As of the 2020 census, the population of Passadumkeag, Maine, was 356. Christen Bouchard lives here and has a part-time clerical job and deputy treasurer ?
Licensing pets, registering vehicles, keeping files, liaising with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Services, etc… and after only three days of training and two months on the job Joined The board of selectmen to oversee the November 3, 2020 elections.
On April 7, Christen abruptly resigned…for one simple reason: the Election Commission rejected her request for leave! In fact, a month and a half ago, Christen submitted a request for a two-week vacation. As a result, the local election committee directly said No. The reason is also very simple: no one can replace your job during your vacation! Unexpectedly, from the moment Christen “strikes”, the operation of the entire town has been paralyzed – no one is responsible for registering vehicle licenses, inspecting houses or businesses, maintaining daily operations, conducting property appraisals, and communicating with various departments. Liaison… Christen can be counted as the only person in the town government office who can really help the local residents with their problems.
Christen said: She works 16 hours a week and earns $13,500 a year; in fact, she works more than 16 hours a week, and she often comes to work on her days off. On April 19, the town office updated the announcement online, stating: From April 21, 2022, since there is no one in the town to fill this vacant position, the town government office will be closed until further notice. The town office noted that the treasurer will be at the office a few days a week to accept certain payments, and residents should call the office before visiting – since the position is part-time, hours are not fixed.
Treasurer Barbara Boyer is in charge of tax collection, but she can’t juggle other tasks such as registering vehicles, building inspections, animal welfare inspections, etc., which Christen had previously handled.
The role Christen held before leaving was not the only vacancy in the town. According to media reports, the town of 356 people is also short of a law enforcement officer, an assessor, an animal care officer and a school administrator. Town officials are also looking for ways to fill vacancies due to the town’s sparse population, uncertainty about the town government’s budget, and many town government positions that are only available part-time. According to statistics, since July 2021, at least 4 million Americans have quit their jobs every month!
Many quit with higher pay, more flexible hours and more career development opportunities in new jobs, so it’s not uncommon for this wave of quits to continue into 2022.
A survey of U.S. adults by the Pew Research Center shows that the number one reason driving U.S. workers to quit in 2021 is low pay (63%), followed by lack of career opportunities and feeling good at work “Not respected”.
