Sunday, June 27, 2010

And Things Were Going So Well...

After the regime-change this week at work, I was slightly apprehensive about how things would be at work. However, work Friday night went very well. Everybody got along well, most all the clients listened, & it was just a good night.

Then Saturday.

I was already kind of in a bad mood, having woken up at 10:00am that morning & being unable to sleep the rest of the day. My demanding social life kept me in bed until about 5:00, when I went to get some dinner (where I saw a midget. So creepy!) & went shopping for some new clothes. I also got some dericious Starbucks. On top of my inability to sleep late now, I apparently have lost my sense of time, seeing as how I showed up for work about 20 minutes early. Once I clocked in I went up to check on one of my favorite clients who had been on a leave of absence for a few days. He's borderline retarded (fetal alcohol syndrome), so he's somewhat difficult to work with. He leaned back in his char (I swear....) & his cell phone fell out of his pocket. I tried to confiscate it, which was difficult, & he demanded to go with me to watch me put it in the safe.

While we were in the office & I was putting the phone away, he started drinking my Starbucks. Now, I have no problem drinking after my friends, but there are way too many clients that have Hepatitis C in that joint (get it. Joint? Rehab? Oh, I slay me) for me to risk it. Then he & Frankenstein (the client who hit his head a few weeks ago) began to make fun of my shoes. And asking if I waxed my eyebrows. And making fun of my sideburns & calling me Sideburns. I didn't really respond because frankly, it wasn't worth it. The male clients wouldn't listen, kept going into apartments they weren't supposed to, & were generally just not listening.

Now let me remind you, my usual partner wasn't there. Instead, my new supervisor was there until midnight when another lady was going to show up. So my supervisor is observing all of this happening (when she wasn't chilling in the office) & not helping at all, except to ask occasionally where I was when people weren't where they should be (& I'd respond that I had told them what they needed to do).

So I go & begin making my notes for the shift, stating that the clients were horrible when I got there (meaning they were horrible once I got there but were fine upon arrival) & that the fetal alcohol baby hadn't been properly searched. I got in trouble for both of these things. I was told that the clients weren't horrible upon arrival & it wasn't until later they started acting up & that because I said that kid wasn't properly searched, the co-worker who was supposed to do it is going to get in trouble.

Seriously?

I told her that wasn't my problem & he should have been doing his job (also thinking that I never had anyone trying to protect me). Supervisor told me that they had to rush to a meeting so that's probably why the phone wasn't taken. I told her it didn't matter. You know that if it had been me, I probably would have been fired or cussed out. Anyway, midnight FINALLY comes & my supervisor is about to leave. But before she leaves, she tells me that the clients take me for a joke & have no respect for me. I told her that frankly, I don't know what they want from me because if I don't do much of anything, I'm accused of being a push-over & if I do, I'm accused of playing into their bullshit. She essentially said that she was listening to most everything that happened earlier & basically I had handled everything wrong. I told her that I can handle myself & if the clients get an attitude with me I can get an attitude back & defend myself. That led to a conversation about how I can't, if I do I can be easily replaced because the clients pay so much money (which I countered by saying that they can also be easily replaced because if they leave, there will be another client waiting to take their spot), & maybe this isn't what I should be doing. Also, all of this is taking place in front of my co-worker.

Now, I didn't get fired. I really don't have a problem with this supervisor. She wasn't rude. She was just telling it like it is. After she left, I checked the property, told my co-worker I couldn't function anymore, & slept about 5 hours.

I swear.........

3 comments:

Rebecca J-G said...

Whoa. That is just too much hassle for one night! You know, even if the clients "think you are a joke" you have to consider the source. I mean, WHO is actually free to leave, carry on with life and not be babied on an hourly basis? The clients are doing a good job of manipulating your supervisor, it seems. I've supervised a lot of people, and in my professional opinion, the whole situation was handled so poorly. I'm sure you realize it, and I'm glad you stuck up for yourself.

Are you coming back to Raleigh for a while? Your mom mentioned it (actually, she said she offered to get you at the airport to which you replied you weren't coming to RM--nice one, Andrew! sheesh!) and I was wondering if she meant you are coming for a visit or to live. Why would you fly? I'd prefer Amtrak, but that is just me...I like traveling by train. I guess you're just visiting??
How can you get away from work--or are you giving notice and then coming here? My convo with your mom was interrupted about 10 times, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.
Anyway, glad to see you are surviving. How are the freckles coming? Rachel keeps wondering about the new tat....any ideas yet?

We're going to have to have a phone chat soon. I need to fill in some blanks! :)

Keep up the good work, bud. I'm thinking you're on top of this game.

Rebecca J-G said...

OH! Midget? Seriously? I'm ashamed of you...it's a "little person" you redneck Carolinian!

Andrew said...

First of all, I'm not a redneck. Git it right.

And yeah, the whole situation was handled poorly. I have no problems or qualms sticking up for myself against authority figures. It's the normal people I sometimes have difficulty with.

And I'm flying because frankly, I don't feel like driving. It would take 12 hours to get there & cost about the same amount of money. I haven't thought about a train. I've never used one before so it didn't cross my mind.

And I'll get off work by putting in a time-off form. And seeing as how I'm coming to NC regardless of whether they approve it or not...they should probably approve it.

The whole thing is...I'm not coming to visit her. Or my dad if he's in town. I'm coming to see if there are any opportunities for me in Raleigh. I have nothing for me in Rocky Mount except more depression & isolation. And the dysfunction of my parents. I have enough of my own & I'm tired of carrying theirs around as well because I always manage to get dragged into their bullshit.