looking for a new job....again. What would you do?

[magical thyme]

Last year I finished a grueling, 2-year med lab tech program and started work in the lab of a local hospital. I hate it. I hated every minute of the clinical courses and training, but hoped once I was in the hospital I wouldn't hate it. My one clinical rotation at this hospital went quite well, my job interview with them went well, so things were looking up. But working there has been awful. Every time I think it's going to be ok, I get slammed. First, the former lead hematology tech, who had left for better grounds and then returned per diem, refused to train me. I understand her anger, but it was not productive and made my days with her very uncomfortable. Then the lead chemistry tech, who was friends with the hema tech and trying to get her re-hired, viciously berated me day in and day out during her training period. Then a mentally disabled man from the cleaning crew fixated on me, and several techs and lab assistants encouraged him and tried to get me to date him. It got so bad that, 4 months into my new job, I was forced to file a sexual harassment complaint against one assistant who would not accept no for an answer, just to get her to eff off. I suffered weeks more of being followed around the hallways by the poor, misled guy who is "not quite right" trying to get him to leave me alone.

Then the lab manager forced me to work overnight 12-hour shifts -- something that we had discussed in the job interview and was *not* something I was able to do. I am per diem, and choose to stay that way. I get absolutely zero benefits, but in theory as per diem I can turn away work. The manager, whose husband is a lawyer, threatened, bullied and terrorized me into it. I have since learned she has a history of bullying and threatening.

My elderly horse and I ended up sick at the same time, and I had to put him down 2 weeks ago after a several week struggle to save him. So yes, I have bitterness. Had they not forced me into nights, I could have seen and responded to his symptoms possibly in time.

Now, finally back on my feet, I saw the schedule for March and they are again scheduling me for 12-hour overnights. I'm sorry they are understaffed. I'm sorry they can't keep employees. But their maltreatment of employees until they escape is their emergency, not mine.

The same lab corporation owns all the local labs, so unless and until I sell my house, I won't be able to leave this lab for another one. Besides which, I hate, and I mean hate, the lab work and people.

The jobs around here are mostly very low pay and the people low-education.

I won't be able to use any of my current co-workers as references, not because I've done anything wrong but because either they'll sabotage me or they'll tell management that I'm looking. I'm trying to contact someone I worked with while in school to be a reference. The job before school folded and those people are long scattered. Before that I was unemployed for an extended period. And before that I was in a very lucrative, high tech marcom job. So I'm not sure what to do about "professional references" on the application.

I'm also think I should leave the BS degree from 30 years ago off my application.
I'll put the MLT degree on -- it's a local university so may help. But that will lead to questions as to why I'm leaving a "good job" for a "lesser one." I' guess I'll just explain that I really am uncomfortable with the work itself.

At this point, I'm just 3 years away from being able to retire at 62 and just want a simpler job without the stress and without being forced to work 12 hour shifts and without being forced to work overnight and have my health destroyed. Going back to school was a huge mistake, but once I got into that evil student loan trap, I couldn't find a way out so had to tough it out. I graduated summa cum laude. What an effing waste!

[mzteris]

1. Have you spoken to HR?

This is abuse, plain and simple.

I'd document everything. Every word written down with times, dates, and witnesses. Keep a very good log. Make copies to show to HR - do NOT give away your original.

If they don't do "something" and/or it doesn't get better then, you "quit" and claim "constructive discharge" - meaning the conditions were SO BAD you were FORCED to quit. You can get unemployment for a constructive discharge. Then go to the EEOC & file a claim of harassment. Use your documentation to back up your claim. And - at your age - you've got the ADEA on your side, too. (Age Discrimination in Employment Act) - especially if everyone else in the department is under 40.

Of course, the mere mention of this to HR - if they don't resolve the issue - will strongly encourage them to "make your working conditions improve". Be prepared to tell HR exactly what it is you WANT in order for the issue to be "resolved". Is it a transfer to a different department? Is it not being required to work 12 hour night shifts? Is it not working for "that" supervisor but maybe someone else in the department? They will want to know what it is you WANT in addition to EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. Again, a detailed log is invaluable in this situation.

Good luck.

[magical thyme]

2. thank you for the suggestion. I plan to speak to HR

when I am quitting and not sooner. Unfortunately, they know all about this manager. Bullying and threats is what the company wants, which is why they love her. They are prepared to deal with it. They've had many complaints about her over the many years. She has already been sent on "anger management training," etc. They will continue that game to the end of time because that is just part of their cost of doing business. I have limited ammunition and will use it to clear my exit and make a clean break, period.

I do have a log, but I am not interested in fighting this. This state has crappy unemployment benefits that are not worth fighting for, plus the state will back any company against an employee for *any reason, with a single exception which is failure to pay (in which case they'll go after the company so that they collect their tax receipts). That is a fight I cannot win and frankly is not worth the effort. I'd rather focus my limited time and energy on a single battle that will get me out of this industry once and for all.

I have compiled a list of places to apply. Now that I've lived here for 8 years, I know of 2 companies that have reputations as good places to work -- the local supermarket and a local discount chain. I will apply to them first in case a rare opening comes up. There are other places with high turnover, which explains itself. They will be my fallback.

It did occur to me last night that while I cannot ask any of my direct co-workers for a reference because they will sabotage me (lest they end up stuck with night shift). However, the lab assistants do not have that issue and may be willing to give me references. I will be checking with them Monday and Tuesday to see if any is willing.

[Nikia]

3. I know that you want to leave this career, but if you might be able to change locations

If the supervisor and the hours are the main problem since you mentioned that there were other labs in the area owned by the same company. Maybe the whole company is dysfunctional or maybe they would consider you a problem employee, but maybe other locations with better supervisors have openings that they would let you transfer to.
I left my previous recent employer. I had problems with my supervisor and what she was turning my job into for the last few months there. It is a relatively small company with one location. I was told that my options were to take an entry level production job with a 40% pay cut, put up with it, or leave. If I had the option to transfer to a nearby location with my same pay and job, I would have tried it even if the result might have been the same in the future.

[magical thyme]

4. I've been watching their internal job listings for a while

since they bought the lab half an hour in the opposite direction from me. No openings have come up yet, and they probably won't any time soon. Their strategy has been to downsize labs through attrition (and drive people out slowly through no raises and by bringing in their own bully managers) to a skeleton crew. They fill in holes with per diem and part time new grads who need to get experience and a foot in the door. They leave only the most basic work at the hospital's satellite lab, doing the more advanced work at the main reference lab. The hospital labs don't turn a profit, but lock-in the reference lab work. So the hospital techs are viewed and treated as an expense rather than revenue producer.

If I could sell my house I would leave the area. I'm not real hopeful there, but anything could change.

And the bottom line for me is that, as much as I loved the general sciences, from the 1st clinical course I have hated it. I hate the physical environment: always suffocatingly hot and sweaty, or freezing. The air is horribly dry and so many chemicals around that I have chronic stuffiness and my eyes turn bloodshot within 30 minutes of arrival. Like most places, some of the people are nice, but the lead techs and management are not. The work ranges from boring to awful/stressful. I hate being at everybody's "beck and call," which unfortunately is the nature of service work.

I hate the level of stress. It is one thing to feel somebody's life is in your hands. It is another thing to feel that way, only you are alone in the lab, it is 2 am and the phone is ringing off the hook, you have tests to run from one end of the lab to the other, the instrument just failed qc again, the nurse entered the order wrong and is screaming at you for not showing up to a timed draw, you are so exhausted you are staggering and nauseous, ER is calling for results that they know you can't have yet, and so on. Or to have to go draw blood, at 5am after 11 hours nonstop work, from a dying woman who's arms and hands are shrunken, black and veinless. As if her being actually allowed to sleep until 7 or 8 and drawn by a professional phlebotomist who draws dozens a day would somehow be more harmful. All this for $16 and change.

My last job paid almost as much but, once I learned it, had only a tiny fraction of the stress, nobody would die if you made a mistake or the computer died, and the physical environment must much more comfortable. I'd actually consider going back to that if they were hiring, but they won't be before the next tax season. So instead I plan to apply at several very local places for low key work that will keep me going until I'm 62 or until I sell my house, whichever comes first.

I'm leaving this field. Period.

[Somewhereinbetween]

5. hmmm....

My mom is going through the same thing at work... She is a very "tell you how it is" women and a lot of the men she works with get angry because she has no problem telling them when their wrong. My mom can remember everything she or anyone around her has done or said on any date for the last 7 years. So, every now and then (like recently) she pointed out an issue with a grievance that had been placed (it was a fraudulent claim). Shortly after that they forced her from the position she had into doing midnight shifts. She put forth a claim of unfair treatment and was told there was nothing they could do, but are now starting a full investigation and a lot of her old coworkers are being fired (the ones who bullied her). I too went to college and I agree that it is a WASTE!!! If I were you I would stick it out as long as possible and save money and be prepared to move if needed.

[magical thyme]

6. thank you

The night shifts seem to be over for the time being. The harasser upped the ante twice in the evening when no supervisors were around to complain to. I told him to fuck off, but that helped only temporarily. Yesterday he again approached me and I told him "We are not friends. We are not acquaintances. Please LEAVE ME ALONE." If he so much as speaks to me again, I'm taking it to management. I have an extensive log including 2 evenings when I was alone in the lab and he physically interfered with me in the lab (once while I was handling 4 ER criticals in a row).

I had 9 days with no work scheduled, so got a desperately needed rest. I am sticking it out for now, while looking for other work. Learning quickbooks for one thing, since I have occasionally seen part-time bookkeeping jobs, so could possibly cobble-together a set of pt jobs.

If I haven't found anything by mid-summer, I'm going to look into "traveling." It may be feasible for me to pack my critters, plants and self, close up the house, head south for the winter and leave this mess behind.