While it is a sad reality that some of us have to juggle two jobs to make ends meet, it’s even sadder when there are obstacles strewn about to make matters worse. You know what, not even worse—annoying is enough to be a nuisance in that situation. And we don’t need that.
But it is a reality nonetheless, one in which the only relief sometimes is the ability to vent about it to like-minded strangers on the internet.
More Info: Reddit
Having to juggle two jobs is sometimes unavoidable, but that's never the boss' business, unless it actually affects the business
Image credits: Piccinng (not the actual photo)
In any other case, though, a boss shouldn't even care, but this one did and the employee just had to vent about it on r/antiwork
Image credits: u/2eggsforbreakfast
The biggest problem here seemed that the boss was supportive at first, and then quickly changed face
Image credits: LinkedIn Sales Navigato (not the actual photo)
“This is a rant more so than anything,” Reddit user u/2eggsforbreakfast kicks off their post on r/antiwork.
The story goes that OP had just gotten a second job at a retail store (the first one being at a gas station). The collective paycheck was now enough to start making ends meet, having paid off a fine and a car along the way.
While job searching, OP’s current boss was happy to help with an encouraging word and even a good reference. However, the happiness was short-lived as the boss suddenly got upset, supposedly when he realized that OP would no longer be as available to cover shifts and the like.
As things stand now, OP has their original part-time job clocking in at 10 weekly hours, along with another part-time job with an unspecified number of hours, and then there’s also the fact that OP is a full-time student. No more wiggle room in terms of flexibility.
In response to this sudden change, the boss expressed the expectation for OP to be flexible, to which they replied “I was. For a year, but you didn’t give me enough hours.” OP felt frustrated and annoyed by this, seemingly even more so as they had hired another employee. OP felt like quitting on the spot, but didn’t.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
The post very quickly gained some traction and folks came pouring in with snotty comebacks and remarks—all in support of OP, of course. “‘We expect you to be flexible.’ And I expect to be able to eat,” clapped back one Redditor. “‘I’m unreasonably annoyed by this.’ You are reasonably annoyed by this,” pointed out another. The support went on and on.
There were also the usual reminders that companies aren’t about to start caring for people and rhetoric like “we expect you to be flexible” is from the devil.
And situations like this ain’t out of the ordinary—folks shared similar happenings with bosses feeling so entitled to their employees as to shout “you work for me.” Needless to say, that didn’t go well as that commenter left almost immediately. Good thing, too, the retail business went bust.
All in all, the post garnered nearly 19,000 upvotes (95% of which were positive). If you wanna be positive too, here’s the link to the Reddit post.
Image credits: Product School (not the actual photo)
But the situation does leave many wondering: can an employer fire someone for having two jobs? The short answer is, it depends. There is a non-zero chance of that happening, yes.
Nolo, a group of legal advice service websites, explains that at-will employment is one case where an employee can be fired for virtually no reason, as long as it’s a legal one. The legalese in regulations differs from state to state (with the exception of Montana, that state just flat-out doesn’t allow any sort of firing to happen), but some employers might find the legal reasoning to fire you for a second job (e.g. if your two jobs conflict or affect one another).
This could be anything from conflict of interest to loss of productivity due to overworking to use of company resources—in other words, if your first job starts bleeding into your second job, or vice versa, there might be problems. And reason to terminate the contract.
If push does come to shove, and you feel like you have been terminated for no reasonable and legal reason, then seeking legal consultation is the next best thing.
Another next best thing is to leave a comment with your thoughts and remarks on anything and everything that you’ve read here today in the comment section below!
Folks online were having one of it, though, as the original poster had every right to normal living without compromise
