Thank You ALL! (VENT - Long).

[mnmarty03]

Okay. So I just need to rant and rave for a few minutes, then I will be better. I'm sorry in advance.

As many of you know, I work in animal care. I'm a zoo keeper. I have a B.S. Degree and 2 years experience under my belt. I finally started my first full time, permanent position 1 month ago that actually pays me a decent wage. I worked my butt off to get here.

You also need to know that animal care is a bit different than other jobs. We work with very large (and very small) dangerous animals. We spend the entire day getting dirty and cleaning up animal feces. We get injured by animals when we make even the smallest mistakes (I got kicked in the back 2 weeks after I started by an elk female because of a small mistake on my part). We don't automatically get holidays off. We don't get weekends off (they usually are mandatory actually). We aren't allowed to space out for any amount of time while working or to day dream. These things lead to injury and death in our field. We work our rear ends off day in and day out. We count on our physical and mental strength, as well as our coworkers to keep everyone safe. We are only as good as our team. If you know your team will do everything to protect you, then you will be okay. That sometimes means hanging on for dear life when an animal you are trying to restrain starts fighting - even if your getting hurt. Why? Because letting go could mean worse than holding on for you and/or your team. Trust is vital. When you are standing with 3 other people bracing a board that is the being kicked full force by a large bull elk because it is all that holding that elk from killing you or your team.. you HAVE to be able to trust your team. It's the trust that allows you to concentrate on your job and not be scared because you KNOW they won't let anything happen to you and you won't let anything happen to them.

Despite all this, WE LOVE OUR JOBS. Almost every zookeeper you see cleaning up poop at a zoo has at least a bachelor's degree (more often), several years experience, and a low pay. Zookeeping is a way of life and something we are passionate about.

A coworker of mine has been having money problems. She started about 2 months ago where I work and is in a different department as me, though is still a zookeeper. She has a degree and no practical exprience, yet she has a full time permanent position. It took me two years to get to the same point. Those two years had a lot of unpaid internships or low paid jobs. The most I've ever made until now was $7 an hour. Now I make $10 an hour.

My coworker doesn't appreciate how lucky she is to be where she's at and I really just want to punch her lately. She makes less than me (8.50 an hour) because she has no experience. She told me yesterday that she can't make the minimum payments on her debt each month due to the low pay ($500+ a month in minimums she said). She has no money and needs to get a raise in her three month review or else she will have to quit and go work at wendys or something where she can get paid the same and move up faster (her words!) because she had to move 4 hours to live here and gets paid so bad (her words again). Seriously. Get over it. I moved 1/2 way across the US to be here. So what.

Ok. I understand that $8.50 is horrible pay and that she has student loans and credit card debt. I've been there. done that. got the t-shirt.

What really gets me though is that she takes everything for granted, doesn't put her job first and value it, and doesn't do everything in her power to make her payments. When she found out I voluntarily work 6 days a week to save for my wedding, she said she could "never survive working that much." Despite the fact that we are allowed to work as many hours as we want to (owner's words), she refuses. She punches out at the exact time she is done (5 out of 6 of the other people at work stay late regularly until the job is done) and refuses to work extra days. She also doesn't have a 2nd job anywhere else.

I understand that it's tough to work 6 days a week (or even 7). I know it's nice to have 2 days off. Over the summer when I made only $7 an hour I should have gotten a 2nd job, but I didn't because I didn't want to work that much. Difference is I could make my minimum payments (except on 1 large loan which i would have deferred anyways, even with a 2nd job) on everything, and feed myself.

The other thing that annoys me is that she says, she "has to get a raise" but then acts in ways that make it less likely she'll get one. Her car broke 2 days ago. Yesterday I picked her up and dropped her off and it was no problem. Today her car still wasn't fixed so she left a message at 11 pm w/our boss saying, "my car isn't fixed. if you want me to work you have to come get me on tuesday." Then this morning she keeps sleeping until our boss calls and says, "where do you live? I'm picking you up in a few minutes." So, she doesn't show up to work on time (very bad in our field. animals depend on us for their lives!) and comes in late. THEN she does the barest of bare minimums, punches back out for the day and leaves. Her reason was, "I have to get my car fixed. I can't get to work without my car." I can understand this, sort of. She has 2 days off this upcoming Friday & Saturday... if it were me I would have waited until then to fix my car and in the mean time would have gotten rides to work..it's only 2 days. She could have had her car towed to the car repair place (which she did today anyways) then told them over the phone what happened with it. But no. She left work today to do it. The problem with that is that she didn't tell anyone. Her boss and partner that day found out because things weren't done that were supposed to be done.

Seriously. Stop complaining you don't have money to pay your bills or start working more. If you can pay your bills and don't want to work more - fine, then complain all you want. But don't complain if you have an answer within reach but refuse to take it. And Secondly.. if you want that raise so badly, then start showing our bosses that you deserve it. Because as of today she is NOT on our 2 bosses "happy" list.

K. I'm done now.

p.s. As a disclaimer, I realize that I don't know everything about her finances. Perhaps even working 7 days a week she wouldn't make ends meet, couldn't. 8.50 is very low. Even if she just worked 1 day extra for a while to help make her ends meet a little more, then she could complain and it wouldn't bug me. It just bugs me that she has a possibility to at least make it a little better but won't.

p.p.s. I also want to thank all of you here because without you, I would have probably thought nothing of her money problems... but now I want to know her bills and see if I can make out a better budget for her - or if you guys can. I don't think that's my place..but still, the urge is there. lol.

[Moor]

Mindy I know exactly what you are talking about when you talk about working with the animals. I used to work at the Sante Fe teaching Zoo in Gainesville, FL. I so wanted to be a zoo keeper. But life got in the way.

I can fully understand what you mean about her complaining. I was called back to my job. There are some people there that make me want to wring their necks! I can't pay my bills, I want this, I want that! But never want to put in the hours to get it. Always trading shifts because they don't want to work that day. Things like that.

I think it's admirable that you still want to help her, even with all her complaining!

[khjmom]

Vent away....I understand it completely. I work at a school for low pay (made more money at Walmart...almost double) and deal with a couple of people each and every day that have to witch about their job and life in general every day. They tend to be out alot, don't/won't do anything above or beyond their job description, and tend to fuss about the kids. Hello! they are your job! I truly understand not making enough money, and stuggling to pay the bills. But some of the problems that they deal with (that I deal with) in trying to pay the bills are self inflicted. No one made them/me run those bills up in the first place. It just drives me nuts to hear fussing about the kids when school is the one stable place for the majority of them. I don't make alot financially, but that one moment when a child finally "gets it" makes it all worth while. It is great that you have tried to help your co-worker, but she is truly going to have to help herself. So, just vent to get it out of your system, so you can focus on your job.

[jas]

vent away! glad to hear that you are getting settled in your new job!

[onencgirl]

Some people just never learn. If she made more money she would still be broke. It sounds as if she has no dedication but plenty of excuses.

[onencgirl]

Some people just never learn. If she made more money she would still be broke. It sounds as if she has no dedication but plenty of excuses.

[frugal_cavy]

It sounds like she may be out of a job soon if she keeps behaving this way. She sounds a little spoiled. Can't work 6 days a week? More like won't! My personal record was 59 days in a row (but I was much younger and had much more energy).

Where I currently work the casual staff complain bitterly that they 'aren't getting enough hours'. Yet every schedule that comes out there are a number of short shifts that don't get filled because the casual staff say 'they aren't worth my time'. In essence, they are choosing zero dollars over $100 because they can't be bothered.

Ya gotta learn sometimes to let it go in one ear and out the other. People like that are their own worst enemy.

[mandi0808]

Vent away!
Some people will always feel they are entitled to a bigger paycheck or an easy job just because.
Hard work is the way to go and complaining about it won't get you more money.
Maybe she should think about getting a part time job also.

[misscas]

She could do a lot to help her situation. Filing for bankruptcy is probably in her future. Unfortuantely, there are a lot of people like her in this world.

[Greebo]

I have a suspicion that your boss is having similar feelings about this half hearted employee. Don't let her get to you - her excuses will run out. The best thing you can do is focus on doing your job as best you can, and maybe keeping an eye out to see if this whiny wench is doing anything that would endanger you, your coworkers, or the animals (you know - to help give the boss ammunition for termination for cause... )

Anyway - Its good to hear from you, and I'm glad the new job is working out. How are you liking South Western Virginia? Beautiful countryside, isn't it?

[mnmarty03]

Thanks all for your replies. I did feel much better just getting it out of my system. She actually is a pretty cool person to hang out with in general... just not very smart about money issues. Course, I've been spoiled by all of you.

As far as complaining goes, I understand. If I'm completely honest I'm usually complaining about one thing or another. lol. Just the fact that she complained then skipped out on work for a day to fix her car. That got me. If you need money that badly, don't skip out on work unless your close to dying.

Where her work is concerned, she is treading on thin ice I believe. I don't think they will out right fire her, but I think she has a wake up call coming at her review if she doesn't change. Our bosses have told me of a few things that have happened and I'm sure I don't know all of it. Mistakes happen, and they understand that... but her mistakes coupled with her attitude/priorities will possibly make it so that she, at the very least, doesn't get a raise.

And as far as the trust issue, I don't work directly with her. I trust her to not let any animals out where she does work. Out where I work we work with large dangerous animals all day in a free-roam 100+ acre portion of the park. Out there I trust my coworkers completely.

Greebo - I LOVE love love it down here. It is so gorgeous. Virginia has such history (as does the entire east coast) and there are so many things to see and do w/in a decent drive! I mean, 4 hours in a car and I'm at the ocean!!! This is a big deal since I used to have to drive several days. lol. And DC is relatively nearby and there's all the mountains have to offer... sigh. i was meant to live on the east coast in the mountains.

lol. And to top it all of I finally get to get married in 5 months or so!!! Our long distance relationship of 5 years will finally be complete and we can just start the next chapter in our lives.

I sometimes get caught up in the little things that go wrong or in my own head (I overthink everything), but when I stop and think, there's not much that could go better.

Moor - Do you work at the teaching zoo now?

[Moor]

No. I realy wish at times that I had been able to stay in the program. I would have been working in a zoo for almost 20 years if I had.
Instead, life got in the way. My grandfather died and I had to miss a lot of school for the funeral, which was out of state. I could not catch up and was washed out of the program. I could have went back and retaken that year, but I was young and stupid! I really wished that I had swallowed my pride back then!

So now, I am working with animals in a different way. I help some rescues. My middle dd is wanting to be a vet or zoo keeper. She keeps talking about running a rescue for exotic animals. I told her that I would help her in any way she wanted!

[Greebo]

CONGRATULATIONS on the upcoming wedding! I take it he is coming to you? What kind of work is he in?

I know you're on a tight budget - you could check out some of the local caverns. Lurray, about an hour up the road from you on 81 N, is a very nifty cavern. Not to mention, if you want a GORGEOUS afternoon drive, head up the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive either on the way to or back from (or both) Luray. We did the drive from the top end to Luray one year and it was fantastic!

[YankeeMom]

That would annoy me to no end as well. But it sounds like her boss is wise to her issues so maybe you won't have to deal with her after her 3 month review

[becomingkate]

I used to manage clothing stores and had many employees that complained about the $8.50/hour that we paid. However, the option of moving up was always available to those that "bought into" the work ethic and company ways, but there were ever only a few that did it, and they went on to have their own stores and did pretty good financially ($50,000 + annually)
It sounds like your co-worker is immature. Hopefully she'll wise up before someone gives in and slaps her.