Paper Company via Temp Agency

I heard a conversation today that was all about jobs. What was your favorite job? What was your worst job? Who was your best boss and why? So I started thinking back. This might be a great way for me to get back to this blog!

Once upon a time.... or maybe this one should begin with - One stormy night....

I worked for a pulp and paper manufacturer back in the very early 90's through a temp agency. This job was fun. It wasn't high stress, but it wasn't boring either. My boss was a toupee-wearing middle-life-crises-after-anything-in-a-skirt sort of guy, I actually thought he was good at his job. The girl I was replacing was on 6 month maternity leave. She had the option to extend to 8 months but no longer.

She decided to extend to the full 8 months (who can blame her?) and I was happy with it. It was a fun job after all! Once the 8 months was over she decided to quit and stay home with her new baby (it was a girl! And it was her first baby!). The HR dept of the paper mill decided to let me know that I would be getting the job permanently once they got the paperwork in order. This was very nice to hear since I was getting paid $12/hr for a $16/hr starting pay job. Another very nice thing to hear was that I would be getting a little more than $16/hr because they would backdate my start date.

How nice is that!!!!

So, three months later, I go into HR to see how they're doing on paperwork. I couldn't understand why it would take that long, but I gave them an opportunity to ask me anything I may have left off the paperwork. It will take a little longer.

Six months later, I approach my boss and ask what I can do to speed up the process. Oh, just be patient.

Another three months (a year after being told such nice news, and after many people telling me "you'll get the job, just wait till the paperwork is finished") I ask again. No one is willing to let me know what's going on.

I call the temp agency to see if they're holding it up. Maybe I need to buy out of a contract? Maybe I'm not allowed to take this job? Oh no, after working for this particular temp agency for a continuous 2 year period there is nothing holding me back from taking any job, there is no payoff, there are no valid non-compete clauses. Well that was nice to know!!!! I had worked for them continuously for 3 years and a couple months! I could even go back to a former assignment and take a job!

On a hunch, I decided to try to apply for open jobs with the same rank in other departments within the paper company. I knew other department heads and knew which ones liked me, so I targeted the ones I thought would hire me in a second flat.

After another 6 months.... I've applied for a couple jobs and got turned down while people outside the company got hired. I've gone back to HR and heard the same old promises but the paperwork isn't done yet.

What's wrong with me????

My boss pulled me aside a couple months later (we're now 1 year and 8 months into this carrot being dangled in front of my face) and he tells me, "do you really think HR will hire you at approximately $19/hr at this point, when you're doing so well at $12/hr?" He advised me to quit and then apply for the job when it comes up. (I'm assuming the temp agency didn't have a markup on my $12/hr all the way to $19/hr)

I struggled for another couple months with this and decided he was right. I quit. Then I waited to hear about this job coming available. I had several co-workers who were going to tell me as soon as it was posted, and my boss said he would as well.

A month later, someone else got the job. My boss had found a better job with another company and wasn't in a position to let me know (this is completely understandable). My co-workers were all shocked when the new department manager was hired and decided not to post my old job, but instead hired his wife.

I guess HR didn't have a problem with her paperwork.