PithyWorld Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 This goes back to my thread about my girlfriends job. She is easily pulling 55-70 hour work weeks during the week. Before I was supportive, but now I find myself wanting to lash out at her whenever she says she is working. The company treats her, and their employees like slaves. Most of the copywriters at her company make 455 dollars a week, the federal minimum wage for Copywriters. To put that into comparison... I, as a janitor make 10 dollars an hour. If you do the math my girlfriend is making less per hour in a more specialized job with a college degree. The average wage of a copywriter is around 50 thousand a year. I'm really starting to get fed up with her job. I don't even get to talk to her much anymore.. I won't even see her until next Wednesday, that will make 11 days that I haven't seen her. I usually get one or two text a day, one of them being "good night". I miss her, I love her and I want my girlfriend back. What should I do.. right now I'm completely lost. I wouldn't mind if her job was helping her get ahead, but she is not being paid a fair wage. It burns me up, and it's even starting to get me angry at her.
forms Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 If you don't support her, you'll lose her. But maybe that's what you want anyway. What do you want her to do? Quit? Are you going to support her and pay her bills on $10 an hour? Or maybe she should kick up a fuss and get fired? Will you be happy with that? Will she? I'm sorry you aren't getting enough attention. Don't wrap it up in indignation that her company is treating her like a slave. If you want more attention in a relationship, find someone who can provide it. There's nothing wrong with wanting more attention, but you really haven't thought this out with her. What exactly is it you want her to do?
Disenchantedly Yours Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 Pithy, do you guys share expenses? Do you give her money? Is she unhappy in her situation? I can understand being annoyed if she is always complaining about her job but if she is fine with it, why wouldn't you be? Does her work cut into time with you?
Art_Critic Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 I'm really starting to get fed up with her job. It sounds to me that you are really fed up with her and only using the job as an excuse.. It also sounds like you guys are or have drifted apart.. Maybe this relationship has run it's course Have you spoken to her about breaking up ?.. if you have what was her reaction ? Both parties in a relationship should be happy and if you are not and it isn't a fixable issue then you need to let her go.. Asking her to quit her job isn't the type of fix I'm talking about either a you can't ask her to quit a job when you guys aren't even living together.. how would she pay for her bills ?
Author PithyWorld Posted November 12, 2011 Author Posted November 12, 2011 Pithy, do you guys share expenses? Do you give her money? Is she unhappy in her situation? I can understand being annoyed if she is always complaining about her job but if she is fine with it, why wouldn't you be? Does her work cut into time with you? Her job does cut into our time. For example on my birthday her job put her "ON CALL". She tried working, and celebrating my birthday at the same time... I haven't even seen her this week... It's been over 7 days. I wouldn't mind if she was actually being paid a fair wage, but she isn't.. she is underpaid, and being taken advantage of by this company. As to a few other posters: I'm not sick of her, I want to stay with her. She is in the perfect position to look for a new job. She lives with her parents. I just want her to turn in a few applications a week somewhere else. It's easier to find a job when you already have a job.
Author PithyWorld Posted November 12, 2011 Author Posted November 12, 2011 It sounds to me that you are really fed up with her and only using the job as an excuse.. It also sounds like you guys are or have drifted apart.. Maybe this relationship has run it's course Have you spoken to her about breaking up ?.. if you have what was her reaction ? Both parties in a relationship should be happy and if you are not and it isn't a fixable issue then you need to let her go.. Asking her to quit her job isn't the type of fix I'm talking about either a you can't ask her to quit a job when you guys aren't even living together.. how would she pay for her bills ? She lives with her parents, she doesn't even pay rent. I don't want her to quit, I want her to just start looking for another job. No way should she be spending 60-70 hours a week on this job, making only 21 thousand dollars, one that should be paying at least 27-30 thousand.
Art_Critic Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) making only 21 thousand dollars, In your last thread you posted she was making 22k.. Do you really know how much she makes ?.. or are you basing it off what she has told you.. If she lives with her parents then she doesn't need as a high paying job to pay her bills and she may be using this to get experience while she can... Experience in a profession can be hard to come by.. a potential employer will want her to have experience.. Edited November 12, 2011 by Art_Critic
Author PithyWorld Posted November 12, 2011 Author Posted November 12, 2011 (edited) In your last thread you posted she was making 22k.. Do you really know how much she makes ?.. or are you basing it off what she has told you.. If she lives with her parents then she doesn't need as a high paying job to pay her bills and she may be using this to get experience while she can... Experience in a profession can be hard to come by.. a potential employer will want her to have experience.. My math was off, she said she makes the minimum exempt employee wage(in her words, she didn't tell me the amount, I looked it up), which is 455 dollars a week. Her parents are even saying she should move on. She is always stressed out, if someone even mentions work she gets tense, and awkward silence ensues. She is very unhappy right now, yet she still pushes on. She probably is experienced enough to get a job somewhere else now, or at least ask for a pay raise, both of which she won't do. Her job is even starting to take over her weekends. Last week she worked all 7 days, yet her job is asking her to do more. Edited November 12, 2011 by PithyWorld
allina Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 It sounds like she is working her a$$ off so that in a couple years she can make way more and work more desirable hours. Work experience is crucial, it sounds like she knows this. She sounds very underpaid but I'm not convinced that she is making minimum wage. I understand that it's frustrating to not be able to see her but you need to be more reasonable. She can't throw her future down the drain for you. What are your career plans? Are you satisfied with being a janitor?
Eddie Edirol Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 If she wanted to spend more time with you, or talk to you, she would make the time. I suspect she is trying to break away from you in a passive manner. be wary.
allina Posted November 12, 2011 Posted November 12, 2011 If she wanted to spend more time with you, or talk to you, she would make the time. I suspect she is trying to break away from you in a passive manner. be wary. Good point.
ErgoStep Posted November 13, 2011 Posted November 13, 2011 It's a tough job market. I would be cautious to advice a job change.
Author PithyWorld Posted November 13, 2011 Author Posted November 13, 2011 It sounds like she is working her a$$ off so that in a couple years she can make way more and work more desirable hours. Work experience is crucial, it sounds like she knows this. She sounds very underpaid but I'm not convinced that she is making minimum wage. I understand that it's frustrating to not be able to see her but you need to be more reasonable. She can't throw her future down the drain for you. What are your career plans? Are you satisfied with being a janitor? I'm working as a janitor while going to college. I get flexible hours and I get paid far more than I would at a retail store. I am studying for, and eventually want to be a cisco network engineer. My girlfriend is making the federal mandated 455 dollars a week to be classified as a exempt employee(salary worker). If she makes less that means the company would be violating a federal law, they would be liable for all kinds of nasty lawsuits. It's different than the traditional minimum wage you're thinking off. I'm only seeing her once a week for a few hours. I tried to be resonable, but the company is completely taking her life away. What more can I do to be "reasonable"? Any less and it could hardly be classified as a relationship. I don't want her to quit, I just want her to either ask for a pay raise (the company is understaffed, they're trying to do more with less. She has been there for over half a year and there has been no talk of a raise. My girlfriend has leverage because the company can't afford to have a copywriter leave). or start putting out applications elsewhere. Her company is taking advantage of her, and is constantly looking for more ways to get more out of their employees. Honestly is working 50-70 hours a week worth it for such a paultry amount of pay, even if just for experience? It's costing more than just her freetime. All of her relationships are starting to fall by the wayside. Now even her parents are begging her to get another job. Statistics show it is easier to find a job when you already have a job.
Author PithyWorld Posted November 13, 2011 Author Posted November 13, 2011 It's a tough job market. I would be cautious to advice a job change. I know this better than anybody, but you can still look for a job while you still have a job. Just put out a few applications a week, when you need to go to an interview just take a "sick day". A person with copywriting experience, with a good feel for the English language is a valuable commodity.
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