It was my first job interview. I had interviewed before for my residency position. But those positions had very few negotiations to make. It was my first real job. I had worked as a student, a researcher and a resident. Now I was going to be a faculty. The 5 digit salary was going to make a whooping jump to 6 digits. All who advised me around told me to ask for 'this' amount and to include a bit extra since I was going to be ABR certified in a matter of months etc. I had only one question in my mind
Me: How much time do we get off?
Dr. Yu: What?
He sounded like he did not understand my question. I repeated
Me: Vacation time. How much time do University of Maryland faculty get every year?
Dr. Yu: I thinks 2 or 3 weeks. But I will have to ask HR.
It should have been a good hint for him not to hire me. I was planning on a vacation before I was hired. I remember going to HR often to find out how much time I had left. I even remember telling someone in HR ... I think I work so I can get time off. I never had anyone complain that I was taking too much time off. Or that I would use up all my vacation for a year. The rest of the hardworking crew accumulated vacation time with an aim to get cash from it.
Now I am no longer an employee. Taking time off is not longer fun! I still get to hang out with my best buddies Monday thru Sunday
Now I am an employers. I have two employees. I see that my role has reversed. My attitude has
changed for the worse. While I enjoyed my time off... I do not seem so tolerant to my employees need for a break.
Both the maid and the cook work seven days a week. They rarely take a day off. Once in a while they come in late or call and say they wont be coming. But in the past one year I can count on my fingers the number of days they have taken off.
There was a time that I would beg of them to take time off. I felt like a slave driver. My only condition to them is that 'please' call me and tell me when you are planning not to come or come late. After all I rely on you! That is where the problem arises. Dependence!
Two weeks ago I completely lost my cool with the cook. She promised me she would come cook for me and then decided last minute that she wasn't going to come. I had depended on her and kept fish out to be cooked. My aunt was in town and she loved fish. When at 5:30 the cook did not arrive I knew I was on my own. I called her and she said ...' I wont be coming today'. I was so mad at her for not calling to let me know. She came the next day and told me that she had mentioned over the weekend - which was in the midst of Isaac's birthday --- that she would not be coming. She was mad. I was mad and I realized that yelling was not the solution. I decided it was cold war time. So for the next few days I would go to her, tell her what she needed to make and leave the kitchen. I was so mad with her that when she made some Biryani rice, I did not want to send some home with her. I knew how much she loved Biryani. Just to be spiteful I ran upstairs right about the time she was getting ready to leave so I wouldn't have to make eye contact while she left empty handed.
As I walked up I suddenly remembered the numerous days I had taken off from work. I remembered the numerous times I had been late to work. My salary had never been cut. My benefits (i.e. Biryani rice) had never been reduced. Here I was mad for one day she took off in many many months.
I felt very small. I quickly ran downstairs to see her still frying pappdams.
She: I remembered you like pappadam with your Biryani so I was frying a few.
What a blessing! I think as employers we forget the days when we were employees and love just being so tough! Like we have doctors day, therapist day, physicist day... we need a day for the maid and the cook ... So they can have a day off without having to call and give and excuse!
Me: How much time do we get off?
Dr. Yu: What?
He sounded like he did not understand my question. I repeated
Me: Vacation time. How much time do University of Maryland faculty get every year?
Dr. Yu: I thinks 2 or 3 weeks. But I will have to ask HR.
It should have been a good hint for him not to hire me. I was planning on a vacation before I was hired. I remember going to HR often to find out how much time I had left. I even remember telling someone in HR ... I think I work so I can get time off. I never had anyone complain that I was taking too much time off. Or that I would use up all my vacation for a year. The rest of the hardworking crew accumulated vacation time with an aim to get cash from it.
Now I am no longer an employee. Taking time off is not longer fun! I still get to hang out with my best buddies Monday thru Sunday
Now I am an employers. I have two employees. I see that my role has reversed. My attitude has
changed for the worse. While I enjoyed my time off... I do not seem so tolerant to my employees need for a break.
Both the maid and the cook work seven days a week. They rarely take a day off. Once in a while they come in late or call and say they wont be coming. But in the past one year I can count on my fingers the number of days they have taken off.
There was a time that I would beg of them to take time off. I felt like a slave driver. My only condition to them is that 'please' call me and tell me when you are planning not to come or come late. After all I rely on you! That is where the problem arises. Dependence!
Two weeks ago I completely lost my cool with the cook. She promised me she would come cook for me and then decided last minute that she wasn't going to come. I had depended on her and kept fish out to be cooked. My aunt was in town and she loved fish. When at 5:30 the cook did not arrive I knew I was on my own. I called her and she said ...' I wont be coming today'. I was so mad at her for not calling to let me know. She came the next day and told me that she had mentioned over the weekend - which was in the midst of Isaac's birthday --- that she would not be coming. She was mad. I was mad and I realized that yelling was not the solution. I decided it was cold war time. So for the next few days I would go to her, tell her what she needed to make and leave the kitchen. I was so mad with her that when she made some Biryani rice, I did not want to send some home with her. I knew how much she loved Biryani. Just to be spiteful I ran upstairs right about the time she was getting ready to leave so I wouldn't have to make eye contact while she left empty handed.
As I walked up I suddenly remembered the numerous days I had taken off from work. I remembered the numerous times I had been late to work. My salary had never been cut. My benefits (i.e. Biryani rice) had never been reduced. Here I was mad for one day she took off in many many months.
I felt very small. I quickly ran downstairs to see her still frying pappdams.
She: I remembered you like pappadam with your Biryani so I was frying a few.
What a blessing! I think as employers we forget the days when we were employees and love just being so tough! Like we have doctors day, therapist day, physicist day... we need a day for the maid and the cook ... So they can have a day off without having to call and give and excuse!
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