Angela’s Story

Angela and I met after she had been rehired onto our project as a tester.  Her office was right across the hall from mine.  She seemed fairly nice.  Usually the first few weeks, you have some time to ease into your new job.  The drama does not usually start until about after a month or so.   However, this was not Angela’s fate, drama started after the first week.  One of the testers did not want to come in at 3 am to start testing and since Angela was new, they decided that she should do it.  When Angela was approached she explained that she needed 24 hours notice for work scheduled outside her standard hours because she was a single parent and that this issue was discussed and agreed upon during her interview.  The tester was not happy with her response, and that is where the trouble began.  The tester went to the Deputy Director, Bob, to complain.  Angela had to go to Bob’s office….

Bob: “Hello Angela, I hear that we have an issue.  You have been asked to go home and return at 3 am tomorrow morning.  I was told that you refused to do so because you are a single parent.  Well Angie, I know that don’t have the luxury of having a husband, but...”  Angie interrupted, “A luxury?!! Is that what you are to your wife, a luxury??  I don’t have the luxury of having a husband??!!  I made it perfectly clear that I was a single parent during the interview.  I said that I could work late or non-standard hours if you gave me a 24 hour notice.  And, your hiring manager agreed to these terms during the interview.  Now, one week after I have been hired, you come to my desk at 9 am and ask me to go home and return at 3 am in the morning to start testing.  Does that sound like 24 hours to you? I have a two year old son, but I can make arrangements.  But no, I do not have the luxury of having a husband. “

Bob replied, “Ok Angela, let me call Keith.  We will figure out something.”  Bob called Keith and put him on the speakerphone.  “Keith, we have a problem, we need a tester to start testing at 3 am.  Angela came in at 9 am this morning, and I wanted to send her home, however, she needs 24 hour notice to work non-standard hours.”  Keith replied, “Well, if we promised her 24 hours, then we need to assign another tester to go home and return at 3 am.  If she can’t do, she can’t do it.”  Bob responded, “Well, what do you want Angela to do, since she can’t test anything today?”  Keith replied, “I don’t know.  I don’t care what she does!”  Bob answered, “Keith, she is standing right here.”   “Oh,” Keith said.  Angela stormed out of Bob’s office and went straight to mine and she told me the whole story. 

After she told me the whole story, I told her that when she sued CGTN and won the company, I wanted her to remember that I was her friend, and I wanted to keep my job.  My office mate said the same thing. 

Well, there was not a lawsuit, but Angela was never asked to come in and start testing at non-standard hours.  In fact, our department loaned her out to the Testing Management Department for the next year, so she had little contact with Bob or Keith.  She still had a desk in our department, but she was rarely there.  Things went smoothly for Angela until there she had to transition back to our department.  But, that is another different and crazy story.  

#singleparent
#luxury