I have been coming to this site for two years now and the wealth of wisdom and depth of learning that I have been exposed to has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
Ok...enough ass-kissing. I guess I'll get to my point.
This diary is not intended to be a well-researched expose of the latest Sarah Palin interview or the multitude of reasons why Sen. Joe Schmuckitelli (I?) or Joe the Fake Plumber is an asshole worthy of scorn, contempt and pure, un-adulterated ridicule. It is painfully obvious now that they deserve every karmic result of their actions. That is not my concern...their justice will come around when the time is right.
This is about a regular guy who just got seriously screwed by the "powers that be" who needs a little empathy, sympathy and some really cool comments.
Follow me below the fold anyone?...
This is a real story about a real daddy who just lost his job as a direct result of the last eight years of Bushit and I seek some advice and counsel from fellow space-travelers on this spinning blue rock that we call home...this time around.
A quick summation: For the last 15 months I was happily cruising along as a product auditor in a box factory in the Central Valley of California, a job that fellow Kossack llbear encouraged and convinced me to pursue because I am worth it and, damn it I deserved.
A month ago I was fired for "Violation of Attendance Policy". Below you will find my letter to the Unemployment Dept. in defense of the absurd reason behind my termination. I will conclude this diary at the end and I can only hope for some positive feedback.
Flames and tips are welcome as always. I am nothing if not open-minded.
To Whom It May Concern:
On October 9th, 2008 I was contacted by Donna in Human Resources who informed me that I needed to meet with V.P. of Human Resources-Blake and Quality Dept. Team Leader-Nate at 3pm to "discuss my attendance"...a very misleading statement, to say the least. Upon arrival in his office at 2:57pm with Nate present it took six minutes for Blake to inform me that I had reached the "termination stage"...with all of the condescending behavior I had come to expect from the senior management in my 15 months of experience at "Nameless Box Factory". Suffice it to say, when I responded with three words: "Are you serious?" I meant every word of it. I did not voluntarily quit this job, nor do I feel that I was terminated for any good reason, let alone one due to "misconduct". A complete explanation follows but I can’t promise that it will be brief. Sometimes the truth takes a while. Please bear with me.
When I started this job on 6/21/07 I had no reason to worry about my attendance. In over 25 years in the workforce it had never been a problem so I had no reason to think it would be at my latest endeavor as a product auditor in the Quality Dept. It was a job I enjoyed, working with people I respected and who respected me in return. I was hoping to gain invaluable experience in the quality field that I could use to further my value in the job market and was hoping for a long, productive and mutually beneficial relationship with "Nameless Box Factory". I certainly never thought that someone who performed his job well enough to be called his "most diligent auditor" by the V.P. of Quality would be fired for calling in four times in 15 months. Combine this with the one incident of leaving early in August of 2007 on the 7th day of 12 in-a-row due to utter exhaustion(getting use to graveyard shift in a 120-degree warehouse combined with a high blood-pressure condition that I had run out of medication for that I informed the supervisor on duty about upon arrival) and the one time I was 13 minutes late through no fault of my own (freeway shut down to one lane instead of three due to construction which I, of course, kept my fellow product auditors informed of until my arrival at 11:13pm) and a reasonable, unbiased observer could hardly consider me an "attendance problem".
Upon reflection, I will admit that my first "call-in" on 10/08/07 due to a dental emergency was something I probably should have pre-arranged. I guess I was guilty of hoping I could show up to work, but the combination of pain-killers and serious oral surgery left me no choice. (1st "Offense") On January 29th and 30th of 2008 I had a serious flu which left me bed-ridden...something I had not felt since starting a job in a 200-person call center seven years earlier. I know my body and I know when I have come in contact with the flu virus...something that has only happened to me three or four times in my entire adult life. Believe it or not it was suggested by senior management that it might have been "my fault" because I did not get a flu shot...a blatant disregard for my value as a human being that I will probably never forget. (2nd "Offense). My 3rd "Offense" came over six months later on July 31st, 2008 when I had a bad cold and knew I needed one day to recover before coming back to work. This leads to my 4th and final "Offense" which, in combination with the 13-minutes late and leave early 13 months earlier was the reason given for my termination: "Violation of Attendance Policy" on 10/09/08.
On that night I again ran into a construction/roadblock problem,this time on Mitchell Rd. that forced me to call the product auditor cell-phone and speak with Katherine, a fellow product auditor on the 2nd"swing" shift. She informed me of an alternative route where I could continue down Hatch Rd. until I came to Yosemite Blvd., make a left and get my bearings where I could then turn left on Claus Rd. and find my way to work, albeit a little late. Upon hanging up with her at 10:45pm(approx.) I called my supervisor Nate on his cell phone to inform him of the situation and left him a voice mail. I forged on down Hatch Rd. not knowing the area at all and hoping that I could find my way. I must explain that I recently arrived in the Modesto area and am not familiar with every little back road through the mazes of farms that dot the landscape in this area...to say the least. At approximately 11:05 pm I came within 6 inches of the front bumper of an 18-wheel big-rig which shook me to my core and caused me to pull over for about five minutes until my heart returned to my chest and I was able to gather myself and realize that I was hopelessly lost...and that my safest and sanest option was to return the way I came, go home, inform my fellow auditors I would not be coming in and inform Nate of the same and ask if I could please take a vacation day for the night, if that was possible. Both of these calls were made at approx. 11:30pm, the night of 10/08/08. I also stated that if I had to take a sick day I was fine with that...after all, I had over 20 hours of "sick time" on the books and I was under the impression that my "leave early" on 8/26/07 and my "call-in" on 10/08/07 had fallen off of my record, having been at least a year earlier.
Apparently I was wrong. According to the extremely rigid attendance policy forged by Blake it has become clear to me that a person at "Nameless Box Factory" can be there almost 2 and one-half years with only five "Offenses" and still be eligible for termination, as long as there is one day less than six months between each one...an absurdly over-bearing policy that does not take into consideration anything else about the value of the employee, let alone the fact that most people have three or four times a year that they need to "call-in" that don’t fall into the categories of F.M.L.A., pre-arranged time off, bereavement leave, maternity leave, vacation, jury duty or any of the other excuses that are often-times abused in order to "work the system". I don’t do that. I never have and I never will.
In conclusion, the mere fact that I was let go from "Nameless Box Factory" is in-and-of-itself enough of an injustice. Please don’t add insult to injury by denying me my basic right to unemployment insurance in these extremely hard economic times.
My karma is good. I can only hope that "Nameless Box Factory" and it’s "leaders" enjoy the same satisfaction that I do in knowing that I am on the correct side. I fear that they may not. I will keep them in my thoughts and meditations.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Ok...if you've read this far I apologize for taking up this much of your time already. Here's my conclusion.
When I started this job over a year ago they were busy as hell. Fancy packaging was affordable still, at least somewhat. Some of the clients we serviced included Apple, E&J Gallo and The Wine Group. But all of a sudden every monthly "Co.-Wide" mtg. was a bombardment of reassurances that "everything's ok"..."we're recession proof" and "all of your jobs are safe". Of course this was complete bullshit but the working-class white folks in attendance went along (& mostly voted for McCain/Palin...I worked with some serious wingnuts and ALL of the senior management looked like Sean Hannity {GAG}). Towards the end I realized that things weren't so rosy and the writing started to appear on the wall.
In discussions with some long-time employees (10+ years) it became increasingly obvious that the "Attendance Policy" crafted by Blake (a former F.B.I. agent with a huge, conservative stick up his ass) was solely designed to fire anybody they wanted and left them with a "valid" excuse for doing so. I am now the latest victim of said policy.
As unjust as that is I could deal with it and move on but now, with the present jobless numbers and economic situation, they are trying to deny me my unemployment benefits.
This daddy will not let them off so easily. That is where you people come in. I need all of the advice, encouragement and chutzpah you all can muster in my direction, at least for this moment in time. Mojo wouldn't hurt either.
The bottom line is that I am hurting emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically as a direct result of this blatant disregard for my worth as a human being by the right-wing monsters who run this co. I used to work for and, more generally, by their partners in crime On The Hill.
Can a guy get a little peace and serenity?...anyone?
Thanks for your time and consideration and keep the faith. We will "win", in the end. We are on the correct side. That is, after all what really matters.
Well, ok...what really matters is how much we help each other. In the end, that will be how we are judged, no?
Thanks for listening, not listenin'...You betcha ass. :)
As Always, Peace ;-)>