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Now I understand....

October 18th, 2017 at 01:55 pm

When I interviewed for this job, I was told the previous proofreader had no interest in going from being a contractor to a salaried employee.

Now I understand why.

The salaried employees there routinely work long hours for which they're not compensated. Maybe they're making such a huge salary it kind of makes up for it, but otherwise, I could easily see why a contractor would not want to give up getting paid when she stays there til 8 pm, especially when you get overtime pay after 40 hours.

My manager, at the time this topic came up in the interview, seemed genuinely puzzled. To me it's crystal clear.

So last night all of us in the office stayed late because my manager had a big meeting today, and we were creating the materials he'd be using during his pitch/presentation. I normally leave at 6 pm but he kept me there for an additional 2 hours so I could proof something that took me all of 15 minutes to look at.

Sitting around with nothing to do drives me nuts. He knew I was doing nothing but was ok with that. I can only browse online or look at my phone for so long. This job cries out for being a remote job where I could be on call but at least not be sitting around doing nothing.

I'm going to wait til after Nov. 1, the 1st day of open enrollment on the healthcare exchange, to bring up the subject of my status there, and maybe I'll toss this idea of working remotely out there and gauge his reaction. Especially since my original idea of saying pay me for just a 30-hour week but give me health insurance might not fly since they may argue they need someone more than 30 hours during certain periods.

So I got home last night around 8:50 pm and was kind of disgusted with the job. The work itself is not bad and fairly easy to do but it's the irregular flow of work I don't like I foresee long days at work if I became salaried. Ugh. I'm still looking for perm and aside from one perm position a recruiter has been in touch with me about recently (which I doubt will come to anything since the employer is in a retail business), there is nothing on my horizon and I'm just a few months away from a healthcare crisis implosion.

I've done everything I can to avoid this coming to a head and at the same time, I've tried not to focus on it too much because it just stresses me out. I heard some fleeting reference on the radio that Trump has reached some sort of agreement with the
Dems NOT to get rid of the subsidies, and while I wouldn't be eligible for a subsidy at my pay rate right now anyway, it does offer some relief as doing away with subsidies could ultimately lead to the collapse of the healthcare exchanges. And right now, we need every option available, even if they are very high cost.

Sometimes I feel like a rat in a maze that keeps running up against dead ends as it races to exit.


In other news, today is Phase 2 of my battle against the fleas. The diatamaceous earth I ordered from Amazon arrived yesterday and today I used a screen strainer as a sift to spread it all over my carpets, seat cushions and any kind of fabric that Luther could sit on. This product got very good reviews on Amazon for killing fleas, and the Frontline, once again, killed at most 30% of fleas of the ones I combed off Luther.

The DE has the consistence and color of white flour, so it looks like a very fine dust is over everything. I only hope it doesn't ruin my vacuum cleaner when I go to vacuum it up. I may leave it on for a few days.

6 Responses to “Now I understand....”

  1. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1508351456

    Good luck. I hope it works out.

  2. rob62521 Says:
    1508384891

    I can understand your frustration. Can you take anything else to do while you have those days like last night where you had to wait around to proofread something? I'm thinking something like knitting, crocheting, or cross stitch or something like that.

  3. Dido Says:
    1508452412

    To clarify the subsidies (this is a point that I only understood after doing more research): There are actually two types of subsidies. The subsidy that YOU have gotten is part of the ACA law and not under threat unless Congress acts to "repeal and replace" the ACA.

    The type of subsidy that Trump undid last Friday is a cost-sharing subsidy. This is a payment to THE INSURANCE COMPANY and was something that Obama created by Executive Order, so Trump could undo it by Executive Order.

    Yes, Trump may be able to make a deal with the Democrats on this.

    If not, the net effect would be to raise health insurance premiums: the insurance companies would get less from the government so they would turn to their clients. It's middle-class taxpayers who would be the hardest hit.

  4. Amber Says:
    1508472245

    I'm puzzled on how a contractor can receive over time pay. Are you in the states? The laws are very specific about hours worked and not to mention classifying individuals as contractors when they're indeed employees. Good luck

  5. PatientSaver Says:
    1508499073

    Amber, yes, I live and work in CT.

  6. Dido Says:
    1508517803

    The key issue in W-2 vs 1099 (employee vs contractor) is control. If the employer gets to control where, when, and how you complete the tasks assigned and if they provide the tools and materials you use, those are key aspects arguing for an Employee (W-2) designation. But if you have flexibility and control over where you work, provide your own tools and materials, etc, that is a contractor. The IRS has a 20-factor test to determine status, and if you are subject to the constraints of the employee, you should get the benefits of an employee.

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