Disappointed About New Part-Time Job

[Gimesalot]

Facepunching myself here...

My regular volunteer ushering at the two theaters, has become a part-time job.  I am REALLY disappointed!  I never thought I would get to the point that being handed a job would make me upset.

Some details:  I have been volunteering for several years.  I love to go to the ballet, symphony, opera, broadway, etc., but it costs so much money!  When I was a volunteer usher, I got to go to all of the shows for free, in exchange for being there a little early, taking tickets, and telling people they couldn't go sit yet.  NOW, it's a job with schedules, rules, all that jazz :(  I am hoping that they will still be really flexible, but I can't imagine that it will still be the same. 

In the end, I am going to suck it up because I save thousands of dollars a year, but I am bristling at the thought of new rules.

[iamlittlehedgehog]

I was in the same boat once - that's how I became the volunteer manager for a dog shelter. The beauty of volunteering is the luxury of choosing your commitment, as an employee you really can't do that. I would say try to find another part time doing something you don't love. Otherwise you may become resentful and lose your love of the arts.

[nobodyspecial]

A retired neighbor near me actually consults on that very topic.

How volunteer organisations can balance ensuring volunteers/employees actually turning up for shifts and work alongside each other without resentment in either direction. And without turning the place into a Dilbert/Office-Space environment.

[EricP]

So the theatre is doing well, so they decided they could start paying people to do this job and hired you on as an employee?  And there's no option to keep doing it on a volunteer basis?  How does this happen?  Why wouldn't the theatre want to keep you as free labor?

[AZDude]

Had the same thing happen to me regarding sports blogging. Entirely different field, but I did it for fun since I have a million hours of downtime at work. Eventually I started getting handed deadlines and post requirements until eventually I was like "WTF? I quit". Felt silly getting stressed about my $100/month blogging gig.

[Sibley]

I wouldn't take it. Seriously - my volunteering activities are done for stress relief from my paying job! Why would I deliberately turn my stress buster into a stress generator?

[I'm a red panda]

I turned down payment for a volunteer job I liked specifically because I didn't want to be tied to the rules and regulations of being an employee.  I enjoyed the work, I don't enjoy the red tape.