When The Millionaire at Work Tells You to Work For Free

Yes, it happens.  Unfortunately, it is happening more as companies are taking advantage of employees who fear they will lose their jobs if they don't comply.

I typically don't write about workplace issues on my blog. However, in the past couple of years, younger engineers have asked me to be mentors for them.  I would be an awful mentor, if I didn't warn of this ridiculous practice that some employers utilize.

If you are asked to work for free, you should immediately do the following:

1. Say no. If you are not comfortable saying no, it's time to start working on a walk-out plan.

2. Update your resume. Whether you say no or not, your company is on a downward spiral of abusing and disrespecting you and you need to be ready to move.

3. Update (or create) your LInkedIn profile. The job I have now is the result of a recruiter finding me on LinkedIn. I make a habit of keeping my profile up to date and engaging with recruiters on a regular basis, even if I'm not actively job searching at the moment.  They always appreciate honest feedback when a posting does not work for me and they always keep me in mind when they are looking to fill other positions.

4. Start keeping records. Chances are there are other actions happening that you may not agree with or that make you feel disenfranchised. I hope you will be comfortable contacting your HR department for help. If not, this information will come in handy when completing your exit interview with the company. If you leave, let them know why―honestly and respectfully.

Are there times when your employer is justified in asking you to work for free? Perhaps. If you were properly trained and made mistakes that lead to re-working and impacted schedule and budget, you should be a professional and do what you can to fix the situation. Make your work product the best possible. But notice I said, "if you were properly trained". This includes having appropriate oversight for the task you are performing.

If in doubt, talk to HR. Don't let millionaires force you to sacrifice so they can have a higher profit.

#31DayBlogChallenge day #4 is done!

50 Words - Opportunity vs Life

In my business, opportunity is an eleven letter word for "the shit no one wants to do but you are the sap that cannot opt out of it." Opportunity has brought me a higher paycheck, but at what cost? I'm ready to abandon this opportunity. I'm ready for life!

Moving Down But Up

My responsibilities at work will be decreasing over the next few weeks to months, so I am determined to get back down to one planner. Honestly, I can't bear to put down my Gillio during the day so the best way to be able to pet it is to use it all day.  The planner geeks out there will know exactly what I mean.

Since I need to print more chronodex pages for my time tracking, I also took time to reprint my expenses pages for a full planner refresh. I have paid off a couple of bills recently and printing a new, smaller budget is a big incentive for me.

I have a rather large handwriting and I write down a lot so it's going to take some getting used to. 

I also like carrying a full year calendar at a time.  With just a personal calendar (week + notes) that is possible, but I need daily tracking for work. I plan to keep a week of work pages sandwiched between the weekly personal layout. Once a month, I will purge the work pages and archive using Evernote. I had considered doing that in the past but seeing this video from Carrie Harling finally made the decision firm for me.

I'll update you on my layout when I get it organized.