Apparently I need to
rework my strategy.”
“ I doubt that. You just
need to weaken his defenses and bombard him with all your
ammunition. That’s what has always worked for me,” Maria
coached.
Tia laughed. “Is it bad that I’m
looking forward to our next budget meeting?”
“ Not at all. And he’s
probably anticipating it as much.”
“ Why did you leave so
soon?” There was a crease between Helena’s pretty
eyebrows.
“ He had a scheduled
military meeting.”
“ Ah, he couldn’t get out
of that.” Maria sounded like she knew what she was talking
about.
“ That’s what he said.” Tia
glanced around the lab. “Now, about my samples.”
“ What about them?” Helena
smothered a yawn and glanced at the coffee pot. It was
empty.
Too bad. “Why don’t I pack my box and
I’ll go do my job for a change.”
“ You already do. It seems
ridiculous that a woman with a Ph.D. takes water well samples.”
Maria scowled at her.
“ That’s my thought.”
Helena joined Maria in staring her down.
“ Jorge also gets on me
about it. But if I don’t take these samples, then you all have to.
There’s no reason why I can’t help out.” Tia kept her voice
firm.
“ You have an advanced
degree. You shouldn’t be wasting your time on sample
taking.”
Tia shook her head. “If I can’t do
your jobs, if my skills aren’t on par with yours, then I’m not a
very good boss. It helps me to maintain those skills and I enjoy
getting out and seeing the wells.”
Helena was the first to relax. “I can
understand that.”
“ You have a master’s degree. You could just as easily be running
this lab.”
“ I didn’t know you had a
master’s, Helena.” Maria sounded scandalized.
“ I ended up winning a paid
graduate level scholarship here in Rurikstan, so I took it.” Helena
shrugged.
She wasn’t fooled. “I
looked into that program. You don’t win them, you earn them. Your
competition was fierce that year, but you still beat everyone out
by a huge margin.”
“ I’ve heard they’re very
difficult to obtain.” This round she joined Maria in throwing the
censorious looks.
While Helena winced, she didn’t refute
their statements. Probably because she couldn’t.
That reminded her of another order of
business. “I’ve also reviewed your pay scale.” She had spent
several hours on this in fact. And brought in Maks due to her
findings.
“ Uh oh.” Helena exchanged
a glance with Maria.
“ The one budget concern I
was most concerned with was the pay rates of those working in this
lab.”
Both Helena and Maria
stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at her. Helena had
grown a little pale. She understood that. The woman had worked
really hard to gain that advanced degree and she wasn’t being
compensated for it, at
all .
“ What did Aleksi decide?”
Helena’s voice was just above a whisper.
Maria stepped closer to the alarmed
woman and brushed a soothing hand over her back.
“ I pointed out that you’re
being paid the starting rate of a bachelor’s degree candidate. Of
which you are neither.” Tia kept her gaze on Helena.
“ What happened?” Helena
stayed tense but Maria relaxed. She, better than Helena, discerned
what was about to happen. Smart lady, Maria, who wasn’t being
properly compensated either.
“ It didn’t take Maks long
to review your file and realize that you weren’t paid what you
should have been at the hospital either. Then when you moved to
this lab to help during a crisis situation, you also weren’t fairly
compensated. As of today, your pay will be assessed and you will be
granted any back pay owed you. Your pay scale is also being
reevaluated, as is Maria’s and Jorge’s.”
She kept her eyes on Helena, but she
still heard Maria gasp. “Shouldn’t Graham have discovered
this?”
“ No, there’s another man
in charge of wages and he’s not well-liked by Maks. Graham has also
expressed reservations about him. Aleksi has taken over
rework my strategy.”
“ I doubt that. You just
need to weaken his defenses and bombard him with all your
ammunition. That’s what has always worked for me,” Maria
coached.
Tia laughed. “Is it bad that I’m
looking forward to our next budget meeting?”
“ Not at all. And he’s
probably anticipating it as much.”
“ Why did you leave so
soon?” There was a crease between Helena’s pretty
eyebrows.
“ He had a scheduled
military meeting.”
“ Ah, he couldn’t get out
of that.” Maria sounded like she knew what she was talking
about.
“ That’s what he said.” Tia
glanced around the lab. “Now, about my samples.”
“ What about them?” Helena
smothered a yawn and glanced at the coffee pot. It was
empty.
Too bad. “Why don’t I pack my box and
I’ll go do my job for a change.”
“ You already do. It seems
ridiculous that a woman with a Ph.D. takes water well samples.”
Maria scowled at her.
“ That’s my thought.”
Helena joined Maria in staring her down.
“ Jorge also gets on me
about it. But if I don’t take these samples, then you all have to.
There’s no reason why I can’t help out.” Tia kept her voice
firm.
“ You have an advanced
degree. You shouldn’t be wasting your time on sample
taking.”
Tia shook her head. “If I can’t do
your jobs, if my skills aren’t on par with yours, then I’m not a
very good boss. It helps me to maintain those skills and I enjoy
getting out and seeing the wells.”
Helena was the first to relax. “I can
understand that.”
“ You have a master’s degree. You could just as easily be running
this lab.”
“ I didn’t know you had a
master’s, Helena.” Maria sounded scandalized.
“ I ended up winning a paid
graduate level scholarship here in Rurikstan, so I took it.” Helena
shrugged.
She wasn’t fooled. “I
looked into that program. You don’t win them, you earn them. Your
competition was fierce that year, but you still beat everyone out
by a huge margin.”
“ I’ve heard they’re very
difficult to obtain.” This round she joined Maria in throwing the
censorious looks.
While Helena winced, she didn’t refute
their statements. Probably because she couldn’t.
That reminded her of another order of
business. “I’ve also reviewed your pay scale.” She had spent
several hours on this in fact. And brought in Maks due to her
findings.
“ Uh oh.” Helena exchanged
a glance with Maria.
“ The one budget concern I
was most concerned with was the pay rates of those working in this
lab.”
Both Helena and Maria
stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at her. Helena had
grown a little pale. She understood that. The woman had worked
really hard to gain that advanced degree and she wasn’t being
compensated for it, at
all .
“ What did Aleksi decide?”
Helena’s voice was just above a whisper.
Maria stepped closer to the alarmed
woman and brushed a soothing hand over her back.
“ I pointed out that you’re
being paid the starting rate of a bachelor’s degree candidate. Of
which you are neither.” Tia kept her gaze on Helena.
“ What happened?” Helena
stayed tense but Maria relaxed. She, better than Helena, discerned
what was about to happen. Smart lady, Maria, who wasn’t being
properly compensated either.
“ It didn’t take Maks long
to review your file and realize that you weren’t paid what you
should have been at the hospital either. Then when you moved to
this lab to help during a crisis situation, you also weren’t fairly
compensated. As of today, your pay will be assessed and you will be
granted any back pay owed you. Your pay scale is also being
reevaluated, as is Maria’s and Jorge’s.”
She kept her eyes on Helena, but she
still heard Maria gasp. “Shouldn’t Graham have discovered
this?”
“ No, there’s another man
in charge of wages and he’s not well-liked by Maks. Graham has also
expressed reservations about him. Aleksi has taken over
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