I vividly remember the moment my phone rang in my pocket while I was washing dishes in the kitchen of the group home where I worked. It was dark outside, and I was lost in thought, daydreaming about being anywhere else. I dried my hands on my shirt and answered the call. It was my boss, who asked me to come to work right away.
However, it turned out that I was already at work and couldn't leave to go to the location he needed me at.
He seemed confused and insisted that I come help out, but I explained that I was the only one at the group home with several residents who needed constant care. It took a very long time to convince him that I was where I was supposed to be, and he eventually got it.
This was just one of many incidents that occurred during my time working in human services. Although it was a rewarding job, management made scheduling complicated and often led to confusion.
I eventually left the field and now work in a banking call center, but if I had to go back to either job, I'm not sure which one I would choose. It's a shame that such a fulfilling job was made more difficult by a lack of staff and confusing management.