So not worth my time

I used to be a credit union teller. Being a credit union teller, as opposed to a bank teller, means that the tellers get paid less, work longer hours, and a bunch of services that would normally have been handled by someone else--for example, a BANKER, were handled by a teller.

This place was 20 miles from our main branch and in another city and county. The main branch had fewer teller windows, yet they had a full-time receptionist, whereas we were expected to answer the phone while also completing transactions for members.

We opened new accounts, so new members weren't even allowed to sit while filling out all those forms. We sold CDs. We had to read the obituaries (AKA OhBitches!) to see if any of our members had kicked off, so we could block their accounts (never mind if there was a surviving widow or widower whose money was also in the account.) We had to make clandestine phone calls to all the banks in town each week to find out their current loan and savings interest rates (the banks would always want to meet with us to discuss it. With a banker. What a novel idea!)

Oh, and then there was the deposits, withdrawals, money orders, bank drafts, check cashing, and money counting thing.

This job didn't even require a high school diploma. It paid minimum wage, which at the time was maybe $5.63.

It wasn't difficult, but management treated our branch like a bastard step-child.

The day before Thanksgiving, we were required to attend the all-employee meeting. It was held ten miles on the other side of the main branch, in at some lodge in the middle of the Indian reservation.

I don't remember what information we actually received pertaining to work. Possibly something about a change in the health insurance (I was part-time despite the 40+ hours a week I put in, so it didn't pertain to me), and security in regard to what to do during a robbery.

Then. THEN we had to watch a video about United Way. The example was this local woman who had a gambling addiction and lost her home because of it, and how United Way helped her and her family. Then our president got up and encouraged us to donate, repeating over and over and over, "All the money you donate stays right here in Carlton County."

Um, I didn't live in Carlton County. Nor did I consider the example case "charity," when compared to people in need of food, clothing, and heat in their homes for the winter. Was the woman in need of help? Yes. But not MY help.

Then on the way home, we were nearly in a head-on collision when someone pulled out of a bar down the road and started driving on the wrong side--my side.

So I was made to drive for over an hour in dangerous conditions (there was also a snowstorm), asked to give up some of my $5.63/hour--less taxes--to a charity I hate, on the day before a major holiday, and they didn't even pay us for our time.

They did feed us supper, so I guess that was supposed to be our "pay."

I turned in my resignation the following week. The president actually came out to the branch for something else and asked to meet with me, told me they valued me as an employee, and what could they do to retain me, or at least others like me?

I didn't voice any of my complaints, because it was a crap job with crap duties and there wasn't anything they could do to change that. I simply said, "Your remember at the employee meeting when you talked about United Way and kept repeating that all the money stayed in Carlton County? Do you realize that less than half of your employees live in Carlton County?"

"No, I didn't think about that."

"Obviously."