I'm a pretty big Tim fan right now.

Me too! I'm so sorry about the douchnoozle drippings, Steph. They all SUCK, really truly.

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.

Yes. How very Christian of them.

Steph, I'm so sorry you have to deal with these assholes. I hope a solution comes along quickly.

It sounds similar to the kinds of stories I heard during the dot-com crash.

And oh yes, THIS. I'm getting horrible flashbacks to when I was laid off from the first real full-time job I ever had because the CEO was told by their accountant that if she didn't let someone go she was going to lose the company. The actions you're describing are NOT those of a financially healthy institution, and are sounding increasingly desperate.

{{{Teppy}}} My God, what a gaggle of asshats. Like everyone said, you deserve much better.

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.

I think it depends on where you work. If you were to get a job at my employer, they're kinda boxed in by the fact they're a state agency with lots of rules, and you'd earn 8 hours per month for the first year with gradual increments each year until you're like me (because my pre-Annabel service credit still counts) and get 16 hours per month. But in the private sector, especially with a small organization, I'd think that would be a good issue to negotiate.

OTOH, there's something to be said for large state organizations. Even the worst boss I had wouldn't have pulled that crap, because she didn't have the power to do so without raising all kinds of red flags with HR.

The actions you're describing are NOT those of a financially healthy institution, and are sounding increasingly desperate.

So much this. First the mandatory compressed schedule, and now this? This is like when you're in university and debating which cds to sell for beer money.

FWIW, I've never worked somewhere where benefits were really negotiable, though people keep saying it can be. But I've also never encountered vacay less than 2 wks at start. So I'd expect to lose a week going somewhere else, but probably not more than that.

Oh, and Steph? Since you're apparently an hourly employee now, ::coughbastardscough:: here's a suggestion. Go through whatever records you have or can compile and see what kind of time you can document, going back as far as you can. My old boss got caught up in a similar situation and one of her coworkers filed a complaint with Labor - since you've been reclassified as hourly there's every chance you've been inadvertently reclassified as non-exempt. The company ended up forced to pay them overtime for every hour over forty they could document going back to the start of their employment.

The actions you're describing are NOT those of a financially healthy institution, and are sounding increasingly desperate.

Yes, this. And I'm so sorry you're being treated so awfully by those ... things masquerading as people and responsible employers.

But I've also never encountered vacay less than 2 wks at start.

Most places I've worked, a new hire gets no vacation and has to earn it a few hours a pay period, and you try to save up some to roll over for next year when the cycle starts over.

Utah is a Right to Work state, AKA Right to Screw Over Your Employees So Long As Some Poor Schmoe Is Willing To Take It.

Yeah, I think it really depends on industry and state.

I have to deal with a few aspects of my company that I don't really care for, but I am really very lucky. And I don't take it for granted. Not after spending 2001-2004 selling crap on eBay and temping.

Teppy, they're being asses and I am sorry you're the victim of their incompetence.

Brenda is wise. They can't have it both ways. If they treat you as hourly now you are possibly elegible for a lot of unpaid overtime leading up to this. Quite a few companies got nailed for this kind of BS in the eighties.