I have worked for the same small business for the last eight and a half years. Which is probably six years too long. We are very, very small. Only 4 full-time employees at any given moment. I enjoy my actual job, when there is something to do. I enjoy the people I work with, even my boss. Unfortunately I’m underpaid, there are no benefits, no vacation time, no sick time, etc. I have a long pros/cons list pertaining to being an employee at a small business, but I’ll save that for another day.

I have put up with a lot of shit at my job. My boss is a professional promise/deal breaker. Make a deal, then re-neg. Make a promise, never follow through – like my 10% commission on sales to clients I sign up and handle – haven’t seen a penny in 8+ years. Things like that will make you start to resent your job, your boss, and yourself. The final straw came over the holidays. For several weeks before Christmas, we all (boss, myself, coworkers) sat down and agreed that we’d be closed from December 24th through January 1st. We would return to our normal hours on January 2nd. A paid vacation! What a rare treat!

Imagine my shock when on the 26th I’m called in. One of my coworkers is also there. We’re told that the 26th, 27th, and 28th weren’t a part of the time off deal. Oh no! Those days are OPTIONAL. WTF? Work, get paid. Don’t work, don’t get paid. I was livid. Thursday I called out, my kid was very sick. Friday, the kid was still sick, but my boss said I HAD to be there. So the husband left his full-time job early to stay with the kid. I arrive at work…and…my job is already done. I drove 30 minutes for no reason at all. I was {am} pissed. As I was leaving my boss said “see you Monday!” and I replied “No, I’ll see you Wednesday” and he told me that no, Monday was not a holiday and that we are working. I lost it. How can you tell your employees one thing, then change it at the last minute? Especially after the vacation had already started! I have the calendar where HE marked our days off, 24th through the 1st. Absolutely no mention of optional or partial days.

Right now, I am struggling with what to do about my job. Do I stick with it until all the debt (minus mortgage) is paid off? Do I find another job? Do I quit and stay home? Those are my options. The husband is adamant I should quit and stay home, but we would have to rework our finances entirely. I’m not sure we’re ready for that..

Option A. – Stick With It.
I continue to have a flexible schedule, reliable paycheck, and no dress code to abide by. I enjoy my co-workers. I continue to not have any benefits, something that was a huge problem in 2010 when I gave birth to my son and needed maternity leave. No real vacation or sick time. Rarely ever get a raise (twice in 8+ years) and there is no growth potential for myself. I’m at the top. I work directly under the owner. That’s it, nowhere else for me to go.

Another possibility for ‘sticking with it’ would be cutting down to part-time, three days a week. While this would be a monetary hit, it would also cut some expenses down, such as childcare and gas. However, I’m 99% sure my boss absolutely would not go for it.

Option B. – Find Another Job
Easier said than done, isn’t it? I have browsed the ads. Here’s the main thing working against me; I do not have a college degree. In fact, I never went to college. GASP! I know right? That’s so taboo in the PF community. There’s plenty I could say about why, but it is what it is (perhaps another day.) I do however have ten years experience doing what I do. Marketing, bookkeeping, accounting, data entry, web design, sales, you name it, I’ve done it. I’m self taught with all the programs I use on a daily basis as well (ie Quickbooks, Quicken, MS Office, and the like.) Seems most employers value education over experience though. With a new job I would easily make double what I do now. Probably have benefits, sick time, vacation time, real maternity leave (not that I will ever need it again), etc. I would most likely have a dress code and less flexible schedule as well.

Option C. – Quit & Stay Home
I’d love this one. I’d like to pursue my own interests at home. I use to make a lot of money on ebay and etsy, and I honestly feel that if I could make that time commitment I could make that money again as well. The downside to this of course is losing 40% of our income. I also do not want to withdraw our son from his school. I’d like to keep him there part-time, 2-3 days a week, that’s at least $420 per month. We’d have to get rid of several other things; television, car payment, credit cards. We’d have to downgrade plans for our cellphones. Shop around for lower insurance rates.

I want to get out of debt sooner, not later. I think Option C is out of the question. At least for 2013, it’s definitely doable, but not quite yet. Now it boils down to seeing what jobs are out there and putting up with my current situation without getting too stressed out and feeling worthless. It’s hard sticking with a job where I feel under paid and unappreciated, but right now it pays the bills. I can’t leave until I have something else lined up. If that’s even possible. Stuck between a rock and a hard place – that’s the saying right? What to do, what to do?!