# Missing Perks



## Feelslikefar (Nov 25, 2022)

Wondering if anyone else misses the Perks you got while working, that are now gone
when you retired.

While working for a major hotel chain, as employees we had access to room discounts
that were pretty good.

Could stay at most of the chains hotels for 35-65 USDs per night.

We used this feature a lot and help spur us into more travel.

Also, our Christmas Parties were major productions with food, open bar, even some Ice Carvings!
The door prizes always included at least 5 vacations, usually a 3 night stay at one of the chain
hotels and wife and I won twice, visiting Washington DC and Tampa Florida (on the beach front).

Sure miss those Perks now.


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## NorthernLight (Nov 25, 2022)

I got to eat expired hamburgers when I worked fast food. Also free coffee when I worked in restaurants. 

No job had anything that I miss.


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## DebraMae (Nov 25, 2022)

I worked for a restaurant company that gave us major discounts when we ate any of their nationwide chains.  I miss that!  The company I retired from gifts retirees with continuing discounts.  We pay 15% of retail!


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## ElCastor (Nov 25, 2022)

My wife’s job had her investing large sums with big brokers. They loved to take us out to dinner in the finest restaurants in the country and free tickets to all the 49’rs games. Miss it? Not really. Fine dining is overrated. Looking back on those days I cant recall a single truly memorable plate. I’d as soon eat in the local taco joint.


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## C50 (Nov 25, 2022)

Gosh yes I miss the "perks".  As a business owner I ran many expenses thru the business.  I never dinged the business for major personal expenses like a car or family travel, but little perks that I now miss.

Perfect example was just a few days ago when I wanted to ship a Christmas gift to my sons in-laws in another country.  $394 dollars  UPS, $286 DHL!  I couldn't do it, that's way too expensive, but when I had the business I would have shipped it on the companies account.  

Another thing I miss is all the equipment I had use of, I am a machinist by trade and always working on something.  Having a shop full of lathes and mills and racks of materials sure made my life easier for those home projects.

Oh and duct tape!  I just had to buy a couple rolls recently, first time in 25 years I didn't just bring it home from work. 

Still...I wouldn't want to go back to working a job every day, I much prefer retired life!


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## Gary O' (Nov 25, 2022)

Feelslikefar said:


> Wondering if anyone else misses the Perks you got while working, that are now gone
> when you retired.


Dang right
Get kicked high enough upstairs, there's 'perks' beyond normal perks

One was a gas card
unlimited

I didn't fill my friends motor homes up (like the owners did), but man, got used to free fuel


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 25, 2022)

I worked at a call center for a major credit card company.  They gave out candy bars when we did a “good job” or had what they considered a good call.  While the other employees seems to love these rewards, it always made me feel like a ”good” dog getting a treat for performing well.

So no, I don’t miss the “perks”.


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## Paco Dennis (Nov 25, 2022)

Similar to @Gary O' when I was installing kitchens for a big home décor company they let us drive the company truck home. I lived 25 miles from work, so we saved a bunch on gas.


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## Alligatorob (Nov 25, 2022)

Not so much.  

Sometimes I miss the excitement of travel, and the frequent flyer miles.  But then I remember all the downsides to it...


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## jimintoronto (Nov 25, 2022)

When I was an Ambulance attendant with Metro Toronto Ambulance my "perks " were my liberal time off periods. I worked there for 10 years, from 1977 to 1987. 

 In our 6 week schedule, we only worked 20 shifts of 12 hours so we had 22 days off in 6 weeks . That meant that in 5 of those weeks I worked either 3 or 4 shifts out of 7 days in that week. Once every 6 weeks I  had one complete 7 day period off, to compensate for the previous week where I had worked 6 days out of 7. That 7 day off period was NOT vacation , it was rest days. In our union contract with the city of Toronto we got 21 days of vacation in the first year of our employment, with a further 7 days of vacation added for each year we had worked on the job. By the judicious use of shift changes with others, I was able to spend almost 2 complete months off one summer. I went to Australia and New Zealand that year. I repaid those who worked for me during the following winter months.

Working statutory holidays was also well worth it. If I was not scheduled to work Christmas Day I would offer to work for others who had kids at home. By working a stat holiday that I was not scheduled to work, I got paid time and a half  for the 12 hour shift, which equaled 18 hours of my regular hourly rate. BY working both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I earned 36 hours of overtime pay. The same thing if I worked New Years Day for some one else who wanted to go out and party the night before. If I worked all 3 holidays at time and a half, my first pay cheque  in the new year would have an additional 45 hours pay on it. Happy New Year !!!     

On the other hand, over that ten year period of time, I reckon  I responded to about 15,000 emergency calls in all types of weather and road conditions. That 15,000 number breaks down this way. In a typical 12 hour shift ( in the largest city in Canada with a  population of about 3 million people ) each Ambulance crew would respond to about 10 calls per shift , multiply that by 3 or 4 shifts per week, times 12 months per year, times ten years. 

Put it another way, I have seen every type of way that people can be injured, or die. Fires, explosions, automobile accidents,  pedestrians hit by vehicles, kids dying from drowning, people jumping from rooftops, hanging themselves, assaults, floaters who have been in Lake Ontario for weeks, and subway suicides. Multiple victim murders, delivering 26 babies over the years, talking a 16 year old girl off the Bloor Street bridge, only to learn that she hung herself that same week at home. A lot of horrible stuff, which is why our union contract had such liberal time off, and we ( as Ambulance Attendants ) were the highest paid outside workers in the City of Toronto at that time 

 I left in 1988, due to recurring back problems. Too many 400 pound people who lived in a 3 story walk up apartment building who could not walk, so my partner and I had to carry  them  down to the street. Too many falls on the ice in the winter, too many drunks, too many domestic fights. too many crazy street people, too many uniforms that went into the garbage because of the blood, vomit, urine, and the grease from crawling under a subway train  to remove a dead body that was wrapped around the axle of the car, and put it in  a Stokes basket to take it to the morgue. Now, 34 years later, I can still see some of that in my mind. But as the years went by, and I was doing other things in my life, the bad stuff has kind of fallen away. 

Today the 1360 Toronto Paramedics are all University medical school trained, in a 2 year long course and they get paid a lot more money than I ever did. BUT they are so much better educated and equipped than we could have ever imagined  back then in the days before Paramedicine and advanced life support techniques. And unlike in my days, where there were no females on the job, the current  Toronto Paramedics are just about 50 percent female and 50 percent males. Highly educated and very well equipped. I know, because I have had to call them recently for my Wife. Quick to arrive, complete physical  assesment, IV started, cardiac monitor leads in place, and off we go to Toronto General. Diagnosis ? Atrial fibrillation, meds prescribed, home in 3 hours, with a follow up appointment at the cardiac clinic the next Monday. All good now.

JimB.


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## NorthernLight (Nov 25, 2022)

@jimintoronto  In one cooking job, I worked long hours part of the year and then got 2 months off in the winter with pay. I didn't consider it a perk though, because the time was owed to me.

A few years ago, I lived in a rural area. I slipped on the ice in the yard, and broke my fibula and some foot and ankle bones. I didn't call an ambulance though, as I didn't see the point in having two more people slip on the ice and hurt themselves. (It was really slippery!) I crawled back to the house.

When the ice cleared a couple of days later, I decided it was too late to seek medical help. It stopped hurting after a year and a half, so I guess it healed itself.


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## feywon (Nov 25, 2022)

Things from two different jobs.  Tho the first could not be replicated today. 

In the early 70's i was for some months working 6 hr morning shift renting bicycles on a * T *intersection corner in Waikiki, Honolulu. across one street was the Honolulu Zoo and across the other a small stretch of Waikiki beach not yet blocked by luxury hotels. Admission to Zoo was essentially free (donation box which i generally put something in anyway) i visited once week having developed something of a bond with the Marmosets and it was a great place for people watching. Some days i would wear a bathing suit under my jeans and t-shirt. And didn't bring even a wallet. Maybe a small bit of cash in pants pocket. When my relief arrived i would head across to the beach take off the outer layer of clothes and go for swim in the surf. Revitalized me.

Then for some 9+ years before retiring i worked at University of Wyoming in HR. UW encouraged all staff not just the academics to take advantage of seminars, lectures by guest speakers etc on Campus. We could use comp time earned or work it out with supervisors to work an extra hour to make up for going to lecture. Got to hear Temple Grandin speak, watch Tibetan Monks make a huge sand Mandala in Student Union and dissemble it too. Also participated in some interesting seminars and round tables on topics of interest--all for free. And while as a Wyoming Resident i'd had access to the University library fo years, working on campus made it so easy. Often took out and returned books on my lunch hour, did personal research etc.


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## 1955 (Nov 25, 2022)

Even though I worked for a salary I loved working overtime. I was weird… I got a parking spot with my name on it.


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## Disgustedman (Nov 25, 2022)

Well, the company I worked for, got massively anal about covid. No more parties for 3 years, no company picnic, no birthday celebrations. So I did without before having to leave.

I will state that every company I worked at from 1996 onward gave a turkey or a coupon for a free turkey every  Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

This last company wouldn't. Not sorry at all for leaving them.


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## jujube (Nov 25, 2022)

Well, I do have to buy my own pens now....... but it's a small inconvenience for not having to work.


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## Disgustedman (Nov 25, 2022)

jimintoronto said:


> When I was an Ambulance attendant with Metro Toronto Ambulance , and the grease from crawling under a subway train  to remove a dead body that was wrapped around the axle of the car, and put it in  a Stokes basket to take it to the morgue.
> 
> JimB.


I'm so glad Thanksgiving is over. Don't think I could eat much after that visual.


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## StarSong (Nov 25, 2022)

In the days I worked for other people (rather than our small business), I had great perks.  Worked part time for a small bakery when in HS and was given tons of free, delicious baked goods. 

The apparel industry was full of great employee perks.  I bought "last season's" clothing at $5 a hanger for samples that never made it into the selling line - including beautiful silk blouses.  (Luckily, I wore the sample size.) Paid 20% to 40% below wholesale for non samples.  

For apparel manufacturers, fall and holiday season clothing was shipped over summer and they're now shipping spring clothes.  So what clothing companies considered "last season" was actually weather appropriate for us.  

Other perks were great healthcare plans that the companies paid in full and some nice holiday bonuses. Bummers were the daily commute to downtown Los Angeles, dealing with more than one a-hole owner, and over the top stress. 

I have no regrets leaving those jobs.


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## Jaiden (Nov 25, 2022)

Working in a medical office, I had to go to many fancy dinners sponsored by drug companies and professional organizations.  The downside was listening to the various guest speakers.  I remember a harbor dinner cruise, so glamorous, and as we ate, the guest speaker droned on and on about experiments with rats.

Nope, don't miss it a bit.


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## Jaiden (Nov 25, 2022)

1955 said:


> Even though I worked for a salary I loved working overtime. I was weird… I got a parking spot with my name on it.


Not weird at all - I was salaried and still did a ton of voluntary oveertime - and I had to park in a narrow alley behind the office.


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## Jules (Nov 25, 2022)

I miss the flights and nice hotels for work.  Socialization with co-workers and doing some shopping in the big city.  Now much of this work would be done on zoom.  No thanks.


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## jimintoronto (Nov 25, 2022)

NorthernLight said:


> @jimintoronto  In one cooking job, I worked long hours part of the year and then got 2 months off in the winter with pay. I didn't consider it a perk though, because the time was owed to me.
> 
> A few years ago, I lived in a rural area. I slipped on the ice in the yard, and broke my fibula and some foot and ankle bones. I didn't call an ambulance though, as I didn't see the point in having two more people slip on the ice and hurt themselves. (It was really slippery!) I crawled back to the house.
> 
> When the ice cleared a couple of days later, I decided it was too late to seek medical help. It stopped hurting after a year and a half, so I guess it healed itself.


I am NOT doubting what you wrote about fractures from that fall BUT not seeking medical care afterwards ? You must be one of the most stoic people I have ever heard of. A year of suffering in pain ? Jimb.


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 25, 2022)

NorthernLight said:


> @jimintoronto  In one cooking job, I worked long hours part of the year and then got 2 months off in the winter with pay. I didn't consider it a perk though, because the time was owed to me.
> 
> A few years ago, I lived in a rural area. I slipped on the ice in the yard, and broke my fibula and some foot and ankle bones. I didn't call an ambulance though, as I didn't see the point in having two more people slip on the ice and hurt themselves. (It was really slippery!) I crawled back to the house.
> 
> When the ice cleared a couple of days later, I decided it was too late to seek medical help. It stopped hurting after a year and a half, so I guess it healed itself.


When younger, thirty or so,I have crawled back to my house when I slipped on an icy downwards driveway cause I couldn’t get up on the thin sheet of ice.  And when I fractured my leg, a minor fracture, it didn’t need treatment.  It did need an X-ray to determine it was fractured.

But broken bones in the foot and ankle?-with no casting?  How on earth could you get around? Did you hop for a year and half?  I think you might have had a badly sprained ankle which you wrapped yourself.  Same for the foot-sprained and wrapped; but broken?

I doubt either was broken but especially the ankle.  Walking on a broken ankle, hmm, nope.


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## HoneyNut (Nov 25, 2022)

I miss getting extra money for doing stuff I should do anyway, the company I was at would put an extra $25 in our pay (max of $400 in a year) for completing self-care tasks (dental checkups, annual physicals, exercise goals, etc.).   

They had some perks that were great at the time but no need to repeat (webinars on social security, retirement topics), and I really liked the 'gut health' coach perk which I would have liked to have for the whole year but retiring ended the benefit.  

Also they provided limited number of sessions for 'life coach' telephone people who were very useful for me when I was freaking out about all I needed to do for retirement such as talking me into making lists of tasks and prioritizing them and putting the dates they should be done by.  Simple stuff but nice to have a phone call with someone every week to talk about it all.

I used to love the cookies and treats that people brought in during the holiday season, but in recent years my feelings were very mixed, 'oh boy cookies'/'oh no! sugar-calorie temptations!'


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## Mrs. Robinson (Nov 25, 2022)

Aneeda72 said:


> I doubt either was broken but especially the ankle.  Walking on a broken ankle, hmm, nope.


Apparently,it is very possible though. A friend in high school broke her ankle and walked around on it for a week before she went to the doc.And my own daughter walked around on her broken ankle for about 3 weeks last year before she decided to see a doc.Yep,broken.


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## NorthernLight (Nov 25, 2022)

jimintoronto said:


> I am NOT doubting what you wrote about fractures from that fall BUT not seeking medical care afterwards ? You must be one of the most stoic people I have ever heard of. A year of suffering in pain ? Jimb.





Aneeda72 said:


> When younger, thirty or so,I have crawled back to my house when I slipped on an icy downwards driveway cause I couldn’t get up on the thin sheet of ice.  And when I fractured my leg, a minor fracture, it didn’t need treatment.  It did need an X-ray to determine it was fractured.
> 
> But broken bones in the foot and ankle?-with no casting?  How on earth could you get around? Did you hop for a year and half?  I think you might have had a badly sprained ankle which you wrapped yourself.  Same for the foot-sprained and wrapped; but broken?
> 
> I doubt either was broken but especially the ankle.  Walking on a broken ankle, hmm, nope.


No wrapping. What can I say? I had suffered a broken foot previously that I thought was a sprain. About a year later I was told it was a break. 

Anyway, with the slipping on the ice, I know anyone else would have gone to the doctor. But with one thing and another it didn't come together that way.

Several times in my life I've had to get through pain because I couldn't take time off work, etc. At least when the last incident happened I was retired and could lie down. I think I have a high pain threshold.


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## RandomName (Nov 25, 2022)

NorthernLight said:


> I got to eat expired hamburgers when I worked fast food. Also free coffee when I worked in restaurants.
> 
> No job had anything that I miss.


I used to get free pizza at the end of the day when I worked for a pizza place. A pretty good freebie!


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## NorthernLight (Nov 25, 2022)

Now pizza, that's a different story....


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 25, 2022)

NorthernLight said:


> No wrapping. What can I say? I had suffered a broken foot previously that I thought was a sprain. About a year later I was told it was a break.
> 
> Anyway, with the slipping on the ice, I know anyone else would have gone to the doctor. But with one thing and another it didn't come together that way.
> 
> Several times in my life I've had to get through pain because I couldn't take time off work, etc. At least when the last incident happened I was retired and could lie down. I think I have a high pain threshold.


You obviously do


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## Aneeda72 (Nov 25, 2022)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> Apparently,it is very possible though. A friend in high school broke her ankle and walked around on it for a week before she went to the doc.And my own daughter walked around on her broken ankle for about 3 weeks last year before she decided to see a doc.Yep,broken.


But not a year and half.  Then again it does depend on the break.  I walked around on my fractured leg with no intervention, same with the fractures in my back.  But an ankle, nope i could not do it.  Not even for an hour.  Guess it just must be me


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## Knight (Nov 25, 2022)

Closest to a perk was use of a company car but was on call 24/7 which was the reason for that "perk".  Not once was I  called after normal working hours so I guess being able to support the cost of one family car instead of two had value. No other "perks" .


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## 1955 (Nov 25, 2022)

When I worked at Masimo we had a free soft drink machine. Even the UPS driver made out!


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## Packerjohn (Nov 25, 2022)

Well, I was in education so there were some perks.  Everyday I could listen to the class clown (Fool) tell all of us how cute he was.  

Seriously though, there was a week off at Christmas, another week off during Spring Break and those wonderful 2 months off in July and August when I could go traveling.  Now, that I'm retired my holiday is 365 days/year and I can do what I want.  So, my perks are pretty good these days.


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## CarolfromTX (Nov 25, 2022)

I was a teacher. The only perk I got was getting Dollar Store mugs at Christmas. And the ride on the Old Yella Dog (school bus) for a field trip to the zoo. So that would be a no for me.


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## hearlady (Nov 25, 2022)

I miss having the keys to my office. On Saturdays I could stop in while doing errands and use a clean bathroom.


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## officerripley (Nov 25, 2022)

"Perks"? What are these "perks" you speak of? Now every year when National _*Secretaries*_' Day came around I had the "honor" of buying something for the _*boss, *_because "that's the way we do it here." And, "You don't drink coffee, huh? Well, it's your job to make it anyway." And much-more-highly-paid-than-I college professors helping themselves to any food (lunch, snack, etc.) we had on our desks without asking. So would those be these perks you speak of?


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## Shalimar (Nov 25, 2022)

officerripley said:


> "Perks"? What are these "perks" you speak of? Now every year when National _*Secretaries*_' Day came around I had the "honor" of buying something for the _*boss, *_because "that's the way we do it here." And, "You don't drink coffee, huh? Well, it's your job to make it anyway." And much-more-highly-paid-than-I college professors helping themselves to any food (lunch, snack, etc.) we had on our desks without asking. So would those be these perks you speak of?


You worked for academics? Sometimes, they can be the worst! One of the reasons I left academia. Loved the students, not necessarily my colleagues.


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## MarkinPhx (Nov 25, 2022)

I use to be sent to Vegas for the CES convention every year, all expenses paid. Some might call that a perk but I called it an anxiety ridden weekend ! That was back in my drinking days and thankfully that expense was covered too ! I did get some  courtesy bags at that convention though , filled with nice gadgets that tech geeks like me liked.

Holiday parties were always nice too ! I  think most companies don't have an open bar for Christmas parties anymore. Probably a good thing they don't


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## 1955 (Nov 25, 2022)

While working at Baxter I also got to meet some VIP's



Our facility was next door to El Toro Marine Base in CA where Air Force One touched down one day.


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## Manatee (Nov 25, 2022)

Been retired for 25 years now.  Back when I accumulated enough flyer miles to fly first class to Australia and back.

For 20 years I did not own a car, I drove company cars.


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## officerripley (Nov 25, 2022)

Shalimar said:


> You worked for academics? Sometimes, they can be the worst! One of the reasons I left academia. Loved the students, not necessarily my colleagues.


Yep. Not too long before I retired, another one of the office workers told me that she had seriously told her 2 daughters that she'd rather they become prostitutes than office workers; she told 'em they'd be treated better as pro's.


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## StarSong (Nov 26, 2022)

officerripley said:


> Yep. Not too long before I retired, another one of the office workers told me that she had seriously told her 2 daughters that she'd rather they become prostitutes than office workers; she told 'em they'd be treated better as pro's.


Clearly she had no understanding what prostitutes' lives or their Johns are actually like.  (I lived in an area of Hollywood rife with prostitutes for a while - these young women frequently sported bruises and black eyes.  They'd been through the wringer, believe me.  None looked remotely like Julia Roberts in _Pretty Woman_.) 

When I worked for extremely difficult or abusive bosses, I found new jobs.


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## Packerjohn (Nov 26, 2022)

StarSong said:


> Clearly she had no understanding what prostitutes' lives or their Johns are actually like.  (I lived in an area of Hollywood rife with prostitutes for a while - these young women frequently sported bruises and black eyes.  They'd been through the wringer, believe me.  None looked remotely like Julia Roberts in _Pretty Woman_.)
> 
> When I worked for extremely difficult or abusive bosses, I found new jobs.


OH!  You are saying Hollywood lies?  NO, tell me it ain't so!


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## officerripley (Nov 26, 2022)

StarSong said:


> these young women frequently sported bruises and black eyes. They'd been through the wringer, believe me.


That poor co-worker (and others including me), in spite of being extremely hard workers, received more than one "emotional" bruise and black eye. I myself was told once that if I had wanted to be treated decently in this life that I should have gotten a college degree. Although the jobs I had before working with blue-collar, "uneducated" men did have some ****** harassment, there was much more of that at the job working with the academics.



StarSong said:


> When I worked for extremely difficult or abusive bosses, I found new jobs.


Not easy when you live in a town that basically offers only jobs at that university or waitressing (which paid nowhere near what the univ. did). And if you have kids to support..."Guess what, kids! We're moving out of this house into an apartment because Mom has a difficult boss?" Uh huh.


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## StarSong (Nov 26, 2022)

officerripley said:


> That poor co-worker (and others including me), in spite of being extremely hard workers, received more than one "emotional" bruise and black eye. I myself was told once that if I had wanted to be treated decently in this life that I should have gotten a college degree. Although the jobs I had before working with blue-collar, "uneducated" men did have some ****** harassment, there was much more of that at the job working with the academics.
> 
> 
> Not easy when you live in a town that basically offers only jobs at that university or waitressing (which paid nowhere near what the univ. did). And if you have kids to support..."Guess what, kids! We're moving out of this house into an apartment because Mom has a difficult boss?" Uh huh.


That must have been very difficult.


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## officerripley (Nov 26, 2022)

StarSong said:


> That must have been very difficult.


And what would also have been difficult is to have to say to her kids, "Hey girls? Don't even think about asking me to even-once-in-a-while babysit any grandkids you might provide me. When I left that job with the difficult boss and gave up the retirement that went along with it, I'll now be having to work 'till I'm 85. Sorry."


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## StarSong (Nov 26, 2022)

I'm sorry to learn that your life has been so hard and your choices so limited.


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## hollydolly (Nov 26, 2022)

Never had perks in any jobs I had aside from donkeys years ago when I worked as a Lab tech  for an International Pharmaceutical company ..one Day a month they opened up a little store inside the factory and sold


StarSong said:


> Clearly she had no understanding what prostitutes' lives or their Johns are actually like.  (I lived in an area of Hollywood rife with prostitutes for a while - these young women frequently sported bruises and black eyes.  They'd been through the wringer, believe me.  None looked remotely like Julia Roberts in _Pretty Woman_.)
> 
> When I worked for extremely difficult or abusive bosses, I found new jobs.


..as a 16 year old I ran away from my abusive living situation, and found myself in another city and being housed in a Salvation army hostel for women. The stipulation was that you had to pay your way to stay there so they didn't accept any homeless unless they had some kind of income.
 One woman who was in her 30's more than double my age..in fact my mother's age at the time, was living in the hostel and plying her trade  prostituting   at night... I was only 16 I'd never met a prostitute before.. being so young  she only told me a little of her story.. but she had been abused by men so many times.. she'd tried to take her own life on several occasions..  and had the knife scars all the way up each arm .. but what I'll never forget are the embedded rope marks around her neck, where she'd tried to end her life and failed .

I often wondered  after I left the SAH  what happened to her


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## Teacher Terry (Nov 26, 2022)

*I worked for the state so zero perks. *


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## StarSong (Nov 27, 2022)

Teacher Terry said:


> *I worked for the state so zero perks. *


Don't you consider a couple of weeks vacation in December, a week off in springtime, and a two month break over summer to be some pretty nice perks?


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## Teacher Terry (Nov 27, 2022)

I was a social worker and not a teacher until I retired and then taught an online college class.


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## StarSong (Nov 28, 2022)

Teacher Terry said:


> I was a social worker and not a teacher until I retired and then taught an online college class.


Guess no summers off then.  Social worker?  Bless you for doing that.  I have a friend in that field and sometimes get a tiny glimpse of how emotionally overwhelming it can be.  ♥


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## fancicoffee13 (Nov 28, 2022)

Feelslikefar said:


> Wondering if anyone else misses the Perks you got while working, that are now gone
> when you retired.
> 
> While working for a major hotel chain, as employees we had access to room discounts
> ...


Yes!  Big time!!!  I loved how when working on a college campus, we would make a dish and take it to the office in the morning and then at noon till one, everyone would gather and eat, talk, share on holidays like Christmas.  I think it was no big thing if you were a little late getting back to work back in the day.  I mean everyone, teachers, office workers, professors, custodians, maintenance workers-everyone brought a dish!


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## StarSong (Nov 28, 2022)

fancicoffee13 said:


> Yes!  Big time!!!  I loved how when working on a college campus, we would make a dish and take it to the office in the morning and then at noon till one, everyone would gather and eat, talk, share on holidays like Christmas.  I think it was no big thing if you were a little late getting back to work back in the day.  I mean everyone, teachers, office workers, professors, custodians, maintenance workers-everyone brought a dish!


My sister was college dean in Toronto and their admin offices had a very similar vibe.  Cheerful, pleasant surroundings where people helped and supported one another (and the students).            

She's remained close friends with many who worked in those offices, from clerks to kitchen staff to the college president, and greatly misses that aspect of working. The commute and endless paperwork, not so much.


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## Teacher Terry (Nov 28, 2022)

The friendships I made at work were amazing. I am still friends with many even in retirement.


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