I'm taking a Poll

Okay, so Tiger called me a little while ago all excited. He heard back from UPS, they want to interview him. This is good. He can work there for a few years and show them what kind of employee he is. Then in a few years when a driving position opens, his CDL record will be clear and he will be a drive again. UPS is a GREAT place to work as a driver. The money is really good and you get awesome benefits. This is the best possible situation for someone in his situation without a high school diploma.

But, there's a catch. Tiger was supposed to hear from the fast food restaurant today to find out when he starts next week. When UPS called, he had not heard from them yet. He told UPS that he would have to find out what his schedule is going to be before he can INTERVIEW for a position with UPS. Here's the thing. HE HASN'T SIGNED ANY PAPERS WITH THE FAST FOOD CHAIN. That's right. He doesn't officially work for them yet.

So, not only would UPS pay $1 an hour more, have a guaranteed work schedule and hours, give awesome benefits AND give him the opportunity to be a driver again. He is going to put it off for a job that he doesn't even have yet. It blows my mind!

He seems to feel that even though UPS would pay more today, that he has the potential to make more at the fast food restaurant, once he is promoted to a zone mangager. I don't know how much a zone manager makes, and I'll bet you that he doesn't either.

For those of you that need hard numbers, here you go:

UPS pays $8.50 an hour. Once you are off probation (either 90 or 120 days, I can't remember which) your pay goes up to $9 an hour. Every year you get like a .50 or $1 an hour raise. Every time you switch to a more trained position, you get a $1 an hour raise. He could easily be making more than $10 an hour after being there 1 year.

UPS shifts are Mon - Fri and you average 20 hours a week. Christmas is coming (Christmas starts at UPS around the end of October). You work closer to 25-30 hours a week during Christmas.

The fast food restaurant is offering $7.50 an hour to start. I don't know what the pay raise is for becoming a team lead. He is not guaranteed a team lead position. This is a fast food restaurant. The number of hours he will work in a week will fluctuate.

He called the burger place. The guy he needs to talk to has "already gone home for the day." I told Tiger to call back UPS and go in the first slot they have available. He refuses to do so until he talks to the burger place. He said he would call them back tomorrow after he talks to the burger manager. I told him UPS is not open on the weekends and he needs to call them back today. He said he would call on Monday after he talks to the burger place. I asked him why he was willing to lose the job at UPS for the other job. He can not answer me.

Here's what I think it is. I think in his head, because he already told the burger place that he would work there, he can't back out now because that would be going back on his word. It doesn't matter to him that they clearly aren't in any hurry for him to start. I don't even know how to describe it. He is being loyal to someone who hasn't even hired him yet. It is part of who he is, and part of what got him in trouble with Swift. He does what is best for his employer, whether he is on the payroll or not, and puts himself second. And in the end, he gets screwed. Can I really sit back and watch that for a second time?

So, here is my dilema. Please help!

Should I kick him out of the house now if he takes the job at the burger place over UPS?

I feel like I am forcing him to do what I want. But on the other hand, I can't be a sucker. Is he taking the job that pays less because he doesn't need to pay rent? Is his pride more important than my being a door mat?