I'm going to quit this job, what do I do next?
May 16, 2015 11:50 AM Subscribe
I have been working this temp job for about 3 1/2 months. It has been pretty consistently awful.
See my previous posts that is just one scenario that made me feel this way: http://ask.metafilter.com/277595/How-do-I-handle-this-awkward-work-situation-Details-inside.
Since then, my fellow temp co-worker has been called a "mexican jumping bean" by the manager.
She is Latina, but not Mexican.
The two other girls that work for the company basically refuse to answer my questions if they've answered it for me one time before. They have ridiculed me for asking the same/similar questions more than once. I write things down, however, sometimes the scenario I am asking about is slightly different, so I am asking for clarification.
I am a black female (as are the other two regular company employess) and one of these girls basically said I "act white", which is supposed to be an insult. That is something I've dealt with periodically since moving from the Northeast to the Southeast over 30 years ago. I used to get defensive about it, then as a teen I'd laugh it off, as an adult, in the workplace I dismiss the comment and the person. However, it is difficult to dismiss a person you have to work with, side-by-side on a daily basis.
I got feedback that the supervisor asked one of the company girls how I felt about the job, and she told him, "She is hard to read. But in her opinion, she is not a good fit for the job." That was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I wondered why he had never once come and talk to me to guage my level of interest in the job? I felt it unprofessionally handled on his part. I could understand him asking her for her opinion, then asking me questions to feel me out, then making up his own mind. He either ignores me or grudingly acknowledges me when I speak to him. In spite of this difficult work environment, I have remained professional, hardworking, and friendly. However, it seems the deck is stacked against me.
I have been having panic/anxiety attacks, gastrointestinal distress, headaches, etc, regularly over the last few months. I have never experienced that before in my work life. I am a breast cancer survivor. I don't want my health compromised as a result of this temp job. I discussed it with my husband and he says he's ok with me quitting. Things will be tight, but we will manage as I redouble my efforts to find employment.
One question I have is since I never received unemployment insurance from my previous lay off, is it remotely possible for me to collect those benefits if I resign this position? How do I find another job in this lackluster economy? Should I list this job on my resumé or cut my losses? Any advice is appreciated.
See my previous posts that is just one scenario that made me feel this way: http://ask.metafilter.com/277595/How-do-I-handle-this-awkward-work-situation-Details-inside.
Since then, my fellow temp co-worker has been called a "mexican jumping bean" by the manager.
She is Latina, but not Mexican.
The two other girls that work for the company basically refuse to answer my questions if they've answered it for me one time before. They have ridiculed me for asking the same/similar questions more than once. I write things down, however, sometimes the scenario I am asking about is slightly different, so I am asking for clarification.
I am a black female (as are the other two regular company employess) and one of these girls basically said I "act white", which is supposed to be an insult. That is something I've dealt with periodically since moving from the Northeast to the Southeast over 30 years ago. I used to get defensive about it, then as a teen I'd laugh it off, as an adult, in the workplace I dismiss the comment and the person. However, it is difficult to dismiss a person you have to work with, side-by-side on a daily basis.
I got feedback that the supervisor asked one of the company girls how I felt about the job, and she told him, "She is hard to read. But in her opinion, she is not a good fit for the job." That was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I wondered why he had never once come and talk to me to guage my level of interest in the job? I felt it unprofessionally handled on his part. I could understand him asking her for her opinion, then asking me questions to feel me out, then making up his own mind. He either ignores me or grudingly acknowledges me when I speak to him. In spite of this difficult work environment, I have remained professional, hardworking, and friendly. However, it seems the deck is stacked against me.
I have been having panic/anxiety attacks, gastrointestinal distress, headaches, etc, regularly over the last few months. I have never experienced that before in my work life. I am a breast cancer survivor. I don't want my health compromised as a result of this temp job. I discussed it with my husband and he says he's ok with me quitting. Things will be tight, but we will manage as I redouble my efforts to find employment.
One question I have is since I never received unemployment insurance from my previous lay off, is it remotely possible for me to collect those benefits if I resign this position? How do I find another job in this lackluster economy? Should I list this job on my resumé or cut my losses? Any advice is appreciated.
Have you told any of this to your contact at the temp agency? They might not care but they might want your feedback about the company or it might mitigate any negative feedback they get from your former assignment. In a perfect world, they'd pull all of the temps that they have assigned with that company or something. They probably won't but they can't if you don't let them know what's going on and give them the chance to be great.
I've had good luck working for a temp agency and it led to the permanent job that I have now even though it wasn't a temp-to-hire assignment.
posted by VTX at 2:12 PM on May 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
I've had good luck working for a temp agency and it led to the permanent job that I have now even though it wasn't a temp-to-hire assignment.
posted by VTX at 2:12 PM on May 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
It's good that your husband is supportive of you quitting. No idiotic temp job is worth your health!
One question I have is since I never received unemployment insurance from my previous lay off, is it remotely possible for me to collect those benefits if I resign this position?
One thing has nothing to do with the other. You're probably not going to be eligible for unemployment for this one if you quit, but it never hurts to file. If you did stick it out until they fired you and your agency was unable to find you another job right away then you would be eligible. But if you're getting panic attacks, then it's not worth waiting.
When I was a temp I never listed individual jobs on my resume, only that I worked for Such-and-Such Agency because that's who my actual employer was. When someone calls for a reference the agency will just confirm that you worked for them for whatever amount of time.
If you haven't already, make sure you're signed up with every temp agency in town, get them all out there working for you.
posted by bleep at 3:07 PM on May 16, 2015
One question I have is since I never received unemployment insurance from my previous lay off, is it remotely possible for me to collect those benefits if I resign this position?
One thing has nothing to do with the other. You're probably not going to be eligible for unemployment for this one if you quit, but it never hurts to file. If you did stick it out until they fired you and your agency was unable to find you another job right away then you would be eligible. But if you're getting panic attacks, then it's not worth waiting.
When I was a temp I never listed individual jobs on my resume, only that I worked for Such-and-Such Agency because that's who my actual employer was. When someone calls for a reference the agency will just confirm that you worked for them for whatever amount of time.
If you haven't already, make sure you're signed up with every temp agency in town, get them all out there working for you.
posted by bleep at 3:07 PM on May 16, 2015
I'm amazed that the blatant racism ("Mexican jumping bean"??) isn't enough to talk to your temp agency and have them either pull you off that contract, or at least start trying to find you a new assignment right away. I temped for years and my agency would not have stood for that shit.
Apart from that, the atmosphere is so generally hostile that you're well within your rights to tell your temp agency that you need to look for a new position immediately. No job, temp, full time, or otherwise, is worth the toll this is taking on you and your health.
posted by inky_the_pinky at 12:31 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Apart from that, the atmosphere is so generally hostile that you're well within your rights to tell your temp agency that you need to look for a new position immediately. No job, temp, full time, or otherwise, is worth the toll this is taking on you and your health.
posted by inky_the_pinky at 12:31 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:57 PM on May 16, 2015