The Dramedy Continues, laugh along with me...

A couple of weeks ago, a long-time employee {who had left at the beginning of the summer (after graduating and looking for a "real" job) and came back in the middle of the summer after realizing that she wasn't ready for said real world} announced that she in fact WAS ready for the real world and was going to be a substitute teacher, starting next week! So an ad went up and we interviewed candidates.

As in the past when we put out such ads, most of the applicants were illiterate, couldn't follow simple instructions (attach a resume and availability) or were not eligible to work in this country. We ended up meeting 4 candidates, one of whom was so boring I almost fell asleep during the interview and one of whom had a bun on his head and an askew pink tie that he constantly fussed over (yes, a man, a grown man, with a bun on his head, for style). We liked the other two, mainly because they were not freaks, could speak in both languages and seemed interested in the job.

Then this past Saturday, another employee, a much less stellar one who wasn't returning after Labour Day, just stopped showing up, leaving us high and dry and scrambling (no phone call, no email. how passive is that? an email, how hard is that? a text message?). Since Saturday, Hubs and I have had to work everyday, only one of us has been home at night to put the kids to bed. This had never happened before. I realize this is the reality for many families, but it is not ours. We have dinner and do bed time as a family everyday. We invented our company so that our work schedule would allow us to be home with our kids every day.

Anyhow, it's been totally crazy around here, especially since M is now gone. Were she around, I would feel a lot less guilty about not being home for dinner 4 days in a row. But with her gone, it's been shuffling and juggling of the poor kids. The effect as been immediate though not what you would expect. Dumpling is not happy about it but she is sort of old enough to understand. BB, however, the happy-go-lucky girl is a puddle of tears. She is majorily unsettled by the absence of one parent. Today was Dumpling's -1 day at Kindergarten, in which she went to meet half her class, M through Z and her teacher. Tomorrow is her first real day, which in fact is not such a big deal, as it's the same school she's been in since nursery.

Today was going to be the day when both of the candidates we selected came in for a trial shift. We always do this, come in for 3 hours and try it out. We see if they fit in and have the personality for it and they can see what the job really entails.

I got out of school with Dumpling just before noon and super manager D called me to say that Candidate #1 didn't show up. Holy crap! That's NEVER happened before. She was really fun and energetic, though her schedule was a bit tight for us, but we were going to work around it to make it work. All right, whatever. I head to lunch with Dumpling (we were having a mommy-and-me date since it's her last day before she's a grown-up Kindergartner).

2pm rolls around, we're heading home from our lunch, shopping and ice cream date.... The second candidate didn't show up EITHER!!!! Seriously! What are the chances?

Of course, not we are totally up shit's creek.... We still have to cover a bunch of shifts and we in fact do not have enough employees to keep the stores running starting next week when they all go back to school.... The ads are running, we are searching high and low, but apparently, I'm not the only one who hates retail!

Comments

[OmegaMom]

Ugh, sorry! Hope you find someone soon!

[Johnny]

Man, the lack of responsibility or even the perception of any type of responsibility towards a person you agreed to work with is staggering - and maybe a sad commentary about the kind of young adults we have now.

Hey! You young kids, get off my grass!

Hrummph!

[Nicole]

People not showing up is a sign of immaturity. At least call.

[Susan]

I know what you are talking about. We have been searching for a full-time employee for 2 months now. Apparently, no one wants to work in the summer! Hopefuuly, our luck will change now that September is almost upon us. Good luck in your search!

[Mary]

Dude- if I lived closer I would come and help out- you wouldn't even have to pay me. (Although I on speak English and a touch of Croatian).
What is up with people?

[Beverly]

sounds like you need a box of wine!!

[Jen]

I'm sorry that it's been stressful. I hope it works out and very soon.