Friend of my wife walked off their retail job.....

[Takket]

posted these messages today....... just a glimpse inside the thoughts of someone going through the retail world. No links to protect their privacy.

Me, sending a message to the bunch I used to work for, explaining why I left.

Working there, I took 2 naproxen sodium tablets each morning, before I left for work. Half those work days, I had another 2 before bed at night. 14 to 16 pills a week. Every week...

Been 8 days since I walked out of work. In 8 days, I've had 2 (ONLY 2) pills.

That's how fucked the job was.

That's why I left.

Not playing the Capitalism game anymore. Twice it's tried to kill me. Twice I've escaped it. Will stay unemployed, and will, in 8 months, take early retirement at 63.

I'm done with the belief that money is the only thing on this Earth that matters.

[brooklynite]

1. "Not playing the capitalism game anymore"...

…is a phrase the average worker is never going to say.

FWIW, nothing in this post indicates that salary was the issue.

[Scrivener7]

7. No one said anything in the post indicated salary was the issue. Why are

you feeling the need to point that out?

And why would the average worker not say they are not playing the capitalism game any more. Did you think a retail worker couldn't understand capitalism?

[brooklynite]

9. The average retail worker isn't thinking of political philosophy...

They may feel that their work is unsatisfactory or underpaid, and that they can find alternative employment. They’r not going to think about the underpinnings of the economy that generated the job and its salary.

[Scrivener7]

11. No retail workers can understand basic political philosophy? They can only think within

the narrow parameters you have assigned to them?

Have you told them about this rule? Because I don't think most of them know it.

[brooklynite]

12. Can they understand it? Yes. Do they? Largely no.

ANyone who chooses to reflect on the socio-economic impacts of capitalism vs other economic structures can do so. Experience tells me that the average worker doersn’t.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that that the oft-desired “general strike” never happens. Perhaps you’ve noticed as well that Union membership v continues to drop.

[Scrivener7]

15. And because you are certain retail workers are simply too dim to understand

capitalism, it is OK for you to suggest that the OP is not truthful.

PS: union membership and the existence of general strikes are not the same as the ability to understand the concept of capitalism. Those are different things.

[brooklynite]

18. One can be smart enough to reflect on capitalism and not interested in doing so...

What evidence do you have that anyone leaving their existing employment is doing so because of a negative view of capitalism. Are you suggesting that they won’t be taking a subsequent available job under the same capitalist system?

[Scrivener7]

19. The person's statement that they are leaving the job market because of a negative

view of capitalism is the evidence I have that the person is leaving the job market because of a negative view of capitalism.

[brooklynite]

21. And MY original response, which didn't challenge that, is that the average worker...

…WON’T be thinking that way.

[Pacifist Patriot]

38. Not true at all.

I worked retail for a decade. Bookstore, clothing stores (2), and a candle shop. The vast majority of us were working our way through college or were college graduates. Two of my children are now working retail (a clothing outlet and a gift shop) and according to our conversations they are experiencing the same thing. Their co-workers are largely high information people very much interested in the economy and politics.

I had some wonderful spirited discussions about politics and economics with my coworkers in every retail establishment I worked. Maybe because a lot of these folks were having to work retail part-time to make ends meet for their families. They sure as heck were thinking about the underpinnings of the economy.

[xmas74]

43. I actually hear kids my daughter's age

Call work "a capitalistic game" and call their bosses "capitalistic dictators". I was a steward until just about 6 months ago and this new generation isn't holding anything back.

I've also heard some of it rub off onto the older workers, depending in how closely they worked together day after day.

[Rabrrrrrr]

49. Really? Everyone working retail is a shit for brains dumb ass? I didn't know that when I was

working retail.

Whew - good thing we didn't have social media back then, or folks would have told me how fucking wrong I was about politics or economics because of the type of employment I had.

Goddamn. You must really hate retail workers.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

52. Yeah you know so much

About retail workers you never met.

And capitalism is very much a game,a ponzi scam,running a society on greed... Yeah who are you? Arrogance much?

[brooklynite]

53. Who am I? I'm someone who's worked to get Democrats elected for 45 years...

...and I've developed an understanding about how the average voter thinks about issues.

Perhaps informed by the limited number of people who gravitate to hard left/pro-socialist candidates and movements.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

54. Not everyone is average

And the bell curve has been debunked..

And yes capitalism is dreadfully flawed its a society that runs on greed of the upper classes to the detriment of people.

Wage slavery is still slavery when you can lose your home,a way to get food ect. If you leave. That threat of poverty with an onerous overly complicated and limited safety net is extortion. And poverty is an industry in capitalism for a reason and none of it's reasons is are good.

The threat of poverty and homelessness is what keeps
people in bondage to the capitalist game even when it harms them.

I hate capitalism.

[brooklynite]

55. I'm not questioning the issues of capitalism as applied in the United States...

...just how many people actual spend time thinking about the issues.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

57. I spend a lot of time thinking about it.

If I told you what demographic I am in you'd probably doubt it.

But then again the bell curve was invented by eugenicists.. same with the myth of normal.

[brooklynite]

58. You hang out on a political blog...the average voter does not.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

60. I knew capitalism was destructive

I started getting into politics through reading Abby Hoffman books as a kid.

In freshman high school. I did a report on how kids are taught to be consumers and the original reason for public school.

My teacher was blown away that I knew anything about those topics.

I have had a lifelong interest in the way systems work. I love to learn stuff.
My family is very to the left,encouraged learning and even though my family was abusive and it messed me up psychologically,they did a few things right.

I was a weird kid.

[brooklynite]

61. To paraphrase Churchill: Capitalism is the worst form of economics except for all the others...

You can reform it as other countries, but frame it as bad in general accomplishes nothing.

[Torchlight]

67. You sure make a lot of assertions.

[brooklynite]

68. As do others here...

You’re welcome to ignore my opinions if you choose to.

[Torchlight]

69. Opinions and assertions are two different things, yes?

One is sometimes great editorial, the other usually requires compelling data.

[Magoo48]

40. Indeed. The retail worker understands Capitalism quite well.

Putting yourself smack in front of an increasingly belligerent public takes courage.

Good luck, peace and good health.

Enjoy your retirement.

[JonAndKatePlusABird]

24. What's the "worst" job you've ever had?

Thinking of making it an OP as it’s an interesting prompt.

But genuinely curious as to your crappiest, worst job you’ve ever had. And why?

[brooklynite]

29. Working as a restaurant dishwasher for a week, until I quit and found another job.

My departure had nothing to do with reflections on the capitalist oppression of the working masses.

[2Gingersnaps]

48. I worked as a dishwasher after I permanently quit the real world.

My job prior was Part B Care Coordination for an an insurance brokerage start up. Living fucking hell, complete with being that extra layer between a patient and their doctor. They could grab the cash and they could not fail, God knows they tried, because there is just so damn much money there. And in this country, that is all that matters.

I lost my sweet little retirement job to Covid, we just couldn't keep the front of the house healthy because the public does not give two shits about the health and safety of "essential workers."

I had an altruistic nature, that is why I went into nursing. Now, as if I had not guessed before the age of tRump, this is not a civilized country and we are not that exceptional superior people Texas school books try so desperately to "educate" us that we are.

So washing dishes was a pleasant little distraction from the fact that what ever your belief system may be.....faith in a higher power, interdependent co-arising, Karma, capitalism (not so much an economic theory as a true belief system)......judgement of history seems to be upon us, and it ain't pretty.

It's kind of like watching Halloween movies, every stupid step made that drove the screamers straight into the jaws of the chain saws....yep, we went there. We got one or two things right, but it does not come close to tipping the scale in our favor.

[Hortensis]

36. No kidding. What they do say is "I can't be on my feet all day

any more."

"It's too early to retire (and I really don't want to work for X), so I've been looking at trade school and community college sites. This time I'm going to choose work I'll really enjoy and that pays more as well. There so many possibilities, though. Guess I should start with demand near me for different types of work I might like to do and what they pay and make a short list from that."

Some average people might indulge a little whining as they realize a change is going to have to be made, but the average person has already retrained a couple to a few times over his work life.

[pansypoo53219]

2. butbutbut we NEED retail serfs.

[Joinfortmill]

3. Best of luck to this person.

[Cobalt Violet]

4. I think many people in that age group had a similar experience.

After decades of bein exploited the pandemic was the last straw.

[llmart]

5. That last sentence is that person's best comment.

However, people like that person are in the minority. Too many people really do believe that we are put on this earth to consume, consume, consume 'til the day we die.

Well, it's actually killing us and the planet.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

56. And who

From cradle to grave taught them to consume?
Capitalistic profit mongering greedy self serving corporations and thier fucking ads.

The ad industry that companies use to "persuade" people to buy thier products creates over time a sort of captive market since they target young kids to tell them what to want and push thier ad shit on people for thier whole lives for money.

Creating dependency in people to corporations for everything from food to transportation suits them just fine. Keep them addicted to status, sugar and fat,aquiring,etc.Never mind if it hurts people and fucks over society and the planet.

Gotta keep shareholders happy especially when corporate owners can by thier own stock..

[llmart]

62. +1

Yep. The advertising industry has upped their game. I think the biggest offenders of the abuse of ads is Big Pharma. The number of ads they have on TV is just mind blowing. I truly wish they'd do the same thing to them that they did to the advertising of cigarettes. People have been convinced that they need a drug for everything.

[Hoyt]

6. Unfortunately, not a lot of folks have social security and apparently retirement plan to depend on.

But, fortunately right now, a lot of people can leave and find another job in hopes it will be better.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. Most people should have Social Security, even if the earliest age to collect is 62.

Unless, of course, you've worked under the radar and only been paid cash for jobs and never paid into the system.

Pensions disappeared many decades ago. Even then, they only covered maybe half of all workers. The good thing about 401k plans is that the money is yours, and you can take it with you when you change jobs. Unlike pensions. Also, pensions are subject to being abandoned and abrogated by the companies. I know. It happened to me.

I am glad that people are finally letting companies know they are no longer willing to be serfs. What's going on now is a lot like what happened in Europe after the Black Death in the middle of the 14th century. All of a sudden it was no longer possible to keep serfs tied to the land. They could move freely, get better wages. Their lives improved a lot. Something very similar is happening now.

[Native]

8. Good for her! 👏

[Lars39]

14. Stress headaches, body aches were probably the reasons

[gldstwmn]

16. I think being in physical pain is a good enough reason.

[DBoon]

17. I think she is saying the job is stressful enough and physically taxing enough

to require frequent use of pain killers

Now that she has quit, she no longer needs them.

Good for her

[left-of-center2012]

20. "frequent use of pain killers"

Two in the morning and sometimes two at night ?

With my back pain, I eat Tylenol like candy.
Then when I can't stand it any longer I switch to prescribed narcotics.
That's 'frequent use of pain killers'.

[DBoon]

27. so you are saying the post is fake?

[left-of-center2012]

28. Nope

Don't put words in my mouth.

Placing you on ignore
Bye

[DBoon]

31. Are you saying she isn't suffering enough?

That your use of larger quantities of painkillers means her pain is exaggerated?

Yes, I know you have me on ignore

[crim son]

41. I'm sorry you're in pain

but I would not be comfortable taking four ibuprofen every day, if it were avoidable. You may not have meant to sound condescending, but you did.

[ShazzieB]

22. The recommended dosage for that drug is ONE pill every 8 hours.

Having to take 2 to get through a day at work, every day, never mind 2 more at bedtime, is excessive, unhealthy, and a pretty good sign that the job is taking a severe toll.

[calimary]

23. I had one miserable three months at one place that was so awful

that I renamed Fountain Avenue in Hollywood “Cry Street.” Because that’s what I did, driving home every day on that street from that godawful place. When the Godzilla monster in charge finally fired me, that was the first time I ever drove home WITHOUT crying my way down Fountain Avenue.

I was actually exuberant! Sang along with theme radio all the way home, felt about 100 pounds lighter, and as though I just broke out of prison.

And another gig came along almost immediately.

Hope you’re feeling lighter and liberated! You deserve it. NOBODY deserves to be treated like shit on the job. MAN, you couldn’t get into the ladies’ room on that floor. Because it was always crowded with interns - hiding from that fucking S.O.B. I actually watched him make a grown man cry.

[Demobrat]

30. I hope karma slapped him hard.

I despise these lowlifes who get into a position with a tiny bit of power and let it go to their heads. And the working world is full of them.

Eventually they get theirs - usually - but it takes way too long and they get to hurt way too many people in the meantime.

[orleans]

25. good for her--i'm glad she's able to do that

sounds like she'll get by until her social security (or whatever she's going to get) kicks in
so that's great

i'm guessing the stress wasn't worth her possibly getting an ulcer from taking that drug (i googled).
or a heart attack from the stress. (actually sounds like something along those lines have already happened to her)


a number of years ago (after advil pm each night for a few years & the stress of 2 family deaths and knowing i was losing my house of fifty years i'd take 3 & 4 advil at a pop for the tension headaches) i landed in the icu for a week with a bleeding ulcer; was unconscious for 3 or 4 days, was given three or four transfusions. ...the doctors found it hard to believe i wasn't drinking to get that ulcer--but i didn't drink (at least not then! i probably should have--it might have helped with the stress/tension). i also had a stressful job and had to wait a couple months before i could take a couple weeks off around xmas to grieve the death of my mother and another family member.

[SarcasticSatyr]

26. Can't blame him ....

if I was close to early retirement I'd take it ...

[Blue Owl]

32. Take this job and shove it

[DBoon]

33. I don't understand posts attaching the credibiliy of this OP

One poster is arguing that someone working in retail would never use the word "capitalism" to describe a situation that grinds people down so other make money

Another poster does not believe the quantity of painkillers is significant.

Why?

[luckone]

34. IKR? Quite puzzling where all that's coming from

[Nictuku]

37. I think some people just enjoy being contrary

[no_hypocrisy]

35. I'm in retail. You lose any which way.

You're supposed to be your job competently. With a smile for each customer.

But sometimes the customers interfere with your ability to do your job competently.

And in my store, The Customer Is Always Right. Even when they're wrong. So that means if a Customers says you're wrong, you're wrong.

Case in point: I got called to the HR office last week for a complaint made against me by a customer in September. Weeks ago. The Complaint: I didn't smile. I didn't look at the customer. I threw food. None of which is true, but no video, and just his word against mine. Guess who's credible? Guess who wasn't? I got a lecture about how the store depends upon great customer service. While not a warning, it really was. I don't even remember an incident with a customer who didn't like my service. I was getting great reviews during the time period this complaint came in.

My guess is that if we weren't so short-staffed, I would have been fired that day. Because of one customer.

That's why people are quitting retail.

[LisaL]

39. I hear you.

I used to work in the place where an employee could get fired for non-smiling.
WTF is there to smile about?

[luckone]

50. I got fired once for not smiling . I have RBF

I was concentrating on working with my resting bitch face No fault of mine except being born that way but I guess they rather have people that didn’t do anything and walk around with constant sardonic smiles for no reason
Said sorry we warned you to be smiling all the time have to let you go
Place was closed for good the next year
Now that DID bring a smile to my face
😀😃😄😁🙃

[no_hypocrisy]

64. One better and prescient.

Read my post again and return to this one:

Today, a customer wanted to complain not to Customer Service, not to my Supervisor, but to the store's Manager.

And I have no idea who it was as nothing untoward happened during my shift.

I was summoned into the Office and told that a male customer made a serious complaint about my "lack of friendliness," "rude, impatient, and unprofessional". And he took it to another level. He lied to my superiors, not misquoted, LIED. Lied that I said two incredibly foolish things that I NEVER would have said, let alone thought. It was obvious that he wasn't going to leave the store until he was satisfied that I was going to get fired.

I broke down in tears with the outrage -- and these days, that takes some doing.

Unfortunately, a letter of the incident is going in my permanent file. I am allowed to offer a letter of rebuttal. But the damage has been done. My reputation is in question and I'll always look at customers as weapons to be used against me.

While I wasn't fired, my hurt and outrage is uncontained at the moment. I doubt I'll get much sleep tonight.

[radical noodle]

42. Maybe the lesson to take from this

is to be super kind to retail workers. I don't know if this person had headaches due to stress or body aches due to overwork, but either way, they are in the line of fire from any idiot who wants to berate them. A little kindness can go a long way. It might not help body aches but maybe it would make it a tiny bit more bearable.

[FakeNoose]

44. I've had a few retail jobs - part-time and fill-in - along the way

Retail was never my career but I've occasionally taken a part-time job to tide me over between fulltime positions. So to me, the hardest thing about retail is standing on your feet all day long. It seems that any retail job requires standing, other than maybe a few of the "customer service"-type gigs.

I will always feel sympathy for those who must stand all day, it's NOT EASY to do that. It requires young legs, and I know I could never do it now.

Smiling, being friendly and cheerful even when customers are assholes - yeah that's really difficult sometimes. But it would be a lot easier if you could do it sitting down.

[TeamProg]

45. I worked retail as cashier, buyer and manager for eleven years in my 20's and early 30's

We clerks smiled a lot because either:

A. We really liked the job.
B. We were high.
C. Swing shift's mixed drinks under the front counter.
D. All of the above.

Customers mostly loved the service because:

A. Employees loved the job.
B. Floor staff was always interested in learning new things about what the customer was looking for.
C. They probably sensed that we liked our jobs and thought that we were high.

Employees were happy because:

A. They liked the job and would show up .
B. Mngmt was easy going about scheduling.
C. Mngmt didn't mind recreational drug use as long as you did good work.
D. Health insurance, but was rarely needed when we're young.
E. Small reitrement pension.
F. Pay wasn't great but the perks helped.
G. Waaay better than any other retail gig.


I eventually left. but only to move on to new opportunities in the wholesale side of the industry.

Q. Where would one find such a place???

A. One of the larger northern Calif. Tower Records.

A-2. Find a job you like, be good at it and other opportunities will present themselves.

[BobTheSubgenius]

46. As I explain to people who question my very early retirement on a GREATLY reduced lifestyle..

...your life is made up of minutes, hours, years and decades, not things. The more time you have for yourself, the better off you are, as a rule. Also....life comes with no mulligans.

[brooklynite]

59. Very true; a good reason to find a job you really like in the first place.

I worked in my preferred work area for 36 years.

[seta1950]

47. Yes

Retail can be brutal, specially since Covid, that’s why my boss shut down his business that had been in our town for over 100 years, 3d generation,it is very sad

[I_UndergroundPanther]

51. Awesome departure letter

[SMC22307]

63. What is this person doing for health insurance?

Sixty-three is two years away from the magic Medicare age.

[Klaralven]

65. Naproxen, aka Aleve, is effective for treating pain due to inflamation

such as arthritis, etc.

They don't describe the physical condition that the Aleve was treating.

[Sherman A1]

66. Excellent!

[Aristus]

70. When I worked as a loan officer for the now well-known criminal syndicate Wells Fargo,

I came home every night with a thundering headache from the stress. The constant badgering for more, productivity, more, more, more. More unsubtle hints about underhanded tactics I could use to get a borrower's signature on a high-interest loan, the reprimands I would get from managers telling me that, for all the huge, lucrative client packages I put together for a customer, I should have added this or that "product" to the total for increased revenue.

I finally got fired not long after Mrs. Aristus graduated from school and started earning a respectable income. One of the happiest days of my life, getting fired from the worst job ever.