Funemployment, Week 8 in These Foolish Things
- April 26, 2022, 12:44 p.m.
- |
- Public
Hello!
So, so many things to write about, but I need to tell you about the employment situation right now and then I’ll get back to writing about all of the things. I’ve been taking notes on my iphone and making story bullets (including meeting a REAL cowboy and getting him into the hot tub during my girls weekend last weekend!!!).
Anyway, The Cutie Pie Company verbally offered me a job yesterday! After weeks of video interviews, a drive down to their city to interview, face-to-face meetings with 5 people on the staff, another video interview with the CEO, sending them my references (and them actually speaking to all of my references), they gave me an offer.
That’s great, right?
But cutting to the bottom line, they are about $20K off the mark on base salary, they didn’t offer me any relocation and said that since they’ve been burned before that they wouldn’t do it, they don’t have a set bonus structure, zero retirement plan (401K or similar), and still telling me that I’d have to “prove myself” before I can take on certain job functions that I’ve been doing for 15+ years.
After the verbal offer, they told me if I had any questions that I should get back with the president. I came back with an email stating what I was looking for (higher salary, moving reimbursement, 3 weeks vacation, the usual insurance, and stock options).
The Pres came back with: no budging on the salary - that’s the best and final offer (which also means that I’d likely never, ever get a raise since they told me that their best offer was actually $20 - $40K over their budget!!), they would offer me $5K moving expenses that would have to be paid back if I didn’t last a year with the company, stock options AFTER a year of “proving myself”, a bonus plan that’s basically at the CEO’s whim (not structured), paid medical but no dental and no retirement (which I want to do in 10 years). Oh, and they did say I could have 3 weeks vacay.
Then I went back to Glassdoor.com to look (again) at the employee reviews and I read them very, very closely this time. And I read between the lines as well. They are having a HUGE issue with employee retention, and it’s all due to the CEO, who is young and the Mean Girl environment, which I can totally see. And while every good review said that everyone there is very hard-working, the bad reviews also showed me that they are taken advantage of with regards to taking time off, even to go to the doctor! I don’t know what would happen if I told them that I was a cancer survivor and need time off to go to my many, many doctor appointments.
And the thing is, I would LOVE to work at a company like this…young, the vibe of a hip, boutique agency, lots of stuff happening, FUN product…but I don’t have the bandwidth for drama, mean girls, cliques, people talking behind my back, being discouraged to take a lunch break (I noticed that nobody left the office at noon when I was there - nor did the company offer me any kind of lunch, even though I was there for 3 hours over the lunch hour - nor did they offer to reimburse my ~200 mile mileage each way put on my car).
I know I sound kind of princess-y, don’t I? But I’ve worked too hard to go down to the bottom, which is what it sounds like.
I told Best Bud about all of this as she was one of my references they’d called and at first, she said I could likely make it all work, but the more we talked the more she was like, there’s no incentive to uproot my whole life for less money than what I was making and a LOT less support. I’d be much further from my support system and my stability. I think it’s one thing if I was a lot younger than I am, but this feels wayyyyy too risky right now.
Thoughts? Am I making a mistake by not being adventurous enough?
Ideas?
GS
Last updated April 26, 2022
Phade ⋅ April 26, 2022
Nope. You know your value as a person and as an employee. You should definitely go with your gut (which seems to be that this work place has an undercurrent of toxicity) and that you should hold off on a better environment, as well as all the perks and necessities that you would want in a job. You wouldn't want to regret having to uproot yourself for a company that you're just 'trying to make it all work'.
Anyway, just two cents from the front page. Good luck!
Ginger Snap Phade ⋅ April 26, 2022
Phade! Thank you so much for the advice from the front page. Yes, I feel the toxicity from all the wa on the other side of the state! I want NO regrets! I agree - if I was walking into a place of more stability, that would be different. I don't want to force trying to make it work!
Florentine Phade ⋅ April 26, 2022
Yep, Phade has it spot on.
colder ⋅ April 26, 2022
I’m voting with Best Bud on this one.
Ginger Snap colder ⋅ April 26, 2022
Thank you. She makes some great points.
Firebabe ⋅ April 26, 2022
Sorry, took a bit before I could get through ALL THE !@#$ RED FLAGS in order to leave a note. LOL.
I was going to leave a bullet list of stuff, but I think you actually noticed (and sort of answered) all the sticking points. So I'll just say--being "adventurous" doesn't mean launching yourself into a volitile, unstructured environment. That's called being "rash," and "impulsive," and "fucking nuts." Getting a new job, in a new industry, and/or in a new location can definitely be an adventure, but if you're sacrificing financial stability, work / life balance, and a support system to get it, then adventure turns to struggle for survival real freaking fast. And I've never met a job that was worth it.
Whether you should or shouldn't take the job is a 100% personal choice, of course. Just don't want you to think that you need to sacrifice a lot of stuff JUST to be adventurous. 🥰
Parliament Firebabe ⋅ April 26, 2022
Agree with this. I've worked for startups (many), and typically they pay BETTER due to all the "adventurousness". If you're financially sound right now, I would take a pass.
Ginger Snap Parliament ⋅ April 26, 2022
Right?! I see this now. In my mind, what they offered was a decent salary, but I can't really make it work - and I was already dreading the judging of whether or not I was proving myself.
Ginger Snap Firebabe ⋅ April 26, 2022
Thank you! I know I've leaned heavily into the red flags because NOW is the time to do that. This is certainly a very cool company and I'm excited for them, but not at my own expense, ya know?
Athena ⋅ April 26, 2022
My two cents: Don't think twice about not taking this offer if it doesn't feel right. If you were 30 I would probably say nothing ventured, nothing gained -- just do it and see what happens. Worst case, you would find yourself 30 years old and unemployed in a very cool city. But since you're not 30, I'd say if you're up for an adventure and the likely chance that you will find yourself looking for another new job before the year is up, then try it out. An unstructured environment full of young women can be a wonderful place to work -- or it could be very difficult for an older person coming out of many years in the corporate world. Trust your gut. You know what's right for you.
At Last ⋅ April 26, 2022
There seems to be so many reasons this is a no, but especially since you want to retire in 10 years, this is a huge dealbreaker. Next!
bobbi01 ⋅ April 26, 2022
No point in taking a role that puts you back 10 years. You have worked too hard for too long to settle. As we say on so many RADs - next
Jinn ⋅ April 26, 2022
If it was me ; I would not do it ,
Sunny Baudelaire ⋅ April 26, 2022
I think companies like this are kinda banking on people wanting to work there because it’s a “cool” company, but once you reach a certain point in your life, hypothetical coolness loses its value a lot faster than things like paying you what you’re worth, encouraging work/life balance, and creating an environment that values employees’ mental and physical health. (And they should have bought you lunch, the cheap bastards!)
a girl thinking ⋅ April 26, 2022
Definitely not making a mistake!
plushcreep ⋅ April 26, 2022
Like Oscar Buzz, my boss at ScarJo failed to live up to his end of the salary bargain, lowering my starting pay after I'd already agreed to the job and given notice with my former employer. THAT set the stage for everything that followed, and - no spoiler alert here if you've followed me at all these past couple of years - he's a terrible boss with zero managerial skills, let alone any idea how to run his own damn company.
Bottom line: tempting as it is to work for a cool, hip company (ScarJo was that, too), pay attention to those red flags and run, don't walk, in the opposite direction. These guys clearly do not value their employees.
Nash ⋅ April 26, 2022
The offer is damn near an insult.
echopod ⋅ April 26, 2022
Odd to quote this, but Warren Buffet once told Jimmy Buffet to pass on offers that weren’t what he wanted, and they right one would come along. I think that applies here. It’s just the wrong offer for all the reasons you listed. Mean Girl environments should be skipped.
The Dress Collector ⋅ April 26, 2022
Your know what you deserve, so I wouldn't settle. The market is good for job seekers, so I'd wait for a better offer at a place that treats its people better.
Palmtreesandzebras ⋅ April 27, 2022
Nope, I don’t think so. Its a lot going on for a drastic pay cut, and because they have been burned before they wont make the exception? Idk I think you a ton of great experience and could find something better. You also love the treehouse!
ninakir88 ⋅ April 27, 2022
as someone that worked for a shitty company, this has alarm bells all over it. i'd move on.
CharminglyNeurotic ⋅ April 27, 2022
Is it totally wrong of me to suggest you turn it down, but in the guise of being servicey and constructive highlight exactly why: the no lunch, etc?
Ginger Snap CharminglyNeurotic ⋅ April 29, 2022
No! Not totally wrong. Best Bud suggested the same, and add in additional details.
Deleted user ⋅ April 27, 2022
Start-ups and young hip companies are almost always gulags. Forget it.
simple mind ⋅ April 27, 2022
Saw your latest entry and was curious about all the responses so I went back to read this one. Oh yeah, red flags galore. Anyway, best of luck to you on whatever you end up going with!
Ginger Snap simple mind ⋅ April 29, 2022
Thank you! So many red flags!