"Sent Home - Alcohol"
Have I ever told you about first grade and how much I hated it? I hated first grade. Not just because my teacher was a yeller. Not just because I got in a fight with the most popular girl in our grade and everyone sided with her. Not just because my crush liked her rather than me. Not just because my teacher would grab your arm and drag you into the hallway all while yelling. But mostly, when I think back on first grade, I think of all the dittos. That's what we did all day, every day. Dittos. Each morning the teacher would pass out seven or eight dittos and we were to complete them by the end of the day.
At least one or two of the day's dittos always involved cutting and pasting. I happen to (still) have terrible small motor skills, and I was never able to deal with the glue without making a big mess. I was one of those kids who didn't like having dirty, sticky hands. Even a gluestick was not enough help for me. Every day everyone else would be finished with their dittos and playing, except me. The cut and paste ditto got me every time.
Yesterday I got a call from a temp agency for a law firm that needed eight temps to go in and redact for them. We were all put in a conference room, four of us from one temp agency, four from another, and redacted all day long. Or until we had to leave, whichever came first.
Here's the scary thing: the eight of us were not all legal secretaries. There were two attorneys sitting at that conference table. There were two JDs (people who graduated from law school but did not yet pass the bar) as well. I know it's taboo to discuss money, but I'm going to do it anyway. I got paid $20 an hour for this job. Everyone there was getting right around the same thing. How much does it say about the economy in the Bay Area that two full-fledged lawyers were sitting there sticking redacting tape all over pieces of paper?
It was a two-day gig, and one of the attorneys didn't come back today. He didn't talk to anyone yesterday. People were speculating that he felt it was beneath him and couldn't bring himself to show up this morning. I have no opinion on this, as the particular guy sat at the opposite end of the conference table from me and I can't even picture him.
We were dealing with employee sign-in sheets. These employees didn't physically punch a clock, but they logged when they showed up for the beginning of their shift, when they left for and returned from lunch, and when they left at the end of their shift. The woman who was supervising us temps and this project was very flustered. Apparently these documents are for a mediation happening next week, and the docs were supposed to be delivered to opposing counsel by Tuesday. That's this past Tuesday. So she wanted us to rush, but also go slowly and be careful. Her directions were not clear at first. We all had a lot of questions.
On my fifth or sixth sign-in sheet, I saw something strange. An employee showed up for work, left for lunch four hours later, came back from lunch a half hour later, and left for the day two minutes after returning from lunch. My eyes flew all over the sheet trying to figure it out. Then I saw an asterisk with the notation "sent home - alcohol."
Well that explained it then. I asked the woman supervising if she wanted the notation redacted. She did, but everyone started laughing hysterically. One guy turned bright red in the face, and giggled about it intermittently throughout the rest of the day.
This is the guy who was taking pieces of paper and cutting them to paste over the names that needed to be redacted. The woman supervising saw what he was doing and praised him loudly for his idea. Inwardly I groaned, and hoped she wouldn't tell us to start using scissors and glue, because I knew I'd be sent home. I have not had glue in my home since moving out of my parent's house. Luckily someone brought in tape and the majority of us used post-its, tape and redacting tape.
The other thing I want to mention about this job is that there was such a time crunch that random people at the firm would drop by to help. We temps talked among ourselves, and often listened as the law firm employees talked to each other. We talked about things like the economy, places in the city to find cheap parking, how scared we are, how many things we need but aren't buying, etc.
What were the law firm employees talking about? Their jet lag that is a result of having just returned from a vacation in Costa Rica, the new steakhouse in the Omni Hotel, how they'll be taking time off next week for a few doctor's appointments they have lined up... There were a lot of unhappy faces at the side of the conference table where all the temps were sitting.
At least one or two of the day's dittos always involved cutting and pasting. I happen to (still) have terrible small motor skills, and I was never able to deal with the glue without making a big mess. I was one of those kids who didn't like having dirty, sticky hands. Even a gluestick was not enough help for me. Every day everyone else would be finished with their dittos and playing, except me. The cut and paste ditto got me every time.
Yesterday I got a call from a temp agency for a law firm that needed eight temps to go in and redact for them. We were all put in a conference room, four of us from one temp agency, four from another, and redacted all day long. Or until we had to leave, whichever came first.
Here's the scary thing: the eight of us were not all legal secretaries. There were two attorneys sitting at that conference table. There were two JDs (people who graduated from law school but did not yet pass the bar) as well. I know it's taboo to discuss money, but I'm going to do it anyway. I got paid $20 an hour for this job. Everyone there was getting right around the same thing. How much does it say about the economy in the Bay Area that two full-fledged lawyers were sitting there sticking redacting tape all over pieces of paper?
It was a two-day gig, and one of the attorneys didn't come back today. He didn't talk to anyone yesterday. People were speculating that he felt it was beneath him and couldn't bring himself to show up this morning. I have no opinion on this, as the particular guy sat at the opposite end of the conference table from me and I can't even picture him.
We were dealing with employee sign-in sheets. These employees didn't physically punch a clock, but they logged when they showed up for the beginning of their shift, when they left for and returned from lunch, and when they left at the end of their shift. The woman who was supervising us temps and this project was very flustered. Apparently these documents are for a mediation happening next week, and the docs were supposed to be delivered to opposing counsel by Tuesday. That's this past Tuesday. So she wanted us to rush, but also go slowly and be careful. Her directions were not clear at first. We all had a lot of questions.
On my fifth or sixth sign-in sheet, I saw something strange. An employee showed up for work, left for lunch four hours later, came back from lunch a half hour later, and left for the day two minutes after returning from lunch. My eyes flew all over the sheet trying to figure it out. Then I saw an asterisk with the notation "sent home - alcohol."
Well that explained it then. I asked the woman supervising if she wanted the notation redacted. She did, but everyone started laughing hysterically. One guy turned bright red in the face, and giggled about it intermittently throughout the rest of the day.
This is the guy who was taking pieces of paper and cutting them to paste over the names that needed to be redacted. The woman supervising saw what he was doing and praised him loudly for his idea. Inwardly I groaned, and hoped she wouldn't tell us to start using scissors and glue, because I knew I'd be sent home. I have not had glue in my home since moving out of my parent's house. Luckily someone brought in tape and the majority of us used post-its, tape and redacting tape.
The other thing I want to mention about this job is that there was such a time crunch that random people at the firm would drop by to help. We temps talked among ourselves, and often listened as the law firm employees talked to each other. We talked about things like the economy, places in the city to find cheap parking, how scared we are, how many things we need but aren't buying, etc.
What were the law firm employees talking about? Their jet lag that is a result of having just returned from a vacation in Costa Rica, the new steakhouse in the Omni Hotel, how they'll be taking time off next week for a few doctor's appointments they have lined up... There were a lot of unhappy faces at the side of the conference table where all the temps were sitting.
Labels: City Livin, Playing in SF, Temping, Unemployed
posted by Green at 9/24/2009 08:01:00 PM
4 Comments:
The fact that they were "lining up time" for doctors visits they hadn't been able to take care of should speak volumes about their lives. Maybe the steak perks are their only fun after having to put in 12-16 hour days away, due to projects or time crunches. They could be roped into their lives due to unhappy property or marital arrangements they can't escape.
Possibly, at the other end, they may have to "line up time" for their beloved families and creative pursuits as well, but NO ONE, no matter the status, can complain in today's climate. An acquaintance of mine, who works for womens welfare law, had not eaten one day for 16 hours because she did not have time.
The grass is always greener on the other side. Possibly the key is not to be jealous of what others have, but to appreciate what you do have (plenty of time and all of your health and intelligence to use at will) and to make the most of it. If that means opening a small country's worth in loans, getting YOUR law degree and passing the bar, by all means, I hope you succeed and achieve all you are aiming for.
I sympathize with you about having to hear about how the employed folks are faring these days. I have a sister (an attorney) who knows very well my unemployment status and she does the same thing over and over (including the Costa Rica bit). She thinks she's being nice when she asks me if I want to go on a Hawaii vacation with her that only costs $2000 (per person & she's not offering to pay for me).
It remains true in our society. The "have's" just have no clue whatsoever how difficult it is for the "have nots." They really just don't "get it" that a $2000 vacation is beyond the reach of most of the working persons in America.
That is why men (and women) such as Ted Kennedy are so rare, and why it is so sad that he is gone. He had gazillions of dollars, tons of power, and a lifestyle that most would envy, and yet he seemed to truly understand what the average American faces day to day in trying to put food on the table, get to the doctor, raise kids on a meager salary, etc....
Green, $20 per hour is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, even if you are an attorney. I have clients that I nominally charge $75 per hour because I know they can't afford more. Then I write off half the time because I know they can't afford the bill. Then I spend a bunch of hours putting together the bill and talking with them about a payment plan where they'll pay me $50 per month for the next 5 years.... and in the end, I think I make about $20 per hour on those folks. Some days, I think it would be easier to do it sitting in a room redacting....
But then my clients would have no one to help them.
And certainly you should feel no shame about working for an honest day's pay. Sad that the one attorney couldn't be bothered to show up for the second day. I hope he wasn't ashamed to be working for a living. I hope he just got a better offer.
But it is sad that so many of the attorneys at the table, who are making a ton of money, didn't have the sensitivity to talk about something other than how tired they were from their Costa Rica vacation. How tacky! How insensitive!
And now I've rambled way more than I should have. And you're supposed to be the "Rambling" one!
I hope all is well.
It is really nice to see you back at the blog again. :)
These are compelling insights, really. Thanks for sharing!
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