Boy, this time of year. I deliberately try to make it easy on myself, with not making appointments and getting Christmas shopping and cards done early and nothing hanging over my head like an impending cloud of holiday doom. But it always sneaks in, doesn't it?
My presents are all ready, but not yet wrapped. Saturday I'll be wrapping, and cleaning, and doing laundry, and packing. I usually make peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses on top, but I think I may let that go this year. We'll be leaving for Georgia early Sunday morning, by Sunday night we will be having breakfast for dinner at IHOP and settling into the retirement home's guest room. Christmas Eve will be lunch with my sister and her husband, and presents after dinner per our family tradition. Christmas Day will be meals at the retirement home since restaurants aren't open (sometimes we go back to IHOP, the only one that is open) and spending time with Mom. The day after Christmas will probably start painfully early with a drive back home. And the day after that we'll both be back at work...
When I was offered this job, I was a bit reluctant. I actually had nearly two month's severance paychecks that got cut off when I accepted this job. I told them I wanted a few days to think about it. I questioned their time off policy, because going up to Georgia a few times a year is very, very important to me, and was told that my paid time off amount would be nearly what I had had at my previous job.
Now they are telling me that they made a mistake, and that's not the policy I fall under. The difference is pretty major, the paid time off is about half what I was expecting. I went to the HR manager and after investigating she told me that they are really sorry, but it can't be changed. I went to my boss, and he said he'd look into it. I have a meeting with him tomorrow, and have a pretty strong feeling I know what he's going to say.
I hate stuff like this. I don't want to get screwed, but I don't want to get all litigious or anything either. They attached a detailed description of the time off plan with my emailed offer letter, and my friend in HR tells me that counts as "getting it in writing". My supportive husband has said that he is fine with whatever decision I make, whether I just wuss out and pretend it's not a big deal or I quit on the spot and walk out.
My boss is an extremely direct, brief, concise person who walks fast and will typically answer a meeting request within 1.5 minutes. I've only sent him emails twice, and he answered those immediately too. (He has an iPhone that he checks constantly.) I have to admit I am curious about what he would do if I, the technical, geeky, very quiet 46-year old woman who he seems to make an effort to be nice to (I always have time for you! What can I do to help you? What do you need? even as he also asks: How do you spell your first name?), just got in his face and declared anything other than honoring what I was promised would be UNACCEPTABLE and he must FIX IT now or I would MARCH OUT.
The problem is, there's at least a 30% chance he would stand up and yell right back at me, at which time I would completely crumble and start sobbing. Hmmm.
Anyway. Merry Christmas!
