Quitting a job that literally doesn't bring in ANY extra money?

Question

My friend, age 27, has worked at a grocery store for over SEVEN YEARS now. It's your typical "menial c**p job" and he hates it. It started as a part-time job in college, he continued to work it after college when he couldn't land a better job, and to this day works it part-time in addition to his full-time job.

My friend's made "QUIT THE GROCERY STORE" a New Years Resolution for the past FIVE YEARS!

Recently my friend found another reason to hate his job. The store messed up his paycheck in his disfavor, and when he called up the store manager to complain, the store manager mistakenly denied it, then lost his temper and threatened to FIRE my friend if he dared bring it up again. So seven yrs with the company and no respect.

With rising costs of gas and food, it's at the point where my friend would LITERALLY make the same amount of net income whether he quits or works that job. Rising food costs resulted in him getting his hours drastically cut at this job. Because he commutes directly from his full-time job to the grocery job, he must spend extra money driving to work, as opposed to simply taking the bus to his full-time job. We all know how much gas has gone up. It's at the point where his grocery paychecks are only $50/week, but he's spending an extra $50/week in gas because of this job.

Disrespect from management, a job he hates, the misery of still holding onto an uneducated job 6 yrs after graduating college, and now no pay...Isn't it very obvious he should quit ASAP??

Answer 1

Yes.  You have answered the question in your last paragraph.

What on earth is keeping him in the job for seven years?

He has a full time job, so has 'thinking time' if he wants to look around for another part time job.

Tell him to do  himself a favour.

Answer 2

Your friend may have other reasons for keeping this job that have nothing to do with finances.  Perhaps he clings to the job hoping that one day his efforts will be recognized and he will be rewarded with more respect, more money, affection, friendship, etc.  All of these emotional needs tend to be stronger "pulls" than money is.

And, really, this is ultimately up to your friend to decide.  Until he makes the same realizations that you have, he probably isn't going to be willing to make any changes. And even then, unless he finds a way to overcome the reasons that keep him there, beyond the issue of money, he probably won't make any changes.

If he were to quit now, and he hasn't achieved his emotional needs from that job, he may consider himself a failure.  I'm guessing because I don't know your friend.  But I suspect there is a lot more holding him to that job than money.

REPLY TO ASKER:

If your friend has already quit, what is the purpose of your question?  And, how would you know what his emotional needs are?  Realizing and understanding the emotions that pull us in one direction or another often requires a lifetime of discovery and insight.  We may know what to do in an intellectual sense, but we often make choices based on emotions.  It's called thinking with your heart and not your head.  

I'm really curious why you are so enmeshed in your friend's life.  Is everything running perfectly well in yours?

Answer 3

Why don't you let "your friend" run his own life?