Man Fired for Stopping Shoplifter

Well at least I don't work for the stupidest company in America. BTW, check the comments after. People are declaring free shopping days at Whole Foods now.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2007/12/grocery_worker_fired_for_stopp.html

BY DAVE GERSHMANThe Ann Arbor News
John Schultz says he lost his job at Whole Foods Market in Ann Arbor
after he tried to stop a shoplifter from making a getaway. But the company says
he went too far and violated a policy that prohibits employees from physically
touching a customer - even if that person is carrying a bag of stolen goods.

To Work or Not To Work, That is the Question

I'm facing an ethical dilemma in my job. I was brought up to do an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Action = Result. Work = Money. My dilemma? What if my employer isn't paying me? What if my paychecks are delayed and/or no good? Do I continue to do my job as if everything were fine? Do I show up and not work? Do I show up and do a slow down?

If I were a creditor for this company and they paid me like they do employees I would be able to hit them with late fees, service charges and interest. I don't have that option as an employee though.

I'm stressed. I'm rambling. I just want to be paid and not worry about how I will get to work to give another eight hours when I have less than a gallon of gas in the tank.

Do Cover Letters Really Matter?

As part of the ongoing job search I'm constantly debating the effectiveness of a cover letter.

Having been in a supervisory position in the past I can say that most cover letters bored the hell out of me. They say the same thing over and over and over and add nothing to my impression of an applicant unless the grammar and spelling is so bad that you wonder if the applicant is 14 years old. Honestly, they never factored in my decision to call someone in for an interview. I looked for skills and qualifications, items easily seen on a resume.

I think the biggest arguement for cover letters comes from HR professionals who seem to think it is the Holy Grail of a job application. Just do a quick google search and you will find many blogs by HR professionals who say the cover letter is what sells the employer on interviewing you. Yet these same people say in the same post that cover letters are pretty much the same from all applicants. I even found one entry where a professional stated he doubted even a fast food restaurant would hire someone without a cover letter.

I realize that the HR department is a companies first line of defense in the legalities of running a business. I've never bought the stand that the HR department is for the employees. I do understand that they scan the resumes and provide a sampling of what they think are the most qualified candidates to the hiring supervisors and managers of the appropriate departments. The problem is they often have no idea of what a job involves other than what is in the manual as a job description.

So, the dilemma is...conform and write a cover letter that says "Hi, I'm the most qualified! Hire me!" or just add a note of interest to an email?

A Break!

Finally! After almost a year of constant working I'm taking a well earned break from theatre for the next two months. Today we wrapped It's a Wonderful Life. This is the first time I've been both stage manager and actor in the same show and I'M TIRED!!! We had 25 people in the cast. We had casting troubles early on. My tech people were pretty much all under the age of 18 (most around 13). It was the director's first time in the directing chair. In other words...organized chaos. I'm so proud of my tech team. Each and every one of them stepped up and did incredible work. In fact, I'm drafting my props mistress for my next show.

We had a great run with sold out bookings and almost a full house every night, including matinees and Thursdays. We didn't have an empty seat at all today and it's a great feeling for closing a show.

If you are ever in the Birmingham area and like live theatre I highly recommend checking this place out (http://www.southcitytheatre.com/ ). The next show will be The Return of the Pink Panther. And following that one will be M*A*S*H (I'll be stage managing this one).

Work

We all have to do it. Well the majority of us have to do it. You know, the big "W." Work. Ideally we find a position where we are able to do something we enjoy while advancing through the company. Unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous employers out there. And, for the last two years, it seems like I'm doing an excellent job of finding them. Two owe me back pay. One is in jail. And the current employer is always late with payroll and has started bouncing checks.

It is a shame that prospective employees do not have access to the same kind of information as prospective employers. I seriously doubt any business will willingly let you check their credit rating or randomly choose three references among previous employees in order for you to form an educated opinion of the business.

I seriously thought I had my bases covered this time. I verified how long the company had been in business, how long it had been at the current location. I was assured I was being brought into a new position instead of replacing someone who had left (not true). It took me three months to discover there was no way the company was making a profit (simple math). I've been looking for a new job since.

The effect of all this? Due to my inability to obtain good information and the willingness of the employer to not disclose certain facts my resume has taken a huge hit over two years. It really sucks.

We Don't Want Our MTV

"Scores of workers from MTV Networks walked off the job yesterday afternoon, filling the sidewalk outside the headquarters of its corporate parent, Viacom, to protest recent changes in benefits.

The walkout highlighted the concerns of a category of workers who are sometimes called permalancers: permanent freelancers who work like full-time employees but do not receive the same benefits.

Waving signs that read “Shame on Viacom,” the workers, most of them in their 20s, demanded that MTV Networks reverse a plan to reduce health and dental benefits for freelancers beginning Jan. 1."

As someone who does a lot of freelance and temp work I can totally sympathize with these people. I've run across employers who label all employees as temps, contract and/or freelance in order to avoid taxes and benefits. You end up being screwed over in every possible way.

Unfortunately this is the direction that many employers seem to be headed. By not having direct employees they save in payroll and benefits, not to mention the legal liability that is removed. If it benefits the bottom line then eventually most employers will go there.

So what is the solution? What can we do to protect ourselves when we are in this situation? Private insurance costs much more than group insurance. There are programs for individuals though that closely match group policies. As for 401ks and pensions...that's more difficult. Saving for retirement when it's automatic is no problem but when the responsibility is put on the individual then life's small emergencies will take precedent over the deposit into the retirement account. It takes discipline to put back a large chunk of money each period. The options are there (IRAs, stocks, bonds, etc) but it is up to you.

The Cherry Popping Post

This is the first post of my new blog. Honestly I have no idea where I'm going with this thing. Part of me wants to blog about all the crap I watch on television. Another would just love to blog about crappy employers and provide a place where people would be able to check a potential employer's reputation based on feedback of current and former employees. And yet another part of me just wants to talk about my life. Of course there's all the time I spend involved in theatre that could be talked about. Can't forget mental illness, debunking the myths and stereotypes is near and dear to me. But who knows!

How about just something for fun today?

My new favorite obsession...hulu. I can watch Buffy and Monk all day at work. Provides a great escape from the stress of my day. Just tune in, slap on some headphones and go.