So, I believe in signs. Wonders from the deep. Omens, all the freaky stuff you can see on Supernatural Saturday on BBC America. Well, here is my sign. You be the judge, though because I could be wrong. And hey! You lurkers, I want to hear from you because my brain is too addled to process much of anything that doesn't come with a diagram.
Last Monday, I went to work early so I would be able to get off early on Friday for the writers' conference. On the surface, this was a great plan – kosher with the bosses and my customers. Things were fantastic. I got so much done, and then one of my systems bogged. As they do, I thought. I shut the program and rebooted. Of course, the system failed again and had nerve to give me a personalized error message – "Call technical support." So I did. Together, the techie and I did the normal shut down/reboot routine and nothing worked so he put me on hold. FOR FIVE MINUTES!!! When he came back on, the hitch in his voice screamed I was in for a more complex fix – like crawling under the desk to unplug the beast. Finally, much throat clearing later, he said, "Do you have a manager in the office today, Elayne?" I said no and he had the displeasure of telling me I had been terminated.
Obviously, I work in an office, so it's not like the company is in the position to send me packing without following protocol. The big boss had in fact told me the Friday before that I was a good worker and they didn't want to lose me. The techie was prepared for a meltdown after the bomb he'd dropped on me. I could feel it through the fiber optic phone lines. Instead, I laughed and thanked him for helping me out. Then I went right back to the big boss who'd told me the company values my contribution so she could prove it. She got right on it and was promised a two minute fix. They may well have told her the check was in the mail for all their empty promise did. SIX hours later I regained access. For this "accidental termination," their words, not mine, I was given a half-assed apology and no congrats for superseding my daily goals despite being without my tools. Accidents happen, right?
Yesterday I was sent for training in Denver. From where I live, this is an hour-and-a-half drive on a good day. My life philosophy, at least for this week, is plan for the worst and hope for the best. I left my house just after 6 am. I'd got three hours of sleep (a sweet story for another time) and that drive was nothing I was looking forward to. Armed with the largest cup o' Joe I could find and a tank full of gas, I headed north. I made good time – arrived on site at three minutes after eight. That meant I had enough time to finish my homework for that night's class and chill before the seven hour training Eight-fifty rolled by and I didn't see anyone. My boss, who is a stickler for time and was also supposed to be there, wasn't; I got suspicious. I called my home office and reached no one. Nine came and people started arriving at the training site, but they had no clue what I was talking about when I referenced the day's training.
Now, I was pissed. Had I been lead on a wild goose chase? I called the boss and all he could say was "Oops! I thought you knew. Sorry. Hey, why don't you find a computer, log on and work while you wait until 10:30 when the training is scheduled to start." Is it possible to be double-pissed? My co-worker had been given the correct time, so he strolled in all nonchalant. Maybe triple-pissed is a more apt description.
While I was steaming over being misled, my husband called and told me my benefits team called him and said he'd been removed from my waiver list, which meant he was no longer a beneficiary. They were demanding payment for services rendered that should have been covered for anyone listed on my benefits plan. Remember that accidental termination? They told me there wouldn't be backlash for the company's "error." As usual, they lied. I cannot trust someone who lies about the simplest of things, let alone the bigguns.
So what do you think? Is all this a sign or am I reading too much into this?
4 comments:
These couldn't be bigger signs if they were octagon and inverted triangles lifted straight out of the "Signs for Dummies" book. Get out while the choice is still yours to make.
Dang, if nothing else, it makes a great book idea. ;-) What a crazy week. I sure hope next week's better.
Kay could be right, but on the other hand, if something actually did happen with your job, you might get better a better financial deal if they let you go. (Not that I think they actually will.) Termination without good cause=Unemployment benefits!
You ladies are so right. I've thought very seriously about forcing them to terminate me rather than letting them push me out, Julie. Trust me :) At the same time, I've never had a black mark on my employment record and it would stink to let them do that to me. What's sad is they've done worse to some of my co-workers. These are good people, and I am having the hardest time understanding how the management can look themselves in the mirror, let alone sleep at night!
At this point, I'm doing what I can to take care of me, which means actively seeking work. In about 10 days I should have my substitute teacher's license and I will dust the filth from the current employer off my boots and my psyche.
Good for you. Reactionary is never an optimal position.
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