TERMINATED: part 2
On Monday, Partner R-- returned from Chicago and I told him the big news: re: my program being terminated. He immediately offered me any assistance that he might be able to offer and asked me what my “game plan” was.
I told him that I didn’t want to go into production and, after a moment’s hesitation, I announced my plan to go to grad school. He was so genuinely pleased for me! He asked what I would study, said I’d be brilliant and then talked about what a shit job finance is in your 20’s.
R- waved his arms a lot and told me to Live! and Explore! while I’m Young! Not be chained to a desk! Act Crazy! Go to The City! After all, as he put it: “I love my job, really, and it’s the best six figure job you can have, but it’s the worst 40K job you can have.”
I told R-that I felt like The Firm had screwed him and Partner D-- over by having them help train me and then, just when I’ve become helpful, taken my help away from them. He looked at me incredulously and said, “On the scale of 1 to 100, 100 being what keeps you up at night and 1 being something you’ve never worried about for a second, R-and D-can be 2 or 3 on your list. R-- and D-- are fine-you need to worry about Stephanie and what’s best for Stephanie. You’re a nice person and a good person and you need somebody to tell you to think about Stephanie.” [ R-‘s use of 1st, 2nd and 3rd person become erratic at times….]
I also expressed my qualms about applying to go into production, taking Manager X’s money and not intended to stay or do a good job. R-said, “When it comes to The Firm, don’t you give them a second thought because, I can tell you, they didn’t give you a second thought, Stephanie, when they cut the program. You do what’s best for Stephanie, forget the Firm.”
R-helped me brainstorm what to ask HR and with his help I’ve learned quite a bit:
If I let The Firm terminate me, I’m entitled to two weeks severance pay and pay for all accrued vacation days. That is a not insignificant sum of money, to use litotes. If I apply to go into production I’ll have been rehired and the opportunity for those two weeks pay will go “poof.”
I am not, however, entitled to have The Firm make my COBRA payments. For me to pay my own COBRA will cost between 380-424$ a month. I’m looking into alternative ways to have health coverage-there’s a low-income clinic in Berkeley that one of my friends has used in a pinch, so I might rely on that for a while if anything grave came up.
So, my new game plan is:
a) talk to Manager X and tell him that “for personal reasons” I feel unable to devote myself fully to going into production, but I would love to stay at The Firm and in his office because I’m very happy there. Perhaps we need another Registered Assistant?
b) If there’s nothing for me at The Firm, allow myself to be terminated and take my money and letters of recommendation which they all offered me.
c) Find a nice, low-brain-power, 9-5 job to pay the bills, give me health care and let me focus on grad school-as long as I can still leave for Christmas
Or
d) temp for the same agency I worked for before The Firm, find alternate health care, focus on grad school, leave for Christmas very easily and then find a “real” job when I get back.
Sounds like a snap, right?
If I can get a hot-shot job at the Illustrious Firm, I can surely get a nice simple job as a receptionist, right?
Right!
Wish me luck and non-stress….
I told him that I didn’t want to go into production and, after a moment’s hesitation, I announced my plan to go to grad school. He was so genuinely pleased for me! He asked what I would study, said I’d be brilliant and then talked about what a shit job finance is in your 20’s.
R- waved his arms a lot and told me to Live! and Explore! while I’m Young! Not be chained to a desk! Act Crazy! Go to The City! After all, as he put it: “I love my job, really, and it’s the best six figure job you can have, but it’s the worst 40K job you can have.”
I told R-that I felt like The Firm had screwed him and Partner D-- over by having them help train me and then, just when I’ve become helpful, taken my help away from them. He looked at me incredulously and said, “On the scale of 1 to 100, 100 being what keeps you up at night and 1 being something you’ve never worried about for a second, R-and D-can be 2 or 3 on your list. R-- and D-- are fine-you need to worry about Stephanie and what’s best for Stephanie. You’re a nice person and a good person and you need somebody to tell you to think about Stephanie.” [ R-‘s use of 1st, 2nd and 3rd person become erratic at times….]
I also expressed my qualms about applying to go into production, taking Manager X’s money and not intended to stay or do a good job. R-said, “When it comes to The Firm, don’t you give them a second thought because, I can tell you, they didn’t give you a second thought, Stephanie, when they cut the program. You do what’s best for Stephanie, forget the Firm.”
R-helped me brainstorm what to ask HR and with his help I’ve learned quite a bit:
If I let The Firm terminate me, I’m entitled to two weeks severance pay and pay for all accrued vacation days. That is a not insignificant sum of money, to use litotes. If I apply to go into production I’ll have been rehired and the opportunity for those two weeks pay will go “poof.”
I am not, however, entitled to have The Firm make my COBRA payments. For me to pay my own COBRA will cost between 380-424$ a month. I’m looking into alternative ways to have health coverage-there’s a low-income clinic in Berkeley that one of my friends has used in a pinch, so I might rely on that for a while if anything grave came up.
So, my new game plan is:
a) talk to Manager X and tell him that “for personal reasons” I feel unable to devote myself fully to going into production, but I would love to stay at The Firm and in his office because I’m very happy there. Perhaps we need another Registered Assistant?
b) If there’s nothing for me at The Firm, allow myself to be terminated and take my money and letters of recommendation which they all offered me.
c) Find a nice, low-brain-power, 9-5 job to pay the bills, give me health care and let me focus on grad school-as long as I can still leave for Christmas
Or
d) temp for the same agency I worked for before The Firm, find alternate health care, focus on grad school, leave for Christmas very easily and then find a “real” job when I get back.
Sounds like a snap, right?
If I can get a hot-shot job at the Illustrious Firm, I can surely get a nice simple job as a receptionist, right?
Right!
Wish me luck and non-stress….