Job woes/hopes (with a side of rant)

[Swingline0.0.1]

Hi everyone,

I got a call a couple of Saturdays ago telling me not to bother coming in on Monday- this after 2 years in management with the company.

I sort of anticipated trouble when they started changing things- they wanted to start a new company (they already have about 10, mostly for tax reasons- or if they want someone to work more than 40 hours but not pay overtime, they just put them on a different payroll). This company was going to include my department, and they wanted to put a girl in charge of the whole thing because of her administrative skills... I had a huge talk with the owner about how she DOES have a lot of admin skill, but is completely inept when dealing with people... she had caused several problems before (NOT having any authority), so I was a little concerned about giving her some. I proposed that she be the Office Manager and I be Operations Manager, and they halfway agreed- I got that title, but she became General Manager, and that's when I got worried!

I was sort of counting on my loyalty and contributions to the company to count for something, but in the end, it was her dislike for me (I had told her to basically mind her own business when she was trying to stir things up in my department before) that won out- the owners are so sold on her that they just believe everything she says.

The story she came up with is that I wasn't keeping track of certain statistics (which is ridiculous since I designed the system that keeps track of them!), and generally not doing my job... this I don't get since I've gotten $6 per hour in raises in the last year and a half and broken pretty much all the production records going back 5 years!

The people I was working for haven't paid me yet for my last week, and say they don't plan to... I know that's technically illegal, but they are multi-millionaires and have a gaggle of lawyers at their disposal. They would spend $5000 just to screw me out of my cash, I think.

So anyway, I'm a little bummed... my wife's been having some health problems, so our savings were burned up by the ER.

Now for the hope part- I'm an ex-cop, and started out dispatching in a small county. The City of Springfield is hiring for their 911 center right now, and I've made it through 2 interviews and a bunch of horrible testing! The job pays really well (I'll actually make a bit more than I was after the shift differential), and it's got free benefits! There are some other cool things, like clothing allowances, etc, and I miss the law enforcement environment.

I think my last interview went well, and now it's just a waiting game for HR to do all my background, call references, etc... I just REALLY, REALLY hope nothing goes wrong with that part! Obviously I don't have any criminal history, but I'm paranoid that I put the wrong date on a past employment or something silly...

Anyway, I have now seen the pros and cons of working for a smaller company- you can get promoted much faster, but there's no telling when you'll get sabotaged! Unemployment is out, btw, because they'll just lie on the interview with the state, and Missouri is VERY slanted in the direction of the employers. I think it's just better to be with a bigger company (at least here) so you have some protection- there are policies that make it much harder for them to just toss you out.

So everyone please pray or meditate or whatever that I get that job! I'm working temp stuff now and delivering pizzas to stay alive! If not I'll have to get four or five pieds, throw them in a tank together and wait for babies! lol

[joepythons]

Hi everyone,

I got a call a couple of Saturdays ago telling me not to bother coming in on Monday- this after 2 years in management with the company.

I sort of anticipated trouble when they started changing things- they wanted to start a new company (they already have about 10, mostly for tax reasons- or if they want someone to work more than 40 hours but not pay overtime, they just put them on a different payroll). This company was going to include my department, and they wanted to put a girl in charge of the whole thing because of her administrative skills... I had a huge talk with the owner about how she DOES have a lot of admin skill, but is completely inept when dealing with people... she had caused several problems before (NOT having any authority), so I was a little concerned about giving her some. I proposed that she be the Office Manager and I be Operations Manager, and they halfway agreed- I got that title, but she became General Manager, and that's when I got worried!

I was sort of counting on my loyalty and contributions to the company to count for something, but in the end, it was her dislike for me (I had told her to basically mind her own business when she was trying to stir things up in my department before) that won out- the owners are so sold on her that they just believe everything she says.

The story she came up with is that I wasn't keeping track of certain statistics (which is ridiculous since I designed the system that keeps track of them!), and generally not doing my job... this I don't get since I've gotten $6 per hour in raises in the last year and a half and broken pretty much all the production records going back 5 years!

The people I was working for haven't paid me yet for my last week, and say they don't plan to... I know that's technically illegal, but they are multi-millionaires and have a gaggle of lawyers at their disposal. They would spend $5000 just to screw me out of my cash, I think.

So anyway, I'm a little bummed... my wife's been having some health problems, so our savings were burned up by the ER.

Now for the hope part- I'm an ex-cop, and started out dispatching in a small county. The City of Springfield is hiring for their 911 center right now, and I've made it through 2 interviews and a bunch of horrible testing! The job pays really well (I'll actually make a bit more than I was after the shift differential), and it's got free benefits! There are some other cool things, like clothing allowances, etc, and I miss the law enforcement environment.

I think my last interview went well, and now it's just a waiting game for HR to do all my background, call references, etc... I just REALLY, REALLY hope nothing goes wrong with that part! Obviously I don't have any criminal history, but I'm paranoid that I put the wrong date on a past employment or something silly...

Anyway, I have now seen the pros and cons of working for a smaller company- you can get promoted much faster, but there's no telling when you'll get sabotaged! Unemployment is out, btw, because they'll just lie on the interview with the state, and Missouri is VERY slanted in the direction of the employers. I think it's just better to be with a bigger company (at least here) so you have some protection- there are policies that make it much harder for them to just toss you out.

So everyone please pray or meditate or whatever that I get that job! I'm working temp stuff now and delivering pizzas to stay alive! If not I'll have to get four or five pieds, throw them in a tank together and wait for babies! lol

Aaron the answer is simple here,call a Attorney.They can not refuse to pay you for time worked i dont care who they have on retainers! Good luck and keep up the good thoughts.Let them have her and you move on(after you get your money of course)

[adizziedoll]

wow good luck man. Ill be thinking of yoU!

[Alice]

Aaron, good luck on getting that 911 job!

On the other issue, if you wnat to pursue it, call the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Each State has an office - should be listed in your phone book. They will investigate for you and it won't cost anything though it may take some time.

Let us know about the new job . . .

[FIREball]

Now for the hope part- I'm an ex-cop, and started out dispatching in a small county. The City of Springfield is hiring for their 911 center right now, and I've made it through 2 interviews and a bunch of horrible testing! The job pays really well (I'll actually make a bit more than I was after the shift differential), and it's got free benefits! There are some other cool things, like clothing allowances, etc, and I miss the law enforcement environment.

I know how the government hiring can go, it takes FOREVER. Took almost 6 months for me to get hired with all the testing, interviews, background checks, etc. But with you being a former law enforcement officer you know ALL the benefits that come with government work. I have been a firefighter for 4 years now and was the youngest ever to get promoted to Lieutenant in the department and probably make 30k more a year than I did when I started plus all the FREE benefits (insurance, retirement, incentive pay). I wish you luck, things will turn around in your favor.

[TekWarren]

First I want to say that it sounds like its a good thing that your getting out of where you where. I would say fight for the money you earned but I myself got screwed in a similar fashion. My last job was as a director of technology for a school district, to make a long story short they started making cuts and I was one of them. When I asked about my last paycheck I was told that they "adjusted" my salary based on my termination date...wtf ever!

I wish you luck in your interviews! I actually had an interview Monday myself! Hoping I hear back for a second but if I don't I'm in a stable place now.

[Sunny1]

I am so sorry that things are going the way that they are for you right now. But I do believe that things happen for a reason (though we may not see the reasons for something for quite awhile sometimes). There may be better things for you coming. I'll be praying for you and your wife

[Ginevive]

I wish you the best fortune. Sometimes these types of things are blessings in disguise. Your case reminds me alot of when my husband got fired years ago, by the new owners who bought the company he managed. He did rent-to-own collections and literally almost had a 100% recovery rate on lost goods. A complete turnaround from the wya they were running things before him.. I honestly think that sometimes people like you and him are too good for certain jobs; that is my only explanation for the decisions of sometimes-moronic higher-ups.
I hope you get that job you are after