Working Girl Worries

So this company that the hospital is contracting out to has been dragging it's feet with my offer. They called me a few weeks ago and asked me to travel to another city to train on the equipment they use. My reply: "So I guess I got the job?" Their reply: "Well, yeah, but (the other contact person with the company) will be calling you later this week with an official offer."

So I waited. Then my grandmother passed away that week (I'll talk about that in a later post) and they knew it so when I didn't hear from them that week, I figured they were just giving me time to mourn and be with my family.

Then the next week came and I still hadn't heard anything. I was supposed to leave town for their training the following week and I still hadn't received an offer. Then I got a call from them saying they had not forgotten about me but there was a hold-up due to my salary. Apparently, I make quite a bit more than they normally pay for the coordinator position. They apparently have never employeed an audiologist for this position... so they were having to cut through a lot of red tape to match my pay. I asked if I was going to have an offer before I went to the training and they said probably not. I told them I was not comfortable with that and they agreed to just train me on site when they started the program at the first of my 3 hospitals.

The next day, in chit-chatting with one of my supervisors, I learned the powers that be (PTB) at the hospital had sent an e-mail to my current supervisors saying I had received and accepted a job with the new company. I was LIVID! So I sent the following e-mail to the PTB at the hospital, both my contacts at the new company, and CCed all of my supervisors at the different locations I work:

Hello All.

I am writing you all today because I am becoming very uneasy about the transition of the Newborn Hearing Screening Program from the hospital system (HS) to the new company (NC).

Here are some of my specific concerns:

1. The "go-live" for (the first hospital) is the first week of June and I still have not received nor accepted an offer for the coordinator position with NC. Yes, I have been told I have the job, but that's the extent.

2. I was recently reimbursed by HS for my Fall 2007 tuition. The rules regarding this state that I must remain a HS employee for 12 months following reimbursement or the amount will be deducted from my last pay check. Since I am not leaving HS by choice, will some other department absorb it? If not, how will I be compensated?

3. I have accumulated a significant amount of extended sick leave (ESL) time. I recently learned that it is not paid out when employment has ended the way PTO is. Since I am not leaving HS by choice, is it possible to have the time paid out as well? If not, how will I be compensated?

4. I contribute to a 403b retirement plan and I have been receiving the matching plan through HS. Because I have been an employee for less than 5 years, I will lose the money contributed by HS. Again, since I am not leaving the HS by choice, will I be able to roll the entire amount into a new account? If not, how will I be compensated?

Thank you for your time.

The PTB forwarded the e-mail on to the hospital HR and I waited to hear back.

The start-up was set for Tuesday, June 3rd. On Wednesday, May 28th at noon I received an offer from NC. It was for a dollar less per hour than I currently make. They also wanted me to work 40 hours (I currently work 30-35 so not too big a deal) and I would be salary instead of hourly. So they want to pay me less, want me to work more hours, and then not pay me for overtime if I work more than 40 hours. Then they told me they need an answer by the Friday the 30th or they would "be forced to go with (their) other candidate."

So here I was, with my husband out of town, being expected to make a life changing decision with 48 hours notice. WTF?!?!?

I still had not heard from HS HR so I was even more freaked out. I went straight to the HR offices and demanded to speak with someone. I was in tears by the time someone was able to see me. I told them about the offer from NC and asked them all the same questions from the e-mail... they were not able to give me any answers at the time but promised to get back with me soon.

That's when I decided to get some professional legal advice.

The following day, my immediate supervisor told me HS was not able to do anything about the 403b matching money (not to big of a deal) but that they were willing to forgive the tuition reimbursement AND PAY OUT MY ESL!!! I will have 150 hours by the time this all goes through so that is HUGE!!! I was ecstatic! And I was ready to accept the offer with NC. But before I left the office, my supervisor told me the HS PTB were currently in negotiations with the NC PTB to try to get me the extra dollar an hour!

Friday, I was supposed to accept/decline the offer from NC. I was still a little uneasy about it since I still had not been able to discuss any of it with my husband. But before noon, my supervisor told me the HS PTB told the NC PTB that they were to give me more time, that 48 hours was not enough time (especially when they have known for months what was going on).

So I called my contact at NC to let them know I wanted the weekend to discuss it with my husband. I could not get a hold of them so I was freaking out again. I left messages on their cell and work phone. Then I called my other contact with NC and told them what was going on. They tried to reassure me and said they would try to get in touch with the other contact.

Then I went into an interview with a completely separate company, because, hey, I have to cover my gulu in case this all falls to pieces...

When I got out of the interview (which went great, by the way), there was a message saying the "go-live" was postponed and to not worry about anything. They told me to take the weekend to talk to my husband and that they would give me a call sometime the following week.

So here it is, the following week and I am waiting to hear from someone... anyone... from the HS or NC...

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Bailey is 63.1 lbs. I predict she'll end up around 75 when all is said and done. And my husband didn't think she'd break 60.... :-)