u/IsabelArcherandMe

The situation: One of the places I clean is struggling financially, so they fired several people, including the office manager who did payroll. Said office manager agreed to stay on for a few weeks to train the person who would be taking over payroll. That time ended and she left. New payroll person worked for a week or two, but now hasn't been seen in three weeks, which means payment for my last invoice (I'm a 1099) is a week overdue. No one I've asked knows anything about it or when she's coming back. (Yes, this place is a shitshow, but I can't afford to give it up at this time, unless... see below...)

Come Monday, I intend to speak to the general manager again and make it clear that I *need* to be paid. I'm willing to work one more week if I can get a solid timeframe for payment, but if the answer is still a vague " I dunno", then I am *not* willing to work any more until something is figured out. I understand that doing so may place my contract with the business in jeopardy, but the situation is getting ridiculous and I don't want to work for free.

How would you frame this professionally, kindly, but firmly? I'm not looking to go straight to threatening small claims court. I actually have a very good relationship with the general manager and know he's not trying to deliberately screw me over. He's as much a victim of the poor higher management as anyone else.

ETA: Removed a small identifying detail and clarified some information

I was not expecting to be this sore after twisting for three hours yesterday evening!

Everything went great. Ended the night happy and exhausted. Woke up this morning to stiff muscles and bruised hands. 🤣

10/10. Would twist again.

Hi all, I made a post 11 days ago about a painfully skinny cat at a client's house. Any worry I had that they weren't aware of her weight loss was unfounded. Unfortunately, today I got the update that they made the decision to put the cat down. She apparently had cancer and had stopped eating and drinking, so it was ultimately kinder to say goodbye than let her suffer. Her humans loved her very much and are taking it very hard.

I wish I had a better update... RIP you beautiful, sweet kitty. I hope you're chasing mice to your heart's content over the rainbow bridge.

A monthly client adopted a lovely, long-haired cat about two years ago and, although she's skittish, I always made sure to hide my vacuum and spend a few minutes each visit just loving on her. Today was no different.

Except it was.

I'd had to cancel my last cleaning with them, so it had been two months since I was last there and in that two months the cat had *skeletonized*. She's a long-hair, remember, so you couldn't tell just by looking, but I audibly gasped in shock when I ran my hand over her back and felt *literally* nothing but skin and bones. You could have counted every vertebrae by touch alone and I almost yanked my hand away because it was so disturbing.

Now, I don't, for one second, think these clients are mistreating her. She has two full bowls of food available every time I'm there and she's always been a happy and healthy-looking, if shy, kitty. I just want to know what's wrong!

So my question is: Would you message the client and ask? (I can't ask them in person, so it would have to be via text.) I grow attached to all the cats in all the houses I clean, but my clients don't necessarily know that, so it might seem strange or like I'm crossing a professional line if I reach out to them about it. I'm just concerned about my buddy and want to know if she's going to be ok.

I'm one of the newest members of the board of a local non-profit (been with them about six months now) and it's time to hire a new office manager/secretary. Our current one is an absolute unicorn - been there 30 years, knows everything inside out and upside down and does it all for $100/week. Yes, really. It's basically a part-time volunteer position with a little renumeration on the side.

We've had the job listing up for a month with no hits. This month we decided we can afford to pay a little bit more and also require fewer hours. Now, I'm not the one who created the ad and I also haven't seen it, so I was curious enough to ask at our latest meeting if they're putting the pay and hours in the job description.

I kid you not when I say our president, a man in his late 50's, early 60's, laid his head down on his hands on the table and said, "Nooooo". Or current secretary, also an older lady, was utterly flabbergasted at my question.

Now, I'm almost 39 and have been poor pretty much my whole adult life. I'm just over this nonsense of not disclosing pay and benefits immediately, so I pushed back a little and told the board that I really think it would generate more interest (if there truly is any) if people knew right away what they were getting into before applying. A few of the younger(ish) members chimed in to agree with me.

But it was as though the older folks literally couldn't understand what I was talking about (and I do mean "literally").

They asked, "You mean like the salary range?"

Us: "What range? It's a fixed hourly rate with overtime offered."

Them: "Well, that might cause problems because we had one strong candidate who discussed at the end that she wanted way more money than we could offer."

Me: "But this would eliminate that altogether because she wouldn't have even applied in the first place."

Them: "I'm uncomfortable with it because this job isn't about the money. Anyone who's in it for the money is probable not a great candidate."

Us: .... *frustrated crickets* ....

It was clear we were getting nowhere and we were ultimately overruled.

At least they agreed to "see how things go the way they are now and revisit it in the future if need be".

Seriously, why is it like you're asking some of these people to give you their left kidney by requesting renumeration details up front?!?!

NB: I should add, these are wonderful folks and do a lot of good; I wouldn't be involved in this non-profit if they weren't. This was just a moment of two cultures clashing hard.

Weekly client. Elderly. Used to watch all sorts of things on TV while I cleaned - old movies, TV shows, the weather, *occasionally* Fox News.

But for months now it's been nothing but wall-to-wall Fox News. 4 solid hours of "Trump this", "Israel that", "Democrats this", "Special Analyst that". And then she wants to talk to me as though I, too, do nothing but watch the news.

Her: "Wasn't Rubio funny yesterday?"

Me: "Uh..."

...........

Her: "So what did you think of her?"

Me: "...Who?"

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!

I've got such bad Fox News fatigue that I'm actually feeling pain in my chest. Please distract me!!

ETA: I can't wear headphones around her because she wants to talk as I'm working. Based on our years of working together, it would be incredibly rude to just show up one day and refuse to talk.

... what caused you to leave and what caused you to return? What role did your parents play in either decision and what *should* they have done differently (if anything)?

Both my children have abandoned the faith and it's like a knife to my chest every time I think of it. I guess I'm just looking for a little encouragement right now.