Yeah, bosses are beyond douchebags. And you know what, when you get a new job and give your notice, you might have that notice drafted by a lawyer with a reminder about libel and slander laws. That should keep them careful about bad references, because employers are cautious about these things in any case.

Tep, they're not the bags, they're used Summer's Eve drippings.

MeanSOB appears to be attempting to undermine you. Please look up all employment law that you can. Understand that cutting back to 1-2 weeks of vacation for a couple years (usually, as I recall, people get more time the longer they're with a place) may well be a small price to pay for your sanity. Start sending out feelers for freelance gigs where you can WAH, maybe. I mean, heck, you know enough people on the Interpipes that SOMEONE'S gotta know something.

Steph, because I end up reading the board in great swaths - your office environment always sounds sort of fishy. Like they do as much as they can to sidle-up-to but maybe not cross (or sometimes do cross) the lines of legality and take liberties where they can when it suits them. At the very least, it's damn dysfunctional. Ask for clearly written benchmarks with firm dates for re-evaluation. It's good that the Boss' daughter is in your corner.

As far as negotiating salary/vacation, the one thing you need to remember is that any other company would be GLAD to have you. You're not incompetent, on the contrary you have valuable skills that other companies would be willing to pay for.

Your Boy is a wonderful human - he's a keeper, that one!

As far as negotiating salary/vacation, the one thing you need to remember is that any other company would be GLAD to have you.

This.

And do companies really still only give one week's vacation to new staff?

That should keep them careful about bad references, because employers are cautious about these things in any case.

I think that if I use Boss's daughter as my contact person for a reference, then my reference will be fine (or, at the least, sanitized).

I truly think that if I used Incompetent!boss or Mean!sort-of boss, they would cheerfully tell a prospective employer that I fuck off all day.

This sounds like they are penalizing YOU for bad management on their part. They suck. Really.

As far as negotiating salary/vacation, the one thing you need to remember is that any other company would be GLAD to have you. You're not incompetent, on the contrary you have valuable skills that other companies would be willing to pay for.

Double this. You have lots of experience, and as much as job-hunting sucks, I think it would so be worth it for you to get the hell out of there and away from those psychos.

And do companies really still only give one week's vacation to new staff?

Well, I dunno. I haven't job-hunted in 13 years.

your office environment always sounds sort of fishy. Like they do as much as they can to sidle-up-to but maybe not cross (or sometimes do cross) the lines of legality and take liberties where they can when it suits them.

Bingo. They used to get audited by the IRS every. single. year. Maybe they still do, for all I know.

Steph, I'm just gobsmacked. I have no idea how people like that sleep at night. Or, for that matter, put their pants on in the morning without accidentally choking themselves.

(((Steph)))

Pure speculation on my part, but the company closing the office one day a week? Arbitrarily cutting back an employee's salary? Could it be that the company isn't doing well financially, and the management is scrambling for fixes? It sounds similar to the kinds of stories I heard during the dot-com crash.

Getting your resume together is a good idea.