It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
Pros
The free membership was nice. The facility was upscale, clean, and the majority of the employees were nice friendly people. You would occasionally bump into high profile people, and that mystique made the place inspiring, and motivated me to keep working. I worked at a facility that was brand new, and the amenities they provided their guests were all inspiring, and it was a privilege to take part in being that foundation. The general manager of the facility was an ultra cool guy, and I really liked working with him the most. He never spoke down to his employees, like they were less than him. He treated everyone with respect, and kindness.
Cons
Being that I started out at a new facility, the pecking order still needed to be established, so middle managers and supervisors would step all over the little guy if it meant securing their positions. During my time there, I was assaulted with heinous accusations of wrongdoing, without any evidence or proof. I found myself struggling to defend my innocence like something out of “The Crucible.” Even when accusations reached the corporate level, charges were dismissed, thank you to cameras, which do not lie (like people do.) I came from a strong background in aquatics, and a strong background in the fitness industry, so I might have been seen as a threat, especially being older & with a college degree, and all. That being said, many of my coworkers were still in high school, and viewed me in my mid-30s as a creepy old guy who couldn’t get a better job, but we all know that in a life-saving situation, the ones with the least amount of experience are not going to react as confidently and quickly as somebody who is older. This is speaking from experience. Lastly, don’t you dare have car problems, and be forced to get to work by Uber, because they will write you up if your Uber is late. They don’t care if you have to deal with human problems. I also got a nasty rash from the lifeguard tube strap that didn’t go away for several weeks. I also had a medical emergency before the start up of the facility, and felt very rushed through my recovery process to put company needs first.
