SHOULD I TAKE A NEW POOL JOB IN THIS ECONOMY?
I currently work for a pool company that is questionable in it’s business practices. We get paid a percentage of the route we run (i clean 86 pools a week, several of them are commercial pools that i visit several times a week). Our pay stub comes in the form of a spreadsheet that is so confusing that the office manager cannot even clearly explain to me what I make. The dollar amount of the chemicals we use is not to exceed 13% of the route gross, and if it does we have that amount deducted from our pay at the end of twelve months. We have $8.00 per week deducted from our checks for ‘uniform cleaning charge’. We do not carry company cell phones, but the store and customers call us on our personal phones. If a customer calls and a manager goes to check the problem, they take money from our checks. It does go to the extreme, ie a route tech left a hose on and the company charged him $600. One tech was charged $3000 for a heater that corroded which the company owner attributed to a chlorine tab being left in a skimmer basket.
The company owner is about to give us GPS enabled phones so he can track our movements. If we spend less time at a pool than they estimate it should take, our pay is docked. If we spend more time at a pool, we do not get any extra pay, however.
I took this job because I was laid off from my last job (in bookkeeping) and had no other choice, and this job is superior than not eating and not being able to feed my family.
I have been offered a job at a pool building company, doing fixes and turning the pools over from a say of construction to the customer. I will have to learn some new things, but have no doubts about my capability to learn.
I want to take the new job because I think I will like it more, but am hesitant to make a move because I know when I leave the current company it will burn a bridge. On top of this I am completing my bachelor’s degree in bookkeeping (this will take at least another year and a half) and do not plan on doing this forever. The new company stated that class should not be a problem as far as scheduling is concerned.
I do not want to be selfish (I have a wife and kid) and take another job just so I can feel better, and I do not like job hopping, which I am prone to do, because I am always looking for something better. I am depressed doing what I have to do, and I constantly feel paranoid that I will get some large bill from my own company! I even go so far as to take photos of each pool when I leave, which is just crazy. I just feel hesitant to leave a job that does pay the bills; I am scared to take a leap.
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March 2, 2010 - 11:12 am
Your situation is very complicated.
I can see where your coming from and why you are hesitant.
Here’s where I see it, you don’t like your current job and this one appeals to you.
I think the company that you might be joining has considered that when your finished your degree you might go and get a different job.
They have given you the agreement that this job won’t affect your class so that’s not a problem.
Is this new job a huge or any drop in pay? Will you be able to afford your bills if you take this job?
You could set up a meeting with the highest person that deals with your type of work where you currently are working. Tell them your issues that you are worried about being billed and about the way your pay is calculated. You don’t have to mention your new job offer. It’s up to you.
Check how you stand legally if they tell you about being billed.
Consider all of this and consider your happiness.
Good Luck on finishing your Degree and this situation!