Luckystott

2004-10-26 - 10:20 a.m.

Sunday sucked.

Two awful things happened to me.

First, I was singing with my small group ("Chara") for both services on Sunday morning for the first time. I was nervous...but that's normal for me. During the first service, I went up on my solo! I totally forgot my lyric and had to "la-la-la" until I remembered it again. That is MY NIGHTMARE. Luckily it happened at the 9:30am service. Nobody noticed except the rest of the singers in my group.

Then, I got home after church and received a call from my temp agency. At home. Which is really weird. Background: I have been doing a long term gig at Crappy Bank I Hate. So Temp Agent calls me and is all, "I am SO sorry -- You've been released from your position at Crappy Bank I Hate."

What?

Released. Let go. Fired. They didn't think I was "seasoned" enough (what?!) and they didn't think I was quick enough on the phones.

Okay -- at this point I had rip into it and fill Temp Agent in on all the injustices I have endured over at Crappy Bank I Hate over the past three years. I have been temping there on and off for awhile now and this is how it inevitably goes:

I get there at 7:50am for my 8am assignment. Because I am instructed by my temp agency to be there 10 minutes early. Of course, by the time I go through security in the front lobby, it is 8:05 and my HR contact is not there yet. Finally, my HR rep will come in at 8:15 and give me my temp packet. The temp packet includes my temp log on for the computer and a map so I can find my desk. Armed with this information, I make my way to the desk I am to work at for that particular assignment.

When I get to my desk, I will turn on the computer. My password will fail to work. No one else will be able to help me, for it is 8:15am and nobody at Crappy Bank I Hate will come in for another hour. When they do come in, they will completely ignore me. I will leave a message for IT to come up and help me with my log in. Then, I will attempt to find a piece of scrap paper on which to make a seating chart. I have to do this because:

1) the desk I am working at is usually locked up tighter than a drum -- I will not have access to office supplies...

2) I will be handling the phones for a MINIMUM of 10 people, 7 of which will completely ignore me all day. The other three will bark orders at me as if I have worked in their department for five years and I Should Know How To Do That.

Around 11am, IT will finally come up to my floor and reset my password so I login. Not that it helps much. As a temp, I cannot do ANYTHING. I cannot prepare and submit an expense report. I cannot view the inboxes or calendars for the people I work for (ergo, I cannot handle their schedules for them, which is the ENTIRE POINT of being someone's assistant). I cannot make travel arrangements, car service requests, or courier/messenger requests through the intranet. Oh, I can do these things the "old way" (i.e. calling the travel agent or filling out a fed ex form), but I am always met with, "You know, you SHOULD be doing this thru the intranet..."

Oh, that they would LET me.

So, I explained all this to Temp Agent and also defended myself regarding the job that I was being "released" from.

They said I wasn't seasoned? As in...what? "Well, they didn't think you were proactive." Proactive about WHAT? I had to explain to my agent that I was working for 2 Managing Directors, 3 Directors, 3 Associates, and 2 Analysts. One MD was in London and nobody could tell me when he was returning to NYC. I emailed him twice and he never replied. (Seriously, dude. Never was the phrase "Help me help you" more appropriate). The other MD was somewhat friendly, but never asked me to do anything. I'm not a mind reader. If you want me to do something for you, you need to ask. At least for the first month or so, since I DON'T KNOW YOU. I am pretty good at anticipating the needs of my bosses once I know them...but I had only been on this job for a week and nobody would talk to me. So. Yeah.

Then, My agent went into the phone issue which REALLY irked me. I mean, I had 3 Directors, 3 Associates and 2 analysts sitting out in the bullpen with me. Granted, yes, I know I am to cover their phones. But the key word there is COVER. If I am taking a message on one of the MD's lines, I am NOT putting that call on hold to screen
a call for a bottomfeeder who is sitting...
right.
there.
at.
their.
cubicle.

Can they not see I am taking a call for their BOSS at the moment? Sheesh.

Luckily, Temp Agent was apalled by what I told her. Then she revealed that the original employee resigned (red flag!) and the first temp was also kicked out after one week.

"Obviously, this department has unrealistic expectations. Thank you for letting me know. I'll need to sit them down and remind them that the temps are working under extremely limiting conditions."

Whew.

BUT -- here's the thing that really frosted me. I was supposed to be working this job thru November. So, I have a few personal items that I left at the desk over the weekend (like, you know, the cute red 3 inch heels that I was not interested in wearing on the subway). The department gave me no inkling whatsoever that they weren't happy with me during the week (I'm ever the optimistic -- if they had SAID something, we probably could have come to an understanding) and they let me walk out of there on Friday evening thinking I'd be back on Monday.

SO, my temp agent had to take time out of her day on Monday to go over to Crappy Bank I Hate and collect my things and turn in my timesheet for me. I was absolutely LIVID about the dishonesty I was experiencing with that.

"Clearly, the fact that I had no idea I was going to be dropped -- this might give you an idea of the climate I was dealing with."

"No kidding!" joked Temp Agent.

I took Monday off to "lick my wounds". I have been temping for over six years and I have only been released from a job twice. And the other time was during my first year when I was only 23 years old and still learning the basics. My agency knew they were putting me in over my head on that one.

Now -- Irony! Monday afternoon, I received a call from Temp Agent.

"Okay, so I left your personal items up in Crappy Bank I Hate's HR department instead of having them sent via messenger to your apartment. Reason is -- they are requesting you back for the trading floor in another department."

"Oh, Reallllllly?"

"Yes. And it's turret phones."

"Are you sure I'm SEASONED enough for that?"

(For those of you not familiar with temping, trading floors and turret phones are the most difficult assignments. You have to sit in front of a switchboard and be quick in a loud, stressy atmosphere.)

Gah.

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