Leah’s memorable 30th birthday…

Today Leah turned the big three zero. This week she also finished her three week training and got tossed into the thick of things with her new job. I’m not a fool… I knew this was the week that was going to make or break her. After your initial training, this is the part where we find out whether or not people are going to swim or sink. This is the time when everyone learns if this is a new career or just a really, really big mistake. Unfortunately, it was the latter of those options.

Leah celebrated her birthday in grand fashion today, telling her new boss and company where to go.

It wasn’t Kokomo.

Turns out her new workplace wasn’t being nice to or playing fair with their new employees. She wasn’t told during her interviews that she would NEVER get any weekends off, and they certainly didn’t tell her that sometimes she would have to work as many as nine days in a row between days off. This along with the usual stresses that come with the kind of job she was doing was obviously too much for her and she told them all to stick her job where the sun don’t shine. I don’t blame her really. I mean if the center told me to work nine straight days, I would complete flip out. I had a look at her schedule for the next week, and there it was. She had Sunday off and then not another day off until a week after Wednesday… nine straight working days before her next day off. First of all, that’s illegal. Canadian labour laws specifically state that you can’t make anyone work more than six straight days. I really think she could play dirty and file a complaint with the board just to give them a nice parting gift. I would…

Am I disappointed? A little but no where near as much as you think. The reason is because I was mentally preparing for this moment. I realized that with the stress of the job and the company’s reputation… this situation had a good chance of happening. I knew them, and I know Leah… so this was predictable and just incase I prepared for the worst. I know Leah is the kind of person who would rather walk out than be walked over, and you can’t help but admire someone for standing up for themselves like that. So I’m not mad or upset, I can’t be. I saw this coming and am ready to deal with it. Rather that point fingers, it’s time to work the problem and find a solution that we can all live and be happy with.

So where do we go from here? Well, there are several options we are considering at this point. Leah didn’t leave with out having options to fall back on. Fact is there’s a 70% chance she’s going to get offered a new job. One that not only offers weekends off, but better hours so she doesn’t have to work late in the evening. She had an interview on Wednesday, and I’m confident she’ll get hired. She’s scared that she won’t be and will leave us in a nasty spot. Fact is we’re no where near that spot and won’t be. If things get really desperate, I’m fully prepared to give her back the remainder of her maternity leave and go back to the center. They are desperate, still offering unlimited overtime and would love to have me come back ASAP. That’s a last resort, but one I will not hesitate to use if we need the cash.

Leah was really upset earlier because she thinks that me going back to the center this early is a failure upon her and that I’m going back to somewhere I really don’t want to be. Truth is, if I do have to go back… I really believe I’ll be a better worker there next time out because I had this time off and was able to recharge. If I had to go back right now, I’d be happy just getting the time I had which is more than what a lot of people at the center wish they could get off without penalty. A five week break is still a five week break… and if I went back tomorrow it would be with a smile on my face for having some time off to spend with my boys and relax. I’d be ready to face the center again and clock overtime like it’s going out of style…

Yet I don’t have to worry about that just yet. I’m holding back to see if this other job pans out. If it does, then I remain on paternal leave and coast until Xmas. If it doesn’t, I’ll go back to the center willingly and like a good little sport. Either way we are covered and will not be desperately looking around for something if crunch time hits. We have a plan to work with and I really think all the bases are covered for now. Because she’s no longer employed, Leah was able to spend her Birthday relaxing and just taking things easy. I wish I could have done more for her, but we had to conserve our expenses until we have an idea of what’s going on. Chicken fingers and rice isn’t too fancy, but Ethan loved it and having the three of us sit down and enjoy the meal together for the first time in a few weeks was nice too… so I think she was all right with it.

So this is where we stand right now. Leah isn’t really the kind of person who likes to sit back and wait for things to happen… but at the moment she doesn’t have a choice. We have to wait to see if this company comes back to her or not. Everyone knows how nerve racking that wait can be but she’s going have to bite the bullet and just wait it out. We’ve got the weekend to spend together, and I think a few trips to the park with the boys will make her feel just fine again. I could tell that her new work was making her miss the boys a lot… so a few days off with them will be just what the doctor ordered. So in conclusion, we’re fine and will be no matter what happens. Just a shame this all had to happen on her Birthday…

And how was your day?

Peter