I Fought The Lawn

So I’ve been chasing a job elsewhere recently, and the company that interviewed me last week offered me a position as Facilities Director at a major office building last week. The offer gives me $12,000 more a year and %10 of my annual salary in bonuses. So last Friday, I gave my notice to my current employer.

Surprisingly, the big boss apparently thought that they should match the money offer, and my boss Bernie made that clear to me. I was thrilled at the idea of a $12,000 raise and staying at a job I love. As it turns out more than a week later, however, I’m instead left with no decent counter-offer and a bitter taste in my mouth for the company that I’ve had a great relationship for six years.

Bernie was forced to go to another boss in our company for financial direction, and the idea of the bonus and any promise of advancement went right out the window. I was told as much, and countered to Bernie that if H&R matched the salary money, I would consider staying. Tuesday had already gone by. Wednesday went by without a real word as well. And after making it clear to Bernie today that I would not accept an offer after Wednesday – I mean, I have to sign with the new place by Thursday, I told them, and was not interested in waiting until the last day – he called me to tell me that this other boss of his was coming into my building tomorrow with another operator to see how much work I do, and possibly make an offer then.

I said no.

In the most blunt conversation I’ve ever had with Bernie, I told him that I didn’t think that it was especially fair to me after six years of service that this had been dragging on for so long (I told them Friday), and that someone I don’t know coming in with some other building guy to see if I’m worth the pay I’m asking for was sort of off-putting. He gave me the standard “no, no, it’s not like that” speech, but it was exactly like that and we both knew it. I mean, he was embarassed by this – you could hear it in his voice. In the end, I told him to save this operator guy the trip, because I was cutting the cord and accepting the new place’s offer if a counter-offer was not coming today. It was clear that it wasn’t, so I said goodbye as politely as I could. I hung up and called the new company and formally accepted their offer. My last day is October 20th.

So while I’m initially told that my employer will match the prospective employer’s package, I’m finally told six days later that they’re not only not going to match the money but they also won’t give me the bonus. On top of that, they would bring in a superintendent-type to evaluate how much my job is worth before counter-offering the day after my deadline. Hey, if they don’t know what I do after six years, to hell with ‘em.

Ahh, well – onwards and upwards. I start at the new place on October 23rd, and lookin’ forward to it.

***

Gentleman Jack is doing well. He’s a total lap cat now, and he LOVES to play with balls and whatnot ALL the time. But in addition to his rag-tag ear and fangs that hang on the outside of his face, he also has no front teeth! Weird. Anyways,Jack D’Ass (as he’s called when he bites me) is doing much, much better, and getting along alright with Abby, too.

- BC