so I booked one for as soon as possible and sat in a nice comfortable seat while I waited.
On the table next to me was a small stand of novels supposedly hand-picked by some of the library staff. After reading a few of the little cards next to each book wherein the library person had given their own very short review I picked one up to kill the time until I could use the computer.
The book wasn’t great but kept me occupied until I was sitting in front of a screen and began trying to figure out what I should do about my employment situation. As much as I dreaded going back to Bloxhamtech and facing Rod Stevens again, I was also apprehensive about trying to start again somewhere else for all the reasons I had thought of the previous night. Plus there was nothing to say things wouldn’t be the same or worse at a different company.
I began searching for things like ‘unfair dismissal’ and ‘fired illegally’ until I happened across what seemed like a few reasonably good articles. Sadly, it looked like I would probably need to get a lawyer to fight this battle properly.
With my head resting on my hand, I finished reading the last few paragraphs and sighed. I was in no position to pay for a lawyer. If anything went wrong, and the articles stated that nothing was guaranteed, I would be out on the streets and unemployed even faster than if I did nothing.
I didn’t have much time left on the internet but I thought I’d start looking at some job sites until I had to leave. I’d barely looked at anything when my phone started ringing in my pocket.
Several heads turned in my direction, giving me dirty looks. I glanced around apologetically as I sprang to my feet and tried to fumble the phone out while I rushed towards the front doors.
The screen indicated that it was somebody calling from the Bloxhamtech building and I frantically pressed the button to take the call as I pushed through the doors and out into the street where noise was permitted. In my rush I hadn’t even thought about whether I should answer it or not, for legal reasons, but it was too late for that.
“Hello?”
“Beatrice, it’s me, Antoine,” said my Sales Manager.
“Oh, hi.”
“Are you OK? Can we talk?” he asked.
“I’m fine, and yes, I can talk,” I said.
“Great. Look, Mr. Stevens has asked me to contact you to make it clear that what was said in the heat of the moment was by no means ‘official’ and you are more than welcome to still consider yourself a valued employee of Bloxhamtech.”
“Are you reading this off a piece of paper?”
“Yes, cut me some slack. Furthermore, Mr. Stevens apologizes for any misunderstanding and management has agreed that you should be entitled to some time to calm down until you’re alright with returning to work. They’ve said you can have the rest of this week and the following two weeks as vacation, on full pay. It won’t come out of your yearly holiday entitlement either.”
“He couldn’t tell me himself?”
“Beatrice, you know what he’s like,” Antoine said under his breath. “I’ve never seen him even go this far before, a complete about-face. Maybe he really means it. So, do you want to accept? For myself, I’d really hate to lose you. You’ve never taken any annual leave before, you might as well take this. Please?”
“Well…”
“Please?”
“OK, Antoine. Yes, I accept.”
“Wonderful! I’ll see you in a couple of weeks then and I’ll get Scott to distribute your work amongst the other Sales Support Execs in the meantime.”
“OK, thanks. Bye.”
I stuffed my phone into my pocket and felt something else brush my fingertips. Pulling it out, I saw it was Jeremy Holt’s card. Two weeks starting from next week. That was a bit of a coincidence, wasn’t it?
After considering tossing the card into the nearest trash, I decided to go back into the library and book another half-hour slot on the internet. A
On the table next to me was a small stand of novels supposedly hand-picked by some of the library staff. After reading a few of the little cards next to each book wherein the library person had given their own very short review I picked one up to kill the time until I could use the computer.
The book wasn’t great but kept me occupied until I was sitting in front of a screen and began trying to figure out what I should do about my employment situation. As much as I dreaded going back to Bloxhamtech and facing Rod Stevens again, I was also apprehensive about trying to start again somewhere else for all the reasons I had thought of the previous night. Plus there was nothing to say things wouldn’t be the same or worse at a different company.
I began searching for things like ‘unfair dismissal’ and ‘fired illegally’ until I happened across what seemed like a few reasonably good articles. Sadly, it looked like I would probably need to get a lawyer to fight this battle properly.
With my head resting on my hand, I finished reading the last few paragraphs and sighed. I was in no position to pay for a lawyer. If anything went wrong, and the articles stated that nothing was guaranteed, I would be out on the streets and unemployed even faster than if I did nothing.
I didn’t have much time left on the internet but I thought I’d start looking at some job sites until I had to leave. I’d barely looked at anything when my phone started ringing in my pocket.
Several heads turned in my direction, giving me dirty looks. I glanced around apologetically as I sprang to my feet and tried to fumble the phone out while I rushed towards the front doors.
The screen indicated that it was somebody calling from the Bloxhamtech building and I frantically pressed the button to take the call as I pushed through the doors and out into the street where noise was permitted. In my rush I hadn’t even thought about whether I should answer it or not, for legal reasons, but it was too late for that.
“Hello?”
“Beatrice, it’s me, Antoine,” said my Sales Manager.
“Oh, hi.”
“Are you OK? Can we talk?” he asked.
“I’m fine, and yes, I can talk,” I said.
“Great. Look, Mr. Stevens has asked me to contact you to make it clear that what was said in the heat of the moment was by no means ‘official’ and you are more than welcome to still consider yourself a valued employee of Bloxhamtech.”
“Are you reading this off a piece of paper?”
“Yes, cut me some slack. Furthermore, Mr. Stevens apologizes for any misunderstanding and management has agreed that you should be entitled to some time to calm down until you’re alright with returning to work. They’ve said you can have the rest of this week and the following two weeks as vacation, on full pay. It won’t come out of your yearly holiday entitlement either.”
“He couldn’t tell me himself?”
“Beatrice, you know what he’s like,” Antoine said under his breath. “I’ve never seen him even go this far before, a complete about-face. Maybe he really means it. So, do you want to accept? For myself, I’d really hate to lose you. You’ve never taken any annual leave before, you might as well take this. Please?”
“Well…”
“Please?”
“OK, Antoine. Yes, I accept.”
“Wonderful! I’ll see you in a couple of weeks then and I’ll get Scott to distribute your work amongst the other Sales Support Execs in the meantime.”
“OK, thanks. Bye.”
I stuffed my phone into my pocket and felt something else brush my fingertips. Pulling it out, I saw it was Jeremy Holt’s card. Two weeks starting from next week. That was a bit of a coincidence, wasn’t it?
After considering tossing the card into the nearest trash, I decided to go back into the library and book another half-hour slot on the internet. A
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