So yesterday was the first day in the over a year that I have been with this company I took a day off from work due to being sick and the first time in nearly a decade overall. There's been a bug going around that I made every effort to avoid yet failed. 2 things become very clear from this one event. First, I have worked at least 70 hours a week (6 days 12 hours a day) since October 1st because I'm the only day manager we have, not for a lack of trying to hire another, but the position is intense. Despite all of this, I still received a few angry messages from upper management for getting sick. Do the math... 70 hrs a week times 32 weeks... 2,240+ hrs, at 40 hours a week times 52 weeks is only 2,080 hrs.
Now I'm not trying to brag or gloat or elavate myself in anyway but numbers don't lie. And I get yelled at for taking a sick day and it wasn't even a busy day AND I still handled a ton of stuff from home, on my sick day. The very definition of underappreciated.
Secondly, after being out of the office yesterday and today, the only person that reached out to see if I was OK, is the one guy who I talked off the ledge, so to speak, because he felt like he wasn't appreciated and wanted to turn in his 2 week notice. Opened my eyes to a few things that I wasn't aware of and immediately corrected. For those of you who don't know, I started at the bottom with this company and fought my way up to where I am and it's the first time I have worked in an office, with the exception of my graphic design business. So I have seen every facet of the business and I do everything within my abilities to ensure my people are taken care of. Now keep in mind of the hours previously stated, and in that time, I have increased traffic 121% and reduced cost by 36% which literally translates to hundreds of thousands of dollars, in 8 months. And the only person who reached out to see how I was feeling is a guy that I bought a cooler and tent for (granted it was for everyone in the yard), but still.
Now I know that I probably sound like a whiny bitch, and I might be thanks to the nyquil, but this is a teaching moment. Actions speak louder than words, especially when those words reveal the truth. So this upcoming week, I will be doing a lot of research on the area and see if there a better position for me to create for myself.
Wish me luck and always remember your worth. Dollars don't replace respect.
