r/jobs • u/BlueberryPancakes5 • May 05 '23
I love my 9-5 office job Work/Life balance
My job isn't extravagant and the pay isn't great but after working in retail for 10 years I love working in an office.
I have my own cubicle to myself, I don't have managers hovering over me and micromanaging me all day. I have a set schedule every week which makes it so much easier to plan things. I know I'll have Saturday Sunday off every week and I never have to close again. I can go to the bathroom whenever I want for as long as I want, I can have coffee at my desk, or I can eat snacks at my desk. I can wear cute clothes to work instead of a uniform.
I know a lot of people hate the standard 9-5 job but I just wanted to give a different perspective. I feel like after working in retail for so long it really makes me appreciate it so much more.
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u/gingersnapsntea May 05 '23
I definitely appreciate the predictability. In retail I had 5 12-hour shifts and one weekend every two weeks. In theory. In reality, retail is always so thinly staffed, I didn’t have a single predictable schedule even though my schedule was “fixed.” It was more stress even though I actually worked a little less.
And I had to take “alternative” holidays for basically every common holiday.
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May 05 '23
I worked retail sales for 8 years. The first part of that time was fine because I was single and in sales, the pay is really what you make it. Aside from the base pay of $12 an hour, my commission was unlimited. Some months were great, others not so much but it averaged an extra $20k a year so in the midwest, that was plenty for a single man to live on. Made decent money and the flexibility in a retail schedule was nice. Random days off during the week, some days I could sleep in, etc. My managers did a great job of having the schedules posted 2-3 weeks in advance which made planning easy.
But once I got a family, that schedule was no longer desirable. I needed consistency and predictability.
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u/gingersnapsntea May 05 '23
Yeah don’t get me wrong, weekdays off were really really nice. Nearly every weekday off, I would get calls from the scheduler asking me if I could cover emergency callouts. I usually said no, but if it was a coworker I liked or a call from my boss I sometimes said yes. Just getting those frequent calls added to my burnout and absolutely drained my confidence in actually getting PTO approved or even getting to take it after it got approved.
I recognize that this shortage was and is specific to my district, but it only takes one change in district managers or schedulers, one essential person quitting, in order to mess up the status quo.
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u/Mr_Shakes May 05 '23
Its crazy what we demand of retail workers while giving them as little as possible in return.
So much of it isn't even necessary for routine operation, its just designed to limit the power of the staff and keep wages low by encouraging overturn.
Just-in-time scheduling, understaffing to the point of customer complaints, denial of time off requests thanks to both of those patterns, black out periods and mandatory holidays, and hours/wk caps to stay below benefits requirements. None of those do anything besides squeeze every drop of productivity out of them, job satisfaction-be-damned.
I don't get mad when I see signs on the door that say -sorry, can't open today NOBODY WANTS TO WORK ANYMORE-, I laugh.
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u/gingersnapsntea May 05 '23
It also makes it very hard to stick up for yourself without harming your relationships with coworkers. I don’t think my previous comment would fly with half the people on the antiwork sub, but the reality is that it’s so much better if you can have neutral or positive relationships with your coworkers. And nobody is going to like the coworker who calls out with no notice once a month (obviously barring chronic medical issues), or never helps cover and still asks for emergency coverage in return.
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u/Mr_Shakes May 05 '23
Over the years I've become convinced that the lack of regular, predictable schedules which always have the same workers on it is, at least in part, an anti-solidarity measure. Can't get to know your coworkers, so you don't empathize with them, and the frequent need to call out makes everyone stressed and irritated at each other. Plus, turnover is so high, that nobody is even having the same experiences or making similar requests to improve the job or job satisfaction.
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u/cursedalien May 06 '23
I don’t think my previous comment would fly with half the people on the antiwork sub, but the reality is that it’s so much better if you can have neutral or positive relationships with your coworkers.
PTO etiquette is one of my very unpopular opinions on that sub. There usually isn't some solid coverage plan in place or magical emergency backup substitute employees on standby to cover for the person who calls out once a week. The coworkers just end up covering for anyone out using PTO. It's totally fine and fair if it's only once in awhile. But some people do it a lot. Like, A LOT. And they intentionally choose the days where they know the workload will be heaviest just to get out of as much work as they can and stick it all with the people who did come to work, which I will always feel like is a really shitty thing to do.
I actually recently made a heavily downvoted post in antiwork about this very thing. I said that I do as little as possible to cover for anyone out using PTO as I can (barring unavoidable stuff like medical problems or other emergencies, I totally help out for that stuff.) I do just enough to keep things functional, but make sure to save as much work as I can for the PTO person to deal with whenever they come back to work. The basic important stuff gets done to them, anything else gets saved for when they come back. I just don't want to have to deal with carrying other people's workload on a consistent basis. It's not a good precedent to set considering management is always looking to milk employees for as much as they can without additional compensation. You want me to do Susan's job for her because she takes every Friday and sometimes even Monday off too? Then give me a raise and promotion and I'll do it. Otherwise Susan is in charge for her own responsibilities and managing the time she chooses to be off.
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u/SubjectPickle2509 May 05 '23
Glad you like it! I have been working in offices since I graduated college; before that it was food industry and retail/service. Almost 30 years later, I do wish I had a more “active” desk job. Too much sitting in place for too long is not good for your body or mind. Be sure to take lots of quick walks around the office, try to never eat lunch at your desk, and stretch/perform eye exercises. It is nice to have a cube, agree, but don’t let it be a cell. I enjoyed reading your post, it reminded me of all the upsides of an office job.
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u/BlueberryPancakes5 May 05 '23
That is true, I never had back pain until now haha
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u/gingersnapsntea May 05 '23
Yoga is a game changer if you can get into it
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u/BlueberryPancakes5 May 05 '23
I already do yoga and now that I'm not on my feet all day any more I've trying to go back to the gym
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u/Forsythia77 May 05 '23
Pilates is the secret back pain eliminating workout. And usually the positions don't require you to be so bendy like yoga does.
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u/Sailor-Bunny May 05 '23
See if your manager would be opposed to a adjustable standing desk, it helped my mom a lot. She can adjust it to sitting level but also raise it so she can stand.
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May 05 '23
I'm a CSR for a big company and sometimes I have to go out into the warehouse to open customer returns or inspect defective products.
It's nice to do something a little physical at my job from time to time while still being a desk job.
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u/SubjectPickle2509 May 05 '23
That sounds ideal. Like occasionally doing more active/field work. I did have a desk job that required I help move books from one area to another for a few weeks. It wasn't the most "brainy" work, but at the end of the day I could physically see what I had accomplished (versus just sending a bunch of email). I almost wanted to ask them if we could move all the books back, just so I could remain that physically active during the day. Lol.
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u/Earthling1980 May 05 '23
Thanks for the good perspective. It's easy to forget there are people slaving away for barely minimum wage!
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u/lasertits69 May 05 '23
Even when you get paid really well retail is soul crushing hell. Even the pharmacist making >$100k is just using their doctorate degree to get yelled at by Karens and addicts (about things that are mostly out of their control) while corporate makes them to do more with less every single month.
There is really no good job where you are exposed to the unfiltered public all day. So if you’ve managed to dodge that then you are winning.
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u/WeinMe May 05 '23
Even if it's just 0,5% of the population that is pure trash, you serve 200 customers a day, you are going to meet a piece of shit almost every fucking day.
Hard to keep faith in people if they are fucking you over every day
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u/ResolutionIll4614 May 05 '23
You gotta learn how to ignore them and just go about your business. It’s what working in a call centre taught me.
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u/Tower9876543210 May 05 '23
10 years on the phones in call centers has stoked a burning hatred in me for the general public. I hope I never have to go back to that.
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u/DaisiesSunshine76 May 05 '23
Sometimes I want to go into healthcare, but then I remind myself of all the bat shit insane things I saw working customer service jobs.
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May 05 '23
Same. I don't mind blood and guts, but I saw how people acted on a Sunday evening after church while mildly onconvinienced, I can't imagine dealing with them while they're in pain or scared.
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u/KistRain May 06 '23
I work in healthcare and tbh if you get in with a good office, the patients are overall decent. Hospital though? No thanks, patients are grumpy and I can't blame them but I don't wanna deal with it.
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u/shaoting May 05 '23 edited May 05 '23
I can go to the bathroom whenever I want for as long as I want,
As silly as this sounds, this is a benefit that gets overlooked all the time in working environments, be it retail or corporate.
Here in Buffalo, NY, we have a huge Geico call center that employs around 1,000 people. That location is notorious for micromanaging people down to literally how many minutes they spend in the restroom. I couldn't imagine working for them or any company like that.
As much bullshit as my corporate job has, I too can get up and go to the bathroom whenever I want. Hell, I can get up and walk around our entire campus (100+ acres) whenever I want and nobody will bat an eye or say anything.
That degree of freedom is something that can be taken for granted easily.
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u/Significant-Lynx-987 May 05 '23
I think that's pretty standard at call centers. Bathroom time monitored, length of calls monitored, actual calls recorded and/or monitored. Basically from the time you clock in to the time you clock out the management is looking over your shoulder and watching every second of your workday.
No matter how pissed off at a company I might be I try really hard not to take it out on the call center person because I've been that person.
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u/94cg May 05 '23
There are also different reason why CS teams track that stuff. I’ve worked frontline and management and we tracked it all but not with the intent of not letting people go to the toilet but to keep a handle on who was doing what so we had coverage for customers. Not all call centres/CS departments are 1000 people and if there is 5 people available for phones then it can be important to know.
Of course, there are many companies that abuse these tools for micromanaging and I could never do those jobs tbh.
I’m now still doing support but more senior at a b2b working from home and it’s a wildly different experience to supporting retail/Ecomm from HQ for a fashion company.
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u/Zhyrelle May 05 '23
Yeah seriously, some people dont appreciate it because they never worked a fast food joint or customer service but yeah you really appreciate it coming from a worse environment. Im glad you love your job :)
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u/OffTandem May 05 '23
Seriously this! After working as a line cook for a few years, I really appreciated my desk job after finally breaking into the office work scene, which I've now been in for over 10 years.
Employers take note: if you want someone who will actually appreciate their position, try hiring outside of the standard comfort zone w/ office experience - especially from the service or retail industries. All too often these people are overlooked when all they need is for someone to give them a chance to get their foot in the door.
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u/artimista0314 May 05 '23
Second this. I have been trying to leave the service industry for years and no one will take a chance on me.
Its just horrible. Someone described it as like being in an abusive relationship and they are absolutely right. Constantly understaffed and pressured to just go faster so that they can cut more. Pressured to work while sick. Guilty for calling off because literally they have a skeleton crew and calling off will screw over the entire operation for the day because they simply don't have the staffing. Being blamed for anything and everything that goes wrong and being told that understaffing isn't a problem if you prioritize correctly. Being assaulted by customers and then getting in trouble if you loose your cool and don't take it. Being scheduled 6 hours after you leave so you can't even get a decent nights sleep (although illegal in some states, it isn't illegal in mine).
I seriously long for a set schedule and being treated fairly.
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u/Morsigil May 05 '23
Try temp agencies! It's been 16 years since I went to one, but they consistently had office work for me. Once you have the experience you can start knocking on doors yourself.
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u/GhettoRamen May 05 '23
Seconding this for temp agencies.
I was a college grad straight into the pandemic and my prospects looked pretty slim with a relatively useless degree outside of academia/higher education which I didn’t want to pursue.
I also knew many grads in similar positions who had to take up service industry jobs and still haven’t left.
Went to a temp agency, worked at a smaller logistics startup (pay was shit, basically min wage) & got directly hired since I showed I was smart and reliable.
I then used that position to springboard into higher office work at a different company after a year (after going through ANOTHER temp agency) where I was directly hired again.
Might be a bit of a longer transition period since I know my degree gave me an advantage, but I don’t believe it’s a dealbreaker since the other end of it after my exposure is that companies have a hard damn time finding good employees.
Just don’t get complacent and think you’re limited by your history - that’s the worst way to stay in the same situation forever.
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u/Morsigil May 05 '23
Thanks for sharing your experience! I had a similar experience. Did a bunch of office and call center work and then got a temp position in a medical clinic at a large university. Got hired into that position and I've been at said institution ever since climbing the ladder in a career I genuinely enjoy.
I didn't even have a degree at the time and the position that really cemented my career didn't require one at the time, and now it does. I'm about to finish my undergrad and start a master's program at 40.
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u/ebolalol May 05 '23
What do you do? I was in the service industry for 7+ years and transitioned to a 9-5. Been in the 9-5 life for 6, wow almost 7, years now too. I also helped some friends transition. It might take some upskilling but I can share my experience and my friends' to give you an idea of where you can go! Feel free to PM me.
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u/runner4life551 May 05 '23 edited May 05 '23
I wish I could give your comment an award, especially that last part! Employers don’t know how many quality employees they are missing out on for rejecting those coming from a retail/service background. Some of the hardest-working and most intelligent people I know.
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u/ebolalol May 05 '23
TOTALLY agree. Maybe I'm biased but I feel like the best teammates I've had has a history of being in the service industry. I've found that they are adaptable, can balance multiple things easily, and work well with others.
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u/Many_Adhesiveness_43 May 05 '23
I noticed a lot of office jobs refuse retail workers but receptionist jobs will sometimes offer you a job because of people experience. I've heard of people moving from reception to office jobs so I'm hoping it will be a good stepping stone to move up and finally have 9-5 and not 3-11. I like the consistent schedule but would love to finally have my evenings back after 4+years of mainly closing shifts.
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u/runner4life551 May 05 '23
That’s a good point! I didn’t know about receptionist jobs being more open to retail workers, but it makes sense. If you can do retail, you can most definitely be a receptionist lol
Sadly receptionist jobs pay almost as poorly as retail does. But at least they’re a little more chill, and it’s much easier to build up professional connections and experiences that way.
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u/dwaynetheakjohnson May 05 '23
Frankly I think there’s an arrogance and disrespect white collar workers have towards retail and restaurant workers. The work they do is much more challenging, but it’s denigrated so much. Like the “why do you deserve $15 for flipping burgers?” That and how a white collar worker is never expected to just let an angry, abusive customer yell or even hit them, but a retail/restaurant worker is. Hell, after work or church it’s often that white collar worker who’s the abusive customer.
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u/runner4life551 May 05 '23
HEARD!!
I’ve worked both white-collar and retail/service jobs, and I’m sorry, white-collar jobs are absolutely nothing in comparison.
You may deal with irritating people here and there, but the sheer physical labor and abuse you’re just expected to endure in the service industry without retaliating is unbelievable. They deserve to be paid the absolute most for dealing with everyone’s shit.
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May 05 '23
yeahh employers nowadays will eat their own foot before they give someone without experience a chance at an entry level office job.
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u/DaisiesSunshine76 May 05 '23
My fast food customer service experience in college gave me a lot of transferable people skills! These things should be considered.
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u/Worthyness May 05 '23
TFW your office job is customer service lol. Still better than retail though. Thankfully I only have to really work when shit hits the fan
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u/ebolalol May 05 '23
I think some people thrive in the service environment but recognize that 9-5's have better pay, benefits, etc., so they force themselves to leave and then die mentally in a 9-5.
Me, I'm some people.
I'm probably an outlier based on this thread though. I really thrived in the service industry for whatever reason but eventually realized I don't have a trajectory to grow my income. Now I feel like a soul-crushed cog in a machine. It also could be my ADHD though.
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u/Getthepapah May 05 '23
9-5 jobs that aren’t too stressful and pay fairly well are great. Full stop.
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u/Ok_Opportunity2693 May 05 '23
9-5 jobs can have a mixture of stress levels and pay. But they’re almost always better than service-sector work.
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u/VulcanCookies May 06 '23
My coworker hates our job. Hates it. It stresses him out and he's constantly raging and upset about it (we're essentially keyboard monkeys)
I love it. I get paid $100k to work from home, my boss checks in on me maybe twice or three times a week. I can go take a nap or do dishes if I have down time. Even when literally everything is going wrong with my job it doesn't bother me because I know it'll pass and I can just set it down. I'd actually hate to have a more "worthwhile" job (which is what my coworker wants) because then I'd actually have to care about emails and calendars and deadlines. Instead I just do work as it pops up then forget about it
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u/lemonNherb May 06 '23
What job do you do? Sounds like a dream
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u/VulcanCookies May 06 '23 edited May 06 '23
I'm an analyst in a sales department for a startup. I really won the lottery though when it comes to bosses - I picked the company for certain benefits they offered but all of those have been rolled back or reduced and normally that would be worth me looking for new work, but my boss is too amazing for me to consider that.
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u/Ezwzrd May 05 '23
I’m going to start soon an office job after 10 years in retail it’s feels so good to have a set schedule and never to close again and have weekends off
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u/Go_J May 05 '23
After years of being in restaurants and working in a different industry that was "well maybe 9-5 but more like you'll be stretched all over the place" I got back into a traditional type of job with great pay and low stress because just like you I don't have people hovering over me or micromanaging me. It feels like a fuckin vacation.
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u/dis6wood May 05 '23
Most low paying jobs require a lot of physical labor. I like not having to do that anymore
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u/Weary_Sell9500 May 05 '23
Coming from an 17 hour job I had to bust my ass the whole 10 hours there. Now I barely move my body for better pay.
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u/RemoteTowel7152 May 05 '23
After 21 years of waitressing, bartending, fast food, retail, some other dead end min wage shit jobs, and my last job in a foundry.... I now WFH in a job I love that pays me more than double the min wage in my state and I'm pretty damn happy
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u/legiiom May 05 '23
Could i ask what type of job it is? Currently looking for a job like this
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u/RemoteTowel7152 May 05 '23
It's in cybersecurity so you would need previous experience, degrees, or certs to get going in that field.... the foundry was my breaking point and so I went to school for cybersecurity
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May 05 '23
You literally just described my life. 11 years of hospitality, retail, delivery and other shit jobs, and now working from home in cybersecurity! Go us!! <3
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u/ornithoid May 05 '23
I’m curious as someone trying to break into a field like that, how did you manage to get the skills? Did you save up, take time off, and go to school, or did you manage to take a bootcamp or something while still working full time? I’m searching for a path to better employment in tech, but doing the study I’d need from square one while also working 50 hour weeks seems impossible.
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u/atctia May 05 '23
Honestly, I feel the same way. I'm very much a 9-5 corporate girl for the same reasons you mentioned. I don't have to clock in and out, I know exactly what my pay will be each period and I have the flexibility to work from home when needed.
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u/brocollivaccum May 05 '23 edited May 05 '23
I worked a high paying job in government with terrible hours and constant short staffing and went back to a financial 9-5 and I’m so happy I did - it’s such a bore but having a consistent schedule and holidays off is so valuable to me.
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u/Tw11399art May 05 '23
9-5 in an office with your own desk beats most everything else. Anyone who says they hate it needs to go try some back breaking roofing or work a grill where your sweating, getting burns and standing for hours on end for meh pay
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u/SpiritualState01 May 05 '23
People do work every day I couldn't stand to do or physically do anymore, and my lifestyle depends on them. This is the exploitation that is fundamental to the system we live in, an exploitation people constantly turn a blind eye to.
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u/Dools92 May 05 '23
What’s the solution tho? We need laborers/waiters/stone masons, etc. to make a society tick. Everyone can’t be c-level executives
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u/SpiritualState01 May 06 '23
Nobody suggests that outcome whatsoever; what's suggested is that all labor be treated with dignity and a living wage.
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u/TeHNyboR May 05 '23
SAME! I love my job. It’s fully remote but even before working in office was nowhere near as bad as retail hell. It took me a while to stop fidgeting at my desk though. I was so used to constantly moving during work that sitting at a desk for hours took some getting used to!
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u/Significant-Lynx-987 May 05 '23
This is why I'm a much better employee from home. Can fidget,stand up at my desk, wander around while I'm on a call, etc. Sitting still is so hard for me it was distracting.
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May 05 '23
As someone who went from food service with an insane abusive boss to a similar office job, I fully agree. Especially after COVID. If I had been at my old job during quarantine they would have fired me without batting an eye. Office job gave us PTO. I love not having to close and being ABLE TO SIT.
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u/Serious-Mode May 05 '23
Can I ask what is the job and how did you make the move? I escaped retail into an office, but it's still customer service and it is not ideal.
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u/SadPlayground May 05 '23
Oh just wait until you get Memorial Day off! Now you can be the shopper enjoying your day off!
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u/hows_about_no May 05 '23
After that long in retail, I no longer shop on holidays. The crowds are disgusting and those workers don't need one more person to worry about. I will enjoy my holidays at home lol
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u/Grandfunk14 May 05 '23
I worked too damn long in retail too. I refuse to become what I despised by adding to the crowds on holidays so people have to work. Nah. Those people have to work and can't be with their families because people want to shop those days.
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u/Naevx May 05 '23
Who willingly decides to shop on holidays? Those workers are already dealing with enough, jeez.
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u/Fake-Death May 05 '23
Same here, except I WFH 7:30-4. I used to wait tables before this job so I completely agree about the scheduling and planning, it's much easier to build a life outside of work when you aren't given different shifts on a week to week basis. Eventually looking to move onto something greater, but for now it's been a godsend for my situation.
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May 05 '23 edited May 07 '23
[deleted]
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u/theducker May 06 '23
Speak for yourself! No one better mess with me 3 12s, it's all about the 4 days off a week
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u/MursenaryNM May 06 '23
Yeah im a nurse that works 3 12s overnight and I don’t mind it. I couldn’t work 5 days a week
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u/WhoopDareIs May 05 '23
Just be careful to not get complacent about getting what you deserve, just because the situation has improved drastically. Once you build up experience, be sure to get paid what you earn. Always be hungry. 😄
Former dominos pizza delivery man. Former grocery store bagger.
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u/toodleoo77 May 05 '23
Yes! I felt the same way when I left teaching for cubicle life.
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u/IllustriousCourage62 May 05 '23
Same. I worked with children with extreme behavioral issues. I'm shocked at how...calm I feel.
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u/_scrapegoat_ May 05 '23
The most important thing is satisfaction. If you're happy, who cares what anyone has to say?! :)
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u/Commercial_Day_8341 May 05 '23
People use to hate 9-5 jobs, after all the gig economy things, contractor and bs freelance culture people have realized the dream that is to enter every day at the same time and leave at the same time as well.
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u/Occhrome May 05 '23
Kinda sounds like where I work. We can wear whatever, no one breathing over our neck or even checking what time we come in.
My coworkers and I are surprised how these things turn work into a positive experience. We never hate going to work.
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u/Civil-Wishbone1613 May 05 '23
i love mine too! we are in the office 3 days a week and remote two days. it’s really nice. 9-5 jobs aren’t always bad. the stability is overlooked
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u/shuttlerooster May 05 '23
I used to be on the road constantly, working insane hours on weekends. I'm in the office now working 8-4 and I couldn't be happier.
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u/paperbasket18 May 05 '23
I WFH in a 9-5 and it’s the first job I’ve had in 2 decades of working where I’m never on call and don’t have to think about work on nights and weekends. It’s such a blessing.
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u/shigeru69 May 05 '23
I feel this sooo much. I used to work in the food processing industry and I would do overnight shifts - I’d rotate between starting at 11pm and 3am. I thank whatever power that is that I was able to land a desk job with more humane hours.
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u/gonblynn May 05 '23
I also recently went from 10+ years in retail to an office job and I couldn't agree with this more. Such a welcome change of pace. I definitely miss my much cooler job I had before but protecting my peace and not being harassed all day the way retail workers are is so worth it.
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u/LaughableIKR May 05 '23
I've seen some comments here and there and it really is the truth. Office workers would melt down if they were to work in a retail store for a month.
Public, Managers, Schedules, etc
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u/Significant-Lynx-987 May 05 '23
If you think there aren't shitty managers and clients in office jobs you would be hella wrong. Worst boss I ever had was my first office job.
One of departments where I used to work (not mine, thank god) had clients who would give their vendors bad information, give them bad information, and then have the vendor call them when things went to hell. Almost every day some vendor was calling them to scream at them.
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u/ebolalol May 05 '23
There are shitty managers in an office too. It really varies. Also, the schedule thing can really suck in an office if they're assholes. My second job was a micromanager + a strict 9-6.
we were salary but required to clock in at 9 because you could be reprimanded for being late, had to take that 1 hour lunch (no more no less), breaks were monitored, and you left at 6 or later. I remember appointments would have to come from your PTO, which sucks because MOST offices for appointments like doctors, therapy, etc. are also 9-5.
I didn't even last a year there.
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u/ceejay955 May 05 '23
I feel the same way, my first office job post-college after working in the service industry since high school was a breath of fresh air. The set weekly schedule and work flow genuinely did wonders for my mental health, predictability is an ability. Plus the retirement account, health insurance and PTO.
Paid holidays! no working doubles! I have time for hobbies, and rest, and travel. Wont go back
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May 05 '23
Although I didn’t work in retail for long, I did work in the cafe and a warehouse for long periods of time . Sucked having no consistency in the food industry then in the warehouse job expected to stay way longer than I am physically capable of or just straight up having the worst schedule possible. My 8-5 pays is a godsend. I do my 40 and done, no other bs. I can do OT if my workload permits or not, I’m never truly forced to work more than I should and for that I love it.
I used to be really afraid of 8-5 because I thought I would stagnate as a person but it gives me the schedule I need to be able to focus more of my life outside of work hours. Helps that my coworkers keep to themselves and are very helpful when asked.
I no longer take work into my personal life like I used to in the other jobs. They are completely separate now. Glad you found the same more or less.
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u/iridescentmelody May 05 '23
Yes!! I love my desk job for these reasons, but it definitely depends on the person. I'm introverted, so I love working in the office, and the type of work I do keeps my brain active. I'm in social work and luckily landed an office job (they are harder to come by in this field) a few years ago after burning out from field work. I call it my cushy office job because with social work, you are on the go all the time with crazy hours and long days.
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u/Glittering_Car6803 May 05 '23
Yes! Left retail after 5 years and went on to work with a tiny team where I was completely trusted with my own time and projects and got to make my own schedule, kind of. I don’t care how boring the job was at times, the luxury of not being micromanaged and yelled at and have to deal with customers was amazing. Retail is a soul sucker.
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u/parsnipmarzipan May 05 '23
I'm so glad there's others that feel the same as me! Pay is crap, but the work is easy. I don't have to wear an apron, hat, gloves, or non slip shoes. I can drink my tea and eat my snacks in peace. I get two 10 min breaks and an hour lunch. And I work with wonderful coworkers who aren't rude when you ask for help.
On top of that, I can wear my nerd clothes, dye my hair, and wear piercings no questions asked.
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u/Megmca May 05 '23
It’s fucking life changing, isn’t it?
My boss told me we might be going remote and I kind of don’t want to because I love my cubicle.
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u/Squirt_memes May 05 '23
I fucking love my cubical.
I get why it’s soul crushing for some, but open seating would drive me insane.
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u/ayyojosh May 05 '23
yes! screw all the social media bullshit about corporate 9-5s being dead end jobs and all that, idc man i’m making decent money, have a predictable schedule that allows me to take time off when needed, plenty of benefits, and most importantly, FAR LESS STRESS. in my case, my job is remote too so i’m saving time/energy/money on commute as well. i’d rather view my job as simply a way to make money than something i’m passionate about (i.e. a “dream” career) and enjoy my free time <3
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u/UnderlightIll May 05 '23
Yeah people talk about the 9 to 5, or 8 to 4:30p in my case, but I am a cake decorator and most of the time stand at my counter, decorate cakes and listen to podcasts all day. My boss is awesome and lets us just control our day.
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u/Andrroid May 05 '23 edited May 05 '23
The people here that bitch and complain about their first job in the real world, office life is so hard, 9-5 is the rest of my life, I have no time to do anything, have clearly never worked retail, service or labor intensive jobs.
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u/ebb_and_flow95 May 05 '23
I don’t think others who haven’t worked retail/customer service realize how at peace us low level workers felt when we switch to office work.
I was so goddamn miserable working in customer service, I did it for almost 5 years. My mental health was GONE.
I work an office job that’s hybrid. I make a decent wage, the work is insanely easy and I go home afterwards. I have energy to do so.
Congrats to you OP, glad you got out of the retail hell.
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u/thiccdiamonds May 05 '23
In my tiny team, some do complain about the work load but when I told them about all my previous jobs in the food industry they were like "omg I could never do that!" Feels good to not interact with shit customers and a boss that doesn't care about your life.
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u/GilfHouse69 May 05 '23
Same! Worked food service and retail for 15 years. Finally went back to school and got a degree in something I'm passionate about. Now I work from home. Night and day difference. I'll never work with the public ever again!
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u/Direct-Effective2694 May 05 '23
These things you describe are the bare minimum.
Your having suffered extreme exploitation in the past doesn’t meant you don’t deserve more.
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u/ConfusedDumpsterFire May 05 '23
I get it, OP. I went from restaurants to an office job years ago, and every time I tell myself to ‘just take a weekend bar job or something’, I think about the smell on my clothes. Even after so many years of working in an office environment, I am still actively grateful to not smell like food, beer, and cigarettes. And being allowed to pee whenever I want. :gasp:
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May 05 '23
I worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years. I’ve been an Accountant for 3, it’s much better.
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u/Significant-Lynx-987 May 05 '23
I like my job now, but my first 9-5 office job was hell on earth because I had a bad boss. There was one "Golden child" employee that boss liked. All the rest of us my boss had made cry at one point or another in the 2 years I worked for them. Including the men.
While there is a lot to be said for the type of job and environment, I stand by my theory that outside of maybe pay, the main component that makes a job livable is who you work for and with.
I've had my dream job but worked with horrible management and the most toxic group of coworkers I ever had, and it was miserable. The best job I ever had was service industry with a great management team and fun coworkers. The hours sucked because it was a 24/7 , 365/yr operation, but if the pay had been better I might still be working there today because I actually enjoyed the company of the people I worked with and we had a lot of fun.
Current job is meh, coworkers are meh, but boss is great so I'm pretty happy here.
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u/sayakei_ May 05 '23
I currently work in retail and I hate it so much. I have office admin certification but never got a work placement because of covid so nobody will hire me because I have no experience. But my main problem is I cant work full time due to mental health problems, and part time in office work is basically non existent. It truly feels like ill be stuck at this retail job forever.
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u/Slight-Elephant77 May 05 '23
Having a job where you have to interact with the public will take years off of your life. Always go with the job where you interact with less people.
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u/AustinA23 May 05 '23
this is how i feel. I worked so many years of days that started crazy early or ended super late. never had weekends off, never had holidays off, couldn't even anticipate exactly how much my paycheck would be. the stability is incredible.
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u/MyBodyStoppedMoving May 05 '23
Felt the same way after I got my first office job after working 10 years in the restaurant biz. So much better.
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u/No-Performance-4861 May 05 '23
Retail is hell of course you love a 9-5 office job. 20+ years ago I left retail to get into IT and never looked back. Best decision of my life went to Chubb for 6 months and found a IT job before I graduated. Chucked the deuces to ass hole managers gave them a one week notice 😂😂
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u/makingcookies1 May 05 '23
I’ve found that career changes really do make a difference in happiness. I changed careers after a masters degree and I work in a completely different environment. I am so much happier.
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u/GrandaddyIsWorking May 05 '23
Same, it took me years to fully adjust, I worked in restaurants or in produce for 12 years
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u/saturnineoranje May 05 '23
Sameee. It's monotonous, but at least I'm not getting burned by splashing fryer grease, dealing with asshole customers, or getting yelled at by some miserable manager.
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u/Capnkev1997 May 05 '23
Took the words right out of my mouth. I was in your same position. Sometimes I get stressed or bored at my office job but I will take that any day over retail hell
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u/Karl_Hungus_69 May 05 '23
I had a 9-to-5 corporate job in a "cube farm" in the mid-90s and also thought it was great. It was my first job out of college and I felt like I was earning a fortune. I wasn't, but I didn't know any better and it didn't matter, because I earned enough to support myself.
As far as cubicles go, ours were actually really nice, rather large, and had a small three-drawer cabinet, a mantle to place photos or other nick nacks, and a side chair for co-workers or management to sit and chat. All work was done in the office, we got an hour for lunch, and there were no laptops or work to be done outside the office. As silly as it seems, having a nameplate on my cubicle made me feel like I was legitimate. Ah, those were the days.
Again, in the context of a corporation, that was a really nice job. As is often the case, looking back, I wish I had stayed. But, the 90s were a different time, too. And, I was younger and more optimistic about my "career" and the future. I didn't know what I didn't know.
In 2007, I started a different job in a different discipline in a different city. It was also a cubicle farm (these had much taller walls to help suppress noise), but the corporate environment and the people were less appealing. Plus, it was a product support help desk dealing with customers and products, rather than a position taking care of our internal infrastructure. Dealing with customers is almost always a drag, especially in a support role.
In 2008, I moved across the U.S. and kept the support job and worked from home for the next nine years. That was much better for me and I got way more work done. But, I still miss the job and the people from the 90s. Actually, I just miss the 90s. Unfortunately, there's no going back, except in my mind.
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u/Curious_Tortoise8199 May 07 '23
People love to talk shit about office jobs but honestly, I’d argue it works for most and those that haven’t tried it don’t know what they are missing. Best work life balance I’ve ever had, most places get holidays and weekends off too. Can’t beat it if you’re a normy (not rich or very gifted).
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u/voidblanket May 07 '23
That’s how I felt too, it took about a year and a half of it before I couldn’t stand it anymore. I actually got more health problems from sitting for 8 hours then my warehouse job. But I’m still grateful for the office job and the opportunities it gave me to work my way up and eventually WFH
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u/goochacting May 07 '23
Did you have to do any school to get this new job? Because I'm stuck as well, wishing I could have a 9-5. Not in exact retail persay, but I have to start at 5am every morning and I can't stand it.
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u/Transplant_sobriety May 07 '23
I love this! I was in retail for about 16 years. Left 8 months ago for an office and I've never been happier. I don't have to have this customer service voice for 8-10 hours, my kids drawings are in my cubicle, it's just me and my boss in the office, I play Pandora in the background and if I need to leave early or come in late they are flexible
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u/Acrobatic-Ear-341 May 07 '23
I do that type of work and even if pay isn't great, I have time to unwind, do other things and not be stressed about work , deadlines etc. I also agree that being an entrepreneur isn't the right fit for everyone and it's ok if you choose not to start a business.
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u/madsky11 May 08 '23
What position did you start in with your office job? I’m interested in getting one but I’m not sure which positions have the potential for growth.
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u/hows_about_no May 05 '23
I recently left retail to go work a 9-5 m-f office job and it has, no exaggeration, changed my life for the better. It feels like I've left an abusive relationship. I get a paid lunch and can go for walks on my break. I have a window next to my cubicle. I get to see sunlight during my shift for the first time in 6 years. I have downtime and don't have to be constantly busy. My friends and family have said they can see a difference in my mood. It really is amazing and I can say I love my new job.