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Home › Diaries › Bridgett › October 14, 2006

Bridgett's Diary Entries

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10-14-06 First of I'm sure many disappointments yet to come.....

October 14, 2006

I no more than got the last entry posted and Joshua came clean about his job. Monday night the phone rang and it was Cold Stone calling. A female asked for Josh when I answered, so I called him down from upstairs to answer the phone. I met Joshua at the stairway and handed him the phone as I told him it was work. He took the phone and disappeared back upstairs to his room. About an hour later Joshua came back down stairs and handed me the phone, explaining that the conversation only lasted about 5 minutes, that he just didn't bring the phone back down when he was done. I asked him what they had wanted, and he replied "she just wanted to know if I could work during the week?". I said "really?, thats odd, since you and I both told them when you were hired that you could work Monday's and Friday's right after school, and even the rest of the week, but it would just have to be after 6pm." Joshua said "yeah, I know that's what I told her." So the conversation ended there and I didn't really give the phone call another thought.

Well, we knew Joshua's schedule for Monday and Tuesday, and the new schedule for Wednesday comes out Tuesday evening, but I knew Joshua hadn't called to find out if he was on the schedule for Wednesday or Thursday. So, Wednesday morning I happened to think about that we didn't know if Joshua was supposed to work after extended day today. As I woke him for school I questioned Joshua about not calling to find out his schedule. Sleepily Joshua replied " I don't work." I once again questioned him about how he knew this when he hadn't called to check the schedule. Joshua's reply the that was "I just know I don't." I still wasn't getting it, how did he "just know he didn't", if he hadn't called to find out the new schedule, this was Wednesday after all, and the old schedule we had only covered through the day before. I just let it go and went ahead and went back down stairs to finish packing lunches. Later, as Joshua was walking out the door, I once again probed him about work. I told him he had better go into the office after school, before extended day starts, and call the store to see if he worked tonight or not. Joshua once again replied " I know I don't". Perplexed, I once again asked "how he knew that?" He said "I don't ever work again." I said "what?, what do you mean?'. Joshua replied "I don't ever work again." I replied "what? you mean they fired you?". He replied " yeah, well they decided to let me go, she told me they decided not to keep me on." My heart just ached, I felt so bad for him, it seemed as if he were about to cry. I asked him why, what explanation she gave him for doing so. Joshua said "I don't know, she just said they decided to let me go." Now I was getting angry. You don't just keep someone on after their 2 week trial period and let them work another week, even keep them later then they are scheduled to work, and then call them the next night and just say we're done with you. So, Mommy defense mode kicked in, and I asked who it was that had called, Joshua said "Beth". I then told Joshua I would be calling her and finding out what the problem was, and Joshua headed off to school.

I had layed back down after I got all the kids off to school, because the little guy was sick and hadn't slept well that night, and I in turn didn't get much sleep either, so while he was still sleeping I tried to got some more sleep also. Although it wasn't really good sleep, I just couldn't shut off my mind. It was just eating away at me about the whole job situation. Finally it was nearly 10 am and I knew someone would be at the store since they opened at 10:00, so I called. I couldn't believe I was so nervous, I felt like it was me back in high school facing my boss. The phone rang about 5 times, and then finally it was answered, to my surprise, it was Beth. I quickly repeated her asking this is Beth, just to confirm because she had said it so quickly. I tell ya, my voice was shacking a bit and I could hardly speak. But I did finally get out that this was Bridgett, Joshua's mom, and I would please like to find out why she has decided to not keep him on. She started with "well we feel that Josh does not get along with the other employee's, and just the way he speaks to the customer's isn't good". What? I have been in the store on several occasions the past 3 weeks to take Joshua to work or pick him up, and it seemed to me that he got along with everyone and everyone got along with him just fine. Joshua was always running back and forth like crazy making things and getting things for everyone, and as he walked in several of the female employee's would always say "Hi! Josh!". I asked Beth if she or any of the shift leaders had bothered to say anything to Joshua about what he was doing wrong or improperly. She replied that after his 2 weeks were up they had had a little talk with him, then decided to give him another week to see if he would correct things. Wait!! You mean you let this child go for his entire 2 week trial, training period and never said a word to him. Am I the only one seeing a problem with the supervising here?!?!

What good does a trial period or training period do when you are just thrown in and told to do the job with no instruction, corrective criticism, or something? I asked if she had had a customer complaint or something, if he was inappropriately talking to the customers. Beth replied "well no, if we wait that long then there really would be a problem."  So, it is her that seems to have a problem with Joshua. Now I'm starting to see the real problem. I asked if she had gone and asked everyone how they felt about him as a co-worker. She of course said "no". I said so I see, there are one or two people that have said something to you, so therefore you are taking their side, well have you thought about maybe it is them that is the problem. In my near 20 years of work experience it is very rare for you to get 100% of the workers to 100% get along with one another. But, Joshua is the new one, so Joshua is the one that has to pay for one or two having a problem.

Beth told me she knew Josh was ADHD, he had told them that. But, that didn't make any difference. She was quick to tell me she also has an ADHD child that is 13 and has hearing problems, that she knows it will probably be very rough for him to get a job when he is older. So, if you have a child with problems, then you be a little bit more understanding about the situation. Yes, children with ADHD have a problem getting friendly to other alot of times. Beth said she just didn't like the was Joshua talked with the customers, not that he was rude or nasty to them, just that he didn't seem to click with them. Well, you saw this or noticed this, but when it was happening you just let it go, you didn't bother to pull him aside after it happened and explain to him, this is not the way you deal with or speak to customers, it needs to be more like this or more friendly, something. Ok, Ok, so I get it, you just don't think he is going to work out the way you need him to, so was his work performance fine. Well, yes, Joshua was a wonderful worker, learned and did his job well. But, he isn't a people person. Beth went on to tell me, "It isn't any big deal", "there are other jobs that he could be like that and do the job just fine".  NO BIG DEAL!! My son just lost a job that was very important to him, and gave him something to look forward to and strive for, and you just drop him like its nothing! I calmly replied to Beth that "yes, this is a big deal, Joshua loved his job!"  I was done, I had nothing more to say to her, she obviously didn't care about the employees she was responsible for, responsible to train, and it was just easier to throw them out like yesterday's trash when they didn't know how to speak the way she thought they should, but no one ever bothered to tell them that until it was too late. Before hanging up I did thank her for her time and asked just what all Joshua needed to return to them.

Oh, I almost forgot. Beth, also let me know that she knew Joshua didn't understand when she was telling him on the phone he no longer was needed. She told me "I just knew he didn't understand, he didn't act like most people do when you tell them they no longer have a job." She said she asked him if he had any questions before she hung up with him, and he said no, so she knew he didn't understand why. I just told her, Joshua is a proud person, and he wouldn't ever let her know he was upset, but I know he was, the job meant very much to him. Joshua is by no mean like every one else.

As the tag line said, I'm sure this is the first of what will be many disappointments in his preadult and adult life. That is what makes us or breaks us, and makes us the people we are. Its all about how we handle those disappointments. We can let them take us down or we can let them pass on keep on going. I will have to say I think Joshua is handling it very well.

Well, the first 6 weeks has ended for Joshua, it was over this past Monday, so report cards will be coming home this coming Monday or Tuesday. I know Joshua passed 3 of the 4 classes for sure already, not that they were all excellent grades, but they are passing, I just have to find out how Geometry went. So, I will end for now, and update again after grades come out.

Until Next Time........................................

God bless,

Bridgett and Joshua

 

 



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