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.