Jobseeker’s diary

Sometimes, wishes do turn into horses as I realized early this week. And I must say I’ve enjoyed riding this particular one. Remember that annoying supervisor I wrote about a couple of months back? The mean, pompous one! Well, he got the sack. Usually, I’d feel sad if someone I know lost their job for I know too well how depressing it is to be without one. Not for this guy however. Let’s just say he was a nightmare to work with and my workmates felt the same. I remember the time I reported late for work a while back. I wasn’t really feeling well and I had in fact tried to call to inform him that I wouldn’t make it, but when he didn’t pick his phone, I decided to go over and ask for a day off. The man put his foot down, saying that since I had managed to go over; I might as well stay and proceed with work. It took the intervention of one of the managers to let me take the day off but even after all the back and forth, he still wanted a note from the doctor to confirm I wasn’t feigning the illness! My goodness! The man has no compassion. I worry for his family, if he has one. You know how a good commander always fights for his soldiers? Well this trooper only fights for his wellbeing all the time. You never saw him pushing for better terms for us, suggesting a pay rise or ensuring hardworking staff is promoted. Where our previous supervisor had tried to fight for us by negotiating more flexible working hours and conditions, this one just sat back! If anything, things have only been getting worse under his mantle. And I can’t forget to mention the numerous workers who have lost their jobs because he made reports to the effect that they were not qualified or weren’t doing their tasks well and so should be fired. We were so tense around him because we knew he could turn the smallest mishap into such a big deal. Sometimes, it felt like he owned the place and wasn’t just another employee like the rest of us. So yes, I am happy that he was fired. Karma does come around after all? Tom, one of my workmates pointed out that there was something eerie about the man. And in retrospect, I agree with him. You just had a bad feeling whenever he was around. If a person joins a company and immediately antagonizes everyone, you have to wonder whether they are not the problem. Turns out the man has been fleecing not only customers but the bosses too. This he mainly did by inflating rates on the menu and for products we use at the restaurant. How he managed to convince the Chinese to let him do the shopping is still unknown and boy are they paying dearly? I say they should never have given someone relatively new on the job that much authority. The lesson was learnt, and they are now back to controlling everything to do with money just in case someone else tries to pull a similar move. I doubt anyone is going to miss the sacked Mr and in fact just to spite him, I told him I’m vying for his job. I hope wherever he ends up, he treats people fairly and with respect because with these things, you can’t know when you will meet someone you trampled in a position of authority. And they may choose that very moment to exact their revenge. To be continued… nsophie77@yahoo.com