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Author Topic: Job Burn-Out Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-21-2003 03:49 PM                     God DON'T work for a small company.... The problem is that the top boss has hands on with their staff.... you fall out with them and you're f##ked. At least with a larger company you are still a number and your immediate boss has a boss who has a boss. If you fall ouit with your immediate boss there is some appeal, if they allow it and don't hold it in your absence!! Small companies are small minded and anything that happens is very personal and immediate. Small companies also tend to be hypocritical in the way they deal with things. Whats fine one day may not be the next. As it's all done on a one to one basis there tends not to be a firm written policy to fall back on if things go wrong. What was said after all may not have been what was intended and its your job to know what was ment.... not what was said. I worked for a small distributor and it was a farce.... one of the directors was always drunk and would come in and shout and swear...do this do that..... He would leave and one of the other directors would come in and say why are you doing this and why are you doing that. Try making sense of that!. There were three directors, two were devorced and the third was the partner of one of them... They do say life is stranger than fiction... At least with a larger company they have procedures that, you may not agree with but, do provide you with an element of security. Nothing is perfect but a larger company 'can' offer more. [ 07-21-2003, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: Ken McFall ]  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-22-2003 02:06 AM                        When they specify that they want your beeper or cellphone number (or want you to get one): Being on 24 hour call costs extra. Tell them that. Figure out how much more it would take to make it worth being on 24 hour call. If they want to pay slightly above minimum wage, & say they want you on 24 hour call, look at them like they're crazy. They're either trying to see how much they can screw you for, or they really are crazy. They know that. Think of how much they're paid, & if they'd be on 24 hour call. The bottom line for your price sheet is though: Being on 24 hour call costs extra. They expect you to be a professional. You are a professional. You must have a professional viewpoint about how much you work for, & how you price your service.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-22-2003 11:16 AM                        quote: There were three directors, two were devorced and the third was the partner of one of them... They do say life is stranger than fiction... My experience has been that workplace relationships are very bad news whatever the size of the company or organisation. If you're in one (which I never have been and never want to be) then I guess you're both constantly the subject of gossip and are under pressure to separate the work relationship from the personal one (especially if there is a significant difference in rank between the two partners). If you're a third party dealing with a workplace couple then the issues range from simple, plain irritation to the risk of them ganging up on you. Whatever, something always manages to go poisonous. And of course, if the personal relationship goes pear-shaped but they have to try and continue the professional one...  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-22-2003 01:36 PM                     One thing that really contributes to job burn-out is a tight boss that is so cheap that he does not want to spend money to get the job done right in the first place. That really angers me especially when I do the research needed to make a system better and more reliable. I have never liked the idea of using duct tape and super glue to hold the bubblegum and scotch tape in place. Yet, some bosses just don't understand that, or just don't care. Then they bitch and moan when something goes wrong and I am expected to fix junk with better junk. I am presently approaching a burn-out stage on one of my jobs because of that very reason. I never really needed that job, but when it starts giving me a bad attitude that would have a negative impact on other things I do, then it is time to dump that specific job. I am almost at that point. I don't need the hassle of putting up with that crap. I am 63, and life is too short for that nonsense.  |  IP: Logged Justin West Master Film Handler Posts: 271 From: Peoria, IL, USA Registered: Jul 2001 posted 07-23-2003 03:42 AM                     Paul: I suggest you stop dipping your pen in the company ink! Oops, sorry, wrong post.  |  IP: Logged R. Andrew Diercks Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Marion, Iowa (In the middle of everywhere) Registered: May 2003 posted 07-23-2003 11:07 AM                     quote: God DON'T work for a small company.... I respectfully disagree with this. I think your problem was studios/directors. They tend to be pompus pricks anyway. I happen to work for a small company and they treat us very well, if you deserve it. We are small enough that the DM knows exactly how hard we work and when we want a weekend off, it seldom is taken as vacation. He knows how good our staff is and can trust us to be gone. Bad managers don't have the same luxuries. Also we have an understanding that I will work Christmas but no Christmas eve as my family is important to celebrate with. Also Super Bowl sunday is my other holiday I suppose this depends on the company. Also if I have a disagreement with my DM I can call the VP and know him on a first name basis and he knows how hard I work. My family has lots of health issues as well and I have never been denied time off to go see and ill parent or grandparent, none of this affects my yearly time off. I would suspect with corporate, all time off is documented and taken from your total. In addition I have been told a several times by my DM that I need to take a couple days off and not take my phone after long hours for one reason or another. He will field all my calls and run my theatre if need be. Just my 2 cents on small companies.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-23-2003 03:33 PM                     That's great and long may it continue for you. But from an earlier post the people that work hardest are pressured the most... "He who does much, much more is expected." Yes, small companies can respond and be very generous and that pays dividend's for both side's.... until the day you are asked to work Christmas Eve or some other time you cannot manage. Then it suddenly become a balance book when 'We' gave you this and that and all you ever do is take... The one time they say no will be the one time your really need to be away or whatever it happens to be. Personal favours at work tend to be the ones that carry the most baggage. The whole issue of private understandings and agreements is great while it works... but when it breaks down it's a one way street. Does that sound bitter.... The only agreement that should exist is that you are expected to fulfil x number of hours and to carry out your duties to the best of your abilities. In return they will pay you what you are entitled to and give you the facilities to do your job to the best of your abilities. Quite a simple contrct but in reality it seldom exists. The more you give the more you are expected to give. There are no longer any career jobs in the work place today. You are there to provide a profit. When that is no longer the case you are disposed of. It's a harsh reality but so true. [ 07-24-2003, 05:20 PM: Message edited by: Ken McFall ]  |  IP: Logged James R. Hammonds, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 931 From: Houston, TX, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-25-2003 04:19 AM                     I too am feeling burned out on the job, which would explain why I rarely read or post here anymore. I don't know if it's the job I'm sick of or the place. I know if I left I would miss it at least a little. I think my situation is mostly cause by the fact that many of the people I work with and around seem either uninterested in doing the job properly or just do not grasp cwertain concepts no matter how many times you try to explain it to them. And the ones who do seem to care and want to do it right you really don't have time to teach because you have too much you are trying to keep up with. Add to that the fact that you have management that is getting tighter and tighter on spending (not just on the booth, mind you) but want to have everything we need to keep the booth going. Not to mention having to skim down on hours in the booth, but still expecting that everything gets done and the booth remain spotless. Also, my attention has been shifting lately to my main area of interest that I had before working in a theatre which is music and radio. For the past 5 months I have been doing promotions on the weekends (Imagine that, no weekend work at the theatre. How many people get to do that?) for a couple of radio stations here in Houston and am hoping to make it full time at some point, which is tough with the way radio stations run these days. Another thing that can burn you out is having to deal with 24 screens. Tough to keep up with. I don't know if a smaller theatre would be what I need or a complete change all together. Hard to tell.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-25-2003 07:04 AM                        quote: Also, my attention has been shifting lately to my main area of interest that I had before working in a theatre which is music and radio. You might enjoy going to the local college or university & getting the background to do technical theater (stage) work. It's a fun ride for someone who's younger & physical; like a combination of art & stevedoring. Gotta hold the down though when taking those base-level theater classes from bitter, burned out & oblivious old theater profs.  |  IP: Logged Don Sneed Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Texas City, TX, USA Registered: Aug 2001 posted 08-03-2003 02:49 PM                        I been in the theatre business for 33yrs, 23yrs as service tech...driving 1,500 miles a week, driving 8 hrs for a 20 min. job, running service for 4-states took a toll on me after doing that for 15 yrs. & the fact inexperience projectionist, asshole managers & district mgrs. (we all get them) got to a point I didn't care if I serviced, or showed up on time, "JOB BURNOUT"..I had a great business on my own, just let it go, burnt a few bridges I wish I didn't now...but when a burnout comes it is not nice, I lost & gave up it all for 5-yrs, lived off my savings, & only did enough work to barely pay bills, but I didn't care, didn't want to work, damn straight did not want to see another 20-30 yr. old projection equipment...sad to give it all up, but a job burnout I feel is one that is hard to get over....after 5-yrs, all saved money now long gone...I took a hard look at myself, picked up the pieces & started over with a new theatre service company...& I never look back, although it has been 5-yrs ago since I got back into the working world again, I still feel the burnout wanting to come back....then I just think of those hungry yrs...& keep going....If you feel a burn out is upon you, walk away for awhile & come back to it later when the feeling is over...1-2-3 yrs. is not long as you think, but go though a total job burnout...I don't wish that on anybody....but if I had a choice to wish something bad on someone.."JOB BURNOUT" would be the one I wish for...it will destory your life if you let it....my answer to burnout, get away, come back at a later date, but keep your theatre roots, don't burn any bridges....good luck...  |  IP: Logged Mike Fitzgerald Expert Film Handler Posts: 224 From: Castle Hayne, NC, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 08-03-2003 06:36 PM                     I also know the feeling from job burnout. I worked full time in the industry from 1973 until 1995. I went from a part time projectionists, to a manager projectionist to a theatre owner in the mid 80's. I ran 3 theatres a drive in and 2 indoors and all of them were very old and very expensive in upkeep. I sold them to a small theatre chain who will reaming nameless and he closed the drive in and one of the indoor and used me to triple the other indoor( nice when you have the money to do things, it takes money to make money) After I used all of the equipment that I had collected over the years and made him a 3 plex without closing only 2 days I the process. He decided he did not need me any more. I went to work for a big chain managing a 6 plex and the DM and I never hit it off So after putting up with his Bull for as long as I could and winding up in the hospital from stress and 6 day 80 hour weeks, I chucked it all and moved to North Carolina with nothing but a car a few belonging and left my family until I could get them later. Only now after 6 years do I get the feel of needing to put the picture on the screen. Job burn out is a very real factor.  |  IP: Logged

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