Finally! "You Can Pay Her"

I posted this back in July, but I removed it to protect the not so innocent. It tells you how long things were like this. And while this is a classic story, as classic as buttercream icing, I will recount the gimmies and candles on the cake that made it super clear I made the right move getting out of the Pie when I did.

Thursday, July 27, 2006
"You Can Pay Her"
This is absolutely ridiculous.

Between some weddings and some other things going on lately, I've had to ask for some personal time. We're talking maybe a total of 8 hours/1 day. And I'm salaried, so technically, there really shouldn't be any questions about making up the time. During the fall and early winter I was putting in 45 hour weeks, working from home at night and on my days off...it's not like I didn't earn the time or won't put it in when it's necessary.

But instead, I hear a song and dance about taking any time off - coming in late or needing to leave early. I'm encouraged to take an entire random Tuesday off (instead of 2 hours), make that my weekly "off" day...What? So then I can have a random Tuesday and a Sunday off?! But she goes on...I am "supposed to be there anyway" and it doesn't make sense for her to bring in an hourly associate that will cost a couple extra bucks for 2-3 hours. You can't be serious? I'M SALARIED!? I have personal time?!

So that's just the few hours of personal time...it gets better. I need off next Saturday and being flexible, I offer to make this day up on Sunday or even Monday. Clearly this is too complex for her. She'd rather me squander a vacation day for a wedding then let me make up the day on a day that actually makes sense. Why, you ask? Because she has some unwaivering loyalty to the hourly peeps who only work on Sunday or Monday. I think my eyebrow rose at this point of the conversation.

Now, there's already some switching going on, to cover me being out next Saturday, and an hourly person will be there...racking up some payroll (the ones mentioned above that she would prefer not to bring in when I need 2 hours). Now wouldn't it make sense then to balance that with me working the next day? Instead of shelling out more hourly wages for a part timer? Complete contradictions.

She can't arrange this in her head so it makes sense financially and her priorities are skewed to say the least. But the final nail in the coffin of irritation and disbelief was her voicing that she doesn't want to be the one responsible for our scheduling requests going forward...that if I need an hour or two here or there, I should find the coverage. My concern. AND - get this - I should pay whomever covers me.

Yes. Because clearly no one understands what it means to be a salaried employee.

Note: December 29, 5 months later - I still don't think anyone at this place knows what salary means.