I’ve been on my feet since 7am. It is currently 2:45pm. Waiting, obviously, very patiently for the clock to strike 4 so I can get out of here. Sometimes I wonder if I complain too much about working, I mean look at my mom. Sometimes, while pregnant, she works up until the day she gives birth. I don’t think I was given the bones to work for hours, I mean yeah I have some pretty strong calves from when I played Volleyball and from walking miles after I had to take a bus that left me at a farther stop from my house on multiple occasions but still all this standing is gonna bite me in the behind in a couple years.

I’m getting distracted… What was the task they asked me to do?

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Oh yeah!

Clean the shoes and tag them. I like just being told to do a task and being left alone in one spot. Of course, that’s ruined once the customers come to check out, I get that they’re what keeps the company running but sometimes I don’t feel like a human to them. I do like this job more than my last one but I can’t help but feel drained when I come in and even more when I leave, knowing I have to come back in tomorrow. I used to work a lot more but I don’t feel like the recovery period is quick enough for me to work more days.

I think about how my coworker, who is much older than me, tells me about the back pain she deals with constantly at work, I get it. Man do I get it. I can’t lie down immediately when I get home from work because my legs will turn to jelly once I have to stand up. Anyone who does this every day of the week for even longer hours has all my respect. Honestly though, why do we even allow ourselves to be subjected to this? I’ve seen some stores where the workers have chairs and other benefits to alleviate pain and strain. Something I realized during one of my shifts was that no matter how friendly I am with my managers and bosses, I will never be seen as a human by them too. So first it’s the customers and then mix in the employers too. Makes sense though right? I mean companies don’t care if you have school, they don’t care if you’re injured, they don’t care if you’re a primary caretaker for a relative, instead, all they see is a pawn who failed to play their part, replaceable too. Why should they even care though, it’s not like my personal life affects them, if I miss a class because I had to work, it doesn’t change their life. If I miss the deadline for an important quiz because I had to work late, It doesn’t get back to them.

Since the beginning of employment history, it’s been known that employees are mistreated. I mean look at the industrial revolution, workers had little to no protection from equipment and dangerous conditions, and kids were also pushed into working in these conditions as well. Also look towards The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, a novel written in 1906 about the poor working conditions of immigrants in the United States. In his novel, Upton writes, “If we are the greatest nation the sun ever shone upon, it would seem to be mainly because we have been able to goad our wage-earners to this pitch of frenzy.”

The mistreatment of workers has become sneaky, is it really surprising when there are constant news stories about workers unionizing or going on strike because of the treatment they receive at their place of employment? Keep an eye on what companies exactly have the most complaints, you don’t really hear of LinkedIn getting bashed for being a terrible work environment, how could they when they literally host brunches for their employees and provide them warm towels to alleviate themselves. What companies come to mind? McDonald’s? Starbucks even? These are companies that barely pay their employees a living wage. Employees who can barely make ends meet, not because they’re “lazy” but because of their own physical incapabilities and other elements that constrict them. If you didn’t get a higher education, you’re not a person in the workforce, you’re just a worker. The companies that treat their employees “best” are those that require higher levels of education, certifications, and degrees. DO NOT let these little perks distract you from how a lot of companies fail to take their employees seriously too. Sexual misconduct reports are often not taken seriously, some people are required to come into work quickly after giving birth, and in most cases, mental health and disabilities are not taken seriously and employees are overworked or pressured.

Working is not bad. Wanting to have your own income is not bad. Money is important. Not all of us can afford to just drop our jobs and reject the agenda like we wish we could. The real issue is the mistreatment of our bodies, not by us, who are trying to progress in life and get by, but by those who rope us into straining and almost damaging working conditions that do not accommodate to our personal and natural struggles. It is tiring for employees to continue unionizing and grouping up to yell out their beliefs, companies need to speak to their employees and create professional but healthy relationships. Our future generations will be messed up and those who benefit from walking all over employees will continue having all the power if this system is not changed to be more productive and beneficial for all parties involved.

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Whoops! Time for my lunch break.