This was my first week back after using my last week of vacation time. I was starting to dread it as early as Saturday at 5.30am. The last time I took vacation time, back in August, it seemed the whole office fell apart while I was away. This time it was no different and I felt like this. I arrived at work to see my desk just covered in attendance papers, time sheets, and sticky notes. I also had to create and print report cards for the past 2 weeks, organize papers for an internal audit, do 2 teacher observations, do 2 interviews, and teach my class on top of the usual AC duties. I was just so mad that Wednesday night I wrote a letter/email to the head of operations for GEOS. Read it here. The following morning I received and email from her saying my beefs were valid and if she could forward various parts of my letter to the appropriate departments (Head of Finance and another Operations Director). I said if she felt that was the right next move, sure. I’m not holding my breath for any wage changes; we currently have a freeze on as is. So now that many of the people in power had knowledge of my bitching there were at least 3 outcomes (in order of expectation):
- I was fired.
- Things would continue as they are.
- Things would change.
Not long after I arrived at work there was a call from the Victoria manager. He was wondering what all this being overworked and feeling left out was about. I pretty much summarized my letter to him. As a result, he will be coming to Calgary in 2 weeks to teach the rest of the office the report card system, fix the Drive issues, and install ethernet ports in all classrooms and more around the office to alleviate the wi-fi issues and the teacher-imputting-marks issues. He also was going to call around to Languages Canada to find out about getting an extension in order to keep the teachers in question off suspension and at work. He thinks the suspensions are a restraint of trade issue and doesn’t want any problems with Employment Alberta. In his words: “It’s a yes until it’s a no.” I felt the same way, but the higher ups and LC said I had to can these teachers. So this may solve my replacement woes, at least temporarily. Never had so much action resulted from one letter. Aside from increasing our wages to be more competitive – which would encourage more teacher loyalty, enable the likelihood of hiring and keeping new teachers, and attracting a new manager – most of my concerns had been addressed.
I took off Friday for childcare reasons. It turned out the Victoria manager had called again in the morning presumably to tell me what he found out after talking to assorted people in the company. Both of the office girls texted me the gist of the conversation. Apparently he was surprised to hear I was away. He asked if anything had happened, if I did this often, and if I had let them know I was taking a sick day. They were surprised by the number of questions and it it got me wondering.
- Was he genuinely concerned, ie. that I was so overworked/stressed and it was making me sick?
- Did he think I was skiving off?
I guess tomorrow I will find out as he is supposed to call me then.
