OT - I AM SO HAPPY!!! - Long Post

[AdventurerKat]

And not just because I finally got tagged. I have TWO things to be happy about.

I just started a new p/t job a couple of weeks ago. I was working f/t prior to my son's birth at a defense firm and it was just nightmarish. Stress cooker, claimed to be family friendly but was so not family friendly, gave me a stern "talking to" when I got very ill at Xmas (even though I had a note from my doctor saying I HAD TO STAY HOME and couldn't return to work for a week. That still wasn't enough for them. You know, it was inconvenient because others were off. I was six months pregnant and very ill WITH a doctor's note and they still got mad.) Anyway, after having Cole I knew I would rather jump off a bridge than go back there so even in this horrid economy (especially in this state) I decide I would quit rather than go back to that h*ll hole. If we had to eat top ramen for the next year, I did not care and my husband, thankfully, agreed with me.

So after a couple of months of looking I found a p/t job. No easy feat because there aren't alot of p/t jobs in my field. I also had two that advertised p/t jobs and then when I went to the interviews, had changed their minds and decided they wanted f/t and would I consider that. NO. I answered an ad for P/T you idiots! That's what I want. Anyway, I got this job and the pay is not as good as my other one but its not too bad and it allows me to work and contribute to our finances but also allows me to spend time with my two little guys. I work four days a week, 3/4 time on those four days then get home and get to spend a couple of hours with my guys before daddy gets home.

ANYWAYS, this is what makes me so happy. I am going to Orlando in September. I had cleared this with my employers before I took the job. When I interviewed, the two attorneys I work for said they were real casual about taking time off and if I wanted to take a bit of time off here and there, that was fine. Well, some people say things like that but don't really mean it. Kind of like my last firm being "family friendly."

So, I REALLY wanted to take my oldest son down to WDW for MNSSHP this year. I was there for Halloween last year and I kept thinking how much fun it would have been for him. BUT I was worried, how am I going to get time off. I also wanted to get time at Xmas while my husband visits his family the week between Xmas and New Years. I just started this job and I want all this time off. So, I am sitting with one of my bosses and we were chit chatting about this and that and she said she decided to fly to New Mexico for the weekend and that it was so nice that we could have it so casual to take time off. So I took this as my moment to ask about Halloween and Xmas. Did they really mean what they said? Was it really o.k. to take some time off here and there?

My boss sat there and smiled and told me point blank "Kat, if you want to take a week off a month, we do not care as long as we are not preparing for trial and you don't mind that it's unpaid. Take off as much time as you want. Don't feel that just because you just started that we would worry about how much time you take off. That's our thoughts on a p/t job, its p/t! Go on as many vacations as you want."

I was FLOORED!!! This means that if we can swing it financially, I can take my son for Halloween, I can go after Xmas, and I can pretty much go whenever I get the yearn to without having to worry if they are going to get mad. THEY DON'T CARE!

I, of course, will not be taking a week off every month, but I might want a couple of days every other month to fly down now that we have that non-stop service on Alaska.

This, along with my recent tags, has just made my week!! Only thing to top it would be a lotto win. hee hee.

 

[Tantor]

Isn't it nice when employers REALLY care about your well being.

 

[mazzarafe]

I think that is just great that you have a place that is so understanding. I'll be 5 years in December from when I stopped working with my second child. The place I worked for was great. I was there for 7 years so it was very hard leaving, but that is what me and DH wanted, me to stay home. They tried to even give me a raise to help out with daycare costs, but it just wasn't worth it. I did for less than a year have a totally clueless, childless (hard for him to relate) boss who couldn't even run his own reports. Hardest time not leaving the company, but had been thru so much I couldn't do it to everyone I worked with and the president of the company had given up more to turn the company around so I felt I owed it to him. Glad I stuck it out longer because my next boss was a gem. It was such a great place to be at. No problems getting time off or having to leave early. My crunch time was month end because I did accounts payable, so my work did have a deadline.

I think it stinks when employers give someone a hard time when they have a family and they need time off for them. Obviously timing is everything with some jobs and you cannot expect them to not get upset when you are not there if you have something important to accomplish. I always new when not to even think of taking time off because it was my crunch week. Some places want you to eat, sleep and breath nothing but the company and I think that is aweful.

Congradulations on finding a dream job. I'll be looking for one next year when my DD is in first grade. Unfortunately I cannot go back to my old job because they have moved and the ride back in forth will take up an hour of the precious few I will have, otherwise I would go back in a heartbeat.

Oh, I almost forgot...happy Disney planning!

 

[cinderellakh20]

That is great - what a super place to work for!!!!

 

[Maleficent2]

when will you be there at Halloween we will be there if we can swing it ressies made now if only sales will pick up we are on the way...


LMK maybe we can arrange to meet.


Mal

 

[AdventurerKat]

If we go, which we should be going, I am 85-90% sure we will be able to, we will be there the Oct 29 to Nov 2. I am hoping to take my son down to meet up with his cousin for MNSSHP on the 30th, Friday take him trick or treating at Downtown Disney or something (I saw kids doing it last year so I think its o.k. or at least he will be able to run around in his costume again which is all he cares about) and then that night you will find me, where else but the ADVENTURERS CLUB!!! (Getting a sitter that night)

So its a short trip but I am going next month and then probably in December for a week so I can't complain.