Q: About 10 months ago, I moved to a small town and began a job as an executive assistant for the president of an auto-parts manufacturing company. The “locals” told me that this man was very difficult to work for and that several assistants had walked out on him. I prefer to judge things like that for myself, so I took the job despite the comments. Well, this guy was difficult all right–I couldn’t do anything to make him happy even though I was loyal, devoted to his goals, worked long hours, ran his personal errands and put up with his rude insults and temper tantrums. When he fired me, he asked me to sign a separation agreement, which my attorney had me sign but thought it was extreme for a secretary to have to do so. The agreement said that we mutually agreed not to ruin each other’s reputation, and that I couldn’t work for any type of automotive company for the next two years.
Recently, I sent 40 resumes to companies in the area and have not received a single response. I know my resume is effective because I have 15 years of solid administrative experience and received a positive response from a company 75 miles away, whose owner or manager he probably doesn’t know. What should I do?
A: You may now have to fight fire with fire. Consult an attorney experienced in contract law regarding your former boss’s possible breach of contract by bad-mouthing you. It seems unusual that your attorney had you sign such a restrictive contract, which may not hold up in court if your complaint gets that far in the legal system. While other business owners may not believe what this man says about his former employees, they may think that hiring you could pose future problems between themselves and this man.
Q: I’m a salaried employee who often works through lunch and stays late. If I need to leave a little early, though, my employer expects me to make up the time or use a personal/vacation day. I thought salaried positions were supposed to work both ways.
A: Yes. That’s true. If your employer wants you to put in an extra hour when you take an hour for a dental appointment, it is treating you as an hourly employee. This means it should pay you time and a half for every hour you work over 40 in a week. Your company probably understands the differences between salaried and hourly and the ramifications of misclassifying employees but continues the practice thinking no one will challenge it. You’ll be forcing a confrontation if you point this out to the boss, so be ready for trouble. The Illinois Department of Labor is on your side, however. Call them at 312-793-2800, but it may take some time to investigate.
Q: I read your column about the woman who explained to her critical boss that she was sensitive due to an alcoholic father, and was later fired. I am a 61-year-old man who joined Adult Children of Alcoholics 10 years ago. The experience has changed my life–my outlook, my job satisfaction, and I learned to be less sensitive to criticism. The cost for attending Adult Children of Alcoholics is nominal and the rewards are unlimited.
A: Your joining Adult Children of Alcoholics at age 51 shows that it is never too late to learn from the past and change one’s behavior. Thank you for sharing your success. For more information, check out www.acoa-chicagoland.com
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3Write to Lindsey Novak, Jobs, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60611. E-mail her at AtWorkbyLN@aol.com.
