Work conditions

[Buff]

I worked in a big box retail store that had huge mouse problem. The mice would eat the cat food, and birdseed and get into boxes and tear up the manuals to use as insulation for their homes. They called an exterminator and all the exterminator did was lay more traps and check/clean them once or twice per week. The problem was solved when they pet food and birdseed was stored in another warehouse. The mice sorta went away (migrated to the other warehouse) and it took them a long time to find where the stuff was stored. Also at this time 3 stray cats found a way into the warehouse and lived in it for a couple of months.

It was definitely frustrating seeing a couple of mice per day, and always cleaning mouse turd from the store fixtures where the pet food was kept and from the product itself. The smell was horrible too. My sense of smell kinda went away and hasn't really ever completely come back and about the time of the peak of the mice problems I began to have problems with my lungs (I'm fine now, no side effects have stuck with me).

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

What kind of drafting do you do? I could very likely find you a place to work at that doesn't have mice and isn't in a basement.

I'm a residential designer/draftsperson. I work for a small design company. What kind of place are you thinking about? Commercial?, residential? large or small company? I'm always keeping my eyes open for another opportunity.

[Rhettzky]

So mostly architectural drafting? I'm in Civil and I have a bunch of contacts at consulting firms looking for drafters proficient in AutoCAD to do work for the City or the province. Beyond that I know a few pipeline companies that are looking for drafters as well. Can't help with Architectural but there has got to be a better firm than that in the city.

[OilersBaby]

you should not be subject to those conditions! tell the boss how you feel - and be firm. tell him that you will give him 2 weeks (or however long) max to clean it up or else you are going to look for a new job. if he values you as an employee, he's not going to fire you for that. just tell him how you feel and that it is affecting your health! If he doesnt do anything more, it's time to move on.....because you dont want to compromise your health for a job. Health>Job and you sound like you are a smart person, Im sure there are lots of other jobs you could obtain.

[moncton golden flames]

That's the catch, I don't think I can find an equivalent job in the City, and if I can, I doubt they would match my current wage. I've entertained the idea of leaving, but there are no greener pastures I can find.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

That's the catch, I don't think I can find an equivalent job in the City, and if I can, I doubt they would match my current wage. I've entertained the idea of leaving, but there are no greener pastures I can find.

What's more important - your health or wages?

If my health was being affected it would be a no brainer.

[Rhettzky]

What about local home builders. They are always screaming for good drafting people. My buddy works as an inspector for one and makes a kick arse wage. I think it's best view homes or something along those lines.

[Lithium]

Is your boss located in the same building as you and your fellow employees are?
Doesn't sound like he is too concerned about this ongoing problem.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by Lithium

Is your boss located in the same building as you and your fellow employees are?
Doesn't sound like he is too concerned about this ongoing problem.

He works up on the main floor. It's an old house that has dual zoning (commercial/residential) so the upstairs is living quarters, main floor his office and basement is for the peons like me. He knows full well that the mice have been an issue here for quite some time. Even just now, the cleaning lady came down to ask one of us to go kill a semi live mouse she found in a trap.

[Lithium]

I think the kid that made my nike's didn't even have to inhale mice poo at work.
Find a new job. :P

[Locke]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

He works up on the main floor. It's an old house that has dual zoning (commercial/residential) so the upstairs is living quarters, main floor his office and basement is for the peons like me. He knows full well that the mice have been an issue here for quite some time. Even just now, the cleaning lady came down to ask one of us to go kill a semi live mouse she found in a trap.

That should have been the last straw.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

He works up on the main floor. It's an old house that has dual zoning (commercial/residential) so the upstairs is living quarters, main floor his office and basement is for the peons like me. He knows full well that the mice have been an issue here for quite some time. Even just now, the cleaning lady came down to ask one of us to go kill a semi live mouse she found in a trap.

If he's working upstairs i can see why he doesn't give a fiddlers about the mice. Me thinks his tune would change if the mice were affecting "his" work enviroment.

If it was me i'd take the trap with the half dead mouse and drop in on his desk and leave.

[moncton golden flames]

Wow, leaving really sounds like the major suggestion here. I've thought of it, not purely on the mice issue either. But nobody will pay me what I make here...I'm kind of stuck. I have a mortgage and car payment, so taking less purely for leaving doesn't seem like a viable option, and I'm not quite ready to 'cash out' and go back to the maritimes yet.

[FireFly]

Let me tell you a little story about a job I used to hate...

It made me physically ill. Not from a poor environment (although the air dried my eyes really badly,) but I just didn't like it so much it made me physically ill. I now make 30% less than I did, but you know what? I can survive AND I'm happy AND I'm healthy. That's worth more than a new pair of shoes anyday.

[OilersBaby]

Originally Posted by Dion

What's more important - your health or wages?

If my health was being affected it would be a no brainer.

thats exactly what i was going to say. you beat me to it.

my dad was just diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. He's never smoked in his life and no one around him smokes so it's not due to second hand smoking. After reading a lot about it, it seems this type of cancer is also caused by environmental toxins. My dad's an engineer and has worked in the oil sands in entire life. I can't prove it, but I have a strong suspicion that the chemicals in the oil sands are what caused it. Work caused his tumor and now he has chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I'm not kidding. You can ask my little brother (and we have no way of knowing for sure if it is work related, Im only speculating on what Ive read since he hasn't ever smoked).

We had no idea he was sick until the tumor pressed up until his vocal cords and he hasn't been able to speak since January. Did lots of tests and small cell lung cancer was the diagnosis. Also, TONS of people work in this industry, so we had no idea this might be the cause of a disease.

So is the money worth risking your health? Do you want to end up with health issues (respiratory issues could develop if you can't breathe properly). Im not sure what the specific effects of inhaling mouse poop are....but since your sense of smell went away, thats not healthy!

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by fotze

You really think they are paying you that much? Seems odd since the boss is a cheapskate by not splurging for a bloody exterminator. Don't quit, just start getting your resumes out there, at worst you find out your market value. At best you get a $20k raise and no mouse feces.

Heck if you have a thing for mouse feces you may even be able to find a place that will offer a raise AND feces.

[Lithium]

While you're looking for a new job, consider hiding some food upstairs in your bosses living quarters so the mice move upstairs for him to live with and work with

[Dion]

You may want to get a mouser and bring him to work. Said cat would also help in the mice department.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by FireFly

Let me tell you a little story about a job I used to hate...

It made me physically ill. Not from a poor environment (although the air dried my eyes really badly,) but I just didn't like it so much it made me physically ill. I now make 30% less than I did, but you know what? I can survive AND I'm happy AND I'm healthy. That's worth more than a new pair of shoes anyday.

I strongly second this. My story is along the same lines but I didn't hate my old career, I just knew that it wasn't what I really wanted to do. Now I'm in a new place doing something related but quite different. My lack of experience means I'm making significantly less. But you know what? I'm on cloud 9. I love what I do and I've just learned to adapt to the pay scale. Once my experience increases, my income will reflect that.

A man who loves what he does never works a day in his life. To love what you do you probably need to love where you do it. So don't be like the original George McFly and let Biff take advantage of you. Be like the George McFly that made a tough choice and ended up much happier.

For the record, my last post was not a joke. Send out your resume and use your boss as a reference. Business is business.

Edit* LOL, just after I posted this, one of my all time favorite songs came on. Here's a verse for ya

They're out to get you, better leave while you can
Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man
You wanna stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it

[flamesdyehard]

This one really hits home for me. I work in a place, where our boss constantly puts people in danger for the sake of profit. He makes people work insane hours, forces people to work in dangerous conditions, with dangerous machinery without the necessary safetly clothing and/or procedures. He searches peoples desks and computers for dirt on each person and has fired one person because of stuff he found while snooping. I am also been forced to come into work when suffering from severe food poisoning and at the end of my ropes. I am constantly being put in positions to fail but I too have financial pressures and cannot afford to quit my job. My quality of life is being affected greatly from this, from my relationship, to my health to my friends. I am really stuck between a rock and a hard place. I feel what you are going through.