Imagine working at a department store, and you’re really good at your job. You’re so good at your job that you deserve a promotion, but after years, you still haven’t been promoted. Would you keep working there or look for another job?

In this story, one retail worker is in this exact situation, and he wants to quit but is having an impossible time finding another job that pays as much as he’s making now.

Let’s read all about it.

I am extremely tired of working retail and practically being a supervisor without the pay or benefits but I am feeling stuck and don’t know where else to go.

I’ve been working retail for about 4 and a half years and I am so tired of it.

Im also 24 currently and have been working non-stop since I was 16, and committing to jobs I do not want to help me survive and pay my bills has been not fulfilling at all.

He has worked there longer than anyone else in his department.

In my department I’m the vet, there is a few others who are vets but have only been there about 2 years, so ultimately it’s me.

In my store my team lead is one of the ones out of two team leads in the whole store that runs more than one department. That leaves me feeling like I’m running the department when she’s not there which it seems like the lead is only there when I’m not.

It’s unfair.

This sounds really frustrating.

I cannot ever just do my own job without people questioning me on things they should already know how to do by now.

People are constantly yelling out my name to ask me questions because I’m the only one around that can answer.

I train people and train people just for half of them to quit or for the ones who are there to not retain the information I’ve given them, and I’m the only one who can always get all of my tasks done that leave me doing 100 things while other people do 5.

He feels like everyone is taking advantage of him.

At first I was feeling a little important being one of the people in my department who actually try, but now I’m feeling a little taken advantage of.

I’m not getting payed for practically running a department by myself with no help from management or my lead.

I’m not even getting a simple thank you.

My co-workers take advantage of me because they know I can get things done, and my managers take advantage of me making me think they will give me a promotion when that will never be the case.

He sounds burnt out.

I’m tired of showing up everyday and being everyone’s “saving grace” when really I am exhausted and not getting any benefits from it.

I know that whole department in my sleep and I’m just stuck here feeling unfulfilled.

It also sucks doing the same tasks everyday when you are far to good at them.

He can’t afford a pay cut.

The retail store I’m at pays about $4-$5 above minimum wage in my city.

I’ve been trying for about 6 months now to find a job that will broaden my career ( other than fast food and other than retail ) but they all wanna pay less and sadly I can’t pay my bills making anything less , or they want experience which I don’t have and they aren’t willing to give me any.

I feel stuck in a place I do not wanna be stuck in.

I wake up everyday to go to this job just so I can pay for my needs when it’s declining to my mental health.

He knows that trying harder won’t help anything.

I do try to make the most out of my days, but it’s hard knowing the next day I go in or when I go in from my days off I’m gonna have to pick up all the pieces that were left when I wasn’t there, because no one else does it.

Some days I don’t even have the motivation to go in, so I just call off. I’m not sure what to do and feel so stuck in something I don’t wanna be stuck in.

I try and try and try but it’s never enough for management or for anyone.

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Also management doesn’t help any department unless they want to to be honest they wouldn’t even know how to they are clueless, and my department i work in everyone hates for some reason it’s the black sheep of the company.

What is this retail worker to do? He has come to terms with never being promoted, but he really wants to work somewhere else. How can he either get that promotion he deserves or find another job that pays well?

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a customer complaint that led to them losing their VIP status.

Let’s see if Reddit has any advice or sympathy.

This person offers sympathy.

Another person was in a similar situation.

Another person thinks there are better paying jobs out there.

Someone who works at Home Depot weighs in.

If work makes you miserable, it’s time for a change.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a high school student whose manager insists on scheduling them during school hours.