Takes the Cake, Part II

Date: May 9, 2005 10:55 PM

Hard to believe, but my boss out-does himself!
This is definitely "Takes the Cake, Part II"

I have worked for this man for nine years. At first it wasn't bad because he did allow me to take time (within reason, of course) as needed for my kids as they were growing up and allowed phone calls from them to me at the office when they got home from school. That is the biggest reason I stuck with him. The pay has never been great, but in the beginning it was at least within the mid-lower range for this area. My being allowed to be there for my kids was important to me even if it meant making less. Then things took a turn and he found a way to make things work for him even though I thought he was helping me. I had to have my left kidney removed back in 2001 due to a birth defect detected when I was 48 years old. He went with the idea of moving the workings of the office into my house so that I could work while recovering from surgery. It was great in the beginning. I loved it and I worked really hard to prove to him that this could become a permanent thing. That it could be a benefit both of us. Who wouldn't love the convenience of working out of their home? Oh, it ended up working out great all right. It now gave him exactly what he wanted. He no longer felt the need to go into the office every now and then. He was now able to go on multiple vacations and outings year round and still know that everything in the office was being handled great. He has always commented on how perfect I handle everything. Even recently I have heard that comment. However, later that same year, I ended up taking a pay cut. Not a small one….my salary was cut exactly in half. I worked hard to make ends meet and even took on odd jobs here and there to compensate. Then as time went on I ended up adding on the cost of office supplies; the paper, printer ink, the extra phone line to take the phone calls being forwarded for the business, the long distance phone bill, stamps etc. out of my own pocket. That just started to progress over time. Plus he bought some buildings and I was also became his property manager! The property manager addition to my job started out ok, but then it also started getting twisted around. The actual job description of my original position when hired took many twists and turns over the nine years, with things being added on a regular basis. I will say that the original business itself did start to slow down from what it was when I was first hired. It really couldn’t help doing so. He hasn’t been around to promote any new business and he rarely returns any of the current clients phone calls.

My boss never did call back Friday afternoon after getting back from the golf course, or even anytime this weekend, as he said he would. No, it as 2:30 this afternoon (Monday) when he finally called. He asked a few questions regarding my health and what is happening then continued with something I never saw coming!

Two weeks ago he mentioned that he wanted to cut business expenses and was considering bringing the stock for the business from the warehouse back down to his property and then he would do the shipping of the stock himself. I wondered when he said this, just how this would work out. He really does not like to be in the office too much. Never has. Even old-time bankers hours would be a heck of a lot more hours than what he has put in, in years. But it appears my being diagnosed with cancer may have just been the perfect timing for him. He knows I am going to need surgery, recovery time from surgery, chemo, and radiation and who knows what else. He, of course, knows my age, 53. He knows that already has a high likelihood of working against me in the current job market. He knows I am not going to be a hot commodity with my recently diagnosed health situation in the current job market. And of course, he, of all people, knows how much money I make and knows how I am really hurting, there again, with what is looming ahead of me.

His solution to help me out?

He brings the stock down from the warehouse, as originally stated, and my husband can do all the shipping. When he said it, I immediately thought, "This could good. A little extra income would help out a lot right now." So I asked "How much would you pay Ed to do this?" His answer, "Well, nothing. This is how you can keep your job." I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I actually stuttered and my thought process became a mess! As he droned on, I realized he was serious. He actually expected Ed to do drive the 18 mile round trip, in our old 1990 van that guzzles gas at around 13 miles to the gallon, (would love to replace it but no resources to do so) AND do the shipping for no compensation what so ever, just so I can keep my job. I came very close to screaming out loud. I was screaming inside.

I realize I am partially to blame for my current "job" scenario and I accept this. I should have quit and found something else. Yes, I should have probably done it a long time ago. But I didn’t. I loved being able to be home when the kids got home from school, to be able to be there with them during the summers, and I loved working out of the house. (My youngest just graduated high school last year.) So, with all of this, I just kept trying to make the job work, so that the rest of my life could work, too.

My husband’s reaction to my bosses’ thought process of "volunteering him so that I could keep my job" was priceless. Not just volunteering him, but also putting us in a position where we would have to spend money to do it! At a time when we are both already scared about my just recently being told the ever dreaded "you have cancer" statement. At a time when, without medical insurance or savings or enough money to pay the even the basic bills right now, our only vehicle being a gas guzzler that isn’t in the best of condition to even get to chemo treatments and radiation treatments, (which are over 30 miles each trip), we get this added on top. Yep, the world has some interesting characters in it. That is for sure!