# Monday Holidays -- 3 day weekend?



## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Probably shouldn't start this, but I thought it would be better to vent here than on facebook, where someone from my firm may see it.  I realize that in many jobs there are NO paid holidays, and I empathize with anyone here that gets none of them.  In all of my full-time jobs in the past, when there was a Monday holiday that the my employer observed (there are 4 this year), I had a 3-day weekend.  All the people with Mon.-Fri. schedules have a 3-day weekend at my firm.

My schedule is such that I work Tues-Sat. and my weekends are Sun.-Mon.  I inquired last week about whether I was to have another day off this week in lieu of the holiday.  I was told that I only get the holidays that fall Tues.-Sat.  They apparently are not aware that none of them fall on Saturday.  I will get the holidays we have for 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

I tell myself this is small potatoes and that it's just a trade-off for working at this firm, and geez, thank goodness we are not working for an outsourced place like Williams Lea.  But when I found out, I felt sick inside.  

There are a number of people in my department (word processing) who work 3 days per week, approximately 26-28 hours.  Those who normally work Sun, Mon., Tues. or Mon. Tues. Wed. get the paid holiday this week.  I am the only person in our department who works full time with Sun.-Mon. as my weekend.  My co-workers on my shift (Tues.-Fri. evenings) are Mon-Fri. workers and they get the 3-day weekend, and my co-worker on Saturday (when I work 1p-8p) works a 3-day week and is off 4 days every week.

I checked with a former co-worker at a firm I where I used to work.  Her weekend is same as mine, and they offer her another day off this week in lieu of the holiday.  I know that other law firms where some employees have odd weekend schedules do this. 

Think I will take PTO after Labor Day to give myself a 3-day weekend for it.

I have worked a lot of temp in recent years and got no paid days off, but I knew that going into it and was desperate enough (and wanted to keep up my skills) to do it.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I think that Telracs is off Sun./Mon.?


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

mlewis78 said:


> I think that Telracs is off Sun./Mon.?


this week, yes.

normally, i am off Sunday and Wednesday.

the temps working for our firm do not get any paid holidays off, so the tuesday through saturday temp is working tuesday and the monday through friday temps lose a day.

our full time tuesday through saturday people get tuesday off for monday holidays.

when a holiday falls on Wednesday, I get to pick what day I want off (I usually take Thursday).

4th of July this year is annoying for me, as I will be off Wednesday, work Thursday, off Friday, work Saturday, off Sunday...


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

telracs said:


> this week, yes.
> 
> normally, i am off Sunday and Wednesday.
> 
> ...


We had a shorter day for day before Memorial Day weekend, so they made my hours earlier: instead of 4p-11:30p it was 1p-5:30p. What a joke, since I had my regular 1p-8p on Saturday. We were busier on the short Friday than I was on Saturday. But I was really looking forward to the shorter day, which allowed me time to swim after work. However, just as I was going to get into the pool, it thundered Friday night, so they closed the pool (for glass roof) and never re-opened, since the storms went on through the evening.

Telracs, I'm glad that you get another day off when the holiday falls on your "weekend" day off. This is normal and what my firm does is not normal, particularly since all my co-workers got a 3-day weekend. I mentioned something about it to my Saturday co-worker and she lit into me and gave me some hell about it. She has been with the firm for 18 years and is a real "firm woman" (like a company man). She had never heard of other places giving a day off in lieu of the holiday when the holiday falls on your weekend. She works 3 days (Thurs.-Sat.) and is off 4 days per week.

Temps always have it bad. I always felt like an outsider/3rd class employee, but I knew where I stood. Last year I worked on 4th and 5th of July at my temp job. Had little work Thanksgiving and Christmas week, and they sent me home early when it was slow (was never slow until December/January).


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Remember the good ol' days when working for an employer was simple?  (And jobs were plentiful?  Times have changed.)  Do you have an employee handbook?  Some kind of wording that all full time employees get same benefits?  All get the same number of holidays?  That law firm is doing you wrong.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I would never take scheduling advice from someone who works a 3 day week.  

I would check with your HR rep to verify the company policy.

We had an issue when we changed owners and the new company didn't realize that some people here worked on Saturdays.  Took us a bit of explaining (over and over and over) to get them to understand the problem.

In fact, it might be a legal issue.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Employee handbook (if there is one) rules (assuming you are a regular, part-time employee).  Federal law does not require companies to give holiday pay. Ask the payroll person to see the written policy.

I used to work a 4 day part-time  schedule with Wednesdays off, and if the holiday fell on a Wed (like July 4), I didn't get the holiday.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

OP is full-time employee.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Yes, I'm full-time, work 5 days (35 hrs.) per week.  Some of the 3-day-per wk. people got Memorial Day because Monday is one of their 3 days that they work.  This is slightly off-topic, but the wp center was closed on Memorial Day, and some of the attorneys did not know and sent work.  They had to wait for it to be done on Tuesday.  An email was sent to all about which depts. were open and the work hours, but they don't read it or care about it until they have work to be done.  I worked Saturday and the regular Sunday people worked Sunday.  It was slow on Sat./Sun.  

I searched online about this but could only find that there is no law requiring any business to give paid holidays.  However, all law firms that I know of do.  People would pretty angry if they suddenly lost their paid holidays.  I checked it out first with my supervisor, who told me I only get Tues.-Sat. holidays.  She said she would confirm it with the Personnel Manager, but she was on vacation, so she confirmed it with the HR Director, who only said I only get Tues.-Sat. holidays.  HR Director there is top of the chain for non-lawyer employees.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

When a holiday, Christmas in particular, falls on a Saturday or Sunday, do full-time M-F people get Friday or Monday off?  I would guess so.  Either they shouldn't or you should get Saturday or Tuesday off.  

Is your not getting a day off for the holiday related to holiday always being on a Monday / one of your weekend days or being on any day of the week?  Do you get a day off if Christmas is on a Sunday or Monday?


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

There are 4 Monday holidays, and I don't get them.  I get the others:  July 4th is Friday this year and I get Thurs./Fri. for Thanksgiving.  Also Christmas (think it's Thurs. and they are giving Friday as well).  

I won't get a holiday for Labor Day (just my Monday weekend day off), so I think I will take a PTO to make myself feel better.

Yes, when Christmas falls on Saturday, the firm holiday is Friday and when it is on Sunday the firm holiday is Monday.  Therefore, when it falls on Sunday, I won't get a paid holiday, but when it's on Saturday, I will get Friday plus my weekend -- this is the only big perk, since I would be off from Friday through Monday (a 4-day weekend) since they will likely be closed on Christmas Day Saturday (a lot of firm's wp depts. are open on Christmas and the people who work on it get double pay and another day off, but my firm is almost certainly closed, since they closed on Memorial Day.  I think that if someone had asked for OT work on Mem. Day, they would have been open).

None of those holidays falls on Saturday this year.  Probably in two years Christmas will be on Saturday (but it may be leap year (2016, haven't checked) and skip over to Sunday and then I would not get a paid day off for Christmas).


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

I would still check your employee handbook and talk to HR. If there is a handbook, you probably signed an acknowledgement that you read and understood it.

If you don't get anywhere with HR (unfortunately common these days), talk to your boss or a senior manager and ask them to review the policy, pointing out how it personally affected you as a full-time employee.  Unfortunately, what people get at other firms doesn't help you unless you want to compile a survey of them and present it to HR or your managers as an indication of what is prevalent in your industry.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I was a legal secretary in downtown Chicago from '86 - '02.  First years in a mid-size firm.  Last year only in a large firm.  (My wonderful, good to work for partner attorney changed firms and asked me to go with him.  Sure.)  In the mid-size firm it was easy to get requested days off -- even around holidays.  No problem.    But in the big firm the last year  it was near impossible to get time off at certain times, especially around holidays.  Horrors.  I lasted there one year . . . and retired early.  DONE.  FINISHED.  Those days are behind me.

If you want to see one of my good bosses (not partner) at the mid-size firm, look at Ava Campagna on Facebook.  She's taken up photography.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Sandpiper said:


> She's taken up photography.


Now that says a lot about burnt out lawyers!


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> I was a legal secretary in downtown Chicago from '86 - '02. First years in a mid-size firm. Last year only in a large firm. (My wonderful, good to work for partner attorney changed firms and asked me to go with him. Sure.) In the mid-size firm it was easy to get requested days off -- even around holidays. No problem.  But in the big firm the last year  it was near impossible to get time off at certain times, especially around holidays. Horrors. I lasted there one year . . . and retired early. DONE. FINISHED. Those days are behind me.
> 
> If you want to see one of my good bosses (not partner) at the mid-size firm, look at Ava Campagna on Facebook. She's taken up photography.


I looked up Ava C's facebook page and saw some excellent photographs. There was a nice attorney at a small firm I worked at from '87-2003 who retired earlier than most (early '60s) and later I saw some of his photographs. Unfortunately, I can't remember the website where I saw them a few years ago. I didn't work for him, but everyone on staff liked him.

I will have to dig out the employee handbook from my desk tomorrow. They had nothing about paid holidays in my offer letter, even though it covered PTO policy, so I would not be surprised if it is not covered in the handbook. I think it strange that it was not covered in my interview or the HR orientation on the first day. They don't even think about people who are on this schedule. I'm the only full-time word processing operator with Sun./Mon. weekend and working on Saturday and none of the proofreaders work on weekends (they do without proofreading on weekends). My predecessor had the same schedule and he never complained about anything (but he left!).


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

So you're the only employee with Sunday / Monday weekend?  It's probably not specifically addressed.  But I would think there would be some general language about (all) full-time employees getting same number of holiday days off.  Why should you be any different?  You shouldn't.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> Is your not getting a day off for the holiday related to holiday always being on a Monday / one of your weekend days or being on any day of the week? Do you get a day off if Christmas is on a Sunday or Monday?


Apparently their reasoning is that I don't get the Monday holidays as a paid holiday because I already have Monday off as part of my weekend. If Christmas falls on a Sunday or Monday, my weekend will still be Sun./Mon. while everyone else also gets Saturday.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> So you're the only employee with Sunday / Monday weekend? It's probably not specifically addressed. But I would think there would be some general language about (all) full-time employees getting same number of holiday days off. Why should you be any different? You shouldn't.


You are right. I think this policy is insane. If they were just being cheap, then they would be cheating more employees out of holidays. Outside of our department I do not know who has Sun/Mon. off, but I'm the only one in our department.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Sounds like a big law firm.  How many attorneys?  Some mailroom or copy room, etc. staff work with Sunday/Monday weekend?


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> Sounds like a big law firm. How many attorneys? Some mailroom or copy room, etc. staff work with Sunday/Monday weekend?


Yes, fairly big but not global. NY office is the largest of 4 firm offices in the US. Mailroom, Duplicating, IT Help Desk are there on weekends. Pretty sure that the weekend help desk person is only Sat./Sun, but I've seen the Saturday mailroom staff on some weekdays.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I'm at work and got my employee handbook out. The holiday policy lists the holidays (10 including day after Thanksgiving) and says that

"Full-time employees are eligible to be paid for holidays immediately upon commencement of employment."

It does not say anything about people whose weekends fall on a holiday, but it says that generally part-timers don't get the paid holidays. In my department the part-timers get them. I think from what this says, I could take it up with them, but I was advised by co-workers last week not to, because of the current employment climate and because I am relatively new (3 months -- everyone else in WP has been here 7-30 years). One of them on my shift says she stays here because we are not abused the way we have been at other large firms (_and I know about that_).


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

mlewis78 said:


> I'm at work and got my employee handbook out. The holiday policy lists the holidays (10 including day after Thanksgiving) and says that
> 
> "Full-time employees are eligible to be paid for holidays immediately upon commencement of employment."
> 
> It does not say anything about people whose weekends fall on a holiday, but it says that generally part-timers don't get the paid holidays. In my department the part-timers get them. I think from what this says, I could take it up with them, but I was advised by co-workers last week not to, because of the current employment climate and because I am relatively new (3 months -- everyone else in WP has been here 7-30 years). One of them on my shift says she stays here because we are not abused the way we have been at other large firms (_and I know about that_).


I think the whole thing is a misunderstanding on HR's part (see my first post for why I think that).

If you are entitled to 10 holidays, they are to be paid. Either you get paid for 6 days in the week when you work 5, or you get a different paid day off and they pay you for 5.

I think the reason they haven't done it is because no one ever questioned them on it before.

Stay calm, don't accuse, but do logically state your case.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Since you're new, you can always go in with the "I'm confused; can you explain this to me?" approach.   I think you have a valid point!  I don't know the laws in your state re giving comp time in the private sector, but maybe you could worse case ask for that.  It is illegal in many states, although I've run into employers who do it anyway.

What does your handbook saying about wages if an employee is asked to work on a holiday?


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

spotsmom said:


> Since you're new, you can always go in with the "I'm confused; can you explain this to me?" approach.  I think you have a valid point! I don't know the laws in your state re giving comp time in the private sector, but maybe you could worse case ask for that. It is illegal in many states, although I've run into employers who do it anyway.
> 
> What does your handbook saying about wages if an employee is asked to work on a holiday?


If we are asked to work on a holiday and it is the actual DAY (such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day), we get double time, but in my case Memorial Day was on my 2nd weekend day off that I have every week.

I like your "I'm confused . . . " approach, especially since the handbook has it that all full-time employees get the holidays.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Full-timers with regular S/S weekend would get Friday or Monday off if holiday fell on S/S weekend day.  So why should it be different for you if holiday fell on one of your S/M weekend days?  Talked about that upthread?

I like the go to HR, "I'm confused . . . " thing.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

*Good News! * Thanks to Telracs, Sandpiper and spotsmom, for encouraging me to check the employee handbook and to speak up! Friday I called the HR mgr. (who reports to the HR director) and went in to see her. Was planning to say "I'm confused . . ." but forgot. She explained how it works and eventually I said in a very nice way that other firms and companies give another day in lieu of the holiday. Said that I was working 5 days this week while others worked 2, 3 or 4 days (part-timers who work 3 days including Monday got it off paid). I had the employee handbook with me and said that in reading that page it looks like I get all the holidays.

She said she would talk to HR Director. A half hour later she called me and said that the HR Director said they would start giving me another day, probably Tuesdays for Monday holidays. They will decide for sure about the day next week and let me know. Hope they don't change minds!!! I am so relieved. This was big in my mind and got stuck in my head whenever I'd wake up during the night. Wouldn't be surprised if they don't make up Memorial Day to me, but this year I've still got Labor Day weekend as the last Monday holiday that we get.

Thanks again to all of you who responded! Kboards rocks!


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

As a full-time employee, it's just obvious you should get a day off for the holiday like everyone else (working regular weekend weeks).  Should probably be Saturday before or Tuesday after to give you three days in a row off also.  Your choice maybe of the two days . . . or a day whenever you want?!  

Who originally told you that you don't get a day off for a Monday holiday?


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> As a full-time employee, it's just obvious you should get a day off for the holiday like everyone else (working regular weekend weeks). Should probably be Saturday before or Tuesday after to give you three days in a row off also. Your choice maybe of the two days . . . or a day whenever you want?!
> 
> Who originally told you that you don't get a day off for a Monday holiday?


My supervisor was the person who told me -- when I asked her in an email -- responded that I get only the holidays that fall Tuesday through Saturday. She said she would confirm with Director of HR and she did. The mgr. also confirmed it when I went in to see her. It's about time for it to change. My predecessor never said anything and he had the same schedule. He was here for 7 years and left in January. Guess it was a dirty little secret, because it was not spelled out in the employee handbook.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Way to go!!!  I'm glad the HR person remembers "Human" is part of the name of the department.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

yippeee!!

as i said, we had the same issue when we got bought out and the HR people didn't understand that not everyone works the same schedule.  but as happened with us, once you start explaining it politely, most HR people will get the point.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I had a problem years ago with HR and insurance.  What HR wanted to do was in my favor.  I really tried to explain, but no . . . .  So I came out something like app. $300 ahead.  I really tried to explain.  This was early 1990, back when employer paid 100% for insurance.  Remember the good ol' days?


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I've had some problems in the past with HR people and I have met many for first interviews at places where I got no further in the interview process.  Particularly, I was treated badly by an HR manager, the secretarial supervisor and the operations manager at Reed Smith, where I worked for 8 months from 2011-12.  I was working for an abusive partner, who arranged with HR to compile a file of memos about me and to let me go.  HR did the partner's bidding without question.  Since then I've been wary of HR and sometimes wish I could retire.  I could, but financially I'm better off to work until end of 2017.

In the current case, I felt that I couldn't win until I read the employee handbook and saw the discrepancy.  They had nothing in writing in the book about giving certain holidays to some and not others.  Some co-workers thought I should not pursue it further because I'm the new employee.  One of the part-timers thought I was ungrateful to the firm.  They do not know that I did take it up with HR.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

mlewis78 said:


> One of the part-timers thought I was ungrateful to the firm.


Ungrateful to the firm -- that's a joke. If that part-timer was in your place . . . .

I think all of us legal secretaries / staff have our stories. At one time when I was already assigned to two attorneys (maybe 3?), HR asked if I could work for a couple more. The attorneys had told her they wouldn't need much work. Not in the office so much. Yeah, right. They both didn't have the greatest reputations among the secretaries. So I got brave and told HR, "NO." That was it. Never heard about it again.

At one time the HR person got in trouble. I was at that firm for 12 years. In the early years, the firm was pretty relaxed about when staff got in. If you were occasionally a little late, nothing was said. Well I guess over time some took advantage of that. Edict -- be at your desk at 9:00 or else. (I don't remember what "else" was.) Well, there was this big snow storm . . . . You knew getting in on time was gonna be difficult to impossible for a lot of employees. Not long after 9:00 that morning, e-mail cam out from HR -- make up time if you were not in at 9:00. A little later that morning e-mail from managing partner -- we understand difficulties in transportation today. Don't worry about it. HR, no no no. Ha ha!


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I should have kept a diary, especially during the years I worked as a legal secretary.  

One of co-workers at another firm said to me once that you could murder someone and maybe get away with it, but be late at a law firm?  Another former co-worker at the same firm talked to one of the supervisor's about the supervisor being habitually late.  Not a smart move.

I'm 2nd shift.  About 11:15 pm or some time before I stop at the ladies' room on the other side of our floor before leaving, the hallway lights are turned off on that side of the office.  One night last week mid-evening, the stalls in the ladies' room were dark and I tried all the switches in the room but none would light up the stalls.  I tried to call the number posted on the mirror about reporting problems with the bathroom.  The number was the call center and it was not tended to during my shift.  So I sent an email to the facilities person and got a reply the next day.  She said she would as the cleaning people not to turn off the lights.

About the hallway lights, she said in the same note that they turn off the lights in the hallways late at night to save on electricity.  Save electricity but the 2nd and 3rd shift employees' safety be damned?  She said she would tell the mailroom (mailroom turns off lights?) to turn off the lights on our floor last, so it would likely be midnight, half hour after I should be gone.  (As if no one who leaves at 12 or 12:30am and 3rd shift walks in those halls.)  

Almost every firm I've worked at (perm or temp) has installed lighting sensitive to when people walk in (lights come on or turn off when you walk out) in order to save on electricity, but this place doesn't have it.  Guess it costs too much for their budget, but more likely they haven't given any thought to it.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I guess I've never been in the office alone late. Got called by HR at home late one afternoon on a Super Bowl Sunday. Something had to be filed the next day. Bunch of lawyers in the office working on it and they needed help. Could I . . . ? I don't drive into the city. Trains are almost nonexistent on Sundays. HR said she'd authorize a limo. OK. Work that needed doing was easy. No pressure. IIRC, left around 2:00 a.m. Sent HR an Amtel so she'd know when I left. Went in late the next morning.

Back in the early '80s, I spent the night sleeping in an attorney's office on his couch. Office doors locked inside. Group from the office had gone out late on a Friday night. Figured I'd miss the last train home to the 'burbs. I did. So slept in an office. Pretty sure I was the only one in the whole two-floor office that night.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Lovely examples of why I got out of HR after 25 yrs. Employers didn't want to listen to employee concerns. They just wanted a front for management. Not me!!


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> I guess I've never been in the office alone late. Got called by HR at home late one afternoon on a Super Bowl Sunday. Something had to be filed the next day. Bunch of lawyers in the office working on it and they needed help. Could I . . . ? I don't drive into the city. Trains are almost nonexistent on Sundays. HR said she'd authorize a limo. OK. Work that needed doing was easy. No pressure. IIRC, left around 2:00 a.m. Sent HR an Amtel so she'd know when I left. Went in late the next morning.
> 
> Back in the early '80s, I spent the night sleeping in an attorney's office on his couch. Office doors locked inside. Group from the office had gone out late on a Friday night. Figured I'd miss the last train home to the 'burbs. I did. So slept in an office. Pretty sure I was the only one in the whole two-floor office that night.


As long as the attorney didn't come in while you were asleep! They have sofas in some of the ladies' rooms at Weil. I know someone who does a lot of OT there -- sometimes starting at 8am on a weekend after working 2nd shift night before -- so she sleeps on a sofa. I'd hate doing that, but I live in the city.

Did you work in the Chicago Loop, or another part of the city?


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I worked in the Loop.  Are you familiar with downtown Chicago?  I commuted from the west 'burbs on the train.  Until the last year, never worked east of LaSalle St. so not too far to walk to an office from the station.  During the '80s, they took the old Northwestern train station down and built the new 40 story Olgilvie Transportation Center all while there was usual train service.  I have vague memories of that.  How did they do that??  Boggles my mind now.  Anyway, from 1989 - 2001 the mid-size firm I worked at was on the top two floors of the "train station".  I got off the train and didn't have to go outside -- just ride the escalator and elevator up 40 floors!  Nice -- huh?!  After 11 years there, my partner decided to change firms.  He asked me to go with him.  OK.  Where?  To the far / east side of the Loop.  One block west of Michigan Ave. (corner of Monroe and Wabash).  Worked there one year and had enough . . . with that firm.  So quit working.  But . . . after a year of not working, happened to run into partner and associate I worked for in a restaurant in the west 'burbs.  They also had left the firm and started two-attorney practice in the west 'burbs.  Would I like to work for them?  Yeah!  They didn't need full time secretary.  I was just on-call for work.  Few hours per week.  Ten miles from home.  That worked well.  It was good.  That lasted 1 - 2 years and they broke up.  That was the last I worked.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> I worked in the Loop. Are you familiar with downtown Chicago? I commuted from the west 'burbs on the train. Until the last year, never worked east of LaSalle St. so not too far to walk to an office from the station. During the '80s, they took the old Northwestern train station down and built the new 40 story Olgilvie Transportation Center all while there was usual train service. I have vague memories of that. How did they do that?? Boggles my mind now. Anyway, from 1989 - 2001 the mid-size firm I worked at was on the top two floors of the "train station". I got off the train and didn't have to go outside -- just ride the escalator and elevator up 40 floors! Nice -- huh?! After 11 years there, my partner decided to change firms. He asked me to go with him. OK. Where? To the far / east side of the Loop. One block west of Michigan Ave. (corner of Monroe and Wabash). Worked there one year and had enough . . . with that firm. So quit working. But . . . after a year of not working, happened to run into partner and associate I worked for in a restaurant in the west 'burbs. They also had left the firm and started two-attorney practice in the west 'burbs. Would I like to work for them? Yeah! They didn't need full time secretary. I was just on-call for work. Few hours per week. Ten miles from home. That worked well. It was good. That lasted 1 - 2 years and they broke up. That was the last I worked.


I went to Chicago 3 times in the 1990s. The first time was in '93 and was visiting my brother for Thanksgiving. I took the train into Chicago from Palatine. I think that was the Northwestern line. Came out downtown (is that the Loop?). Visited the Art Institute and went to the top of the Hancock building. Also went to a records store where they sold jazz LPS and CDs.

The next time was in '96 not long after my brother married his 2nd (current) wife, just before they moved to Houston. Visited them in Palatine, same house. We went into Chicago to see a Degas exhibit at the Art Institute. In 1997, the National Flute Association held its annual convention at the Hilton on South Michigan. I stayed there. They are doing it there again this August and I'm thinking about going. I have to decide soon.

On the original topic, HR finalized my holidays: I'll get the Tuesday after Monday holiday off. They will make up Memorial Day to me so that I will get next Tuesday off. They made it clear that when holiday falls on Saturday (4th July, 2015?) that if the firm is closed on Friday and Saturday, I will get Friday/Sat and work Monday so that I won't have more days off than my co-workers. One of the unusual things here for a law firm is that they sometimes close the wp center on a holiday. The other places where I have worked were open 24/7, including holidays (although one firm closed on Christmas in NYC and kept open the Wheeling office -- outsourcing firm that ran it).


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

There were three Northwestern (now Union Pacific) lines -- west, northwest, and north.  I've always lived along with west line.  Palatine would be on the northwest line.  I worked in the office building above the train station you came into from Palatine -- Olgilvie Transportation Center, 500 W. Madison.  That's on the west side of the Loop.  (If you're interested, walk directly west from the train station for about a mile and you'll come to Harpo Studios -- Oprah!  Could see the studio from my partner's window.  Through the years, i went to a couple shows.  Was kinda on the show one of those times.)  The firm I worked at that last years was just a block or two from the Art Institute.  I think the record store you went to was probably Tower Records.  Or maybe Rose Records.  Those were the only two in the Loop that I can think of.  Both gone now.

Did you see the movie "Return To Me"?  It's set in Chicago.  My partner's window, well pretty much the whole side of the building, is behind the opening credits.

Sounds like the firm has finally given you your days off for holidays.  It's about time.  It was just so obvious you were getting "screwed".


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

It's been a few years. I'm going downtown tomorrow to -- Eataly! An associate I worked for for a few years at the mid-size firm is currently in Rome! Her last name is Campagna. (She's no longer practicing law at a law firm. Check her out on Facebook -- Ava Campagna.

Another story . . . for one year at the mid-size firm I worked for a female attorney who had come from government work in D.C. (The assignment lasted just a year. I requested a change which did happen.) She left after a few years due to her husband's job. They lived in Turkey and Paris for a number of years and then went back to government in D.C. So one night I had 20/20 on. Heard the name "Mark Everson". Huh? Who? How do I find out . . . ? Google! The 20/20 segment was on tax fraud. Yes, it was the Mark Everson I knew -- husband of attorney I had worked for. Bush 43 had appointed Mark Commissioner of the IRS. There's more to the story if you're interested. It all made national news. Mark W. Everson


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

The record store was north of the Loop and it was independent.  I read that it closed a while back, as most of them have.  I think this place was well-known.  Only sold jazz and still had a lot of vinyl.  My brother Russ was collector of big band records and he was with us (CDs and LPs).

We had Tower in NYC too.  I've heard of Rose but haven't been to it.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Don't know what it was.  Only aware of Tower and Rose.  I was about to say record stores are things of the past -- but they're coming back with the resurgence of vinyl.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I just did a quick google search and found the record store right away. I'm surprised it's still there! *Jazz Record Mart*, 27 East Illinois (a few blocks west of North Michigan). They have a web store, but I will post a link to pictures of the store (you've gotta look at this -- we don't see this any more). This was better than an jazz record store we had in NYC (J&R in NYC was the best I knew of, but they cut back on CDs and recently closed the entire store).

https://www.google.com/maps/preview/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x880e2cadc334e2e7:0x8dd4e76c7cead72b!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e1!4shttps://plus.google.com/114042345414987519957/photos?hl%3Den%26socfid%3Dweb:lu:kplacepageimage%26socpid%3D1!5schicago+jazz+record+store+-+Google+Search&sa=X&ei=JhqRU6GtLMXIsASU4YL4Dw&ved=0CL4BEKIqMAo


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Right.  A look at the past.  I can stop in there tomorrow.  It's just a couple blocks from Eataly which is at 48 E. Ohio.  Going north -- Illinois - Grand - Ohio.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Sandpiper said:


> Right. A look at the past. I can stop in there tomorrow. It's just a couple blocks from Eataly which is at 48 E. Ohio. Going north -- Illinois - Grand - Ohio.


Let us know how you like Eataly (been there before?). I've heard a lot about it and we have one near the Flatiron here, but I have never been inside.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

No. Haven't been to Eataly before.  I'm getting hungry already.  Well, it's 5:40 a.m.  Time for breakfast.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I didn't go into the Record Mart.










Eataly was OK. If I happened to be in the area, I'd go in again. Wouldn't make a special trip downtown to go a second time -- I don't think.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Nice picture of the Jazz Record Mart.  I asked two co-workers Thursday night if they'd been to Eataly.  One (who lives in Manhattan) hadn't but the other had and she got a parking ticket, so she doesn't expect to return there soon (she lives out in Queens not near a train stop).  She described it more as an Italian grocery.  I was expecting to find ready-made Italian dishes to go (and I think you can eat in).  She has also received parking tickets near the Union Square greenmarket.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Right.  It's a market too.  Fresh fruit and veggies, cheese, meat, etc.  Didn't look at fresh food much cuz trip home is too long to transport fresh.  It was warmer downtown than I expected, but not too much so.  There are a good number of different areas / types of food to eat, but don't know that any are prepared to take out.  I went expecting to pay $ for lunch.  I had four scallops (I could live on scallops) and asparagus in an olive oil and orange reduction sauce and sparkling water.  Including tip -- $50.  Hmmmm.  Don't know that it was worth that much.  Needless to say, they had a big selection of olive oil.  I love olive oil.  Got a 17 oz bottle for $21.80.  Got to sample a similar oil so I know I will like it.  I usually just buy Colavita in the grocery store.  

When / if you come to Chicago to the Jazz Record Mart, it's worth walking to Eataly.  It is just two blocks.


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