No Job, Now What?

Ok, I have taken some time and really thought about if I wanted to write about this or not. And I'm going to.

I know other co-workers, as well as the boss have been to my blog. And that's ok. Everyone was there and seen what happened and I have the truth.

As of this past Friday, I have no job. I've been with this company almost 4 years. As much as I would love to tell the stories of all the terrible things that go on... I will..... LOL. And you thought I was going to say I won't. Here is what happened to my being asked to leave.

First know this....My boss and I have butt-heads from day one. I was NOT even going back for a second day. But I did. Taking the "walk of shame" down the hall into the conference room was a record setter when I started. I was yanked into the office more than anyone. And I know alot of it has to do with personality conflicts. And calling out the lies that one supervisor would tell me and then deny it in front of the other supervisor.

I am a very out-spoken person. I say how it is. I don't hold back. And if I think I'm right, I will stand by it until I am PROVEN wrong. My boss appears to be that way as well. However, I can't tell you how many times she has asked me to go outside with her and then PUMP me for info as to why someone is acting the way they are.... Why this person is doing this or why this person is doing that.....I have told her that she does not have the supervising skills that she should. And that she does need to handle each person differently. Using a scare tactic on one person may work but for me, that won't work. I respond to honesty. And she understood that. When she holds meetings and tells us to "sit down, shut the hell up and work". Perfect timing for her to say that when the BIG boss comes into the meeting....That comment made so many people furious.... Including me... Considering I had nothing to do with her saying that. So this had the opposite effect.... Everyone slowed-down. That's something I always told her was that the results she wants from everyone is not what she will get when she acts unprofessional, mean, nasty, hateful.....

So all the comments she made about my being a great worker, how my work gets verified the first time... All of that went right out the window on Friday. Or maybe I should say Wednesday. Because this all did start on Wednesday.

She gave me a new account to work. And after working it, it was not difficult or anything like that. But I did have some questions a couple different times. And every time I went to her, she did not have the answer. So she went to get the answer from someone else. I went to a co-worker and asked to see her notes because I waned to make sure that the info the boss gave me would be the same as the other co-worker. I just wanted to compare. I could not believe that my boss was going to teach me a new account when she did not know about it.... And I said that out loud. My exact words were "Holy crap, and she's teaching me this when she does not know about it".

Know this..... This is what my boss is mad at....(that I made that comment) It has nothing to do with what happens on Friday. Well, I'm sure it does but this is what led to it.

So a couple different co-workers, as well as myself heard our boss telling other co-workers that sit by her what happened with my asking for notes and making that comment..... (see, we have a good side that sits by her and then the bad side that is where we sit) She was gossiping among other co-workers... Nothing new, really....But we (on the other side) heard her.... So I said out loud "Now that's being professional, discussing gossip among other co-workers". So after I go back and sit down she comes up to me and asks if I want to know what she knows about the account.... And I said " Well, if you want this correct you'll tell me".

I finished my day and left..... I decided to take Thursday off since I was not feeling well. Now I was not deathly sick but I needed to take some time off.... And my boss knew that I was wanting to take a day off for me soon since the last day I took off for "fun" was April of 2007 and that's when I took my kids to the IX Center.

So Friday came and I went right to work... About 11:00 a.m. my boss came up to me with a different supervisor and asked me to follow them into the conference room (the walk of shame)... I said " Sure, just let me grab someone" and my boss replied "That's not in the rules, you know you can't". I said "If you can have a witness, then so can I". She said "You don't make the rules". I said I would settle for the BIG BOSS then and I believe she went to get her but then my boss came back and asked if I was refusing to come and I said "No, as long as I can bring someone". She said I can't and I said then I'm not going. "I'm not walking into the lions den" is the last thing I said. I sat there and continued to work and they turned around and walked past me....

Now I can tell this was different.....Anytime over the last couple years that she wanted to talk with me, we would go outside and have a cigarette (yes, I smoke) together.... But this time she was wanting to drag me in the conference room with another supervisor. I have not had that happen in years...And we all know what happens in there. And I was not about to NOT have a witness for myself.

So she came by a few minutes later with the other supervisor (who is just as much of a psycho as ours). She asked me to clean up my area, shut down and leave..... And I did. And I did it graciously. Not one tear.... Not one mean word... Nothing.....As a matter of fact, I started to leave and realized that I still had my ID badge and brought it back.

First of all, this company does try to push people out, and has a high turn around rate. If you quit, no unemployment. And for Jim, Valerie, Jamie and there were a couple more, they were fired, (paid into unemployment) and the company fought it and those people were unable to receive unemployment.

I have been with this company almost 4 years. I was a full time employee about the first year... Until child support sent a letter to my work asking them to take out full medical insurance on my daughter since the father did not have insurance on her.... That was going to cost me $541.00 a month. I told them if they did that, I would have to quit. They told me they did not want to lose me and that they would work with me by cutting me back to part time because they don't offer insurance to part time employees. So I go part time, lose vacation, Holiday, personal, 401k... I gave it all up.

So here I am.... Looking at starting all over again somewhere else....And I'm not getting any younger. The economy just sucks right now. And I know they will fight unemployment. So, I need to find something fast..... I am trying to look at this as a blessing in disguise.... I have been thinking of the gas money I spend each week ($80.00) to go to a part time job and put up with the crap like I have for sooo long. I know it was because of the flexibility that kept me there this long. I'm even willing to take a pay cut to find something closer to home and save the gas money.

I believe in the power of prayer... And I am asking for everyone to say a little prayer for me and my family during this time. Believe it or not, I am not worried. I have faith. And I have time to work on my home-business.