Being taken advantage of because out of work so long

I've had some folks try to take advantage of me lately. I've received some phone calls from others that know I've been out of the job market for several years, they think I should be willing to do anything to get back in the job market. And, I guess I can see their point of view. They need help and they know that I can assist them, so they don't want to pay for my skills. These are jobs that I did not apply for, they want the best they can get and think I should be willing to work for the lower wages. I've thanked them, but it still is a slap in the face. Especially, coming from people who had been your co-workers at one time. They are now hiring the young (cuties), and need someone who can actually do the work and train the new younger employees. Guess it makes sense if your the Manager, have to watch that budget so you can keep your job.

disgustedwithgovt wrote:I've had some folks try to take advantage of me lately. I've received some phone calls from others that know I've been out of the job market for several years, they think I should be willing to do anything to get back in the job market. And, I guess I can see their point of view. They need help and they know that I can assist them, so they don't want to pay for my skills. These are jobs that I did not apply for, they want the best they can get and think I should be willing to work for the lower wages. I've thanked them, but it still is a slap in the face. Especially, coming from people who had been your co-workers at one time. They are now hiring the young (cuties), and need someone who can actually do the work and train the new younger employees. Guess it makes sense if your the Manager, have to watch that budget so you can keep your job.

I understand ... I had a former employee... call me to work for her it was at min wage .. I was her boss and made close to 6 figures and I felt as if she slapped me in the face... At one time all of the workers from this company would meet for dinner 6 of us. I am the only one out of work again. I went right to work after this lay off then 16 months later laid off almost 3 years now. I told her thank you but I am in school and wasnt looking.. Not true I am in school but looking for a job just has hard today then the day I was laid off... I no longer meet them for dinner or take any of the calls...

There is something definitely wrong with the new "company culture" and hiring process. My last position put me in a position to work with people who had been hired for positions I'd applied for. Their educational qualifications and experience didn't exist. One thought her esophagus was a part of the brain, and nearly drove my predecessor out of her mind. One showed up-maybe- and maybe not, or maybe in a few days...one spent a great deal of time acting like a hoodlum and bragging about being "a gangsta" (NOT a former "gangsta", but a current one). These people were deemed more appropriate candidates to handle sensitive and confidential material. They still have jobs, I don't. I think I would be better off trying to rebuild Mexico, right now. At least I'd be treated like a human being before my head gets lopped off.

This is so hard but true. I HONOR all of the unemp as there is so much STUPID out there today --- with group interviews, with employers who really haven't got a clue as to how insulting and disrespectful there are, to family who seemingly will NEVER GET IT? The hurt, the pain, doesn't leave. Being layed off or forced into retirement is the 'gift' that keeps on giving ---

So they're hiring young cuties???Man, it don't take a Rhode's Scholar{like Bill Clinton is) to figure what they have in mind there. So this ain't jost been going on in my area. Now there's even more of a reason to make me think that this high unemployment thing is a scam cooked up by corporate elites

I have been so depressed the past 6 months that I've barely been able to get out of bed or leave my home. It wasn't until I was able to muster up the courage to share my feelings here (and I received such warm support and encouragement) that I started to feel a little better.

Actually, I realized this evening that I was feeling a bit angry, and when I saw the title of this thread, I was able to identify exactly why I was feeling grumpy.

I feel so taken advantage of by my previous employer and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

(is this the Kubler-Ross stages of grief in the wrong order?)

Antinous Your message is so similar to my situation.

The damage from feeling so betrayed by my employer is hard to overcome.

Your post is a great help. Sometimes I feel like "I" caused my situation, when the main cause is the economy and the mean-spirited work setting I was in

Please feel free to share.

We will get through this.

John

wausauguy wrote:Antinous Your message is so similar to my situation.

The damage from feeling so betrayed by my employer is hard to overcome.

Your post is a great help. Sometimes I feel like "I" caused my situation, when the main cause is the economy and the mean-spirited work setting I was in

Please feel free to share.

We will get through this.

John

John, thank you I don't know your circumstances, but I hope you can move past feeling any blame. I know it's what we are taught to do: thinking in terms of relationship management...but there are occasions (and I can only say this now after what I experienced) that some people are just plain evil.

I wish I could really post the entire story of what happened, but it feels almost blasphemous to put it down on paper (I'm afraid I'm going to get struck my lightening or something, it's so horrible, and I don't have health insurance. sorry, just trying to lighten that comment up a bit).

What the firm did to me was flat out, 100% illegal, immoral and wrong...And there is nothing I can do about it. I want so much for those evil people to get what they deserve, but I don't want to hurt my previous colleagues. They'll all get dragged into it, someone will go to jail, too. And the owners are so evil, they will punish people just because they can. It's AWFUL!

I DO NOT want to sound like a martyr...I don't mean to if it's coming out that way. It's just the plain fact that I have not gone that next step, to protect other "innocent" people. And it's very, very depressing because they got away with criminal behavior.

It seems that in this climate (especially), Corp America is just doing whatever they want knowing they will not face any consequences. At the expense of others.

And again there is nothing I can do about it. sigh

couth11 wrote:There is something definitely wrong with the new "company culture" and hiring process. My last position put me in a position to work with people who had been hired for positions I'd applied for. Their educational qualifications and experience didn't exist. One thought her esophagus was a part of the brain, and nearly drove my predecessor out of her mind. One showed up-maybe- and maybe not, or maybe in a few days...one spent a great deal of time acting like a hoodlum and bragging about being "a gangsta" (NOT a former "gangsta", but a current one). These people were deemed more appropriate candidates to handle sensitive and confidential material. They still have jobs, I don't. I think I would be better off trying to rebuild Mexico, right now. At least I'd be treated like a human being before my head gets lopped off.

More than likely these people knew someone. I used to see this all the time at my former employer. People with known gang ties, people with criminal records, etc were hired while they bypassed quality people. It was known that if you didn't know the right people you would stay in the same job for years while someone with connections moved up the ladded. I started the same day as this recent college grad (white male of course with connections) and by the time I left 2 1/2 years later he had been promoted three times while I was stuck at the same lousy job. However the corruption at former employer is starting to come out and HR is the next department the state is looking at (government run railroad).

Unfortunately I am seeing so many employers taking advantage so not surprised of any of this. The amount of minimum wage jobs I see requiring a degree is unreal. I am seeing jobs that used to pay $40,000 now paying $22,00.