Salamander’s mid-morning rant.
sigh The Amphibian apparently needs a major attitude adjustment. First of all, this is the week I was supposed to be on vacation. In case anyone has failed to notice, I am not on vacation. I am not on vacation because my government counterpart is on vacation. I can’t take vacation when he takes vacation. It doesn’t matter that I had my vacation week reserved weeks before he announced he was taking five weeks off. He wins, I lose. To insult the injury, the stand-in for my government counterpart decided HE was taking vacation this week. So I have a stand-in for the stand-in here this week. How come everybody gets to take vacation but me?
I believe I’ve already written about the bad timing regarding my annual review. They’ve changed reviewing procedures, and I was caught in the window of change. I won’t get a review until next year because of it. That isn’t a big deal in and of itself, but it means I don’t get my full raise this year. I will get it next year, and I’m told it will be retroactive. They did say they’d give those of us in my situation part of the raise, retroactive to what should have been our scheduled review date. I got the raise, but it was not retroactive to March 3. They just arbitrarily started it the beginning of May. It makes it hard to feel grateful.
So then yesterday they send an email memo to everyone regarding the work schedule for exempt employees. When I was hired I was told we worked 40 hour weeks. We get a half hour unpaid break for lunch and two fifteen minute paid breaks. I was told that this worked out to a 37.5 hour work week. I’ve even got an employee handbook that says this. I thought this was more than reasonable. Here, however, is what yesterday’s memo says we are supposed to be working:
Hours of Work:
The normal length of our standard workweek is a minimum of 45 hours.Meal Period:
A 30-minute meal break is permitted.
Huh? Since when? Yes, I know it makes virtually no difference to me anyhow. I regularly put in fifty to sixty hour weeks. That, however, is not the point. Personnel is just arbitrarily changing the work schedule without even announcing it as a change? And a meal break is “permitted”? I was told it was mandatory to take that break when I was hired. And what happened to our two fifteen minute breaks?
But wait! It doesn’t stop there! Reliable word of mouth (perhaps I should rephrase that “word of Mouth”) informs me that, as of yesterday, all travel is cancelled. No meetings, conventions, seminars, workgroups. Nadda, nothing, nowhere, no way, no how. Huh? First of all, my AVMA convention application is submitted. It’s been paid for. Now they’re telling me that they won’t pay to send me there????? I need those continuing education credits to maintain my veterinary license. Granted, there are continuing education credits I can get closer to home. But they have nothing to do with my job. Do they really want me taking feline dermatitis courses and canine flatulence reviews? *grumble* And then there’s the national animal welfare committee my boss volunteered me for last month that has its big meeting in Little Rock this summer. It’s going to look really good if I don’t show up for that (said in best “dripping with irony” voice). And what about my seminar from last year that was cancelled because of September 11th? Nobody could fly to get to it. I was promised I’d get that this year.
Yes, I’m feeling petulant. Peeved. Pissed. Put-out. Piqued. Gods help them when I get to add “premenstrual” to the list.