Take This Job and Shove It?
Today we welcome with open-arms our fabulous guest-poster Lisa from Smacksy. If you haven’t read Smacksy before, get there as fast as you can. Lisa is a charming, funny, down-to-earth writer who regularly regales her readers with what it’s like to live with a preschooler named Bob who doesn’t like to wear pants. We’re honored to have you, Lisa!
Dear Mouthy Housewives,
I am really angry because a slacker colleague got a bigger raise than I did. I found out about it because she assumed that we got the same amount and told me. I am now very upset, and my morale is at an all-time low. Do I say something to my boss or suck it up?
Signed,
Raise A Stink?
________________________
Dearest R.A. Stink,
Deep in the job history that is not represented on my resume, I was employed as a food server, or as we referred to it in the olden days, a “waitress.” One busy lunch shift, I confided in another waitress, Pammy, that our manager, Felix had been subtly hitting on me. Never anything blatant enough to call him on, but Felix stood too close, he would brush up against me, and had a skeezy overall vibe. This outraged Pammy. I soon found out that Pammy and Felix had actually been seeing each other on the down low for a few months. Once I knew that she knew and he knew that I knew that she knew and he knew the whole deal was awkward for all involved.
My first point is if your slacker co-worker is a pleasant horse-faced gal named Pammy, she may very well be sleeping with your boss. My second and sharper point is that you never really know what goes on behind the scenes in the workplace or why people make the money they do. Your lazy cubicle roommate may have an MBA that you don’t, or job experience that you don’t, or better salary-negotiating skills than you do. It doesn’t really matter.
You’re going to have to nut up. Bringing the discrepancy up to your boss will only brand you as a bitter whiner and out your lazy colleague as a big mouth. The gift in all this is that when it comes time for your next review, you will have inside knowledge that puts you in a better position to ask for the “going rate” for your position.
Be cool to the blabber-mouthed slacker. She unwittingly did you a favor… and the way things are going, she could be your new supervisor.
Best,
Lisa, Guest TMH
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Your “C” is my “A” and I’m Not Talking About Cups Here
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Will Work for Onesies
Dear TMH,
Any tips on finding a job (preferably mom-friendly or part time) when you are pregnant?
Signed,
Hire Me
_______________________________________
Dear Hire Me,
It does not happen often, but sometimes a Mouthy Housewife gets stumped. Like, why would you want to find a job when God spoke to you through your uterus and said, “Taketh the next nine months off because thou shalt never rest again!” God or Shakespeare. Take your pick.
On the other hand, if you are looking for work because people need money to live in society, handle the issue of your pregnancy frankly. Working Mother Magazine puts out a list of the best companies for moms, so incorporate that into your job search. You don’t mention what your skill set is, but as anyone who has ever had a child, or been near one for that matter will attest, motherhood hones all your talents. You will be qualified for corporate takeovers in no time.
On the practical side, in this lousy economy, companies are looking to cut corners and part-time employees often fit the bill. If you are receiving health insurance through your husband’s employment, your not needing health insurance from your prospective employer can be a real plus. Focus on your strengths, network with everyone from your friends, your partners’ colleagues, to the women you meet through a Lamaze class and at your OB/GYN’s office. Get the word out that you are available and that no pregnancy will slow you down. Also have an idea of what your post-partum plans are. Are you looking to return to work after a few weeks? Months? Years?
Unless you’re applying for the role of Maternity Supermodel, do not list your pregnancy on your resume or work it into your cover letter. Although it’s illegal for an employer to ask you if you are pregnant, if she does ask, be honest. Positioning yourself behind bookcases and insisting that people look at you only from the shoulders up until your baby is born may be awkward.
Good luck,
Marinka, TMH
