when work/life balance is at odds

 

• Do I feel valued/appreciated/safe in my role? 

• What skills do I want to learn and improve on?

• Do I feel my work is challenging enough to keep me interested?

I just applied for my same job (same company), but remote.

I do not feel valued for my role in the current location. 73% of my shifts last month were in the appliance department. Not my job, in the sense that I did not apply for or ever desire to do that job. Physical demands aside, it is a different type of sales.

I would like to increase my skills in 2020 design, but to do so I would need to be supported and allowed the time to focus and improve. That is difficult when I feel the stress of sitting at a computer while those around me judge me for not stocking shelves. 

In order to challenge myself and grow I would need the support and mentoring to develop my skills and develop my pipeline of leads. 

I really like my job, when I am allowed to do it. 

And since May 1st, when we moved to customer centric scheduling, I have not been scheduled for a weekend off. When I interviewed for this position that was a key factor, if I was going to return to retail. At that time the schedule was a rotation with one weekend a month off, and one additional Sunday. 

I requested this upcoming weekend off, per company guidelines that I get one weekend off every 8 weeks now (there has been no compliance with this policy). On Monday I will return to 9 days in a row with no break. So, I feel punished for requesting a weekend to spend with my spouse. 

When I made the decision to return to retail in this role I considered the schedule and role, and at the time everything aligned well. Changes in the company scheduling and management have me discouraged and angry. I find myself crying at work, a lot. 

And I really miss teaching. But the world has changed, and even with my frustrations at the big box, the public school system has more challenges. I keep falling back on the fact that I earn more, plus have overtime pay and bonuses (teachers do the work with no extra compensation as "professionals"), have better health coverage at a lower premium, and better retirement benefits. 

But the unpredictable schedule may do me in.