Fired, and I still don't know why. . .

[silverstaff]

This thread has been nominated for War Stories.

We're currently working on Gerrinson's thread, so we'll take a look at this one after that.

Silverstaff, if there's any noteworthy new info to report on this one (hopefully not! ^_^), please Reply ot this thread.

The only noteworthy info is an update bureaucratic maze to get my back pay (and back vacation time, seniority ect.)

Back in early June, the head of the payroll branch of HR for my agency came to my office to ask a couple of questions about getting my back pay set up. He said it should take about a month and a half to two months to process. At the two-month line I e-mailed him and got an automated response saying he was out of the office. As I would find out later, he took a long vacation in the late summer and then went to another job in the State government.

In early September, once it had been well past two months, around 3 months at that point, I e-mailed him again. . .he forwarded the e-mail to someone else. The HR clerk he forwarded it to presented me with a pile of paperwork to fill out so I can get my back pay, and I'm sorting through that and should be turning it in later this week. The clerk said I should (finally) get my back pay within a month of turning those papers in.

[EricKei]

This thread has been formally nominated for War Stories by some other users.

We're currently working on Gerrinson's thread, so we'll take a look at this one after that.

Silverstaff, if there's any noteworthy new info to report on this one (hopefully not! ^_^), please Reply to this thread. We'll deal with the compiling and editing bit, no worries. If the thread is locked (due to either age or the WS entry going up), you can just PM me any new info and I can tack it on.

[iradney]

My plan is to e-mail him tomorrow morning, firmly but politely wanting to know what's going on with my money.

If he doesn't answer in a day or two, I'm going to knock on his door.

ALWAYS a good idea to have a follow up in writing, as you can say "Well, I emailed you on *date* with no response."

See if you can activate a delivery and read receipt as well. Just in case.

[silverstaff]

Can you email back to the man who came to speak to you personally and ask him what the hold up still is?

That's my plan. The guy who came to speak to me is now only about 50 feet down the hall from my new office (after all the office politics, the only place they could find for me to have as an office is a repurposed storage closet in that wing of the building). My plan is to e-mail him tomorrow morning, firmly but politely wanting to know what's going on with my money.

If he doesn't answer in a day or two, I'm going to knock on his door.

[Minflick]

Can you email back to the man who came to speak to you personally and ask him what the hold up still is?

[Nunavut Pants]

You might ask what sorts of interest and penalties you should be charging them...

[silverstaff]

An update for today. . .

When I got my job back, they said I would have to repeat a refresher course at the Academy (basically a week of classroom continuing education, getting my First Aid/CPR certification renewed, and two weeks at the range getting re-qualified on my sidearm and doing refresher tactical training), due to my break in service exceeding one year.

The refresher course is timed to finish at the same time as the main Academy graduation for new officers. That meant my old boss, the one who fired me, was there in the crowd to see me get my certificate saying my certification was reinstated and see me handed my new badge. When I looked into the crowd, he was NOT smiling at me being up on stage being handed my badge, he had a distinct frown on his face. I avoided him at the reception afterwards, I think it was a mutual sentiment.

On the downside, my pay for mid-month just posted, and my back pay is STILL not in it. It's now later than they said it would be. I was told in the first week of June that it would take a month and a half to two months to pay the back salary. It's still not paid, and this was the first paycheck after the two-month line. I'm going knocking on some doors on Monday morning, because they owe me tens of thousands of dollars and are past-due on it by their own schedule.

[Minflick]

Sweet! Happy house hunting!

[silverstaff]

YAY!!!!!

Can I be nosy and ask what you plan to do with it?

My wife and me have already decided that the money is going towards a down payment on a house.

We've been living in apartments and rental homes for as long as we've been together, and this is a rare opportunity to have a big lump sum of money suitable for a down payment dropped on us.

[Kiwi]

Another brief update.

Today I had a man visit me in my office, he said he was processing my back pay, and had a few questions to ask. They were fairly routine questions, but it was odd he asked them in person instead of by e-mail. He only introduced himself by his first name.

He sent me an e-mail to recap our conversation. His e-mail signature revealed that he was the Director of Personnel for the whole cabinet department (i.e. the person in charge of the personnel/HR system for the parent bureaucracy above our agency).

I guess he wanted to take the opportunity to meet the person behind all this. It also means they are definitely working on my back pay. He said it should take roughly another month or so to pay out the back pay.

YAY!!!!!

Can I be nosy and ask what you plan to do with it?

[silverstaff]

Another brief update.

Today I had a man visit me in my office, he said he was processing my back pay, and had a few questions to ask. They were fairly routine questions, but it was odd he asked them in person instead of by e-mail. He only introduced himself by his first name.

He sent me an e-mail to recap our conversation. His e-mail signature revealed that he was the Director of Personnel for the whole cabinet department (i.e. the person in charge of the personnel/HR system for the parent bureaucracy above our agency).

I guess he wanted to take the opportunity to meet the person behind all this. It also means they are definitely working on my back pay. He said it should take roughly another month or so to pay out the back pay.

[Kiwi]

I am very happy you fought and won!

[csquared]

Congratulations!

By the way, the story is not over. You are just starting a new chapter.

Best of luck!

[silverstaff]

A small, brief update.

Friday I was sworn back in as an Officer by a local Judge. I got some decent pictures of it that I'm giving out to family and friends as a little trophy of my victory.

Yesterday I wore that shirt to work for the first time, the shirt embroidered with the badge of my agency and "Officer Silverstaff" on it from much, much earlier in the thread.

Slowly getting settled in. I know this story is basically over, but I'm just updating as things get settled in. I figure the last part of this story is me getting settled in at the job and getting my back pay.

[Antares]

Congratulations on the victory!