Bosses Lack Work Ethic
Q: I’m a secretary to a suburban school principal and administrators. Changing jobs is not an option because I am close to receiving my pension, but the work ethic of the people I work for upsets me. They arrive late and leave early, and once they’re here, they run in and out all day doing personal errands. One employee questioned the comings and goings of one of the administrators who answered that she has to attend board meetings in the evening. These board meetings take place only once a month, which doesn’t make up for all their time off.
I know that if I went to the higher ups, nothing would change. I don’t think this is fair to the taxpayers.
What can I do about this?
A: Since you’ve decided to stay to receive your pension, you need to take care of yourself. Expecting these administrators to adopt higher work ethics is unrealistic, and a letter to the Board of Education may backfire on you and cause a legal entanglement that you are not ready to face.
Concentrate on yourself. Get involved in activities that take your mind off work. When you retire, you may then want to form an activist group to make the public aware of the lack of professionalism in the local school system.
Bank shafts 30-year vet out of sales contest winnings
Q: My husband worked at a bank for 30 years, starting at the bottom and working his way up to sales. As he was about to retire, the sales department held a contest that my husband won. But because he was leaving, they refused to give him the $2,000 in winnings. What can we do?
A: Check with your state labor department. State labor law governs whether commissions due to salespeople are owed once they leave a company. Money won in a sales contest may be handled the same. You will need to give the exact dates and employment terms to the labor department investigator to see if you should file a complaint against the company.
Once you know your rights, another approach would be to write the bank president and point out that this is a shabby way to treat a veteran employee. Perhaps he or she will see the light and tell the sales department to do the right thing.
Older worker gets the interviews but not the jobs
Q: I am 62 years old but feel like 50. After 24-1/2 years (three years away from retirement) of dedicated service at a managerial level for the country’s largest secondary mortgage association, I and my counterparts in other regional offices were let go because the company was moving the responsibilities to the Washington, D.C., office.
I sent my resume to more than 100 companies and 50 employment agencies and have been told my background is impressive. I have gotten interviews, but when I meet with the human resource people, I can tell they’re thinking about my age. If companies are hollering for experienced people, where are they? They can’t ask my age, but I can still see the age discrimination factor fall into place.
A: You are absolutely right. Despite laws against age discrimination in the workplace, many companies work hard not to hire older workers. They say it costs in health insurance when they hire older adults and raises their risk level. And some companies simply aren’t willing to pay the higher salaries for the work experience.
Your best hope in finding a job is through networking. Think of all the contacts you have made in 25 years in the business. Start calling people to pick their brains for contacts who may be hiring.