I'd start looking for another job, quick! Your health and well-being is worth SO much more than any amount of money.

OMG DARLING! I feel like this is me who wrote this...
My job started off so good (2 years ago) and it's just getting worse week by week...

Now I am charge of cleaning kitchens, cleaning fridges, doing the dishwasher...I feel like a maid most of the time! I am looking for something...and you should too. Just because we aren't high up there DOES NOT give them the right to take advantage of you...

I am in the same situation so I feel for you.I have been looking for months but there's not much out there especially with the holidays coming. I agree with Dear on this one talk to your boss and tell her what you need, also try to find someone at work that you can vent to when need be. I know sometimes it's hard but you can probably find at least one trustworthy person who can sympathize with you. Most importantly don't let this stress you out so much that you can't eat or sleep. It seems like a trite thing to say but it's only work and the rest of your life is so much more important. Enjoy the time you have at home .

I know many people in your shoes, well take a short break and ask yourself some questions, good luck hon, you need to change it asap

As someone who worked in a job I hated for 7 years (I would go home crying in the last 2 years), I suggest finding a job and getting out. Especially with this economy, find another job before you quit. You can stick it out for a while. And while you are looking, do not mention it to anyone at your current job. I finally found a job I love with great people... and I look back and wonder why I spent so long in such an awful job.

It sounds like Pam from The Office wrote this letter.

Can you see a doctor and get stress leave from work? I highly suggest you do so before you make yourself even more ill than you are. Take that time to look for another job, and recover your health.

Find another job and quit. Perks of living in the USA.

Start looking elsewhere. I had a job that made me lose my hair, too, so I sympathize! It took me about a year to find something else, so you should start looking as soon as possible. Good luck.

keep looking hun! i'm in the same place as you and i understand that job hunting SUCKS. just got turned down from the 200th job i've applied for. yes, it's pathetic, i keep track. things will get better (for both of us), i promise!!!

oops, i meant start looking

I don't understand why you're doing other people's work. If their work doesn't get done shouldn't they be to blame and not you? Complete your own job responsibilities and let your boss know you won't be covering for others who don't do their own work. And yes, definitely start, if you haven't already, looking for another job.

krae85, it's not that easy. The same thing is happeneing to me (like cleaning up after people is NOW MY job??)...I talked to me bosses and they said they are "trying to change around the responibilities and changing around duties"....BS!

See, I just don't think I would put up with that kind of mess. If there was an understanding of job responsibilities the day of hire, why is it okay for bosses to suddenly change that? That seems really unfair. I think the OP is being taken advantage of, poor economy or not.

Lovely, tell them to clean up after "theyselves!" lol and then flash a pocket knife, should get the message across, lol.

OMG I wish!
They did have a set of duties, but after being here for 2 year they have changed A LOT. I am looking for something else (I live in Canada - Alberta) so there are still plently of options for me...I just want to make sure I like my next job. It's pointless to quit a sh*t job and go to another :S

I can totally relate to this situation, I am very unhappy with my job also. Actually, right now I am just happy to have a job with two of my friends getting laid off! But, overall the receptionist job I have kind of sucks, they give me nothing to do! It seems like it wouldn't be too bad, I get to roam the Internet and just update a database, but 8 hours of that for 40 hours a week can get very mind numbing. I want some stuff to do!!! Anyways, my best suggestion is to look for a job in your spare time and network like crazy! Most of the job leads I have gotten have been from friends or family. I have been looking for the past year and I am either overqualified or am competing against more qualified people. I have a degree and that doesn't seem to help... ugh... I am going to keep trying though, cause I know this job cannot be my life! I have an interview tomorrow, wish me luck!

1. You may be able to get unemployment benefits for a few months, while you look for another job;
2. You may be able to get a medical leave of absence for psych reasons (stress)
3. You may find that not having any money for a while is much more bearable than having to spend 8 hours a day doing something you hate with people who don't respect you.
4. You may be able to beg mom and dad for a bit of help - that's what parents are for, at any age: protect us from what makes us LOSE OUR HAIR.

I worked in finance for a few years and was totally miserable sitting on my pile of money. Then I quit, became poor, and went back to my first career: photography. I'm still poor after 2 years, but there isn't ONE DAY where I'd pick to go back to the hell hole. I do what I love, I'm sane, I'm healthy, I make my own schedule, I'm happy. I'm FREE. Totally priceless.

Get the f*ck out of there. Don't look back. You have no idea the relief, the boost of self-esteem, and the resources you find in yourself.

You could submit a workman's compensation claim for psychological disorders stemming from your work environment. If it has such a detrimental effect on you physically (your hair falling out) and mentally (fights with your bf), you have a right to submitting to workman's comp. See your company's physician, you could be put on paid disability leave. Meanwhile, just keep looking for a new job! If you stand out, elude confidence at interviews, and prove how worthy and hard working you are, you have a greater chance of landing a new position! Good luck!

Good luck with the search because alot of us are going through it. It's a storm out there.

If you are that unhappy, then start job hunting. No one at your work needs to know that you are doing this. It is just not worth that much stress for an entry level position. I stayed at a crappy job for way too long and it got me nowhere. Put your own interests first! Good luck and I hope you find something that makes you happy.

It sounds like you haven't started looking for another job. Stay in your job, but START LOOKING rather than just worrying about finding another job in this economy. While you're miserable in your current job, at least you'll have an income during your job search. Your story indicates you're a hard worker, and qualified to do more than a receptionist's job, so you'll likely find something that pays better and is more geared to your talents.

Agree with most other people here -- start looking, but matain your job while you look. Don't up an quit without knowing what's up for you next. Not only is that better monetarily, but you can still maitain some decent relations with your current co-workers/boss and have them for recommendations later on down the road.

You have to understand that even if you're looking for a new job it could definitely take some time to find your next one. So listen to Dear and do everything you can to mitigate stress when you're at home. Leave work at work -- don't check voicemails, don't talk about it with your boyfriend, just focus on breathing deeply and shutting down that part of your brain once you leave the office.

Another option to help with stress -- see if your benefits plan includes an Employee Assistance Program. This is a confidential call center to help with stress management and also can offer free in-person counseling sessions. If EAP isn't an option, then see how mental health/counseling benefits are covered on your medical plan (in some cases, up to 20 visits a year are covered at a low copay per visit). While you certainly can file a worker's comp claim for stress, it would never get approved (I work in HR, trust me on that). Good luck!!

Life is too short to be so miserable. I would quit. It's so much more worth it to be happier and "poor" then stay in a place that makes you so unhappy. Apply for unemployment benefits and sign up with a temp agency in the meanwhile.

Just start looking, its fairly easy to find another job in the receptionist field, espeically if youve got a fair amount of exp. its all about exp anyway.