The Rest of the Story

I’ve been reluctant to share the drama that resulted in my sudden job loss at the end of May but since I’ve mentioned it several times (thank you for all your supportive comments and prayers) I decided it was time to tell “the rest of the story” as Paul Harvey would say.

First a little background.   I have been a legal secretary/paralegal for 25+ years.   When I remarried 9 years ago my husband didn’t want me working full time so I was lucky enough to work for a friend 4 days a week, off on Fridays.    Fast forward a few  years and due to an on-the-job injury which resulted in me being out of work almost a year, I then found a job working 3 days a week.     That company went under (it was in real estate) so I started working 2 days a week for an attorney friend until he decided he needed me  3 days a week.    That was perfect, I was off Mondays and Fridays, and worked 3 days a week, 6 hours a day.     Can’t get better than that!

In March 2011 we brought on another attorney, a former judge.   I loved working for these two guys, and I thought it would be a job I would stay on at least 6 more years which I planned to retired permanently.    

The Tuesday after Memorial Day I got to work and there was another girl there!    It had been mentioned to me that they were “thinking” about bringing on another person who was bringing in files from her former boss, but there was nothing in stone about bringing in someone else.    Now this ain’t my first rodeo (thanks Dr. Phil) but I knew it was completely unethical for a non-attorney person to bring files in from another lawyer, that was money walking out his door!     The attorney I had worked for the longest was on vacation, which I didn’t know anything about.   The “new girl” had taken over his office, knew his computer password (I did not) and basically took over my job.    She “ran” errands (which I normally did), was out of the office for several hours, opened mail (after I had already checked all the mail) and he had left her the work I normally did.    She sat in on a domestic relations consultation after telling me she knew nothing about domestic relations, that was my job, that she was hired to work on SS disability files (the files she brought with her).     This all happened on her first day at work.   A situation occurred on the 2nd day that was totally out of my comfort zone (not to mention unethical) so I left for the day and e-mailed one of the men that I wouldn’t be back that day but  asked them to get in touch with me on the following Monday so we could address my concerns.    NO ONE EVER CONTACTED ME!     No phone calls, no e-mails, nothing.    I was devastated to say the least.

I went ahead and filed for unemployment and after about 4 weeks was notified I had been denied.      I naturally assumed my former employers had objected to my filing for unemployment but have since found out the Dept. of Industrial Relations objected to the filing.      We had a phone “hearing” a few weeks ago which resulted in the final denial from the Dept. of Industrial Relations for my unemployment compensation, even after my former boss stipulated they “fired” me.   

The hearing was a joke!   The idiot guy that conducted the hearing wouldn’t let me or my boss get in a word at all…he ran the show from the get-go.    I could have appealed that decision as well but it just wasn’t worth it.    I was experiencing anxiety and stress and depression from it all so now it’s over and done with.    However, my former boss has stayed in touch with me, we have gone to lunch a couple of times, and he  indicated he will be calling me to come back to work….but I don’t plan on returning.      I feel much better after finding out they did not object but wanted me to get my “pennies”.      However, they are compensating me since I got denied.    

So now you know “the rest of the story.”    I know this is hard to believe but sometimes I miss having somewhere to go every day.    Of course, it’s obvious I’m leaving out some things with regard to the “new girl” that took my place but I’d rather not get into that.     I just want to move on with my life and start this new chapter.   

On a much happier note, we had a huge yard sale this weekend and made out like bandits!    I hope to use that money to finish up the guest room and hubby’s bathroom.     The purging and decluttering took a month getting ready for that sale but the end is in sight.     It feels so good to get rid of so much stuff….I hope I never let things get to that point again!