April 2012
 |
| Our office, they didn't have a pc for me, I used my own |
The job in China fell through. Back to the drawing board.
Good thing I hadn’t told my colleagues or anybody about it really. Only my
family knew. I secretly wanted to go to China even as a tourist to see for
myself if I couldn’t get a job whilst there. I had talked to a few people that
teach English there, they told me it’s not hard finding a job once you are
there in person. I was tempted. But I had to play it safe.
By this time, I’d been working for my boss for 2
months. I had been on probation for my
week whereby they’d see if I got along with everybody as I was the only
outsider in a family company. Everybody
was a breeze to work with, except for the boss, but she wasn’t always
there.
By the end of the month, they asked me if I was going to
need any money, if so, how much. I found that interesting because I had worked
my hinds off all month proving to them that I was an asset to the company. We
had talked about the salary at the interview. I told them that I would have
been happy with whatever salary was market related. They had a PA (Personal
Assistant), they had to know what was market related for a PA. You’d think! I
told them that I was renting an apartment, I had to pay rent, groceries,
insurances etc, and I had bills to pay! They told me this was a permanent job,
of course I went and signed a lease for the apartment! Boss was out of town.
She called me. Normally she was very
mean to me on the phone or in person for that matter, so much for a pastor and
a life coach. She was so nice to me that time around on the phone. She asked to
speak to the old PA. Thereafter, the PA told me that there was no money to pay
mu, but they had R1 500 (less than $200) COUNT IT! For Ice
Cream. They would pay me a salary the next week. I had bills to pay and no time
to be buying R1 500 worth of ice cream! I went home so confused. Wondering
what would happen next. What if they didn’t pay me the following week and the
following month! Whew! So much for getting a new job. I went over to my
sister’s to chill. I needed to be around people that cared about me.
 |
| The view from the dining room/conference room |
Boss kept calling to confirm my banking details, she wanted
to deposit the ice cream money. She was so nice to me the entire time on the
phone.
My landlord was a journalist, she was very nice to me. I
lived next door to them and 4 houses from my work, which was also the boss’
house. She worked from home. I told her
about my work situation. She told me she was willing to help me put my boss on
blast if I gave her some material to work with. I thought I’d give them until
the following week, to see if they would fulfil their promise. The following
week, I got R700 from the Boss’ son, he told me that’s all he had in his
account. PA’s husband who also works there, had a long, meaningless talk with
me one day on my way home. He told me that he knows what it’s like to be in my
shoes: to struggle to make a living (WTF’s dude talking about? I’ve got a job!
They just won’t pay me! There’s a difference!) He told me how he used to be a
waiter, homeless, sleeping in public toilets. I was thinking this dude had
better not be suggesting I should move out of my comfortable apartment and go
sleep in public restrooms, seriously now!
All I got for the rest of my second month at work where
promises that the company was expecting millions of rand, and I’d be paid then.
NEVER HAPPENED!
 |
| Conference Room/Dining room |
In March, my second month at the company, I was kind of
offered a promise of a better job: Human Resources of the Bloemfontein Plant.
Go figure! This people can’t afford me a PS’s salary, now they want to promote
me! How much more money do they want to not pay me? I had to spend days on the
internet doing research and things for my new position. I was booking flights
for the boss to fly all over the country. Here I am, still waiting for the rest
of my salary for the previous salary and this woman is gallivanting all over
the show. I booked deluxe hotel rooms for wedding attendance, and all sorts of
things. The telephone bill came and she paid R1 000 ($125) extra. I was
like, are you kidding me? Why doesn’t she give that to me! The following month,
she did the same thing, paid extra for the telephone bill. I just didn’t get
that! The entire month of March, I was so discouraged and angry.
Two days before payday, boss lady, who had been out of town
for weeks called and spoke to the PA. She told her that they didn’t have money
to help me out with my bills, she suggested I move in with them. She would pay
me the following week. I told her, even though I’d love to move in with them
(which I wouldn’t have), It was two days before my rent was due, I’d have to
give my landlady more notice than that, two months to be precise. She said,
well try anyway, don’t tell them the real reason, just tell them that something
came up and you have to move out urgently. Uhm, ok Reverend, I will do that!
I’ll go and lie to my landlord who has been nothing but nice to me! Who has
also agreed to help bring you down should you not pay me again this month.
The following day, I don’t them that the landlord doesn’t
mind if I stay or not, as long as I pay them for the following two months as
per lease. They were like, ‘What?!?!?!? What exactly did you say to
them?!?!?!?!?” I was thinking, it seems as if this is not the first time these
people are doing this. It looks as if it’s worked for them every single time
but this time around. That’s why they were shocked. Oh well! The boss told me what my salary would be from
that onwards, unfortunately she would only pay me the following week, a week
late. My question to the PA was, if they knew for a fact that they were going
to pay me the following week, why should I move out of my apartment? I could
just ask them to wait a few more days and that’s it. Right? Wrong!
 |
| Stairway from our office to the Boss' |
I was so stressed out, my whole body hurt, I had headaches
that wouldn’t go away. I still had Georgia on my mind, that was a disaster, and
now I am here this is not so much of a great experience either! Should I go to
China? So many thoughts on my mind! Should I quit? I just moved here from the
Eastern Cape! Should I go back there and job-hunt until I find something else?
Should I stick around? Will they ever pay me?
I put in notice at the flat while I was on a week’s leave.
The PA who was going to fill in for while she was on maternity was still
working. For some reason, the baby was not coming. The due date came and went.
While I was on sick leave, they deposited R4 000 ($500) into my account.
Still not enough, in fact, that plus the money they gave me the previous still
didn’t cover the pay they promised. I cut my losses and quit. It was hard, I
loved everyone I worked with but couldn’t shake the feeling this was just a
cult where they reel you in with their kindness and never ever pay you. All you
get is kindles from Boss lady every month end! Sadly, that didn’t pay the
bills. Everybody didn’t understand why I quit. It’s like where the heck do
these people come from? I don’t offer volunteering services! I need to get
paid! I spent the entire month of April, job hunting, going for interviews,
applying for jobs abroad, the works.
 |
| I bought myself a new laptop a week before payday thinking I was going to get paid |
No comments:
Post a Comment