Relocating

[W I S N E R !]

(Insert critique of neoliberalism, the rise and fall of American labor movements, profound shifts in investor vs. worker compensation…but alas, Chaff is dead, so keep it as milquetoast as possible!)

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

Give them a standard 2 week notice.  If they ask you to train nether, have them write up the Training Documentation as well as have them define the metrics for success.  That way, they establish the plan and metrics for a successful transition.  If that requires more time, then they can hire you back as a consultant at a rate of say $50/ hour + travel and expenses.  Let them decide what the transition plan in.  If it is vague, them them that more details/resolution is required.  But agree to the plan prior to training your replacement.  Best wishes.

[Dan]

Venting is ok, I get it, but TBH I think you are getting some questionable advice here. I don’t see much upside in the passive-aggressive behavior that is being recommended. I know that I would be happiest with myself in the long run if I just lived up to my professional obligations and moved on, and it sounds like that is your inclination as well.

[David Hartley]

Be professional and train the new hire. Put your full effort into every hour of your remaining time like you would have if you hadn’t put in your notice. There is no down side for you – both from a personal perspective and future professional considerations. In fact, if the new person or the company asks you a question via email after you leave – answer it to the best of your ability. Again, no down-side.

[W I S N E R !]

nm

[David Thomas]

Craig: I’ve been having a PM convo with Bonzo about, among other things, that Alaskan employers are on average more humane than the L48.  They certainly respect your time off more than anywhere I’ve been.  “I’ve got a hunting trip scheduled” always gets your PTO request approved.  Some monthly meetings get cancelled all summer and quorums can be hard to achieve during the fall hunting season.  My wife’s partners covered for our 3-month maternity leaves, as they did when my doctor ran the Iditarod (not just a 20-day race, but a whole winter of training the dogs) or when another commercial halibut fishes for fun.

Nobody moves here to sit in an office 9 to 5 – everyone has a life outside of work and there’s more accommodation of that.

[W I S N E R !]

Sorry David, I deleted as you were responding. Anyhow, don’t want to take this in a direction I suspect people don’t want to go. Sounds like you’ve already talked to Bonzo about this, so that’s good.

[BlackHatGuy]

Of course, there’s always this to consider for this year in Alaska…

[Bonzo]

Wisner – I caught your response pre-edit, and you were on the money with one part in particular: it’s about basic recognition.  Here’s an example of why this has me so down:

From the first, my workload has increased incrementally.  Forgive the generalization and lack of explanation, but: when I started, I completed about 150 jobs per year, and I was responsible for about 60% of the parts in the assemblies for those jobs.  At current, I process over 300 jobs per year, with responsibility for 97% of the assembly parts…and the average job is now not only 30% larger than it was eight years ago, but everything is produced more accurately.  Mistakes are so rare that they seriously trip people up; nobody even thinks to check parts, anymore, because they’re correct over 99% of the time.  So, not only have I kept up with the workload increase, but I’ve streamlined the design/output process so that I’m doing all of this in less time and with more accuracy than I was in the past…but the company doesn’t even keep up with that data.  I’ve presented it, but had it ignored…or, even worse, had it work against me.  To explain: last year at this time, I was salaried, putting in 50-hour weeks to help out, working late when my boss didn’t do his job correctly (or at all), and fearing that it wasn’t likely to benefit me…and that’s right about the time that he fired our operations manager and hired the sibling replacement.  That is also right about the time that he got pissed off because I was at lunch when he needed something, and ended up punching a hole in my office door…which is still there, to this day.  Fast forward a year: I’m still “salaried” but now I have to punch a clock and my PTO gets automatically used for any missing minutes.  I have no schedule flexibility anymore, so I can’t stay late or work through or move my lunch when I need to do so, so my efficiency is going down.  I have no overtime provisions, even though I’m basically an hourly employee.  I can no longer take a day without pay, and I lost all of my PTO rollover and accrued time…and this list goes on, and on.  tl;dr, I put in a lot of work and effort, only to have what I’ve earned taken away from me by someone who thinks it’s okay to hit things when he’s angry, and who is beyond reproach because he owns the company.  That’s what I got instead of basic recognition; that’s why I’m bitter.  I stayed, hoping that it was just a phase…but it isn’t.

To all – even though the advice is contradictory, I appreciate all of it: I’m gaining perspective, myself, from the perspectives of others.  I may simply advance my departure schedule, leave according to company policy, and just do the best I can do in the time that I’m there.  If they need me later, sure, they can call…but the longer I’m at this job, the longer it takes me to find something better, elsewhere.

And yes, David and I have been talking quite a bit, for which I’m very grateful; the fact that employers in his area are more in tune with the needs and lives of workers is very attractive to me.  That’s one of the biggest factors for me, anymore, and after seeing how attentive my partner’s company has been, and how focused they are on work/life health, my tolerance for situations like my own has evaporated…and our relocation priorities are beginning to reflect that.

[Greg Pehrson]

Bonzo, I know Portland, ME was already mentioned–let me add that there is a growing community of worker-owned cooperative businesses there. It might be time to think outside of the boss.
Happy to talk more if you have questions.

 

[AK Granola]

Who punches doors at work?! You’re working for a person who needs some serious therapy. Get out!

Alaska fires are bad this year. Fairbanks has been encircled by wildfires on all sides, and the smoke/air quality has been truly awful the last two weeks. One community south of us has lost homes and had evacuations. But I think this can now happen anywhere in the west, just about. It’s increasing everywhere. Hotter and drier.  We will see ghost towns as people flee from lack of water and overly hot conditions.

Air conditioning has only just recently started to become a component part of home and office buildings. It still isn’t too crazy hot – about 80F – but when we have to close all windows due to smoke, it gets uncomfortable.

Still, when I can get out to camp/hike/backpack, I don’t need a permit, a reservation and generally don’t pay fees. And don’t see too many people. And no traffic en route. That’s a major benefit of living here. But ya gotta like winter, and ya gotta put up with mosquitoes.

[Monte Masterson]

I’ve found the more you bend over backwards to try and please someone the more they’ll disrespect you. It’s that way in personal relationships as well. Might be a little counterintuitive, but you really can be too nice. Not to say you don’t maintain etiquette and a pleasant demeanor, you just don’t let anybody walk on you or take advantage of you. I’m with Alaska Granola, if a boss showed me one bit of aggression I’d never go back to that workplace again –unless I had hungry children at home and it was the only job I could get.

Remember if an employer goes to fire you they can and will give you zero notice. This is capitalism. They don’t care about you. Profits are all that matter. Unless the company has been especially good to you, you owe them nothing.

But I always say if someone keeps lamenting about a bad relationship they’re in (work or personal) and they don’t walk away from it (when they can) then they deserve to suffer.

I would head out on the road like Easy Rider looking for America (maybe not on Harleys though). Check out the purple and blue states with adequate rainfall and temperatures that don’t get too hot. I would definitely look at New England before committing to the PNW. Both have strengths and weaknesses.

[AK Granola]

I like New England,  very pretty. But you guys have ticks! eew. It’s still a pretty conformist culture too; am I wrong on that point? My recent visits have seemed to reinforce that stereotype, but I could be off base there. That might not be of concern to the OP but I would find it stifling. I moved away from Minnesota because of it – the churchiness, the coiffed hairdos, the need for conformity above all else. Minnesota nice, sure. But gads, the culture was smothering, to me. You have to fit into your box.

I love Alaska not just for wild land around and easy accessibility to it. The people – I am down with Covid right now and friends brought BB ice cream, cold drinks, a homemade thrifted T-shirt with a stamped design on it, a used puzzle, an outdoor visit in the garden, just to chat. Gifts are never, ever store-bought crap. No crystal, no fancy stuff. A pan of homemade cinnamon rolls you can freeze or bake. A casserole ready to go. Home knitted drink coasters, or scrubbies for dishes. A bouquet of flowers picked from the garden in a mason jar. We are always trading books. This community is just so, so thoughtful, helpful, and kind. When someone is down, we rally. When I have thought of leaving because of the long winters, the people keep me here.

I recall reading some New York Times columnist years ago, who was aghast when someone gave him homemade jam as a gift. He thought they were cheap. What a world of difference, socially. Whatever you’re looking for, culture matters too.

[Monte Masterson]

New England is not as it’s depicted in the 1956 novel Peyton Place. That’s even before my time, but man was that book ever scandalous back in the day. Right up there with Lolita. Huge seller too.

[Bonzo]

I was 12 when I read Lolita for the first time; now you know what’s wrong with me.

So, it’s very timely that community and conformity has been mentioned, because we were discussing those very issues today; namely, that a supportive and diverse community would be an ideal environment for us.  The further we go along this route, the more we realize how important those factors are… perhaps even beyond the importance of environment, climate and activity.  A place where the people can keep us there…yes, I’ll happily take that, please.

[W I S N E R !]

The further we go along this route, the more we realize how important those factors are… perhaps even beyond the importance of environment, climate and activity.

My wife is Armenian and one of my children is in the LGBTQ+ community…not to mention other family and friends.

I know very well what it is like to be in places where you and your family are some sort of spectacle, or at worst the targets of outright bigotry/racism, and I’m not entirely certain how easy this discomfort is to communicate to people that have not had similar experiences, even if it “only” manifests in things as seemingly benign as lingering stares or icy receptions.

We basically live in Los Angeles, an absolutely chaotic and problematic city in many ways. And while I have no idea what your particular needs/concerns are in this regard Bonzo, my wife and I have turned down opportunities to live in far more beautiful and well-managed places in exchange for the benefit of her being able to be around people and family that speak her language and share her culture, stores that sell traditional foods, and perhaps most importantly, a culture (including schools) where our kid (well…19 yrs old now) generally is not going to be treated like a second-class human (at best) or have to fear for their safety (at worst).

It strikes me that many people aren’t aware of these sorts of concerns when searching for their Little Utopia (no fault, why would they be?), but for some of us the quest to find a decent place to live involves some decisions far beyond how pretty the streets are and how good the recreation is.

 

[David Thomas]

It’s good and it’s bad here.  I vote for a lot of losing candidates, but there are some small-town and small-state dynamics that are great.

Every time I’ve needed help by the side of the road (about once a decade), the NEXT person along stopped to help AND was able to provide what I needed (a jack, a tow, a lift to town).

I’ve seen special-ed kids in the schools treated very well with a lot of heart-felt efforts at inclusion.  One of my math students transitioned once in high school and while my daughter and her friends actively had her back, everyone was civil about it.  My daughter was the only masked person on stage at graduation, removing it only to deliver the valedictory speech, but everyone was cool with it.

Jerk or decent person, your reputation gets around in a small town.  On balance, that seems to engender more civility.

And while you might not like our laws on resource-extraction (all) or taxation (none), there’s otherwise a lot of common-sense legislation.  It is illegal to hold up 5 or more vehicle on the highway if it is safe to pull over.  If you die without a will, all the right stuff happens – the court and surviving family meet to figure out guardianship and any funds have to go towards any children’s living, education, and health expenses.  If someone is injured on your property while recreating, they have no claim against you – it was their own damn fault (this is helpful at our hydro facility where it would their own damn, dam fault).  “Double fine” traffic zones can only be enforced if you’re also told when you’re leaving them.  Etc.

[Bonzo]

…but for some of us the quest to find a decent place to live involves some decisions far beyond how pretty the streets are and how good the recreation is.

That is incredibly true, and in so many ways…and for us, it’s not so much about fitting-in as it’s about finding an open-minded, live-and-let-live community.  Where we are now, the particulars of identity, lifestyle, relationships and beliefs are matters of serious contention; so much so, in fact, that they often supplant and repress the basic human decency that is so necessary and nourishing to us.  I’ve often said that the average society within the American South is a lot like cake icing: sweet and pretty to look at on first inspection, but that’s all it is.  We’re looking for substance, and not just the veneer of civility that we see here; we’re looking for the places where, as David has said, the first person that sees you broken down on the highway is the person that stops to help…and hopefully it doesn’t matter to them if you’re different than they are, in any way.

And I’m okay with voting for losing candidates, as long as the winning candidates don’t lose sight of the goal: bettering and improving the well-being of everyone.

 

[Monte Masterson]

Within many states the political climate can be vastly different depending on where you are. Take Austin inside of red Texas for example, or northeast California compared to the Bay Area. I’d personally look for something more moderate. A tolerant environment yes, but not one so much so that lawlessness isn’t dealt with.

Here’s an article from OregonLive.com which points out the population decline of Multnomah County, OR. The author is probably accurate on the numbers, yet he avoids the elephant in the room as to why even millennials are fleeing a city which should be one of the hippest places in the country for young people to want to live in. Blames everything on the pandemic. Not surprising really, the article puts on the typical mainstream spin which avoids the truth, however all you have to do is click onto the comments and with 100% unanimity you can see the real reasons why there’s such a decline in Multnomah County.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/multnomah-county-lost-12-000-people-in-past-year-here-s-who-drove-those-declines/ar-AAZq3Pz?cvid=12e0cc452a5a49889e0b9b956c12fb7a

[Steve S]

Living in Portland, I feel I have to address Monte’s comment. During the Pandemic the state largely shut down. Portland is the center of the metro area to which people normally commute to their office jobs from 3 other counties and the rest of Multnomah County.

Portland State University with a staff of 6500 or so and a student body of about 27000 (2/3 full time) went remote. So did other colleges and Universities. Offices throughout the city went remote. Commuting from the surrounding counties largely stopped. Business travel to the city crashed. Indoor activity venues closed and with it the music scene. Retail businesses downtown lost their foot traffic and closed. With no commuters and few visitors buying lunches and dinners, food service jobs disappeared.

The highest rents are downtown. The reasons to rent downtown or nearby were largely removed. How are we to infer that Portland’s population loss is other than a pandemic blip when the population in Multnomah county decreased by less than the full-time student population?

Driving was easy to and around downtown last year, but with businesses boarded up, one needed a reason to go downtown. My Post Office was and is downtown, so I was able to observe the ongoing situation first hand. There was not much to observe; certainly not a gutted town, but rather one awaiting the post-pandemic world.

In our local social media political comments are nearly always critical and by “social conservatives”. National trends are blamed on Portland politicians, inconvenient historical statistics are ignored, as are such factors as the current stresses, and new experience allowed by ubiquitous technology that every little negative or questionable thing seen on a security cam can be reported world-wide via the internet. Are there more events or do we hear of more events? Disproportionately those social conservatives do not live within Portland City, but complain about Portland policies and Portland voters’ choices.

Portland remains a desirable location, with many well-treed Parks into the post-pandemic future. I’ve seen fresh cougar and bobcat tracks within Portland. Most importantly, those predators are indicators of ecosystem health.

The pandemic hasn’t ended, but the traffic is becoming less pleasant again and parking more difficult; so, I’m sorry to say “progress” seems to be returning.

[Dan]

Living in Portland, I feel I have to address Monte’s comment.

If a stranger on the internet wants to make false attacks against my home town, I’m happy to let them do it. Maybe it will keep a few people away.  :-)

[Steve S]

Dan,

A continuing tactic on the right is to repeat and echo lies until they become part of zeitgeist, at least among their kindred spirits. I kind of prefer truthiness wherever it is known or can be approximated, and to provide Bonzo accurate information as part of this thread. Your preferences may differ from mine.

[Dan]

Steve, I respect your willingness to fight the good fight. My thoughts echoed yours when I started to read the comments on the article linked above. Good luck!

[Bonzo]

I’ve been enjoying the honest commentary from everyone, here; seeing so many different perspectives has been both enjoyable and enlightening…and it’s given us a lot to think about.  With that said, here are the latest Life Updates:

• Firstly, we’ve realized that a big part of what we’re looking for is a community that actually feels like a community, and not just a place where the act of acceptance is more biased towards tolerance than true welcome.  As for how we find that place: no idea, aside from actually tripping across it and recognizing it for what it is…so that’s a point in favor of a more nomadic life, for sure.
• I personally, am very tired of a work environment that’s a grind…and especially this one, where – and I’m not kidding about this – they decided to hire the first person that applied to be my replacement.  I’m honestly not sure if he’s going to work out, or not…but that isn’t my problem to solve.  All I’m responsible for is training him as best I can…and still getting all of my work done, of course, within no more than the 40 hours that I already work.  Regardless, I don’t mind working and I actually like working hard…but I think I need to get away from the prototypical M-F, 9-5 mentality…at least for awhile.  I need some time to sort myself out; I need some time to think.
• We now have a closing date on our property.  Yesterday, the buyer chose to extend their inspection period on several adjacent properties (and paid a LOT of money to do so) but they asked to close ours on schedule…so the closing date will either be the 22nd or 23rd of August.  So, in 40 days we’ll be homeless…so we need to start making some plans of one sort or another.  Yes, we should still have a lease-back option so it’s not like we’ll be out on the street, but we need to get ourselves in order and get some direction.

This is turning out to be more daunting than I ever imagined it could be.

[Steve S]

Dan, that cartoon is one of the many xkcd masterpieces I admire. I usually do not reply to comments on the web because it’s a waste of time.

I only engaged this time because Bonzo is trying to make a decision IRL, and that is best accomplished with observed rather than imagined data. Portland became a right wing fantasy of liberal demise to the extent that I’ve had people tell me that what I personally observed could not possibly be correct. Monte’s reinterpretation of the population estimates denies the facts to feed that fantasy.

[Author]

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