job ramblings
09/30/04 ~ 3:45 p.m.
since i've been back at work, it's become obvious that some of the future plans for this office have changed that will quite possibly affect my job. it's not 100% bad, but it could turn out that way. i will attempt to explain.
so, i work for a large brokerage firm. since i don't want to get googled, i will simply call them "company X." they are similar in product and service offerings to a ch@rles schw@b. however, this specific company is structured differently. there are no huge offices with 50 brokers running around and secretaries with switchboards. we are a limited partnership, and therefore, each broker runs their office like thier own business. the company covers many of the cost associated with running a business, such as the cost of rent, wages for assistants, computers, etc. they are supported by the back office, as long as they follow the rules enforced by the man.
with me so far?
so basically, what you end up with is many small "company X" offices everywhere. there are 10 in santa rosa, where i live. i work in a petaluma branch, and there are 4 others in town. i can't drive down a main road anywhere in california without passing their distinctive green sign.
99% if the offices are set up like this: one broker, one assistant. company X pays for one full-time assistant per broker, so naturally, most offices follow the pattern. but there are some exceptions to the "one broker, one assistant" rule:
1. if a broker makes over a certain amount of money for company X (more than $20k net a month, to be exact), the company will pay for the wages of a second full-time assistant. because, obviously, that office is rather busy and it's too much to handle for one person.
2. there is a program designed to help new brokers succeed in which a veteran broker trains and supports them for a term (either 12 or 18 months), and also shares thier office with them. the new broker can eventually hire their own assistant, who will follow the new broker to their own office at the end of the term.
3. any broker is allowed the option of more assistants, either part-time or full-time, if they pay thier wages out of pocket. this happens occasionally when a broker is nearing the requirements of exception #1, and will usually end up with a part-timer, so that they essentially have 1 1/2 assistants.
ok. so. where does my job fit in to all of this?
my office is unusual in that it came to be staffed the way it is by combining different aspects of all three exceptions:
leanne (veteran broker) had 2 part time assistants (jen & donna), basically equalling 1 full-timer. she got busy enough to follow exception #3 and hire another part time employee, but she didn't work out. around that time, leanne joined the program detailed in exception #2, and jim (new broker) moved into the office. because he caused even more work, jen and donna were overwhelmed. their solution was to hire a full-time employee to help out. the catch was, leanne hadn't met the requirements for exception #1 yet. so they arranged for the new employee to get paid by company X as if they were jim's assistant. the plan was not for this new employee to stay jim's assistant forever, but for leanne to be able to keep everyone in this office after jim's term was up. good plan, right?
so they hired me. i was origionally told that because i was the full-time employee, i would be guaranteed a position here no matter what. however, it's also been said that because jen and donna have more seniority, they are guaranteed to stay here. so really, there are no promises.
why am i talking about this now? because jim is in the process of securing his new office, and looks to be moving out around january 1st.
leanne is NOT making $20k net a month. she's averaging around $14k. (not too shabby a paycheck, though, huh?)
so, what's going to happen to jen, donna and myself? one can only speculate. here are the possibilties as i see them:
1. i keep my job and donna and jen are laid off. (NOT likely. jen is boss' pet.)
2. i keep my job and donna OR jen stay part time (donna leaving is very unlikely. jen leaving would only happen if she volunteered to give up her job, but she has mentioned planning a pregnancy next year.....)
3. jen and donna stay here, and i move with jim instead of him hiring a new assistant. (i'd prefer for this to not happen, as i don't like jim very much.)
4. jen and donna keep their jobs and i am laid off.
i'm a little worried that option 4 is the most likely. suck. but company X does take care of their employees, and they would place me in any available opening within driving distance. and another broker would be nuts to not want a trained assistant that's been with the company for almost 3 years (i was part time for 2 of those). so, i guess i'm hoping that would work out such that i'd work at an office closer to my house. because let me tell you, the 45 minute commute is draining. i can't even imagine people who commute more than that -- i'd be going out of my mind! [like brooke! she commutes 2 hours EACH WAY. poor thing.]
ok, so basically i just typed a novel worrying about what is going to happen 3 months from now. guess i need to just chill out!
i have to pee now, so i better post this and then go take care of that. toodles!
holly
p.s. most likely, i won't update tomorrow because i will be at an all-day work meeting in napa, and then i'm spending the night at brooke's house. send me lots of messages so i can come home to tons of electronic love on saturday!!!
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one year ago: i'm finding it hard to keep on top of my online life.
two years ago: yesterday was a blur of old people that i didn't remember.
three years ago: we talked and watched mystic pizza and ate cake and nachos and popcorn and played the "friends" game and stayed up til 1:30 (far too late for me).
four years ago: no entry. i didn't update very much back then!
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