Working

The new job is very full on. We are putting a new, large store together from scratch. It's been hard, dusty work and played havoc on my sinuses. We've spent the last 2 weeks putting up fixtures, unloading trucks, unboxing and putting out stock. I think we started out with 10 or 12 staff, one didn't come back after the first day and several have been asked not to come back. 2nd week they had 30 more staff recruited through a job agency start. One of the stipulations made was that we needed english speaking staff, we live in English speaking Australia afterall. We ended up with about 5 who could speak English and the rest had very limited or no ability to do so. It was an huge effort trying to tell them what to do, in the end you had to do the job yourself. Most of them were not asked to come back the second day, the ones who had very basic ability were kept on. Third day was still very hard with those, the morning of the fourth day was the straw that broke the camel's back. On that morning a tragedy happened in the street outside work, when we arrived the Police had the entire street and frontage taped off as a crime scene. A couple of the ladies were insistant on getting into the complex even after being told by us that they were not to cross Police lines did so. An officer took off after them, trying his best not to contaminate the crime scene, when he finally caught up to them they stood and argued with him. It was only after the rest of us sideskirted the taped area that we were able to get them out of the area. I think they will be charged. Another group had gotten into the complex via a back entrance, we spotted them cruising around in a car, they got out and walked straight across the taped off area to get to us. Our poor boss had really had it by then, he got onto head office to told him to send all but 5 home, he had to explain to the police that we had told him that they were told not to cross the line, he thought he might have backlash from it even though he hadn't arrived til after the fact. Next day we were down to the original lot and only 5 of the 30 extra, which meant harder work and longer hours for the rest of us. We are now working 8 - 6 each day plus 8 - 5 Saturdays.

I don't want to sound like a racist nor make my boss sound like one, he's an immigrant himself, from a non-english speaking country as are several other employees.

Some of us have made the offer of bringing in friends or family who may be suitable to work, he is very happy to do that but stipulated that he does have a budget to stick to. I suggested my 16 year old daughter and was going to bring her in tomorrow but for the last few days she's a had a cold so I'll let her recover a bit more before taking her in.

I really do love the job, have only had 1 time when I was wondering why I was there but it didn't last long. I come home grubby, tired and achey but I know it's only for a few short weeks. I'll survive.

For those who are wondering - the crime was a shooting in which one man tragically lost his life.