Here's the story, morning glory

[cleolinda]

So, now that I've made my big scam post on m15m, here's the Bad Thing I was talking about the other day:

My mother resigned from her job today. She's worked there a year and half, and they've had her doing the work of three people, yet were mysteriously unhappy when she did not, in fact, magically become three people. Never mind that she's working twelve-hour days just to keep her department's head above water and it's about to kill her. This came to a head on Friday, when she had a Come to Jesus talk with her employers that made her think that she was soon to be of the firing. The thing is, if you're fired, yes, you can collect unemployment insurance. Apparently in some states, you can simply say that you worked for someone from this date to that date and then say, "No, you can't call them back and check up on me." In Alabama? Can't do that. A future employer could call this one, and could ask, "Would you rehire her, if the opportunity arose?," and in the case of a firing, they can say, "No." So a firing, whether it was justified or not, is something of a stigma on your resumé here, and once I realized this, I started urging her to resign ASAP and beat them to the punch.

Well, she was going to resign Wednesday, but she went ahead and did it today. Her immediate supervisor was shocked--I half think that the employers were happy to vent their spleen on her and then continue working her into the ground; it may have sounded like they were going to fire her, but in reality, they had no such intention. The way it's worked out, then, has been for the best--they were taken by surprise and asked her to stay on 6-8 weeks to train the people who will take over her responsibilities and get them to a point where she can leave. We're going to sell my neglected car (which has been fixed, by the way) and the old engagement diamond my dad gave her (remember, they're divorced and she has since remarried), and with all that together, we've probably bought ourselves six months to regroup.

As of the other day, though, all I knew was, "She either has to quit or be fired. There goes half our income." I was a little anxious about this. Y'know.

I do want to make clear, though, that I think of this journal as having sort of a documentary aspect--I'm telling you this because you're reading and it's what's going on. We'll get through this, as we get through everything else, and if you want to observe that, it's here. This is not me on the fainting couch with my hand to my brow, is what I'm saying. I know how generous LJers can be--I'm saying this in part because I fear waking up tomorrow and finding out that y'all have taken up a collection or something, because I have seen so many people do that for friends who really needed it. And we're certainly nowhere near that. I really, honestly feel like I have been so, so fortunate in my life so far--I mean, at least we have things we can sell, you know? There are things we can do, and already things are looking up, with the extra time we've been given. I can get my Jo March on and finish the projects I'm working on; my stepfather has his job, and he's settled into it now and seems to really enjoy it. I'm not in class at the moment, so that's another expense we don't have to worry about, and I can take the summer off as well if I need to. I'm going to be stewing in my own anxiety for a while, I'm sure, but we'll get through it.

Comments

[handful.livejournal.com]

I would still like to give you much hugs. ♥ I know that you guys will land on your feet.

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

That is huge news - sort of incredibly scary but slightly exciting all at once. Hopefully, you mum will be able to find a fantastic job where all her qualities are appreciated and that would be great. Obviously.

Good luck to all of you in the coming months. I hope things work out. :)

[sea-of-tethys.livejournal.com]

Oh. Well I know you're not looking for gratuitous sympathy, but *tea*

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That whole bit at the end was more in the vein of, "... so don't take up a collection for me or anything." ; )

[kira002.livejournal.com]

Good for your mum for leaving them flummoxed. And hurrah for buying yourselves some more time. Now go get your Jo March on. (I think this calls for a new avi.)

[bibliotech.livejournal.com]

Not that I don't love you and care and am not sending you virtual love right this second, but all I can think right now is, "...damn, I really want a fainting couch."

[skyblade.livejournal.com]

Do you believe they had no intention of firing your mother? I mean, I guess they would have needed someone to do the training, but...do you think there was some kind of backtracking on the company's part? I have seen workplaces hold the axe before just to scare its employees into being "better". And in some cases a company will pull the "we were never going to fire you" claim, just to erase culpability on their part.

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

I'm glad your mum got out of that situation. Hugs to all of you.

[sea-of-tethys.livejournal.com]

Heh, ok I won't do that. :P

[laurelin-kit.livejournal.com]

I was wondering when you'd tell the journal audience.

I do hope everything works out, and I'm glad you aren't freaking out about it too much. It sounds like a stressful situation, but you guys have a lot of options.

Good luck, even though I think you can handle it fine. :)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I do too! They're really awesome-looking. I saw one that had an attached endtable/drawer/TELEPHONE NOOK.

[daily-sporfle.livejournal.com]

Wait... is a fainting couch a real thing? I once sporked a fic containing a reference to a "pine green fainting couch", and how we laughed... boy is my face red. Or, in fact, pine green.

[bibliotech.livejournal.com]

...if I had that, my life would be complete. COMPLETE.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I kind of didn't want to give a detail this specific in the main entry, in case anyone from her office wanders across this, but... when the bosses got up to leave from the Come to Jesus meeting, her supervisor... winked at her. That, and after another dressing-down, my mom came in the next day and said, "Look, if you want to let me go, just give me time to find a new job and I'll be out of here," and they were like, "What are you talking about?" They just really seem to enjoy yelling at her but keeping her around for three people's worth of gruntwork, I don't know.

[bibliotech.livejournal.com]

Yes! And they are SO COOL. They should've never gone out of fashion.

[arielchan.livejournal.com]

Never easy stuff, but I get the feeling your family knows very definately what you're doing, so I'm sure you'll come out shiny. Good luck.

[law-witch.livejournal.com]

Whoa, what abusive employers!

IF she wants to stay on and help train (for bucks and time that work for her) she should go for it. But she should feel free to take long lunches or leave early for interviews.

hey, she did the right thing, they would have just worked her to death more and made her feel like crap if she stayed (speaking from having been there and dragged through it!)

[moveablehistory.livejournal.com]

Poor Cleo. *hugs*

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

Tough stuff, but it sounds like you have yourselves planned out, at least. Best wishes and a bit of luck (because everyone needs luck!) in the future endeavors. And I know you're not looking for sympathy, but *hug*.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

You laugh, but there was one entry where I was like, "Man, I want some cake" (read: "Man, I should go bake one"), and people were like, "OMG WHAT IS YOUR ADDRESS I CAN SEND YOU SOME." That, and people are just so giving--I've seen so much generosity whenever someone falls on hard times. I just want to make clear that I ain't on 'em yet.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Well, I wanted to wait until the actual resignation/firing happened. Thing is, on the board, I *know* her employers can't see it.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-25,GGLG:en&q=fainting+couch

[sea-of-tethys.livejournal.com]

You laugh, but there was one entry where I was like, "Man, I want some cake" (read: "Man, I should go bake one"), and people were like, "OMG WHAT IS YOUR ADDRESS I CAN SEND YOU SOME."

Ha ha ha! That's brilliant. Now I'm kind of glad I didn't facetiously offer to mail you some teabags.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Ooo, lookit, so swank: http://antiquesinboca.com/images/Chairs%20&%20Sofas/cs0003.jpg

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

SCROLL DOWN ZOMG: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fur/124302198.html