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judecorpSo my agency, the one I just started working for, just merged with another, bigger agency. Well, technically it hasn't happened yet (July 1), but it's a done deal. Today I had to sit through 2.5 hours of merge/benefits information and fill out all of the same new hire forms I filled out a month ago. Good times, good times.
I was hired under the auspices of getting 15 days PTO this year. That's not so great, considering I was pretty spoiled at my last gig with the four weeks of vacation time, a ridiculous amount of sick time, and something obscene like 13 holidays. So going down to 15 days and 12 holidays was a cut, but hey, doable.
The new agency gives first year employees - wait for it - 10 days of total PTO. And 8 holidays. 10 days of paid time off, whether it is sick or vacation. I have a child. Who gets sick sometimes. And who attends a child care that takes 15 paid holidays. So right there? That's 7 out of 10 days of PTO if I covered all of her holidays. Well, 6 - since one of those days is the day after Thanksgiving and I don't work Fridays. But wait, maybe I do. Because the new place? Wants all salaried employees to work 40 hours. I work 36 (four 9s). So I went into this meeting more than a little surly, which is scaring my Director because she is worried I will leave. And if I leave they are kind of screwed. And honestly? I am considering jobsearching again, even though I don't want to.
The kicker was when they were going over the benefits stuff. I was already surly so it didn't take much. It was a no-brainer to decline the health insurance because even though it is somewhat better coverage, it's something like $135 more per month than what we have now. But I was considering the dental because our dental sucks. And the HR lady read me the spiel about how any benefits I get for Jen count as taxable income blah blah blah because of the stupid Feds and how Jen's portion can't be pre-tax blah blah and I nod and whatever because I already know the suckitude. But then she says that I have to sign this thing that states that I know all of this and she starts to hand it over and I notice that it's a form that was originally written to address domestic partnerships, and is in fact still in use for domestic partnerships of any gender make-up. So one of the things you have to "attest to," on the DP form, is that neither party is married.
I told them I wouldn't sign the form. Because we are married. And she tried to be all nice about it and be like, "I know, but to the Federal government blah blah blah," and I said, "Of course. But I am legally married regardless and I do not feel right about signing a legal form attesting to the fact that I am not married." And she offered to write in something like, 'according to the Federal government,' and at that point I decided that the increased dental benefits weren't really worth signing a shitty form. Because having to file taxes two different ways is ridiculous enough.
I wonder if this has ever come up before. It sure didn't seem like it had. Surprising, for a rather large social service agency.
I was hired under the auspices of getting 15 days PTO this year. That's not so great, considering I was pretty spoiled at my last gig with the four weeks of vacation time, a ridiculous amount of sick time, and something obscene like 13 holidays. So going down to 15 days and 12 holidays was a cut, but hey, doable.
The new agency gives first year employees - wait for it - 10 days of total PTO. And 8 holidays. 10 days of paid time off, whether it is sick or vacation. I have a child. Who gets sick sometimes. And who attends a child care that takes 15 paid holidays. So right there? That's 7 out of 10 days of PTO if I covered all of her holidays. Well, 6 - since one of those days is the day after Thanksgiving and I don't work Fridays. But wait, maybe I do. Because the new place? Wants all salaried employees to work 40 hours. I work 36 (four 9s). So I went into this meeting more than a little surly, which is scaring my Director because she is worried I will leave. And if I leave they are kind of screwed. And honestly? I am considering jobsearching again, even though I don't want to.
The kicker was when they were going over the benefits stuff. I was already surly so it didn't take much. It was a no-brainer to decline the health insurance because even though it is somewhat better coverage, it's something like $135 more per month than what we have now. But I was considering the dental because our dental sucks. And the HR lady read me the spiel about how any benefits I get for Jen count as taxable income blah blah blah because of the stupid Feds and how Jen's portion can't be pre-tax blah blah and I nod and whatever because I already know the suckitude. But then she says that I have to sign this thing that states that I know all of this and she starts to hand it over and I notice that it's a form that was originally written to address domestic partnerships, and is in fact still in use for domestic partnerships of any gender make-up. So one of the things you have to "attest to," on the DP form, is that neither party is married.
I told them I wouldn't sign the form. Because we are married. And she tried to be all nice about it and be like, "I know, but to the Federal government blah blah blah," and I said, "Of course. But I am legally married regardless and I do not feel right about signing a legal form attesting to the fact that I am not married." And she offered to write in something like, 'according to the Federal government,' and at that point I decided that the increased dental benefits weren't really worth signing a shitty form. Because having to file taxes two different ways is ridiculous enough.
I wonder if this has ever come up before. It sure didn't seem like it had. Surprising, for a rather large social service agency.
