
I would argue that learning principles at age 17 are equally important.
I agree, while it's important to get the education, it's also important to know how to use that education and get along in the business world. i appluade the fact that he's out trying to earn his way AND go to school, but the bigger lesson is to know what you're getting yourself into and honoring your commitments.
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
Is this a full time job? Or are you just working a couple days a week? I don't get it.

If you signed up for a full time job, that was a dumb move. If you signed up for a part time job with no way of doing the shifts they needed, that was a dumb move on their part as well.

If it's a part time arrangement, just talk to your boss.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
This is my problem. I am in high school, and this summer I am taking extra classes at the community college. This job is great but the hours aren't cool. The options I have to work are 9am-5pm or 1pm-9pm. Pay is minimum wage, and there is no way to get less hours.
Seriously, are these work shifts conflicting with your college schedule? Or you just don't like going to school 9am-12 and then running straight to work?

Frankly, I can understand why you would not like being on the go for 12 hours straight. As an adult, I can do it now (not that it is fun), but I could not do this schedule as a teenager. But I would tough it up, but focus on the class. No one is going to care if you screw up your part time job.

However, if there is a conflict with your school and work hours, you screwed up. You should have realized what hours you can work, and make yourself available just for those hours.

You might not understand how to communicate with bosses. Just tell them what you can do, not what they want you to do (you'd work 12 hours a day 7 day a week if that was the case).
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
I have no idea how an interview and hiring process occurred without any mention of the strictly regimented shifts involved. :confused:

What did you say when your boss informed you that you had your choice of these two shifts? Did you just stand there, nodding, while knowing you couldn't do it?

Incidentally, you don't work less hours. You work fewer hours. If you can count the object, it's fewer. You'd do less work, if you worked fewer hours. </peeve>
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
Go in, explain your situation, and ask if you can work 8 hours/day, but around your school schedule. If the place is obviously open for 12 hours during the day, it might be possible.

Otherwise, let him know that it is not going to work out long-term, but that you will work for the next two weeks as is customary so that he can find someone to replace you. Maybe you'll get lucky and he won't need you, but that really is the only polite thing to do...
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
I dont know PSP, cleaning fish tanks sounds like it might be a good career for you. Are you sure "college" is for you?
 

MTBstud12

Monkey
Jan 24, 2008
484
0
Tejas
Today I started my new job. It is at a pet store that specializes in fish. They have over 400 tanks of fresh and salt water fish. Well as the noob my job is to clean all the tanks. Today I cleaned 130 tanks. My boss has already given me the store shirt, and says I am good at cleaning tanks. This is my problem. I am in high school, and this summer I am taking extra classes at the community college. This job is great but the hours aren't cool. The options I have to work are 9am-5pm or 1pm-9pm. Pay is minimum wage, and there is no way to get less hours. What is a polite way to say "Hey, give me my money for the day I worked. I can't be working here anymore. Thanks anyway, heres the shirt back if you want it"? I don't want to be a total douche to the guy because he is really cool. I also want my money for the hours I worked today, if he paid me today I would just never go back.
Get over it kid. I worked 40 hours a week in the evenings while taking summer classes and pulled a 4.0 in college. I feel no sarrow for you. And for you, there is no way to say Hey, give me my money for the day I worked. I can't be working here anymore. Thanks anyway, heres the shirt back if you want it" without being a douche for you, especially on your first day.

As for that last part, if he paid you and you just never came back, you have officially relegated yourself to d!ckhead status for that thought. Never screw employers over dude.