- Joined
- Dec 19, 2000
- Messages
- 586
Last Thursday I was contacted by a contracting firm which asked if I could start today. It was said to be a 4-workday week, with Friday being for returning home, merging/migrating two banks together. It would require that I travel a lot, leaving Monday, returning Friday. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, I had to talk to my wife.
We're in that place where she has a job, but with it we can barely pay the bills that keep us in house and car. Even hard to get food, if we aren't careful. I've been outta work since last September, but was bouyed along by unemployment while I was in school. Except unemployment ended earlier than expected. Been about a month since I had a check, but just a week since school ended. So, a good paying job would be...good.
I spoke to my wife, who I love more than Bacardi 151, and we decided that I should take it. We both felt very sad about how long we would be apart, but figured that Friday-Monday AM would be great family time and midweek would be sufferable.
I called back and said yes. Thus begins my real story. Friday, the job was accepted. My wife and I went to get cell phones, so we could communicate freely with each other. At least, cheaper than long distance calls from hotel rooms.
I got an email Saturday (from the middleman between the bank and the contractor) saying we needed to buy some (reimbursable) supplies for the job: trash bags, tape, utility knife (got me a superknife from Home Depot), and a couple other things. Well...we didn't like having to spend more money when we were already riding the thin line. For a job, though, it should be worth it.
Also on this email I received was information saying I would need to be there Sunday, not Monday. They wanted to make sure people didn't show up late for the job. They told me that,"After we get to know people, it maybe allowed to become more lax." Maybe. What a word. A good way to pacify workers until they are stuck and you say "no." We were really not happy about Sunday nights. This meant I would get home midday-late Friday, and have to leave midday-late Sunday, maybe early, depending on the location (all of the NE). We figured that, if "maybe" was real, it "maybe" worth it to stick it out.
On Sunday I got an email from the contracting company that included contracts and such. I discovered upon reading the contract that I would be required to have both a laptop and a digital camera...something left out of any previous conversation. I called the company and asked, he said,"Didn't we talk about this? I mentioned that the company would buy it for ya, and we'd just deduct it from your salary til it's paid off." No, never did talk about it. And it's 4PM on Sunday. Stores are closing. And I'm not having the money in hand for even the digital camera. And I just spent $400 on brakes at Ford, because they didn't catch the brake problem *4 MONTHS* ago when I told them it was there...
So, I'm leaving Sunday night. Tears are streaming down all involved cheeks. I leave. I have this...ball...a knot...in the pit of my stomach. Haven't had that in a long time. I figure it'll go away. I arrive, meet one of the supervisors, and suddenly feel like I'm a Carnie. I don't know if it was just the travelling nature of these folks or that it felt like a freakshow, but...that's what it felt like. I wasn't comfortable with these folks. I don't know exactly why and...they weren't really any problem to me.
We had a meeting today to say hi to the new guys. I learned during that meeting that a) there are new contracts that all the guys had issues with, b)many banks haven't been completed enough by the first group so that we, the second group, could do them, c)if we couldn't do a bank, *we* didn't get paid, even if not our fault, d)not enough supplies were going around for people to get things done anyway, e)there is not a solid supply chain, which led to "d", f)for many banks, people had to stay til 6am to get it done...a job that should end at 10:30pm, and g)it is very few ways to keep a positive mindset with everything you've read above. Much more went on, but you get the point. From then on, I was mentally ending the job...
So, an hour later, I quit. I called the guy who hired me and I wasn't satisfied enough with his answers to want to stay. He said we would definately get paid for each bank we went to, regardless of if we could finish it. However, the people getting the paychecks are hard to argue against. I just didn't feel this was a good job for me. or anyone...not the way it's setup. at least, not if you have someone you love to go home to. it didn't sound like too many of the guys did, which is sad.
Is there a moral to this? Listen to your heart and head...sometimes they are in agreement? Don't work for carnies? I dunno. I'm just very frustrated to not be able to support my family at this point. /me off to keep dropping lots of resumes.
We're in that place where she has a job, but with it we can barely pay the bills that keep us in house and car. Even hard to get food, if we aren't careful. I've been outta work since last September, but was bouyed along by unemployment while I was in school. Except unemployment ended earlier than expected. Been about a month since I had a check, but just a week since school ended. So, a good paying job would be...good.
I spoke to my wife, who I love more than Bacardi 151, and we decided that I should take it. We both felt very sad about how long we would be apart, but figured that Friday-Monday AM would be great family time and midweek would be sufferable.
I called back and said yes. Thus begins my real story. Friday, the job was accepted. My wife and I went to get cell phones, so we could communicate freely with each other. At least, cheaper than long distance calls from hotel rooms.
I got an email Saturday (from the middleman between the bank and the contractor) saying we needed to buy some (reimbursable) supplies for the job: trash bags, tape, utility knife (got me a superknife from Home Depot), and a couple other things. Well...we didn't like having to spend more money when we were already riding the thin line. For a job, though, it should be worth it.
Also on this email I received was information saying I would need to be there Sunday, not Monday. They wanted to make sure people didn't show up late for the job. They told me that,"After we get to know people, it maybe allowed to become more lax." Maybe. What a word. A good way to pacify workers until they are stuck and you say "no." We were really not happy about Sunday nights. This meant I would get home midday-late Friday, and have to leave midday-late Sunday, maybe early, depending on the location (all of the NE). We figured that, if "maybe" was real, it "maybe" worth it to stick it out.
On Sunday I got an email from the contracting company that included contracts and such. I discovered upon reading the contract that I would be required to have both a laptop and a digital camera...something left out of any previous conversation. I called the company and asked, he said,"Didn't we talk about this? I mentioned that the company would buy it for ya, and we'd just deduct it from your salary til it's paid off." No, never did talk about it. And it's 4PM on Sunday. Stores are closing. And I'm not having the money in hand for even the digital camera. And I just spent $400 on brakes at Ford, because they didn't catch the brake problem *4 MONTHS* ago when I told them it was there...
So, I'm leaving Sunday night. Tears are streaming down all involved cheeks. I leave. I have this...ball...a knot...in the pit of my stomach. Haven't had that in a long time. I figure it'll go away. I arrive, meet one of the supervisors, and suddenly feel like I'm a Carnie. I don't know if it was just the travelling nature of these folks or that it felt like a freakshow, but...that's what it felt like. I wasn't comfortable with these folks. I don't know exactly why and...they weren't really any problem to me.
We had a meeting today to say hi to the new guys. I learned during that meeting that a) there are new contracts that all the guys had issues with, b)many banks haven't been completed enough by the first group so that we, the second group, could do them, c)if we couldn't do a bank, *we* didn't get paid, even if not our fault, d)not enough supplies were going around for people to get things done anyway, e)there is not a solid supply chain, which led to "d", f)for many banks, people had to stay til 6am to get it done...a job that should end at 10:30pm, and g)it is very few ways to keep a positive mindset with everything you've read above. Much more went on, but you get the point. From then on, I was mentally ending the job...
So, an hour later, I quit. I called the guy who hired me and I wasn't satisfied enough with his answers to want to stay. He said we would definately get paid for each bank we went to, regardless of if we could finish it. However, the people getting the paychecks are hard to argue against. I just didn't feel this was a good job for me. or anyone...not the way it's setup. at least, not if you have someone you love to go home to. it didn't sound like too many of the guys did, which is sad.
Is there a moral to this? Listen to your heart and head...sometimes they are in agreement? Don't work for carnies? I dunno. I'm just very frustrated to not be able to support my family at this point. /me off to keep dropping lots of resumes.
Alot of people are in the same boat with all the job layoffs that every state has had. Job Service any help at all where you are? Job Fairs? It's like my mom said: "Hell, if you're not an exoctic dancer or a truck driver there isn't any thing" but I'm talking about South Carolina here. Blackwatch keep your chin up because you will find a job. Just hold on tight and keep a straight road in front of you.
