Lixy G has been offered a day of temping at the local water company. A rather established and respected company , she is grateful for the work, even though it is for only a day. Emma(*1) calls her on the Monday afternoon, and says it is for the whole day the next day, Tuesday. Lixy is looking forward to it.
She then gets another call from Emma approximately two hours later, who says that even better, she can offer her Tuesday to Friday reception work at a local company, Bournemouth Colour Print(*2), starting in the morning, and paying slightly better per hour. Lixy agrees to this, and to giving the day’s local water company work to someone else. (as she has the rest of the week covered, yay!)
The next morning, a rather (deservedly) assertive Lixy gets ready for work, excited and looking forward to starting her (belated) week at the printing company. It is a rather warm day in March, and the sun is shining on her drive to work.
She follows the given directions and arrives at the correct car park. Lixy walks into the building and introduces herself to the first person she comes across, and says she is from the agency. He introduces himself as Craig(*3) the Director, and that Simon(*4) (who is stood behind him) will show her around the place. Simon is very forthcoming, showing her the kitchen, toilets, printing factory, where every department sits, introducing her to everyone, finally ending at her desk in the front vestibule area. She sets herself up; getting better acquainted with the telephone switchboard/email systems.
Craig then re-appears, clutching a huge pile of papers, placing them on her desk. He then says ‘how long have you been doing payment ledgers for?’ To which Lixy has one answer. ‘Um, I haven’t?’ He looks at her, perplexed. He says ‘How long have you been in accountancy for?’ It is now Lixy’s turn to look perplexed. ‘err, I haven’t. I am legally trained…!’ Craig is now, and quite rightly so, looking a bit peeved. He explains to Lixy that he explicitly asked for an accountancy-trained individual, as their books were now quite behind, and needed someone for that specific reason. Lixy then offers to call the agency and find out exactly what was happening.
Lixy calls, locates Emma, who is (one can only desribe as) ‘vacant’ on the phone, and says that Craig didn’t explain that he wanted someone to do the books (at which point Lixy thinks that of COURSE he would have asked for that; as that is the job that he wanted doing) and that she will speak to him. She puts her through to him, when he then shuts the door to his office. The call gets put back to her. Dippy Emma asks if Lixy is sure she can’t do purchase ledger (she really can’t, well she probably could if she was taught, but Craig doesn’t have the time OR the patience right now.) She tells Emma NO, who then says for Lixy to ‘do her best’ and she will call her back. Lixy continues to answer the phone. A girl then turns up with her baby, to visit the office, Lixy presumes. She then introduces herself to Lixy as Jane(*5); she usually does the books but is on maternity leave. It transpires that the baby’s father is actually the Director (very strange) who then picks up his baby, and gets Jane to start on the books…
10 minutes later, Karen(*6), area manager of Lixy’s temping company enters the office. She explains she was in the area visiting clients when the office called her and tell her of the mistake(*7). She apologises profusely, goes in to apologise to the Director, comes out again and promises that the agency, NOT the client, will pay Lixy for the whole day.
She leaves, Lixy asks Craig if he would like her to stay, and he says yes please to answer the phones, and as they are paying her, they could both benefit from it. When she leaves for lunch she asks him if he would like her to come back, he says yes. Lixy returns from lunch at about 1.30, when she get a call from dippy Emma who then says that they will not pay her after 2.00 and can she leave then.
Lixy tells Craig, and leaves half an hour later rather bewildered….
(*1) Her name has not been changed, as she deserves to be ‘named and shamed’.
(*2) This is the company’s real name; a suitable alternative would be too difficult.
(*3) Lixy couldn’t remember his name – it doesn’t really matter.
(*4) Or his.
(*5) see above
(*6) Lixy remember hers! Liar liar pants on fire….
(*7) Fuck-up