[QHdy5Z3A]

My current job, after a series of job changes over the past few years, has me as an office manager for the local office of a law firm. The office is the largest of five, and houses the company staff as well as the local staff. Now, part of the office which is relevant to this story is the file room. We have three full time filing staff... (Names are changed to protect the people you don't know)
*Frank: 30 year old with two boys, a wife, and is attending law school. he's being paid $12.50 per hour, well into poverty levels by probably about 99.9% of the US. His wife is also holding a job though. He wants a promotion despite the fact we have no higher levels open for people with no law experience, he's pressing hard on the fact that's he's in law school, but trying annoying methods of getting promoted, or more $$. He tendered his notice, played chicken with the Boss before rettracting it, he said privately to me he'd hoped The boss would be at his feet offering him a promotion. I laughed
* Tom: Ex Marine, couldn't land a "real" job right out of the force, so he setled for a basic job while he settled in and got a "real" job. He has a superiority complex, overuses the "I was defending our country" sh** (thanks, now live in the corrupted freedom you protected). He gets paid $10.00 per hour, but also has a stipend from the Marines. He has major attitude problems and has some workers fearing if he doesn't get his way he'll snap
* Michelle Ellers: (reason a last name is important here will come). 23 year old Med School student who has been working here as long as she's been in college. only one worth anything back there, as in she has no attitude problems, enjoys her job, and accepts she can't go any higher with her current level of experience. She gets $13.20 per hour, not that the boys know that though, but she's been there longer. She's talked about quitting to get a job or apprenticeship somewhere medical. She threatened to walk out the door unless we fire the boys soon.
Since we wanted to get rid of the boys soon anyway, and keep her, we made the plan to fire the boys on Friday after letting her off early at 3. She is capable of running the file room alone, and I offered to help when necessary. So she left at 3, and we began preparing to fire the boys. We had security stand by since some workers were araid Tom may go nuts, but at 4 PM we told them to leave and they left peacefully. Security is to make sure they don't enter again.
With them gone, I ended up covering the file clerk duties... ansering the phone, and sending out the mail was mainly what had to be done. at 4:30, about fifteen minutes after the boys had left I got a phone call.
"Hi, this is Marleen Ellers, Michelle Ellers' Mom. Is Cynthia available?" (Cynthia is my boss, the General office Manager) "Yes, let me forward you to her" I knew right away something was wrong, the tone in her voice, and the fact that it was her mother calling ("Michelle" lives in her own apartment, I've never dealt with her family before) I feared the worst and found a stupid way to get to Cynthia's office. I closed the door and talked business to her, but let it show I was concerned. Right before I left Cynthia's face dropped... "Michelle was in a car accident on her way home..... It sounds like she'll be ok, but she'll probably need a few weeks off, at least two."
While I was overjoyed that she's going to be alright, I can't help but wonder why this weekend, why today? Without anyone in the File room now, It will be up to me to work the room, and hire AND train more people back there. Now, to add to this, I'm already spread thin in my job, we were understaffed before all this, and on Tuesday we have a new Attorney starting, along with 150 new cases. Throw in the family dama (my daughter, who has health problems just had a terrible week) and after the 4th of July celebrations, my stress level will go sky high, while my participation here will probably go rock bottom.
*groan* thanks for letting me vent.

[QHdy5Z3A]

As for firing both at once, I don't think either would have improbved their job performance, neither was particularly happy with their job, nor were they paid well. I agree if we had fired one, the other would have taken a clue and probably quit on his own. Beyond that, we have a new person starting tomorrow, and the girl trained both boys, and has run the file room alone before.
I'll stop making excuses and say that the decision was made with little input from me, I don't control hiring. Our administration is not known for its excellent decisions
She called me yesterday and said she was feeling up to coming in tomorrow, I told her not to sweat it, and said if she did come in she wasn't to do anything except dictate to the new girl what to do.

[ImmimiFruff]

Yea our minimum wage is only $5.15 an hour, but sometime next year (or later this year maybe??) its getting raised to $6 I think. So actually, I make 50 cents over minimum, but still. Not bad for a 17 year old I guess.

[vansVoish]

Andre i was talking to CarMattzu but thanks for the info anyway, our minumum wages are like 5.95 or something but most people get 6.30 or above

[WUlcN1Rz]

as they say Andre, no good deed goes unpunished.

[codecouponqw]

Ah, vent away as always Andre!
Thats is just a really wierd thing to happen, and I hope things work out personally and ... careeraly for you.

[Trebbinsa]

Quote » Sad And terrible Irony. (long introduction, pitiful conlusion)
Irony at it's best in your story but no one can predict tomarrow.
I must ask though. If you have a new Attorney to the firm, why did you get rid of both filers at the same time? I think you should have just fired one of them at see how it goes within a couple of weeks.
She should have choosen wich one to fire. The other guy would take a clue that he's could be next thus work better so he can keep his job.

[ImmimiFruff]

Yea I just started my first job, and the stress that comes along with it makes me understand how you may be feeling. Especially since its "part time," yet i'm working almost 40 hours a week. And I only make $5.65 an hour. Oh well, teenagers can't do very much more without previous experience.

[Ivanaishere]

Quote, originally posted by Santeno »as they say Andre, no good deed goes unpunished.
Kinda like the road to tell is paved with good intentions huh? Good luck Andre, I hope everything works out. Right now I'm stressing out with what to do with my degree once I graduate college. I'm getting my BS in Business Management. Oy, adulthood sucks.
M0L0TOV

[QHdy5Z3A]

Actually, wages here are pretty decent, but the standard of living is expensive, so in that respect minimum wage is pretty low. Minimum wage in CA is $6.75/hour and the "Living Wage" in San Diego (One person can live with basics) is $10/hour. Most entry, student jobs such as bagging groceries or bussing tables is started at minimum wage and not regulated. More proffessional companies such as where I'm working (also construction and any city contracting jobs) start at Living wage for entry positions, and our Chief Attorneys earn upwards of $136k/year. I poked around just now and found that with a year of experience, jobs such as ours hire you in for $15 per hour.
Called and checked up on her today, it sounds like she's fine, she's at her apartment, talking about her sister picking her up for the fourth of July, and says she may try to start Tuesday, so maybe crisis will be narrowly avoided.

[cliceperperIa]

When it rains, it pours.

[GDRussiayear]

Thats not good, sorry to hear about that.
But try to keep positive, there will always be sh** in our lives, we just have to manage it. I know its hard to keep positive, ive just lost my girlfriend, someone who i really loved but i never appreciated, but try to think of the things ahead
You never know what you've got till its gone.
I find its always good to vent crap online, so go right for it. Keep up the good work, and hopefully things will work out. My wishes are with you and *Michelle.

[Zysyewgg]

Wow. Such horrible irony... Don't worry, though. I'm sure everything will go fine.

I like my job.

[WUlcN1Rz]

Quote, originally posted by M0L0TOV »Right now I'm stressing out with what to do with my degree once I graduate college. I'm getting my BS in Business Management. Oy, adulthood sucks.
M0L0TOV
It's not that bad. Find a field you are either really passionated or interested about, and pursue any entry level management job you can find. once you are in, start making Graduate school plans and make sure your bosses know. most companies worth their salt will seek to keep you and encourage you to go to graduate school. the bigger companies will even pay for some or all of your tuition.

[vansVoish]

Are the wages that low where you live, I make 7 dollars and hour and work 7 hours a week at Kumon. O yea sorry to hear that Andre, it will probably work out in a few days