Crazy day at RHA...
So I got to work at RHA this morning and in my mailbox was an envelope from the Board of Directors. I was late (aaargh!) so I didn't have a chance to look at it; I was too busy running around making coffee and answering phones and all the rest. Finally, I settled in and got to work, and then the General Manager came out and reminded me to open the envelope. It was a Thank You note/Announcement that I had been selected as the Employee of the Year, and a one hundred dollar bill. I was so surprised by the money that I almost started crying. It was so nice of the Board to nominate me, let alone give me money. So that was an awesome way to star the day. I'll get my name on a plaque and everything - way exciting.
Fast forward a few hours. The General Manager was in and out; he had a doctor's appointment and errands to run. My Boss, who doesn't work Fridays (the whole reason I work Fridays is because she needed the day for family matters) came in to check her e-mail, and while she was here my co-worker Maria called. (You may remember her for some drama back in August.) She basically told me she wanted to quit, because her job at Rinconada was reducing the amount of money she got from unemployment when she was laid off from her other job. I was trying to figure that out - if she quits Rinconada, wouldn't that endanger the unemployment payments because she's deciding not to work? - but I was also trying not to say anything 'incriminating' out loud because the Boss was there and I wasn't sure how firm Maria's idea was. But it seemed like she was definite about it, because she wanted to speak to the General Manager, so I asked if she wanted to speak to the Boss since she was sitting just a few feet away, talking to one of RHA's Directors. (Quick background note: The General Manager is the top of the food chain, under the Board of Directors. The Boss is my direct boss, but her official title is Office Manager.) Maria did, so I handed the conversation over to the Boss, who was Not Pleased.
The Boss went into the General Manager's office to talk to Maria, and I went off to the kitchen so that
A/ I wouldn't be eavesdropping
B/ I would appear busy
and commenced washing dirty dishes.
After I heard the Boss go back into our office, I went back in. She asked me if Maria had talked to me about covering her weekend shifts. I said no, because I didn't remember having any sort of conversation like that over the previous week. She said Maria would probably not be coming in for her shifts. Right then the General Manager came in, and they talked about the situation for a few minutes. In the end the General Manager decided to fire Maria, because apparently she hadn't shown up to her shift on Wednesday, either. So when Maria called him on his cell phone number (which I had given her) that's what he said, but to be honest I don't know who officially ended it. Was she was terminated or if she quit. Bottom line, she doesn't work for RHA anymore.
I was pretty bummed. Maria was a great coworker, and she's always fun to talk to. She works hard so it's really sad that her job ended on such a negative note. (Plus, I had kinda been hoping she could cover one of my shifts next weekend so I could escape with Daddy for a quick Yosemite trip.) Several members of the Board of the Directors popped by throughout the afternoon to sign Maria's last check or to pick up paperwork. They would congratulate me on being Employee of the Year and I'd thank them for the opportunity, but at the same time my mind was constantly worrying how Maria was going to pay for her kids' education while she's out of work, hoping her gambit to increase unemployment works for her, wondering what she'd do if she doesn't find another job soon, etc.
Fast forward a few hours. The General Manager was in and out; he had a doctor's appointment and errands to run. My Boss, who doesn't work Fridays (the whole reason I work Fridays is because she needed the day for family matters) came in to check her e-mail, and while she was here my co-worker Maria called. (You may remember her for some drama back in August.) She basically told me she wanted to quit, because her job at Rinconada was reducing the amount of money she got from unemployment when she was laid off from her other job. I was trying to figure that out - if she quits Rinconada, wouldn't that endanger the unemployment payments because she's deciding not to work? - but I was also trying not to say anything 'incriminating' out loud because the Boss was there and I wasn't sure how firm Maria's idea was. But it seemed like she was definite about it, because she wanted to speak to the General Manager, so I asked if she wanted to speak to the Boss since she was sitting just a few feet away, talking to one of RHA's Directors. (Quick background note: The General Manager is the top of the food chain, under the Board of Directors. The Boss is my direct boss, but her official title is Office Manager.) Maria did, so I handed the conversation over to the Boss, who was Not Pleased.
The Boss went into the General Manager's office to talk to Maria, and I went off to the kitchen so that
A/ I wouldn't be eavesdropping
B/ I would appear busy
and commenced washing dirty dishes.
After I heard the Boss go back into our office, I went back in. She asked me if Maria had talked to me about covering her weekend shifts. I said no, because I didn't remember having any sort of conversation like that over the previous week. She said Maria would probably not be coming in for her shifts. Right then the General Manager came in, and they talked about the situation for a few minutes. In the end the General Manager decided to fire Maria, because apparently she hadn't shown up to her shift on Wednesday, either. So when Maria called him on his cell phone number (which I had given her) that's what he said, but to be honest I don't know who officially ended it. Was she was terminated or if she quit. Bottom line, she doesn't work for RHA anymore.
I was pretty bummed. Maria was a great coworker, and she's always fun to talk to. She works hard so it's really sad that her job ended on such a negative note. (Plus, I had kinda been hoping she could cover one of my shifts next weekend so I could escape with Daddy for a quick Yosemite trip.) Several members of the Board of the Directors popped by throughout the afternoon to sign Maria's last check or to pick up paperwork. They would congratulate me on being Employee of the Year and I'd thank them for the opportunity, but at the same time my mind was constantly worrying how Maria was going to pay for her kids' education while she's out of work, hoping her gambit to increase unemployment works for her, wondering what she'd do if she doesn't find another job soon, etc.