One of my babies turned this in today:
@silverfox I know that's not what they said, but... it looks like that's what they said.
So I am in a Zoom meeting for 'training' for work. My job is outreach to enroll medicare recipients into managed care plans. I love my job. I love my boss. My job combines my skill set of customer service with that feeling that I am doing something to help people, so while pay sucks, I still like my job.
Today they have me in training for call center work. I took this job to GET AWAY from being a call center bitch. Also? I have no way to transfer someone if they need a translator, and I will be getting a lot of calls from NYC that will want one.
Fucking lay me off until the office reopens and I can go back to the job I signed on for. This is not the work I wanted to do, and I'm already to the edge with stress/depression.
@Macha I've had a couple jobs do this to me and I fucking hate it.
My pre Whole Foods job did it. I got put on a project as a team lead and was only doing email / chat support. I was told hey we know you have issues with call center stuff, we have your paperwork for anxiety issues on file. We just need you for training people, team lead role, and to do email/web chats.
A few months in.... 'So we're transitioning you to phone support- wait why are you quitting this project we desperately need you you can't leave please you're our only weekend lead role we need someone to open and close the office.........'
People seriously have no consideration for the role anxiety plays in phone issues. 
I'm so sorry.
@Auspice It's not so much anxiety. It will be the stress of call metrics, and people that I can't communicate with, and ...this is just not the job I accepted. I feel like this is bullshit.
I can tell you with some certainty that what you are going through is indeed bullshit and needs to be called out.
If I accept a job to work a register but am later told that my job will be sucking penises, I would be upset too.
It's not the job I signed up for or wanted to do, even if I may be very good at it.
@Ganymede Well, I spent 8+ hours on a Zoom meeting, doing new Hire training - which I completed months ago and have memorized and used the information for 4+ months now.
Add in a 'teacher' with zero ability to help people having ZOOM issues and expecting people to call their supervisor/IT on their breaks/lunch (Which is hell no!) and does not understand you can private message people on Zoom. (Not to mention her 'air of superiority')
My boss peeked into the meeting a few times today - and saw that we were going over ground I know well. He told me that if she ever tells me to do anything on break/lunch other than take my break/lunch? No. Take my break/lunch. I told him straight up how frustrated I was and irritated at the whole thing. (he nor I knew what today would be, until I was in it) He is talking to his bigger boss in the morning, because he knows this is BS.
I will be calling my staffing agency, since the company hasn't hired me on in all this WFH madness, and asking if they knew that I was suddenly being asked to take on other, different responsibilities/job descripton.
Some rando from another department: Here is a photo to use for that landing page!
Me, having done a Google search for a hi-res original and found it on another company's website: Uh, do we have the rights to this photo?
Rando: ...rights?
Day two of wishing I could day drink.
ETA: My staffing agency knew nothing of my 'training for a new project'. I'm also being expected to use my own laptop and gaming headphones, because I wasn't sent out company gear like other people in the training were.
Fuck this noise.
I am not sure what to do. I know if I let them shove me into this role, I will be miserable and my mental health will suffer greatly. But what I don't know, is if I refuse to take this role that is not my job, and they lay me off, etc, if I can qualify for unemployment.
I feel frustrated and helpless and... yeah.
@Macha said in The Work Thread:
I am not sure what to do. I know if I let them shove me into this role, I will be miserable and my mental health will suffer greatly. But what I don't know, is if I refuse to take this role that is not my job, and they lay me off, etc, if I can qualify for unemployment.
I feel frustrated and helpless and... yeah.
Since this is an important decision with potentially large consequences, you should probably take this question to a relevant lawyer in your state.
My limited understanding based on googling around is that US employers have a very wide leeway in offering you new roles usually based on putting "other duties as assigned" somewhere in your job contract but for purposes of unemployment you only have a duty to accept 'suitable employment' the definition of which varies state to state.
@Groth Well, since the company isn't my actual employer, it only gets more complicated.
But my anxiety's already getting super bad, and that's not good (it messes with my sugars)
So the anxiety on high ping feels like the start of a sugar crash. This has caused an issue. (I ignore it, I crash. I don't ignore it, I make the worry/anxiety worse, cycle on and on.)
After a serious crash yesterday, I've had to seriously consider if I can do this job they want to shove me into. Truth is, I don't think I can. What I could normally handle as a job, and unwind with the drive home - it's not the same, and I don't think it's possible.
I've had enough of being told to 'hang in there' and other such things from my supervisor. It's become clear he's not actually trying to do anything in my interest. Eff this shit.
Well darn. Just got the news that my state (MD) will be allowing most businesses to reopen (at reduced capacity) as of 5pm tomorrow. Looks like I'm going back to work earlier than I had anticipated!
@Darren Stay safe, man.
So I am being told to do this job that is the opposite of the job you interviewed and were hired for, while supplying the equipment we sent other people yourself, or get let go. Get fired because you don't want to do this job that cranks your anxiety on high.
I've burst into honest to gods sobs several times already today - before noon. My staffing agency guy says to ask for leave without pay - but then I have no income, and I sure as fuck can't afford THAT.
Miracles happen. I just got a conference call that tells me I'm going back to my actual job, effective immediately. The big boss said "We need you to be happy, because we like the work you've been doing, and we want you there when the office reopens."
The immense change in how I was feeling is mind blowing.
It's spirit day to help encourage participation in our class Zooms.
I totally forgot.
So yes, I do now have a sharpie triangle nose and whiskers hurriedly drawn on my face and ears made out of pipe cleaners.
I'm really glad no one has to look at me in the face for a few days while I get this OFF my face.
Several weeks ago, I sent information on a virtual field trip we were hosting to our communications team, so they could add it to our weekly email of upcoming opportunities and advertised on our social media accounts.
On Monday, I noticed that no one had signed up. I checked in with comms. "We advertised it," they said, "There just must not be interest."
Maaaayyyybbeeee, I thought, so I checked in with the volunteer who was running it. What did he think, did he want to pull the plug? No, he said, maybe a class will sign up last minute.
Then, between 4 pm yesterday and this morning, we went from 0 sign ups to 4 times our current capacity. Leaving me scrambling to deliver what we promised.
I went back and checked all our communications channels. It had not been included in anything before 4 pm yesterday. Not a tweet. Not an email. Not an instagram post. It's supposed to happen 2 pm tomorrow.
I'm a bit peeved.
Ugh I'm so sorry.
