So I have to take the day off from work. Over the school year, I have earned about 13-1/2 hours of "comp" time: the school district won't pay overtime, instead you are awarded "comp" time for hours worked outside of your normal schedule. As a computer "assistant", I'm classed like a teacher's assistant, so my normal schedule obtains only when students are in class; ergo, I cannot cash in comp time for unpaid school holidays or the like-I can only use them to be out from work when I would otherwise BE at work.
Sounds a bit crazy? It gets better-due to the way the district budgets for things like "assistants", they don't like to pay out accumulated comp time at the end of the year. It becomes Payroll's mandate to hound those with accumulated comp time to take time off from their regularly scheduled hours and so use the comp time accrued-WHETHER YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT TIME OFF OR NOT! In fact, they get so pissy about it I finally decided to use my time, just to get them off my back. Hence, I officially declare this "St. Compulsory's Day". Henceforth, a yearly holiday I will be forced to honor if I don't want to be harassed by Payroll.
The truth is, I'd much rather be at work; assistants are not paid very much, get only 30 hours per week, lots of unpaid days off (teacher work days, nearly the entire Holiday break and Spring Break, etc) and I'm staring down the barrel of two months unpaid summer leave. I can't file for unemployment (it's part of my contract-I have a job, I'm just "on leave") and this economy has made finding summer employment a difficult if not impossible mission. I could really use that comp-time money; and, true, they'd HAVE to pay it out if I don't use it, but that would earn me the enmity of Payroll (for tweaking their budget) and those are some folks I don't much want to irk.
Of course, going forward, the plan is to just not work "overtime", but some things can't be helped-providing support for Parent-Teacher conference nights, even alternating with my superior, will net me a day or two's worth of comp time. I'm hoping I might get reclassed eventually to 12 month 40 hours as a computer specialist; a strong case can be made that a school of our size should have TWO full-time techs, but school districts make changes like that on a sort of geological time scale, so who knows how long I will be in my current conditions?
Anyway, Happy St. Compulsory's Day, everyone! Guess I'll spend the day blogging and webbing-gonna be rainy all day.
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Ahhh, so is that why there are blue ribbons all over my town? St Compulsory Day? (We can't figure out any other reason.)
ReplyDeleteI'm retired so every day is a day off to me. Even though you were forced into it, have a good day!
ReplyDeleteMaybe catch a few old cheesy movies. There are plenty on the net since most a public domain now. Or maybe nap a lot and have a few beers. That's always a crowd favorite.
It sucks you'll be unemployeed all summer. Maybe something will pop up. The economy is crazy and you never know.
It's raining here too (in southeast Tennessee) so no outside activities for me. I have a few DVDs I haven't watched but I haven't watched them for so long it's a habit. I'd hate to break my pattern and actually watch them. One is Punisher-War Zone. It stinks while sitting on the shelf. Imagine how it'll smell if I play it. Still, it has some possibilities for MST3K type fun, although ridicule isn't the most desirable type of entertainment to me. If it's that bad I should probably be watching something else.
Enjoy your day off and ne lazy!
I am officially declaring the blue ribbon the official emblem of St. Compulsory's Day, Bet. I'll have to put together a nice little poster now. Remember, though, SCD is a random holiday to be celebrated whenever one is compelled to!
ReplyDeleteActually, Duke, things are looking a bit up. Sources say my temp folks from last year are interested in getting me into some work-we'll know soon, I hope. I did spend a bit of time winnowing through my cheesy VHS tapes-I'm looking forward to getting those converted, although if I get that summer work, the task will necessarily take a back seat.
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