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Jul. 15th, 2017 06:06 amI dropped off the map again for a couple of weeks to deal with some personal issues.
I went permanent at my job. I am now a regular employee again, after seven years of being a contractor - which in the USA is basically indentured servitude with few or no medical benefits, and no sick or vacation time, with dismissal at a moments' notice a cold, hard fact once the company one is indentured to is no longer meeting the bottom line.
I worked for two companies between 2010-2017, both of which worked me until I broke (I had depressive breaks/anxiety) and then threw me out like worn out light bulb. After having had the promise of permanent tenure dangled in front of me by both companies for seven years, and then yanked away, my newest position just gave it to me after three months of employment there.
I'm grateful and ecstatic, but I also weep for what this means for our current capitalist system. And I'm still dealing with the psychological fallout from the last two positions, over the last seven years.
Last summer, I felt so dehumanized - mainly over the fact that I had bronchitis for a month and was not allowed to take any sick time, and was then berated for how my performance suffered and then let go.
The American dream was dead for me, as it is for so many people...people who "punch down" instead of punching up, who blame those who are even less fortunate that they are instead of "the masters" (because they still envision themselves as being "a master" one day - as the quote attributed to John Steinbeck goes, America is full of "temporarily embarrassed millionaires.")
However, I have discovered that I need major surgery to correct the issue with my uterine fibroids, and when the surgery finally happens I will be out for six weeks. This was non negotiable. After I got caught up financially from my last period of unemployment, I went to the gyno finally to talk about my options. The pain has been getting worse over the past year.
I have told my boss. I am trying to save up enough money to cover expenses, as I have not been there long enough to apply for a leave of absence, and hoping that the pain is manageable until then.
I went permanent at my job. I am now a regular employee again, after seven years of being a contractor - which in the USA is basically indentured servitude with few or no medical benefits, and no sick or vacation time, with dismissal at a moments' notice a cold, hard fact once the company one is indentured to is no longer meeting the bottom line.
I worked for two companies between 2010-2017, both of which worked me until I broke (I had depressive breaks/anxiety) and then threw me out like worn out light bulb. After having had the promise of permanent tenure dangled in front of me by both companies for seven years, and then yanked away, my newest position just gave it to me after three months of employment there.
I'm grateful and ecstatic, but I also weep for what this means for our current capitalist system. And I'm still dealing with the psychological fallout from the last two positions, over the last seven years.
Last summer, I felt so dehumanized - mainly over the fact that I had bronchitis for a month and was not allowed to take any sick time, and was then berated for how my performance suffered and then let go.
The American dream was dead for me, as it is for so many people...people who "punch down" instead of punching up, who blame those who are even less fortunate that they are instead of "the masters" (because they still envision themselves as being "a master" one day - as the quote attributed to John Steinbeck goes, America is full of "temporarily embarrassed millionaires.")
However, I have discovered that I need major surgery to correct the issue with my uterine fibroids, and when the surgery finally happens I will be out for six weeks. This was non negotiable. After I got caught up financially from my last period of unemployment, I went to the gyno finally to talk about my options. The pain has been getting worse over the past year.
I have told my boss. I am trying to save up enough money to cover expenses, as I have not been there long enough to apply for a leave of absence, and hoping that the pain is manageable until then.
