Can you believe this?

So, a break from all the fun entries about how to attract what you want in your life. (I’m having fun writing them, it’s fun to figure out what I do, and then what my next step was, hmm, did I start replying to jobs next or did I start trying to imagine what I wanted this time in a job? It was the latter, if you were curious!)

Anyway.

With my last job, which was not very happy, they told me they had to let me go because they found cheaper childcare. And they were sorry to let me go because I was a good nanny, but they needed to cut costs. And so they gave me 4 weeks’ notice (which is standard for nannies, a bit different from regular jobs) but that they knew it was a bit tough to find a job right now, so if I found something sooner, I should go ahead and take the new job and they would be fine if I left earlier than 4 weeks.

I said thank you, I really appreciate that flexibility, that is helpful.

these jobs are often: I need someone to start right now, I dont have anybody else, so here’s when the job starts. if you cant start right now, you might very well lose the job.

so I thought that was really very nice of them to give me that flexibility to leave earlier.

In the meantime, I knew it could well take 1-2 months to find a job, and was quite worried about money and the job hunt, especially as I had just gotten back from my honeymoon, school had just started, and I was worried it could take awhile and a lot of work.

so they went off to Hawaii last week. They hadnt told me their trip days, just said they’d be gone January 30-February 4th. They gave me their contact information while they’d be gone in case anybody called them for a reference. I was really nice and asked them the best time people could call them, how they preferred to be contacted, etcetera.

Meanwhile, I was hoping and imagining that I could find a job early, because I was dreading going back to them.

And very happily, the first three jobs I emailed about wanted to interview me. I got hired right away with 2 jobs and had to tell the third job that I’d been hired already, but thank you very much for the interview.

So as soon as I got hired for one job, and accepted the job offer, I texted both parents from the old job to tell them I’d gotten a job offer, and that I started the week they got back from their trip, so I was now booked 2 days that week with my new job. That was 5 days ago.

I got a text from the mom the next day saying their cell phone reception was really bad (bah! they have stupid iphones and at&t) and they could just get wifi reception to go online with their phones occasionally.

Since she didn’t mention my text, I emailed both parents that same day, thinking if they had wifi they would eventually get my email. so I told them that I had tried to text them, and that I now not only had one new job, I had two new jobs, and I was booked 4 days that next week. But I was open one day that week, I would be happy to help them if they needed me that day.

I gave them 5 days of notice. I texted them and emailed them.

Then I waited. When I didn’t hear back from them, I emailed them again on this Sunday. I mentioned that I hadnt heard back from them and I just wanted to make sure they got the message that I was booked for the week with my two new jobs, and I offered one day that was available if they needed me. In fact, I told them I was scheduled to work at the library on that open day now, so I could either work that afternoon for them, or I could tell the library (with sufficient prior notice) that I could not work this week, and I could work the whole day for this family.

want to know their response?

I got a very crabby email saying they couldnt believe they were getting this message on Sunday night when they just arrived home from their trip. They didnt want me to work for them on my open day, and they just wanted to pay me what they owed me for vacation days.

So I emailed back, reminding them that I contacted them in every way I possibly could while they were on vacation, I texted and emailed them last week, giving them 5 days’ notice, and that I appreciated their offering to be a reference for me (hint hint, I did everything right, you cant be a bad reference for me now!) and for their help in my getting new work. I said it would be fine to send a check for my vacation and sick days. I was super polite and nice. After all I’ve done for them and all their crazy demands!

The reply back was extremely brief, informing me that California law did not require employers to pay sick time earned, and they needed my mailing address to send a check for the vacation time.

great. I only used one sick day. I should have used sick days for the honeymoon vacation, I just took a day off with pay. whatever.

well. I didnt have to offer them my one day off to work for them, not at all. Nor did I have to offer to arrange it with the library to not work there and work for them a whole day if they wanted it. and let me tell you, I sure did not want to work for them that day. But I offered it to be kind and professional – if you are really strapped for childcare, I’m open on this day and would be happy to help you.

so pretty much they’ve made it clear they will now not be happy work references for me.

seriously? because you got back from your trip to Hawaii and were cranky? because you didnt get my message that was sent 5 freaking days ago when you told me I could contact you when you were gone? you said you had wifi access but not phone access, it made sense to email you. and because even though you said I could leave this job early if I happened to find a job quickly, you are mad that I did just that?

well, suckers. you let me go.

you’re just pissed that I found people that wanted me. and it was easy. did I mention it was easy to replace you?

did I mention that I am so very happy at my new jobs, that I just keep looking up to the sky and saying thank you for my new awesome jobs?

because I LOVE my jobs.

I am already thriving at my new jobs.

and I am so much happier than I ever was working for you.

and you know what? I’ll be just fine without you as a work reference.

it blows my mind that people can change like that, say one thing then get pissed off and mean. K says they probably had an awful trip having to spend so much time with their baby (they didnt like much time with their baby usually) and were tired and crabby.

I’m grateful it didnt cripple me in finding work. I’m grateful that none of my new jobs even called them for their reference.

thank you, angels. I am so grateful it all worked out ok.

and that I wont need them in the future. (whew)