(No baby yet. Still whomping about happily inside, though.)
Last week at work my boss came by my office. "Um... your part-time work request was denied," said my boss.
"Really," I said.
You see, my plan was: have baby, stay home 12 weeks, work part-time 12 weeks. When I took my new job, it was with that understanding. (Did I get it in writing? No. So the moral of the story is, don't trust companies to not be stupid: get it in writing.)
Anyhow, not okay. I was mad. I was prepared to meet with people until someone said yes, or until there was nobody left to tell me no. I was prepared to raise hell. Then I was going to quit.
I met with several people who've been there a bit, and managed not to cry on them. "I'm really angry," I said, "and I know it was stupid not to get it in writing but I didn't think the company would be this stupid either."
I met with my boss. "I'm sorry," said my boss, "but it seems that's their standard policy." "It's not written in the policy book," I said. "I'm sure you can understand that from my point of view, this was the condition on which I accepted employment, and this situation is not acceptable." "Um," said my boss.
I met with my boss and my boss's boss. "HR seems very firm about this decision; they think it's important to learn as much as possible about bicycle repair in the first few months, and I don't think it's going to happen," said my boss's boss. "Thank you," I said. "I'll have a little chat with HR." "Um," said my boss's boss.
I set up a meeting with my boss, the person in HR, and that person's boss. And then my boss came by again. "Your part-time work.... is approved. Since, er, nobody can seem to remember who said what (I do, I thought!) and it seemed like you might consider leaving... we decided it was best."
"THANK you," I said. And the official form arrived the next day.
Proving that:
1) Working with smart people is great. I didn't have to threaten anyone! I didn't raise my voice once. The meanest thing I said was 'I find this unacceptable.'
2) If you really want something, and are stubborn as a pig, it's amazing what will happen.
3) I am, clearly, stubborner than a pig.
