Bit of a conundrum. Need advice

[Boom]

Just to give some backstory, we are currently severely understaffed at my job. There are only two salesmen - myself and a part-timer. He is going on vacation next week, leaving me to work seven days straight from open to close (73 hours altogether excluding lunch breaks). I have a manager, but he is relatively new and isn't all that familiar with our system yet, so that's his excuse for not offering a helping hand on the sales floor next week in order to give me something of a break. When I told him that I thought this was unreasonable, his exact words were, "What other option is there?"

Here's where the story gets fun.

I've felt like **** all day. My throat is killing me, I'm lethargic, have a headache, and while I don't believe I have a full-blown fever, it feels like I am well on my way towards one. My right lymph node is slightly swollen, and after just inspecting my throat, I can see white pustules on my tonsils.

So best case scenario: strep throat. Worst case: mono.

Put yourself in my position, and what would you suggest that I do?

 

[BrollySupersj]

Get out of there. Can't imagine you'd doing a bang up job while sick. The manger will have to deal with it.

 

[Boom]

This just came out of nowhere. I felt perfectly fine yesterday.

I should probably go to the hospital tomorrow if it gets worse. I used to get strep all the time as a kid and I've never had mono.

 

[erehwon0]

Hire a temp if possible.

 

[Boom]

He's been trying to have a salesman from another store come in a few days next week, but so far no luck. I can't attest for how hard he has been trying.

Honestly, I'm about this close to getting in touch with my attorney. I am required by law to take a 1/2 hour lunch when working a 5+ hour shift. However, I am not allowed to close the store up for a 1/2 hour in order to take one. So on days when I work by myself, I can't take the lunch I am legally required to take.

Couple that with the mandated overtime that I have absolutely no say in (which is against company policy), and it just feels like I am being straight-up abused. And for a job where I am lucky to make $1200 a month, it's not like putting up with all of this **** is really worth it in the long run. It's a dead-end, thankless job, and if it weren't for this terrible job market I would have been gone months ago.

Sadly, my last couple of interviews bore no fruit, so here I am.

 

[BrollySupersj]

If worse comes to worse, cut your losses and...quit?

 

[-Arya-]

I would honestly just go to the doctor, and call out sick. The lack of employees is not your concern, so you shouldn't have all the responsibilities on your shoulders; especially if your are sick. If the manager or any other executive gives you a hard time, then I would contact a lawyer and state your case. If necessary, they should close the business down until they have a workable staff.

At the same time, you should also continue to send your resume out, and get more interviews.

 

[NickNitro]

this sounded like a thread braincrusher would make

 

[dodong27]

I agree that this would be your Manager's dilemma and not yours, that's the main reason why he has that title. If you need to go to the doctor's then don't hesitate and go, and it will valid your situation, that you are stressed from all these hours (without lunch breaks) and doing double duties.

It's easy to say but you have to do what best for your health. I don't recommend quitting especially with the economy now and the fact that your previous interviews sounds like a no go.

Good luck dude!

 

[Teelie]

You are not the boss, so it is not your responsibility to pick up his slack. If you get sick you need to take care of yourself. Getting sick is not an "excuse" to not work despite what some people think. If you get sick, you suffer for it and can end up prolonging your illness by not recovering. You can spread a contagion to the customers which means they get sick and thus you spread the problem around.

If your boss is too inept to do the job then you're going to have to either let him deal with the consequences or take them on yourself, in which case I would demand his job and get promoted.