Job Issues

[goddessoflubbock]

I've always lived my life with the firm belief that life is too short to allow yourself to spend it surrounded by people who make you unhappy, stressed, or in some way just suck the joy out of your day.

Somehow, the experiences I've had recently made me lose sight of that.

Then today I needed 5 mins away from this insanity, I looked up and saw a picture my daughter drew for me and put on my filing cabinet, just a fish bowl with a bunch of fish in it, every color of the rainbow. I don't know why, but it reminded me that life doesn't have to be hard every day. And you certainly don't have to stay somewhere that's making it harder.

Tonight I'll put in my official application with my prior employer, and start the steps in my plan rolling.

[adhocisadirtyword]

I've always lived my life with the firm belief that life is too short to allow yourself to spend it surrounded by people who make you unhappy, stressed, or in some way just suck the joy out of your day.

Waaaayyyy too short for that - I completely agree.

Good to hear that you're taking those steps.

[goddessoflubbock]

Still no word from my current employer, which makes me that much happier that I've taken matters under my own control. I hate people who lord their power over me.

[Blandit]

That is alot to handle. I can't say that I would handle it as well as you have. That is quite a disruption of your life. I wouldn't mind selling my house and moving when I was not enrolled in college and my kids were homeschooled, but now, we are getting firmly entrenched! Keep us posted in your new adventure of establishing a new life!

[goddessoflubbock]

My neighbor 2 doors down had their house on the market for 97,500. It is nearly identical to mine, except I have an extra room and a carport in addition to the 2 car garage (and the carport is set up to go to the backyard so you could winter your boat back there or something).

I saw a moving van today, and I am nothing if not nosy. Turns out they sold the house for 95,000 - which is 10k more than the last house on the street went for.

This bodes well for us.

Saturday I bought paint for the outside of the house, and as soon as the rain stops (again!) DH is going to get cracking on dolling up the curb appeal

[Civet]

Hey goddess, I've been following this thread.. no idea what to say except good luck with everything, and I admire your resiliency. I would be beyond "a mess" if I were in your situation. I'm glad to see you're able to make the best of it.

[goddessoflubbock]

Thanks Civet. I *am* a mess, but that's why they make xanax, right? LOL

I have an interview this week, so that's good news.

Mostly I'm worried about health insurance. Even if my husband could get a job, he's never been able to get one that provides insurance. I HAVE to have coverage, at least for me. I can get the kids on CHIP if I need to and hubby just has to be careful

I'm looking forward to a mini-vacation we're taking this coming weekend, to the big fair in Dallas. It should really help us all destress.

[goddessoflubbock]

Well, the figurative ax has fallen. I was called in to a "meeting" this morning, which lasted all of 30 seconds, in which I was told Austin decided I should receive a week off without pay. However Austin has yet to decide what week. (Thanksgiving week maybe?? Nah!).

Interestingly I was told this decision was made as it was the same decision made in an identical case to mine that just occurred. (My "decision" has taken 2 weeks to be handed down remember). Two days ago, a gal in another office was arrested, right on the job, for theft. Turns out her husband and her had furniture rented on time, and she moved out and didn't call the rental company and her dh sold the furniture. Since both names were on the lease, both were charged with theft. How that is identical to my "crime" of breaking policy by not telling them I was arrested within 24 hours of it happening?? I didn't even do what I was charged with and all charges were dropped.

Oh well. I still have my other irons in the fire. Don't like being treated this way.

[adhocisadirtyword]

That's ridiculous. To give you the same 'punishment' they gave her - for obviously different circumstances. Hopefully the other irons in the fire pan out. Good luck, Goddess.

[Aspen]

I'm glad that you have other irons in the fire, Goddess, but one week off without pay is not the end of the world. I had been afraid that Austin might do something even worse to you. The other woman could argue that she had not really done anything wrong, her husband did and she was being punished for his actions. I don't know if the charges were dropped on her, though. I think the stupid thing is their policy that you must inform them within 24 hours. It makes no sense.

[goddessoflubbock]

The odd thing is, according to policy the "punishment" is really supposed to be related to the amount of damage you do to the image of the agency. I think getting arrested in the office and walked out in front of clients (while not her choice or fault) is more damaging then my occurrence which all happened at home and not a single client would ever know about it. I was purposely segregated in the jail (since so many of our clients end up there ) so there was no chance of running into a familiar face.

I guess I'll just have no excuse for not geting my house in tip top shape!

[goddessoflubbock]

Warning: The following turned into a huge vent!!

Naturally I'm still waiting for them to tell me when this week off starts.

I interviewed for the other job, and it reminded me why I left. Now I have to figure out which job I hate less.

It's still cold in this office, ranging from 55-65 depending on the day. Any day now mgmt is going to find my little space heater that is barely helping and make me take it home, and I'm going with it.

They change the rules about my job often, at times seemingly daily. Yesterday I got an email basically saying to refer cases I have to hand it to them on a silver platter with all the work done for them (them being the filing officers). Today, my manager gives me a list to call from. 15 mins later she comes by and asks if I have any referrals from it. Uh, no. It takes like an hour to complete a referral, minimum, and that's after you find a case that CAN be referred. She then says "well I'll check back in an hour, if you don't have any referrals by then, we'll have to see what we need to do". It didn't sound good. After she left, I couldn't hold it in another second and I broke down in tears. I felt like I was on the game show "Beat the Clock" and the prize was - keep your job!!

Somehow I found a case, did all the locate, mercifully the file was where it was supposed to be, and got the paperwork to my spvr in less than an hour. Meanwhile, I feel that last bastion of sanity slowly slipping away.

Ugh. Is it worth it? I feel like a better person for wanting to work, and not sitting home on welfare, but at this point what is the personal cost becoming? What kind of parent can I be at the end of days like this?



It just feels better to at least be able to vent, sorry guys.

[Aspen]

Don't worry about it. Venting helps us keep our sanity sometimes.

Your manager sounds clueless. Is she really as clueless as she sounds?

Did the cardboard under the vent cover idea not work out? I'm sorry.

[goddessoflubbock]

Don't worry about it. Venting helps us keep our sanity sometimes.

Your manager sounds clueless. Is she really as clueless as she sounds?

Did the cardboard under the vent cover idea not work out? I'm sorry.

She is pretty clueless. Most managers are, in my experience. My last manager got walked out for sexual harassment, and I bet you to this very day he still doesn't know what he did wrong.

It worked right up until I found out there are cameras in the office. Yeah, that was bad. Very bad.

My argument that it's not freezing on HER side of the office carried little weight.

I'm wondering if it's a sign of how far off the boat I've fallen that I'm seriously considering getting a check up from the neck up and maybe going on work comp. This job, this office, and my manager are literally driving me insane.

Oh well. Happy happy joy joy.

[Aspen]

Yes, a camera in the office does throw a monkey wrench into our little scheme, doesn't it?

My husband used to work for the federal government in Yuma, Arizona and they kept his office as cold as yours because it shared vents with the computer room, I guess. Anyway, can you imagine how difficult it was for him to shop for a parka in Yuma, Arizona in the middle of the summer when the outdoor temperature was above 120 degrees Fahrenheit? People thought he was nuts! One young woman in a store asked him if Parka was a name brand. She must have lived in Yuma all her life.