Last summer, I switched from the 8 to 5 shift to the 11 to 8 shift for various reasons. It’s really not a bad shift, especially if it’s one you want, and like most things in life, if it’s forced on you, it sucks.
I got nicely adjusted to it. I was doing well at it. Of course, this means there is no way in hell that can continue. This would be when boss’ boss gave away my shift to someone else for every other week. Thanks. Thanks a BUNCH. So, then it’s 9 to 6 one week, 11 to 8 the other week and 9 to 6 on Fridays, unless I’m on beeper which it’s then 11 to 6, or Mercury is in retrograde in which case I just show up whenever I damn want to.
Now, the thing is, the person she gave half my shift to is front line. Not bad front line by any means, but front line nonetheless. We don’t usually put anyone on 11-8 who is front line because the last hour of the day it’s all you and no one else. You need to have someone that can handle whatever gets thrown at them. But hey, management does what it wants.
So, fast forward to today. I’m on 9 to 6 this week. I should be getting ready to leave to go to the gym right now. However, my phone rang at 8PM and it’s my coworker… Massive OMGWTFBBQ URGENT call, she doesn’t know what to do… I give her a few pointers, check in w/her a little later, the client has been a complete ass and now isn’t bothering to answer his phone. That just speaks volumes to me as to the “urgency” of all this, and yet I am here trying to chase this jackass down so we can put the smackdown on this crap once and for all.
I’ve dealt with this client before. They’re notorious for this - call at 7 something with some URGENT issue and then just drop off the face of the damn earth and tomorrow they’ll bitch that it’s not been fixed yet.
And you know what? You shouldn’t be waiting until January 30th to print your W2s to begin with, and you most certainly shouldn’t wait until 7:15 to call if there is a problem with it.
Thing is - it’s not like I am on call for front line or anything like that - she’s just really lucky I heard the phone ring and picked it up. Were it tomorrow night? I think not since my ass would be watching hockey and I get crap cell reception at Glory Days. Thank god for small favors.
Edit: For the record, I am not at all mad at her for calling - that was a smart move on her part. But she shouldn’t be in a position to have to do that in the first place.
