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Holding a Grudge, Part 3

One of my jobs required me to take some time off when I wasn’t needed. I was able to collect unemployment during this time, since I was technically “laid off.” Or at least, I think that was the reason. I know another person who was in the same situation at the same job who tried to collect benefits during the same time and they were told they were not allowed to collect. I have no idea why I could and she couldn’t, but that’s the government for you, I suppose.

Anyway, it came time to go back to work, or so I thought. I called the office to find out when they wanted me to come back. They asked if I had received a letter over the break telling me that I had a job waiting for me when it was time to come back. I had received no such letter. I was told, “If you did not get a letter, you do not have a job here.”

That was news to me! And it possibly explained perhaps why I was able to collect unemployment when that other person wasn’t able to collect benefits. They also told me that I could contact the human resources person to check to make sure I was not considered an employee anymore. I called her right away, but someone else answered and explained that she was away from her desk. They offered to take a message, so I explained my situation and said I just wanted to know if I was still an employee or not.

They never called me back, so I assumed I wasn’t an employee of theirs anymore. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to work for them anymore after the way I was treated. Every year, there is a time period where most of the workers have some time off, and apparently it is customary to send letters to the people who are expected back, letting them know they still have a job. The people who no longer have a job do not hear anything. How difficult would it be to send letters to everyone? It seems horribly unjust to not contact the people who don’t have their job anymore!

I started looking for another job, and thankfully, I found one right away. Coincidentally, it started on the same date the other people who were also laid off were going back to work. I worked my first day at the new job and came home to find my answering machine blinking. I pressed the button and heard:

“We were expecting you to come to work today, and you didn’t show up. Please call us and explain what happened.”

Seriously.

I had to call them back and explain that I was told if I didn’t get a letter, I didn’t have a job. They told me they wouldn’t have said that to me. Really.

So you can see why I might hold a grudge against this place. Thankfully, it’s not a place I would visit if I didn’t work there, so I don’t really have to avoid it. Though people keep telling me that I should see if I could get my old job back (since I’m unemployed once again). I don’t think I want to work for a place that treats their employees like this, though. And then lies about what they said on the phone, or doesn’t return phone calls regarding whether or not I had a job there.