Saturday 2 April 2011

Happy Fuckin' Weekend!

So I'm back at work in a different department. I quite like it there - everyone is friendly and they really know how to work as a team. Very different vibe - work is taken seriously yet it's a relaxed atmosphere. Such a refreshing change. When I went back up to my old department to get my stuff off of my old desk, it was like a morgue in there. Suffice it to say if someone let out a little fart on one side of the room, the people on the other side would hear it.

During my first full week back, my supervisor informed me that the one person in The Other Department who was trained on the formatting macro had to go on bed rest (she's only 3 months pregnant) so no one knew how to update templates or add new ones to the macro. I used to be in charge of it, so I had to do it. I felt like I couldn't say no (they would have been really stuck and I would have ended up looking like Bitch Supreme). I was told that I could train someone very shortly and then I wouldn't have anything to do with it anymore. A little while later I received an email saying that I was the intended trainee's backup for when she went on vacation or was sick. I thought hey, I didn't agree to that. For the past few weeks I have felt like I was being pulled in two different directions. I need to be trained in this new job and my new coworkers aren't used to, and shouldn't be expected to, hearing "sorry I can't, I have to get this other thing done." Finally, yesterday I was able to train someone to take care of the macro. I'm not a good trainer - I know what to do but I find it difficult to explain things clearly (at least this is my own opinion of my training abilities). I explained everything to "Y" and showed her how it worked and set up an exercise for her to do, which was really updating the database. I was happily informed that the other person who was trained on the macro should be coming back soon. Good news for me, and hopefully good news that she's feeling better - I was told that she was quite sick. At least next week I can focus 100% on my training. Nice way to end the week.

At 4:30, just as I was shutting my computer down, my phone rang. It was The HR guy who handles problems with employees then sides with the supervisor (from what I've heard). I thought, uh oh - why would he call me? I answered and he said there was nothing to worry about it's just that he needed a couple of minutes with me to discuss my insurance payment.

On January 1st we had switched insurance providers. Since I was on long-term disability with the old insurer, I wasn't paying anything to the new insurer yet. This is what I thought he meant about payment - that it was going to be my contribution for the month of January. I was shocked to find out that when someone returns from sick leave they owe the company for their benefits during all the weeks, months, whatever, that person was off. I thought the insurance company took the amount they were owed and the money I received was what was left over. (I'm not good at math, and when I receive a cheque I assume I'm not being ripped off or payed too much.) I owe $1,485. My jaw dropped. I was told that my next paycheque will have 150 hours on it instead of 75. He said they withheld one pay from me (I don't seem to recall having anything withheld as I would have certainly noticed that). He wanted to take 50 of those hours then have me pay off $181 for the next three paycheques. I almost shit my pants. I shook my head then asked why doesn't he take all 75 hours. He seemed surprised but what choice do I have? After that I'll have four payments of $60-something to do. That's more manageable. He said he would find out what the real amount will be after taxes (oh yay) and he'll let me know.

Then he tells me to have a nice weekend.

I left feeling absolutely furious. It wasn't because I have to pay - it was a shock, but I'm guessing it's normal practice in every company - it was the fact that he waited until 4:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon to give me this news. Really??? I started my gradual return February 14th. I've been back full-time since March 7th. You wait until April Fool's Day to lay this on me? What a dick. (Yes, I am fully aware that what I put on the internet is here forever, blahblahblah, but when someone does something like this, he deserves to be called a dick.) Do HR people learn this while getting their degrees? Is there a special class called "How to Deliver Bad News in order to Blindside Employees"?

If there are any HR people reading this, please don't deliver crappy news like this to your employees on a Friday afternoon. If it's something that just came up, wait until Monday morning at least. Middle of the week would be a better preference because then you don't start your weekend or begin the work week on a low note.

10 comments:

  1. Yeah, he was a dick. That totally sucks, man.

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  2. It got worse before it got better. Someone in payroll emailed they were going to do the $181 in 3 payments option. I said no again and proposed another option that would take me up to July 14th. Mr. HR wrote back to say they can't do it since the payment is already overdue (???) and they had extended the payment to 5 cheques already.

    It came across as sounding like extortion. I flipped. I sent back an angry reply listing all the bills that would be affected by that then added, "Thanks for the heads up." Then I suggested that, in the future, they advise people as they go on sick leave that they will have to pay back the payments they miss. I also added I could have started to pay it back from September onwards so I wouldn't have to come back to such a nasty surprise.

    I felt almost the exact same way I did back in July before I went on stress leave, minus the feeling of a rock on my chest. People told me to take it to the head of HR when he gets back from vacation. I don't have to now because he wrote a very apologetic email. They decided to take most of the extra cheque (they left me $81 of it) and they'll take off $45 from each pay until November because no one informed me from the beginning.

    I can definitely live with that. I don't really appreciate what I was put through, but at least he said from now on they will advise employees so they're not stuck with a lump sum at the end.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Shakey, off topic.

    Earlier on CDAN you posted about your tooth problem this past weekend. I know you're from Quebec, although I'm not sure if you live in Montreal - I'm from Montreal originally, and wanted to help out if I could. I had a great dentist who worked Saturdays and would always come in for an emergency. A number of years ago I was in Montreal for a few days and had a major problem with a tooth. I called my old dentist, and he came in the following morning to see me. His office is downtown on Guy St.

    If you'd be interested in his number, why don't you contact me on CDAN. I'll leave my e-mail up for a short while.

    surfer

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  5. Surfer, that is so nice. Unfortunately I live about an hour and a half southwest of Montreal, so it would be quite a hike for me to get there. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, though. Thank you!

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  6. My pleasure. I can't imagine how awful it must have been to spend all that time in emerg.

    But I truly understand what you're going through. I just finished antibiotics for a tooth infection - 2nd flare-up for this tooth. Turns out it's cracked beneath the gum, and will have to be pulled. Needless to say, I'm very unhappy. That now means either a bridge, implant or false tooth.

    Hope you feel better soon.

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  7. Ah, I think that's what happened with my back molar. I clenched my teeth so hard, this flash of pain shot through my jaw. The pain became so bad I began to wonder if I managed to break it, lol. I wouldn't doubt if the molar is cracked because when I eat and the top molar comes down on the bottom, it hurts like hell.

    I just had a tooth pulled a few weeks ago - upper molar on the other side, so at least I don't look like a hillbilly (at least not yet). The pulling isn't so bad, it's the thought, and the taste of the gauze, that's worse.

    I hope your tooth is in the back! If not, may as well pick out the nicest looking option. Or maybe even a pretend gold tooth and tell people to call you "Weezy". Good luck! Let me know which option you chose - I have a feeling I may be in the same boat soon.

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  8. No gold teeth for me, thanks! I think I'm going to opt for the false tooth. It's a temporary measure. Then probably a bridge. An implant is in the thousands, and very painful. Literally. And no, it's not the back. It's second from the back.

    And this will be the third time I've had a cracked tooth that had to be pulled. As to the other two, both had root canals and crowns. They were both back teeth, one on each side. And both had to be pulled. Pissed me off, after I spent all that money.

    Like you, instant pain. One felt like I had lock jaw, it was so painful. And what really upsets me, is that missing back teeth, molars, changes your bite completely. My teeth have definitely shifted. I'm actually considering braces or a retainer. But I have a lot of cosmetic work in my mouth, and braces can damage the crowns. So I'm in a quandry.

    I think we both need luck. And money. Damn that Quebec water.

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  9. Oh yeah, let me add that I had the same thing - the pain was excruciating when I bit down - had to chew on the other side also.

    As to the actual pulling, you're frozen, but you feel the pressure, the crunching. I'm getting the willies just thinking about it.

    And my two teeth that were pulled, were both back teeth, uppers, one on each side. This one is lower. I'm convinced this is why my teeth are suddenly shifting.

    Although I finished the antibiotics, the gum surrounding the tooth still hurts. Not a good sign. I see the dentist in a few weeks. I feel like I have a date with the executioner, lol!

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  10. OMG - I'm positive it's the water! I used to have really strong, healthy teeth! When my son was 5 he had 3 cavities.

    I had my tooth pulled because it needed a root canal. When the specialist explained everything and he mentioned that sometimes it needs to be pulled I asked, why not pull it now? The man FROZE. I'm sure he thought, there's goes 1/3 of my trip to Hawaii. I'm glad I had it pulled now.

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