Goodbye, Work: I Hardly Knew Ye.

That eleven day vacation from my job was fun - and almost cathartic. 

I'm not saying I've mentally checked out, but our relationship needs to be reevaluated. How am I supposed to like you if I not only haven't gotten a raise in two-and-a-half years but also expected to toil nightly with no chance of advancement? I could easily say you and your surrogates lied to me about this being a good place to work, and I wouldn't be dishonest - yet I am better than that to stoop to your apathetic levels of toxicity. I've sacrificed years of my life to help you become insanely profitable, and my education intimidates supervisors and management alike in ways I do not comprehend. I wrote the training manuals for multiple roles with nary a thank-you from its benefactors. 

For my job I've also included a USB drive with said manual. 

You would thing that having a drive to succeed, strong work ethic, dedication, professionalism, and a willingness to go over and beyond would be considered attributes. Boy, was I every wrong!

Instead, I spend nights manipulating data and trying to remember what happens when specific acids and bases mix and the ensuing reaction.

While the role is relatively easy, I do have a litany of issues:

1. Because I work the night shift, I cannot find anyone to cover me in the urgent event I may have to run to the bathroom. My building has no toilet, and after begging for a Port-a-Potty for the past three years, it is no longer a fight worth pursuing.
2. Money. I haven't had a raise since 2013 - if you want to call COLA a raise. While my salary is decent for the area, it vastly underrates my experiences and knowledge to mean nil. So much for my past work in education and management translating to this organization. I'm not saying I want a million dollars to manage software and keep vigilant watch in the control room, but a few more dollars would help. Besides, I now have a family to care and provide for. 
3. Lack of advancement opportunities. The first year I was here with you, I soaked up knowledge like a sponge and retained the vast majority of the pertinent information - and to make sure I knew it, I wrote my department's training manual out of the luxury called my time. When I even get denied the chances to move laterally, that underscores my current grievances. It is also time to go.
4. Respect. I am a man before any paycheck and no amount of money can excuse disrespect. I did not come here to take another man's job title as I barely want to waste twelve-and-a-half hours of my day in this dead end. That being said, senior management has no right to cuss anyone like mangy mutts. 
5. What does my beard have to do with performing my job sufficiently? I am fortunate enough not to work on the production floor with those awful compounds, so why am I required to shave to sit in an office for twelve hours at a time?

Indeed, I truly enjoyed the time apart and shall parlay the separation into a permanent breakup soon. The things that matter most to me today do not jibe with your idolatry of profits at all costs especially over the men and women who make it possible. As I drove back on-site the other Friday night for the first time since late November, I cannot help to observe new signage; the fleet of new cars for the sales team and blue heavy-duty pickup trucks that have not seen a speck of dirt; radar and new construction such as the concrete parking lot for the over-the-road truck drivers; and more cameras than the FBI would be comfortable viewing.

I truly do not fit the values espoused by you.

Goodbye, work:  I hardly knew ye. Thanks for the health insurance and paltry 401K that pays off credit card debt. Besides, sleeping at home during the night with my wife and daughter is a bit more appealing to me.