Prevent having my cut days restored at work as of July 2012. . =)

and takes me out. (Nice!) This is a busy couple of weeks for her (us) with unexpected life changing consequences for some. Morale is low, everyone (nearly) is tense. Lunch is not a “how are things in your neck of the woods?” its “aye, yai, yai, yai, yai…what on earth are we going to do about X?”

As she vented, and a budget fauxpaux was one crisis, I took the opportunity to say “I’m planning my time off for next year. Are my days being restored? Remember, if not, I can’t roll over any vacation time so we’ll need to plan on me being gone all those days.”

She said she didn’t even get to talk about it with cabinet, so No.

Yippee! The really great thing is that I know its still on the table. I’m pretty sure having my days restored 13-14 would still be a possibility. I’m really glad that for 12 – 13 I’ll have 6 1/2 weeks off work.

Maybe my nephew and I can spend time together somehow. I haven’t seen Berlin. Will he still be living there? Heck, he’s likely to be living somewhere I’d like to see! Maybe his sister will come there to be with me too!

I had lunch with my boss right after those 5 that steer our company met. She asked me to make a list of what I can off load on to staff so when benefits comes into our department she and I will both have time for the impact it will have on the two of us. (I think she really means me, but is adding her into the sentence so I don’t sqwak.)

Since there was no mention of additional days…....... I think I’m winning on this one.

but, I keep throwing stones in the river. =)

My boss is now determined to take benefits into our department. Because she believes the payroll department doesn’t deal well with employees or communicate with them. (All true.)

She also knows that she knows nothing about benefits and I do. (True. Once upon a time Compensation and Benefits Manager for a teaching research hospital with 7,500 employees. We have a zillion less employees than that.) She plans on reinstating my cut days to oversee benefits. She also plans on having the money from person in another department that is just leaving come into our department to get another person. (HA. Like every department isn’t a shark after that money!)

When someone talks to me about their plan for that money, I always say we use the money to reduce the deficit we are facing. =) (My secret plan to keep benefits from coming in to our department. Keep things just as they are…. at least until the budget gets better.)

Nice to catch up on what’s happening at work. Not excited about the budget being cut again this year. Not excited about bringing benefits into our department…. under me…. meaning I’ll be forced to take back the ten days I was cut. Which totally isn’t enough time to manage the benefits department.

Totally beginning a campaign for that not to happen. At least not this July.