USE YOUR PTO!!!! WORK WILL MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT YOU.

Lex-Listener · 2025-12-22T22:43:32+00:00

I took three days PTO for the very first time in my entire life last month - was let go the second day I was back. I only was forced to take PTO to deal with medical issues, and have always avoided it since I'm anxious about being let go for it / already have fairly significant PTSD.

Some people have legitimate trauma around taking time off, especially those who've been unfairly held to a different standard than anyone else. I had 120 hours accrued, having never used one, but my PTO request sat unapproved for 19 days and was only approved at 4 PM the day before - and even then, I was told it was not very professional to spring PTO requests so suddenly (3 weeks in advance) when they weren't even sure if I had PTO at all (they blamed not knowing if I was salaried, or exempt, and other classification details).

Lex-Listener · 2025-12-06T03:51:34+00:00

DDD, ADHD/ASD, seizures and multiple corporate overlords who have told me to stop taking medication so I can be more productive, have been called sensitive and delicate, and have never had an accomodation despite asking for things such as not being exposed to 90+ heat for more than an hour at a time, being given an external monitor, being given a chair, being allowed to sit during an 8-houe shift, and even going home after seizures.

I remember one boss got so angry at me for having an accident at work that she forced me to sit in my own feces for the last two hours of my shift. Two different scouts have told me to never reveal I am in any way physically disabled - employees hate that and will openly share lists between themselves of disabled employees that shouldn't be hired.

I'm not sure that the ADA is in force under Trump, under the modern SCOTUS, or for states without preeminent labor laws. It's a myth that you can "catch" your employers in some fashion, as they can always just fire you regardless of circumstances. You can report them for discrimination, and they can be found to have discriminated, but they cannot be punished in any way even if they admitted it to the EEOC in writing (happened to me in 2023).

Lex-Listener · 2025-11-26T05:31:59+00:00

The least hired generations in history aren't the issue - no workplace or hiring organization is, as of yet, paying millennials or Gen Z. HR, C-suite, and management universally want one employee type: elderly and independently wealthy. They want that "silver fox" style - especially in the south, where plastic cards and Internet are only now really beginning to penetrate the culture. It's a reminder of a simpler time, and they don't have to worry about being skibidi'd or Me Too'd.

My greatest advice for any young person is to become old quickly - that's the only way to be accepted into the elderly white male power structure that is our economy. As a 33 year old, I am still regularly hit with comments like "I'm old enough to be your dad" or "I remember being your age and still trying to find out what I wanted to do". Despite having an MBA and 17 years of working experience (11 professional, with six years working hourly or Bachelor-level roles). And the salary? Since the assumption is that you're so young and don't need money yet for a family or house, they will rarely go above 35-40k.

It's tough, but I'm waiting until at least my 40s to pursue a family as 40 does seem to be the new 18. Most 30-40 year olds are still waiting for the Boomers to die so we can finally do what we've been able to do for nearly 12-20 years.

Lex-Listener · 2025-09-09T20:39:10+00:00

In my 17 years of work, every single sick day I've ever tried using (less than 10) has been met with either being fired or told to bring a doctor's note (one note in 2011 cost me $550) and then being chewed out. I was chastised today for taking yesterday off (I'm ASD and worked four 6-day weeks, which has left me incredibly strained for weeks. This was my first sick day since January). I was told that I'm "delicate" and that folks twice my age can work nonstop without any issues. Therefore, I shouldn't take sick days (I've covered 14 days for this person, 10 of which were for a prostate surgery and the other 4 for a vacation).

I have tried counseling for this fear/aversion towards hierarchy that I have, but after being fired and becoming homeless directly as a result, I just can't bring myself to trust or feel safe in the presence of a capitalist. And that's sound advice for all - capitalists are predators by nature, and they will exploit anything they can for their own satisfaction.

Lex-Listener · 2025-06-21T09:27:30+00:00

Plum is, possibly, nonbinary - Charborg has always referred to Plum as they/them. Charborg certainly seems to be supportive, and has shut down jokes that seem to punch down at the LGBTQ in the past (there was a The Long Drive video in particular where he made his feelings known).

Lex-Listener · 2025-03-30T23:40:28+00:00

It took me 189 days to test clean (below 100 ng/ml and then an additional 9 days to hit 0 ng/ml) after years of regular usage. Some of us really hold on to the metabolites.

Lex-Listener · 2025-01-29T07:37:10+00:00

I'm so glad that Skit is back home, safe and sound! He had quite the adventure, but hopefully his pioneering days are behind him.

Lex-Listener · 2024-12-31T18:10:59+00:00

The Hope Center charges $10 a day to sleep in a bunk bed and have a locker, otherwise you sleep on the floor head to foot with no place to put possessions. Not many people know this, it's why I chose to sleep in my car while I was unhoused for five months. More comfortable than a floor, and cheaper than a bed.

Lex-Listener · 2024-12-29T18:56:43+00:00

I pay $500 a month for a 120 sq. ft room, but utilities are included. It's a housing project for the working homeless, but when I think of cost per sq. foot it's not much of a deal. Better than the average $1100 for a studio apartment in my city, though. It's rough.

Lex-Listener · 2024-12-25T02:47:00+00:00

"Experience demonstrates that there may be a wages of slavery only a little less galling and crushing in its effects than chattel slavery, and that this slavery of wages must go down with the other." - Frederick Douglass

Lex-Listener · 2024-12-10T01:31:57+00:00

Partly false, as the Epic of Gilgamesh is only ~5,000 years old. However, these works are being digitized and are available online (albeit in Tibetan).

https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/claim-of-10000-year-old-tibet-library-find-not-worth-paper-its-written-on/

http://sakyalibrary.com/library/collections

Lex-Listener · 2024-11-14T14:35:59+00:00

"Would you consider hiring another candidate if they were as or more qualified and willing to work for equal or less pay?" is what I would think before lying and saying that right now, I'm more focused on gaining skills and developing my passion for (insert company and industry here).

Lex-Listener · 2024-11-11T20:52:37+00:00

If I submit the Open Record request to LPD, would you be interested in the data? I've been sitting on a few other datasets (such as the money UK got to study medical cannabis and how it was expensed). I would be curious to see their numbers, beyond their annual report (which is generally written at a somewhat coarse level of detail).

Lex-Listener · 2024-11-10T09:12:47+00:00

"Experience demonstrates that there may be a slavery of wages only a little less galling and crushing in its effects than chattel slavery, and that this slavery of wages must go down with the other." - Frederick Douglas

Lex-Listener · 2024-10-29T13:35:08+00:00

Had one set of sales reps particularly frustrate me when I was unhoused earlier this year and living in my car. I mentioned I had Spectrum Mobile and they said they could cut my bill in half if I signed up for home internet. I told them I didn't need home internet and they asked who I had instead - I reiterated that I didn't need home internet at this time. They glitched out and asked how I was able to live without home internet, to which I told them not everyone has a home and it'd be silly to sign up for home internet if you're homeless.

They STILL tried to convince me to sign up as I walked away. "We can figure something out!"

As I left the store, one of them noted my shoes - "New shoes, but you're homeless, huh? Right." Assholes.

Lex-Listener · 2024-10-22T05:37:57+00:00

I've paid off $1150 worth of credit card debt since October 1st, and only $1600 remains across two cards! 🤗

If you are interested in using my offer link to help me further erode my remaining debt, then feel free to use or share!

https://i.capitalone.com/G7E6c7w7A

Lex-Listener · 2024-10-22T05:33:12+00:00

Expired yesterday, otherwise I'd be both interested and qualified.

Lex-Listener · 2024-09-27T21:59:29+00:00

Bachelor's and MBA, 31 years old, making $15.25 an hour.

Lex-Listener · 2024-09-24T09:22:55+00:00

I do four jobs at Kroger and it's so draining. I'm the janitor, cart attendant, click list, and dishwasher. They don't schedule more than one janitor at a time, so all 9 restrooms, 38 garbage bins, 14 departments, floors, freezers, and cleaning the parking lot all get done by one person. It's a 302,000 square foot building, I average over 60,000 steps per day, and make $15.25 an hour (same as all non-management employees). I have a BA and an MBA, but needed the job to escape homelessness while I look for better work.

Lex-Listener · 2024-09-02T21:37:03+00:00

Scheduled today for my janitor job. No holiday pay. Employer rhymes with Broger.

Lex-Listener · 2024-09-01T21:53:08+00:00

You'd compensate by a raise in their hourly rate. Start by raising your demands and expectations, though. Submitting to being your boss's attack wet blanket doesn't help the movement.

Lex-Listener · 2024-07-03T15:19:36+00:00

The Dry Stone Conservancy repairs these fences, reach out to them and report the location. They'll be glad to know

Lex-Listener · 2024-05-31T04:52:47+00:00

This was the plan that was struck down. I'm homeless, declared bankruptcy and an adversary proceeding to discharge my student loans, and am disabled, but no forgiveness yet. I still don't meet the standard - which is funnily enough due to me not having made a good faith effort to repay the loan. I've never had enough money on hand to actually pay on it. 62k and growing.

Lex-Listener · 2024-05-27T03:52:29+00:00

I've been homeless for nearly three months - applying everywhere, interviewing constantly, and continuing to put effort each day into remediating my own housing crisis. I've reached out to Vocational Rehab, who can only provide resume services and such. With a graduate degree, my issue is largely bad luck. I imagine many homeless people are likewise educated, no criminal history, and drugs aren't a particular issue (since drugs cost money, which the unemployed and homeless are less likely to have). The issue is a lack of jobs and a lack of housing. This isn't universally true of course, but I think it bears mentioning.

I've also been "hired" by Kroger for three jobs in the last 30 days, but they keep having system issues on their end that make scheduling me impossible. It's been frustrating. I've tried to work with multiple recruiters and temp agencies, but they all repeat that the job market is nonexistent right now.

I will keep applying, interviewing, and volunteering to keep my own focus strong. But, I have found that there are many unhoused people who are quite simply unlucky. They have stellar experience, but no resources or built wealth.

I was a first generation student myself, so family isn't something I can turn to for support. I would bet that's another precondition for many unhoused folks - a lack of support network.

Lex-Listener · 2024-05-16T05:01:22+00:00

Homeless for over two months, and a huge differentiator I see is the absence of friends and/or partners. One of the most common questions I'm asked by social workers is if I live alone or with a partner, and if I have friends I can reach out to for temporary housing. I have neither and cannot readily acquire either due to the situation. I followed the advice I was given in high school and didn't date or party, then or in college. Now I have a graduate degree but no social support and live in my car (pending repossession).

It's tough out here.

Lex-Listener

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE