Inexpensive Promises
I was working for a small printing company in Chicago through a well-known temp agency. I had a two-hour round trip making $9/hour. I was the receptionist, though I use the term lightly; they got maybe 5 calls a day. I spent most of my time begging for work or surfing the internet (with permission). I worked for them for the standard 90 days, then they extended my contract. They began to promise me that they would hire me on permanent and full-time with benefits and a hefty raise as soon as they had this new phone system in place.
Another month passed, full of promises and as-soon-as’s. I kept working, doing all my work and the work of a couple other people, just to fill the time. The president and vice pres of the company loved me and were making these promises to me in person. Another month passed, still with the promises of hiring me on. Finally, after a second round of the 90 day waiting game, the manager started writing up a contract for me. They offered me $1/hour raise, but I had to pay for my own benefits, which meant I would be making $2/hour less than what I made as a temp! I had my temp agency negotiate on my behalf, which was required since I was still the agency’s employee, and I wound up not only not getting hired, but being replaced by a different temp.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:33 am
This is what’s called “dangling the carrot”, it’s a way that employers get that extra mile out of you, because you try all that bit harder thinking that there’ll be somethign at the end of it ! If you temp for some time or at frequent intervals you’ll come to recognise this practice, when you do nip it in the bud and remember unless the offers “on the table” don’t take promises of employment literally !!