Wednesday, January 22, 2014

My current work stuff

I have been working on this post for 2 weeks.  I have tried and tried to shorten it without loosing the nuances that make the situation what it is.  It is still a little lengthy, but I really did try!!!!

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Work....things had their annual blow up recently.  About this time last year, I started looking for a new job.  Then things got better at work, so I just stayed.  And here we are again. 

Here are the main problems:
  • Company has grown alot in the past 2 years (over 200%!!!) without changing how things are done.
  • Volume of work has increased beyond the hours that I work (and I am up to 32-35 hrs a week).
  • People seem to make up their own rules, and there are no consequences for screw ups (I am not talking the occasional ones...I am talking repeatedly doing stuff wrong despite being talked to on several occasions).
Before the blow up, my plan was to talk to my boss about increasing my hrs to 36-40 per week, and changing employment status from Per Diem to Full Time (which is considered 32 hrs by his policy).  This would be an attempt to accomplish several things:

  • Still be busy, but not overwhelmed. 
  • Earn vacation time (Right now, when the office closes for holidays, snow....I don't get paid.  Plus, I RARELY take any time off since I don't get paid.  Once in a while I need a day to recharge my battery, and I don't take it.)
  • Get rid of G-man's second job (if we were able to make the numbers work; we were going to save his checks and if we didn't need it, then we would get rid of the job....or  revisit the debt, and how much longer he would have to work to get us to our goals)



Things deteriorated right before Christmas.  I was taking the week of Christmas off, which we had planned since August.  I even saved up money to compensate for my "loss of pay."   But as we got closer to my vacation week....it all fell apart.

I was "punished" for taking the week off.  Unreasonable expectations were given two days before I left.  The rules for me became different than for everyone else.  People were encouraged to give me anything and everything they had, with the expectation it would be done before I left.  I spent 2 days in a frenzy trying to finish everything. 

I came back, and no one had done a thing while I was gone. Since I "control" the flow of paper in our office, if things aren't faxed or filed in a timely manner, it builds up quickly.  And there is NOTHING that I do that is so specialized that someone else couldn't take care of it themselves.  It is just the "process" that you give it to me and then forget about it.  I spent 2 days digging out, and then it was New Years day (which I brought work home).  Then we had snow, and the office was closed for half day on Thursday and full day on Friday.  And I worked from home.

I came back, and because of the way the dates fell....it was time to process data for December month end.  So all the work I did had to be pushed aside for a moment.  Meanwhile, the 12 hrs of closed office allowed 25 other staff members to catch up on work which they may have carried over from before Christmas (yeah...they were allowed to carry stuff over....I wasn't)

By Tuesday, I was in the weeds.  I went to talk to my boss, who didn't seem to care, and seemed to blame me for it.  I ended up staying until 8pm, and wrote him (and cc'ed the Clinical Supervisor) on the status of everything.

We talked about the volume, and he took one small thing off my plate, but not enough to really make a huge difference.  We talked about the change in hours and pay status....I worked out schedules, PTO pro-ration, etc.  Boss didn't say NO, but he really didn't say YES.  The 36 hr week is a sticking point.  He agreed to do it for 35 hrs a week for the moment (which would be 70 hrs a pay period), but then he wouldn't want me working any more that that.  And then he would want me to go up to 40 hrs/wk in the summer, with a guarantee of schedule.

35 hrs a week won't help the G-man work situation.  It isn't enough.  Plus, it really isn't more than I am working now, which doesn't help the volume of work.  And, we are still working on the summer schedule (that is another post as well), and at this moment in time, I can't tell him the EXACT schedule.  He doesn't like that answer...even though he full well knows that alot of organizations haven't posted there summer information yet....but somehow expects me to have it.

Even as I type this, I know it sounds like I am the one who wants it all....and to some degree I do.  I have been there 6 years, and by the nature of the business, everyone has a flexible schedule.  But some of that is not extended to me.  He wants me to plan out so far in advance that it isn't possible (he asked me in August 2013 what I was doing for April 2014 spring break).

So for now, I can increase my hours, but no change in employment status....AKA, no vacation time.

Additionally, I was told that the likelihood of pay increase was very small.  Here we go again.  I didn't even bring up salary, he did.  But he contends that I am overpaid "for what I do" and I probably won't see much in of a raise in the future.  I countered and said that the sheer volume of what I do has increased 4 fold, and if he is able to follow through on a few other things (more expansion of the company is planned)....it will continue to increase.  It isn't the physical act, it is the number of times I have to do it!  He doesn't see that volume=more work.

(if you are still here....good for you!)

So right now I am going to work as many hours as I can, and we are going to try and save 50% of G-man's second job check (we are estimating that my increase in hours will balance it out) for several months, and if we are able to save it, then we will know that we can safely apply that much to debt.  We are hoping that we can make a big snowball payment to something at that time, and then be able to apply the money on a monthly basis there after.


I have found another job that I will be applying for this week (resume is fine....still working on the cover letter)    Something in my gut says this isn't the right job, but I am going to apply and see how it goes.  It might not turn into anything...it might be better than I think! 

One of my big "issues" at the moment....is I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.  My path has drastically changed, and I am not sure where to go.  I don't want to make choices out of fear.  But I am tired of working for people who "use" me, take credit for things, and overall my existence is to make them shine.

I have developed this craving for creativity.  I go stir crazy without it.  So I am trying to figure all of this out.  And I am just a little lost in it all. 

Sorry for the LONG post.....I am sure there are ways to make this shorter....but this is as good as it was gonna get without starting all over.  Any suggestions what I should be when I grow up?  

22 comments:

  1. Maybe you don't know what you want to do when you grow up but you do know what kind of people you want to work with and its not this jackhole. Keep looking for a new job. You don't deserve to get treated like this for taking a week off unpaid during the holidays. The company's grown by 200% and he won't give you another 3-5 hours a week with paid time off. Mysti, you deserve better than that.

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    Replies
    1. I know I deserve better....I just have to find it.

      Delete
  2. What's wrong with being the one who wants it all? Granted you might not get it, but your requests were reasonable, particularly in light of the company's growth. That he feels you are underpaid for what you do would be enough to make me seriously search for another position, because it does not get better. It might be a less bad for awhile, but that is really not an improvement. Also, if he does not want you working more than X number of hours per week, why are you doing it? Believe me, I had had the same convesation with myself many, many times when I was an hourly employee and disliked my situation.

    I understand the fear of making choices, and I know job hunting can be really, really hard. From your description you work in an organization that treats your classification of employee as a second class citizen. I have been in consulting of one sort of or another for 20+ years now and know all about chargeability/profitability and how adminstrative staff are viewed like furniture (nice to have, but all of it is not absolutely necessary and we can do fine with the less expensive model). The attitude varies greatly within organizations. If you need to work, and it sounds like you do, it's likely going to be better to find something else.

    As for what you want to be, if you had a job where there was mutual respect, you might find that doing that job in that organization is what you want to be right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of my biggest regrets is taking that FIRST admin job out of college. It set the tone for the next 20 years. I have a BS in Psychology, and an M.Ed in Elementary Education....yet here I am.

      Yes, need to work. Yes, need a new job. But I don't want to get a new job doing what I am doing now....

      As for why I work more than X number of hours...the work isn't going to do itself. If I stop at X hrs, things get backlogged. Then I get Boss talking about productivity to me. And I have known him for 11 yrs....he doesn't scare me the way he scares the others. I have told him he can't have his cake and eat it too.

      Delete
  3. How big is your company (I cannot remember) maybe speak with HR representative. Immediate changes probably would not happen but they could work towards your end goal.

    It does not sound like you are happy there so maybe sit down and write out what you want in a job - from the flexibility to what you want to do - it does not have to be a total career change right now. Maybe push the comfort zone a little to see what you can do in an area that interests you and see if it would be something you would want to invest time into. If you find something and start negotiating for the position - see if they will allow you to work from home once a week or once every other week once you hit so many months in the office. You would be surprised what you can get if you just ask HR.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is no HR. The entire company is about 30 people. Boss, Clinical Supervisor, and then the staff in the field. We have 10 full time people, and outside of myself, the rest are contractors.

      There is no where to go here. This is it.

      Delete
  4. Sounds about same size as company as I work for. No HR..but huge difference - the owners (there are 2) and managers care! Any part time employees are prorated for sick and vacation. Seriously, there really are better companies and better bosses out there - lots of them. I know it's hard to make a change, but you will be so glad you did. If you find a job you are being considered for just ask about the benefits for a part timer, etc. That way you know going in what to expect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The job that I am applying for is a 35 hr/wk job. And yes, benefits will be discussed at the right time.

      My problem here is that I started at 5 hrs a week, and it grew from there. But he put so many stipulations on becoming an "employee" with benefits years back, we left it as is. And it is now a problem that I am having problems fixing.

      Delete
    2. oh, gotcha. That does make it hard. He is a terrible boss. Does the company have a lot of turnover in the other positions?

      Delete
  5. I am surprised you are not fighting for FT status. If his threshold is 32 and you're doing 35, why not bump you up to FT and get the benefits? I would really fight towards it. They're shorting you out on that, and if you're making FT hours and they're not considering you as such, yet you're being treated differently than actual full timers... I can only see issues. (Unless you're some sort of contractor and not an actual employee). If he is saying that more volume isn't more work, I think he's either being stubborn or ignorant. I would say keep looking, keep applying, but don't settle for something smaller or not so great. It's better a known evil than an unknown (possible) good. That's a poorly paraphrased Spanish proverb!

    I am shaping (rather forcefully, I'll admit) what I want to be when I grow up, but life throws so many curbs at you, that you just have to roll with the punches. It isn't knowing what you want to do, but taking on opportunities with an open mind and let them develop into what you'd like them to be. Don't be discouraged!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am considered Per Diem. He won't do PTO right now because I can't lock in everything he wants right at this second. So he is unwilling to change my employment status. I said I was willing to lock in 35 hrs a week, with PTO at a prorated rate. But he said no to that right now. Hell, I even said I would do 36 and 40 hrs (in a 2 week payperiod), and would be willing to accept PTO based on 36 hrs. Nope.

      As for the volume...he is being stubborn. He has a superiority complex.

      Delete
  6. You've posted previously that your boss has said he is sending a signal its time to move on. I have been in that position. Although you've been at this firm for years, things can change at any time. If I had it to do over, I would have heeded those signals and gotten a new job asap - I eventually got fired and THEN had to look for something new. It's much easier to find a job when you have one. And in my case, what I found was a position that I love and that pays me better than the one where I wasn't appreciated. Sometimes you can get so downtrodden when you're unappreciated that you think you don't have the skills or experience to improve your situation, but you'd be surprised. Make getting a better job your #1 priority for this spring and start an all-out campaign. Use LinkedIn, your network of friends and family, job sites, etc. You can do better. And you will.

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  7. it will all work out in the wash as we say. This will only make you stronger and more independant.

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  8. Mysti so sorry you are going through this. You can find a better job. You know that you add value. Forget about what you want when you grow up. It's a lot easier to focus on what you don't want. Then determine what you need (e.g. schedule, sick time, vacation time, etc.). While money IS important ask yourself if taking those extra hours and using them to find another job is more worthwhile in the long run. Call a recruiter! ~ Pru

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  9. What about teaching? You have a degree in that and you would be able to have the same days off that your kids have.

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    Replies
    1. I was thinking the same thing.

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    2. I don't want to teach. I don't agree with the Common Core or the data collection procedures. Teachers are now tied to the performance of their students and many other things.

      That was my life 12 years ago, and my life zigged when it should have zagged.

      Delete
    3. Why did you get a degree in teaching if you didn't want to teach?

      Delete
    4. When I got my degree 12 years ago, that is what I wanted to do. Then I had my twins 4 month prematurely and was home with them. Then I lost 3 babies in 7 months. And then my husband and I had some issues. And lots more. My life has since taken a different path.

      Delete
    5. That's unfortunate. I hope that one day you can find your way back to doing what you got your degree in. It would be terrible to get all that education for nothing.


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  10. It's good to get your resume ready so that if a great job comes along you will be all set. I actually have to do the same, although my job is fine but part time. I get no benefits as well. Kind of stinks when holidays fall on the days I'm supposed to work, but my salary is not significant for our household expenses. I say that, but once the college tuition bills start coming in, I really should work fulltime.
    I think you are on the right path to looking for a new job. It certainly can't hurt, and you definitely deserve paid time off.
    I'll be rooting for you!

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  11. Awww Mysti, you deserve so much better. Reading stuff like this makes me even more grateful for my job, my employer, my boss - they do anything & everything to make all the employees happy. I hope you find your forever job. It took me 2 years of searching to get this one so it may take some time, but you'll get there :)

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