Q–Is it still correct to send a thank-you letter to the company after you’ve interviewed there? Or by doing this could you mess up your chances of getting the job?
A–Courtesy is never out of style. You can send an e-mail or a simple, handwritten note thanking the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. Or, you can use a formal thank-you letter as a marketing tool to remind the interviewer of your strong points and restate your enthusiasm. But if the letter is poorly written or somehow offends the interviewer, it could instead ruin your chances of getting hired.
Q–I worked for two male company owners whose previous secretary had quit. I had later found out that the secretary had gotten into a quarrel with one of the owners and walked out on the job. Five months after I was hired, this same man flew into a frightening rage. I have worked for many people and have never seen such a display of anger. I expect my employer to treat me with the same respect and courtesy he extends to his clients. I quit immediately. Since there were no witnesses, I know I can’t do anything legally to this guy. Is there something I could do to warn people of this maniac?
A–If you try to warn job applicants of this man’s potential for temper tantrums, you could open yourself to more trouble. Your boss’s one-time behavior was not illegal. Flying into a tantrum is an immature and destructive way to express anger, but walking off the job also doesn’t bode well for you. You would have been better off telling him you were going to leave the office and would return when he was calm enough to discuss the situation. Now you facethe possibility of a bad reference.
Q–I worked in the South Dakota office of a large Minnesota company with branches in five other states. My supervisor often told me I was an excellent employee. After seven months of employment, I was out for five weeks due to surgery. Everyone was excited when I returned. Three weeks later I was hospitalized for four days. When I returned, I was fired for excessive absenteeism. I had doctor’s notes and had notified my employer. I loved my job and can’t understand being fired for an illness. How this can happen?
A–The Family Medical Leave Act entitles employees to up to 12 weeks off unpaid to deal with serious health condition. But the FMLA only applies to employers with 50 or more employees within 75 miles of their principal place of business, and to employees who have worked for the employer for more than one year and for at least 1,250 hours during that year. Because you had worked only seven months, the FMLA does not apply.
According to Sheila Engelmeier, labor and employment law partner of Rider Bennett Egan & Arundel of Minneapolis, if you can show that you were terminated because you were a disabled person, your termination was illegal. “Disabled” means that you have to show that you suffer from a long-standing physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. You also need to read your employment handbook for the sick time and termination policy. In South Dakota, if the employee handbook says that the termination may be “for cause only,” that means the company must have a good reason for an employee’s dismissal. Also, the handbook can be considered a contract if it lists exclusive grounds for discipline or discharge and requires a mandatory procedure before terminating an employee.
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Write to Lindsey Novak, Jobs, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60611. E-mail her at AtWorkbyLN@aol.com.
