My (Temporary) Job
By viakri
@viakri (123)
United States
May 29, 2012 12:13pm CST
Back in February, my friend got me a temporary position at her work. The job is Administrative Assistant. It is very part time as they just needed someone to fill in when the Administrative Assistant (my friend) was out. I trained and then filled in while she was out of town in March. I really loved it!
When she got back, she received very good news. She was going to be promoted and getting a raise! This was very exciting for me too because that meant her former position would open up!
They had me come in to fill a spot while my friend trained in her new position. My friend mentioned to one of the girls (who happens to be interviewing for the new position) that I am pregnant. I typed up a great proposal and gave it to the president of the company and then to the girl who is doing the interviews. I followed up twice with the president in two weeks and he keeps saying he has not read my proposal yet, but he will get to it. The other girl, let's call her Dee, has not given me a response at all. Oh, by the way, Dee is pregnant too.
My Aunt passed away last week and I took Thursday off for her funeral. While I was out, they interviewed four people! They have not interviewed one person in three weeks, and they choose the one day I am out to interview four people!! Right now I am still filling the position, but it hurts me to be here everyday! I feel hurt,used, and discriminated against. I want to come out and ask them why can't I have an interview.
Who knows, maybe I'm doing something wrong. If that were the case, I think they would have been trying a little harder than they are to fill this position. It should not take over three weeks to find somebody; especially if you are unhappy with the person you have in the current position.
As I am sitting here writing this, I am wondering if discrimination happens more than we realize. There have got to be more people out there that this has happened to. Has this ever happened to you and how did you deal with it?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@randylovesdar (4932)
• United States
30 May 12
On a personal note: welcome to mylot and I hope to see more of you.
It is unfair that the company would not consider you since you have worked so hard and that your friend will not put in a good word for you. I have a bad feeling that you are being discriminated against because you are pregnant. I know my mom got fired from a job because she was pregnant (of course in the United States a company cannot do that) so the company lied and said that my mom was fired because of excess absences (she missed one day in the 3 years she was there). My mom sued for unemployment and won because the employer could not prove that she had more absences than one. Then the company came up with the excuses that my mom was taking off early for doctor's appointments (she worked from 6A-3P) and her appointments were always made after 4PM (luckily my mom kept all her appointment cards and the nurse sent a letter on the doctor's letter head stating the times of her appointments.
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@viakri (123)
• United States
31 May 12
I truly believe that is exactly why they are not hiring me. Otherwise, why would they keep having me back, and why aren't they doing more interviews to replace me more quickly? If I was doing a bad job, they wouldn't want me here, right? I am not sure what I could have done differently. I feel completely used and I am very confused right now.
1 person likes this
@sirnose (2436)
• United States
29 May 12
viakri, welcome to mylot, and sorry for your lost of your aunt. It sounds to me that you should look elsewhere for work because what I read is that this position is not in your future.
I would have thought that since your friend got you the temporary job especially if you been in the position since February. That she would put in a good word for you, and the owner or ceo would hire you. Instead, he gives you the run around.
All you can do is dust off your resume and submit it to other companies. Don’t depend on your friend talking up for you because if that were the case, she would have done so long ago. Good Luck with your future employment search.
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@viakri (123)
• United States
31 May 12
I don't think my friend was talking me down. I think she was just talking about my pregnancy because the girl she told is pregnant too. They have not given me a reason as to why they are not hiring me which leads me to believe that it is the pregnancy. If it is not, I would like to know what I am doing wrong so that I can fix it in the future.
As far as dusting my resume off, I am showing now so I think I will have the problem wherever I go. I will wait until after the baby is born I guess. It will be hard financially, but we will get through.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
31 May 12
Companies never want to admit it but they definitely have a problem hiring younger women of child-bearing age -- and even more trouble with one who is already pregnant. Although, as mentioned, it's illegal to discriminate against women, to ask about a woman's plans to have children, or to fire someone because of pregnancy or maternity leave, people "bend the rules" all the time and find other reasons.
I'm really sure they aren't interviewing you for a permanent position because you are pregnant. They are already losing the current Admin Assistant and have to replace her. If they hire you, they know you will be leaving for maternity leave and they'll have to replace you too, during that time. This tends to be a big issue in a lot of companies. They really don't like the stream of constantly integrating and training new people.
You didn't mention what you put in your proposal. Is it possible that there were any terms in there that would have given them concerns? The president may be giving you the brush-off but that doesn't surprise me. I'd focus on the hiring manager/girl you know is doing the interviews. The president would almost definitely be waiting on her recommendation for a new hire rather than getting involved in the process himself.
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
1 Jun 12
Well crud! I'm so sorry that they won't take you 
It just seems so unfair when you've already shown you can do the job.
I had a problem at one job when I was pregnant. I was working for the Vice-President of Corporate Accounting - she was a woman in a man's world, in that particular company - and she treated me terribly. She would tell me all the time that I wasn't allowed to take a lunch break because we were "too busy" or needed to finish things before I could stop. She knew I was pregnant and it was like that was a disappointment to her personally. She pushed me hard. So I reported her to the labor standards board where I live. They investigated and they sided with me. There was a reprimand issued and such. I was later approached by one of the Directors who asked me why I took it outside the company. He was her boss and why didn't I go to him, he said. I told him that the culture within the company gave me zero confidence that anyone would be willing to even hear my concerns. He didn't really know what to say.
It just seems so unfair when you've already shown you can do the job.
I had a problem at one job when I was pregnant. I was working for the Vice-President of Corporate Accounting - she was a woman in a man's world, in that particular company - and she treated me terribly. She would tell me all the time that I wasn't allowed to take a lunch break because we were "too busy" or needed to finish things before I could stop. She knew I was pregnant and it was like that was a disappointment to her personally. She pushed me hard. So I reported her to the labor standards board where I live. They investigated and they sided with me. There was a reprimand issued and such. I was later approached by one of the Directors who asked me why I took it outside the company. He was her boss and why didn't I go to him, he said. I told him that the culture within the company gave me zero confidence that anyone would be willing to even hear my concerns. He didn't really know what to say.@viakri (123)
• United States
1 Jun 12
That's terrible! People try so hard to fight discrimination, but it will always be around. There in no true way to fix the problem, just better ways to hide it now. She was probably pushing you so hard because she was hoping you would quit. That way she couldn't get sued for discrimination. Corporate politics make me sick!
1 person likes this
@viakri (123)
• United States
31 May 12
I sent the girl who is doing the interviews (who also happens to be the one my friend told that I am pregnant) my proposal as well. In the proposal I included my knowledge and interest in the open position, my salary requirements, and my skills. They told my friend yesterday that they are for sure not hiring me but they did not mention why...
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