klmno
Active Member
I'll try to keep this simple, and without revealing too much that could pinpoint who I am ITRW, so I won't repeat stuff that's happened recently the I posted about in other threads.
Another person working for my boss but with different job duties decided to give me a "test" on something that people in my prof learn the first year on the job. (Remember, I took a job related to my field so no one else there is in this profession- or even close to it. Coworker has been doing what she wanted to test me on for 2-3 years but that's all she went to school for and that is her primary job.) I told her same thing I'd told boss two days earlier about not being able to do it if she was standing over my shoulder. She went to boss, told him I wouldn't or couldn't. He remained calmed but clearly had issue so got us all together and talked about how I had to do these things for this job, etc. He was making it sound like I was refusing and my job was on the line. I calmly explained that I was not refusing, I could do these things - that should be obvious- they can check my credentials online- but I had essential tremors and when I am stressed they get worse and I simply cannot work when people that I haven't become comfortable working with yet are standing over my shoulder.
He said well they might need to stand over my shoulder sometime. I said that's fine, after a few days but I've only been here two days and I am still adjusting to this and getting to that comfort level and if I feel like someone is breathing down my neck, it will make make the tremors worse. He's been around me before and knows they aren't always there but I pointed that out to remind him anyway. I asked if they felt the need to test me on this, although they could simply call my previous employer and ask, would they mind just handing it to me, walking away for 15 mins and seeing if it is completed when they get back. Fine. I got it done.
That was yesterday. This morning I go in and mention that I haven't signed any papers (accepatance of job proposal letter sent last weekend) or new employee forms yet and maybe I could do that while we were still waiting for my computer to be set up by IT guy. Boss calls HR and gets those documents in. I noticed that it included an additional letter that said I would be getting a review in 90 days and if I was not meeting the satisfaction of the customer they are contracted to or I rec'd an unfavorable performance, my position would be terminated.
Now, they could get rid of me any time they wanted to in this state. However, I am pretty darn sure this letter was just created due to boss having an issue on my essential tremors and thinkink they were going to interfere with my work. Mind you, I have been working with my hands for over 30 years now, in different ways. A company can certainly give 90 day reviews if they choose- but this wasn't brought up when job was offered, in the offer letter, or when I was hired. And I also got an emailed copy of the company's employee handbook of policies today- when printed out it says it was last edited today- it says there are reviews after the first 6 mos but has nothing about a 90 day review. And that is written in a list of numbered items and there were extra blank lines around this one, making it appear that it was edited today.
I left for lunch but started thinking this might be illegal and if they let me go in 90 days over this, I will fight for unemplloyment. I'll be taking in the written proposal saying job terms, then a letter later written saying I'd have a 90 day review and could "have my position terminated", and a written policy handbook saying even a different policy. I have never seen anyone react that strongly over something like this. Nothing they gave me to do was a part of my job description anyway and I proved I could do it and I'm thinking a neurological disorder (essential tremors) falls under ADA protection and they hired me already.
I know boss keeps talking about being worried that the company's contract with the "higher up" people won't be renewed next year so I figured he just must be one to over-react and create an issue just because he's concerned about a potential future issue.
But then- the "higher up" guy who represents the other side of the contract (ie- the "contract customer") was chatting with me this morning and later today. He liked me during the interview and we chatted about my previous experience and so forth. He has a particular interest in what I did in the military and started looking all this stuff up online and asking me to come over so we could chat some more. LOL! I know he was genuine because even when the job was offered by tthis company, they said this customer really like me.
Anyway, he represents the people I'd really prefer to be working directly for instead of the company contracted out to them. I started thinking something seems a little odd if boss seems so worried that I will cost them this contract and this guy obviously enjoys chatting with me and we have common interest. Then when boss came back to work area, they started talking and "head guy" calls me in on that conversation. He told my boss that when I was free from boss's needs for me, he wanted me to work directly with him and asked if I would mind. I said, no, not at all. Then he said when contract gets renewed next year, (get this) he would already have me familiar with more in depth stuff that could help get things a lot further in that contract. I said I would like that and it would help me to coordinate things better, too. He agreed and said something like it might lead to a lot bigger possibilityu in the future too. He said that kind of quiet and away from boss. I was standing where boss couldn't see me at that point and just smiled.
Now, I know this guy heard the conversation yesterday when I explained the tremors, that they aren't always there and only prevent me from working if someone is standing over my shoulder that I'm not yet comfortable working with and it only takes a couple of days of working with someone to get to that point. He didn't make any big to-do about it. Look at how my boss handled it- in the guise that it was due to having to make this guy happy- who is happy with me already. Boss hung the axe over my head. Contract customer was acting like it was no big deal. Which one would anyone prefer to have standing over their shoulder?
All I know is that if I can land a job with these higher ups directly instead of thru another company, they won't have to worry about "terminating my position". The way today ended up, it sounded more like keeping me on would help them get the contract renewed instead of jeapordize it. I'd like to be a fly on the wall when my boss explains this to his boss at the company headquarters.
Another person working for my boss but with different job duties decided to give me a "test" on something that people in my prof learn the first year on the job. (Remember, I took a job related to my field so no one else there is in this profession- or even close to it. Coworker has been doing what she wanted to test me on for 2-3 years but that's all she went to school for and that is her primary job.) I told her same thing I'd told boss two days earlier about not being able to do it if she was standing over my shoulder. She went to boss, told him I wouldn't or couldn't. He remained calmed but clearly had issue so got us all together and talked about how I had to do these things for this job, etc. He was making it sound like I was refusing and my job was on the line. I calmly explained that I was not refusing, I could do these things - that should be obvious- they can check my credentials online- but I had essential tremors and when I am stressed they get worse and I simply cannot work when people that I haven't become comfortable working with yet are standing over my shoulder.
He said well they might need to stand over my shoulder sometime. I said that's fine, after a few days but I've only been here two days and I am still adjusting to this and getting to that comfort level and if I feel like someone is breathing down my neck, it will make make the tremors worse. He's been around me before and knows they aren't always there but I pointed that out to remind him anyway. I asked if they felt the need to test me on this, although they could simply call my previous employer and ask, would they mind just handing it to me, walking away for 15 mins and seeing if it is completed when they get back. Fine. I got it done.
That was yesterday. This morning I go in and mention that I haven't signed any papers (accepatance of job proposal letter sent last weekend) or new employee forms yet and maybe I could do that while we were still waiting for my computer to be set up by IT guy. Boss calls HR and gets those documents in. I noticed that it included an additional letter that said I would be getting a review in 90 days and if I was not meeting the satisfaction of the customer they are contracted to or I rec'd an unfavorable performance, my position would be terminated.
Now, they could get rid of me any time they wanted to in this state. However, I am pretty darn sure this letter was just created due to boss having an issue on my essential tremors and thinkink they were going to interfere with my work. Mind you, I have been working with my hands for over 30 years now, in different ways. A company can certainly give 90 day reviews if they choose- but this wasn't brought up when job was offered, in the offer letter, or when I was hired. And I also got an emailed copy of the company's employee handbook of policies today- when printed out it says it was last edited today- it says there are reviews after the first 6 mos but has nothing about a 90 day review. And that is written in a list of numbered items and there were extra blank lines around this one, making it appear that it was edited today.
I left for lunch but started thinking this might be illegal and if they let me go in 90 days over this, I will fight for unemplloyment. I'll be taking in the written proposal saying job terms, then a letter later written saying I'd have a 90 day review and could "have my position terminated", and a written policy handbook saying even a different policy. I have never seen anyone react that strongly over something like this. Nothing they gave me to do was a part of my job description anyway and I proved I could do it and I'm thinking a neurological disorder (essential tremors) falls under ADA protection and they hired me already.
I know boss keeps talking about being worried that the company's contract with the "higher up" people won't be renewed next year so I figured he just must be one to over-react and create an issue just because he's concerned about a potential future issue.
But then- the "higher up" guy who represents the other side of the contract (ie- the "contract customer") was chatting with me this morning and later today. He liked me during the interview and we chatted about my previous experience and so forth. He has a particular interest in what I did in the military and started looking all this stuff up online and asking me to come over so we could chat some more. LOL! I know he was genuine because even when the job was offered by tthis company, they said this customer really like me.
Anyway, he represents the people I'd really prefer to be working directly for instead of the company contracted out to them. I started thinking something seems a little odd if boss seems so worried that I will cost them this contract and this guy obviously enjoys chatting with me and we have common interest. Then when boss came back to work area, they started talking and "head guy" calls me in on that conversation. He told my boss that when I was free from boss's needs for me, he wanted me to work directly with him and asked if I would mind. I said, no, not at all. Then he said when contract gets renewed next year, (get this) he would already have me familiar with more in depth stuff that could help get things a lot further in that contract. I said I would like that and it would help me to coordinate things better, too. He agreed and said something like it might lead to a lot bigger possibilityu in the future too. He said that kind of quiet and away from boss. I was standing where boss couldn't see me at that point and just smiled.
Now, I know this guy heard the conversation yesterday when I explained the tremors, that they aren't always there and only prevent me from working if someone is standing over my shoulder that I'm not yet comfortable working with and it only takes a couple of days of working with someone to get to that point. He didn't make any big to-do about it. Look at how my boss handled it- in the guise that it was due to having to make this guy happy- who is happy with me already. Boss hung the axe over my head. Contract customer was acting like it was no big deal. Which one would anyone prefer to have standing over their shoulder?
All I know is that if I can land a job with these higher ups directly instead of thru another company, they won't have to worry about "terminating my position". The way today ended up, it sounded more like keeping me on would help them get the contract renewed instead of jeapordize it. I'd like to be a fly on the wall when my boss explains this to his boss at the company headquarters.