Well, so much for working until October 3rd. The executive producer decided to cut me loose a week earlier because he's too bloody cheap to pay me an one more week to show my replacement the ropes and get him up to speed. Hey - I'm glad to be out of that place, believe me. I pity the poor guy they hired to replace me as Production Manager. I heard they got him for even less than they paid me, and he has no idea what he's in for.
Note to employers everywhere: You can be a jerk, or you can be cheap, but you cannot be both at the same time. A decent paycheck can do quite a bit to compensate for a jerk of a boss. On the other hand, a happy working environment can help alleviate the strain of substandard pay. But put jerk and cheap together, you get a company that sheds employees like cat fur in the summertime. So if any of you are wondering why you can't seem to find good employees, or you can't keep the ones you do find, be honest with yourself: Does the pay suck? Are you a prick? If you can answer yes to both of these questions, then you just solved the mystery of your employee shortage.
It should be obvious, people. But apparently, it isn't.
The downside is that I'm back on the job hunt. The upside is that after working at that awful TV production for six weeks, I now re-qualify for unemployment benefits.
I'm still looking to find something permanent, preferably in my field of expertise. I've taken this week off to regroup and catch up on things at home, update my resume and get some much-needed quality sleep. The TV show worked us an average of 17 hours a day (no overtime, either), and we never got the customary 12-hour turnaround between shifts, so my sleep clock got all wonky. Besides, I missed being able to have dinner with my husband once in a while. I lost eleven pounds on that job. I look great, but that can't be healthy.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take a nap.
