The company I work for has very few full-time positions. The rumour is that they are trying to get rid of all the FT positions by attrition – when a FT person quits, they are replaced by PT people. It makes good business sense – PT people get benefits, but obviously not as good (or as costly to the company) as FT people.
It’s a good company overall, I have few complaints about the work, hours or anything else really. Being a bear of very little ambition, I like a job that is relatively stress-free and pays well. I have been hinting since I started that I would love for the position to go FT, though. I have bid on almost every FT position that has opened in other departments – you see, it’s actually only the call center that is all PT people, the other departments are all FT.
Well, to make a long story even longer, yesterday when I got to work I had an urgent email from our COO asking me to come to her office as soon as I got clocked in. When I got to her office, she asked me if I would like to go full time. Of course I would! She explained that they were a little worried that I was going to find another job/bid for a position in another department, and just couldn’t fathom losing me (I handle the phones as well as the chat for our website), so they were opening a FT position, if I wanted it. I start on my FT schedule Monday. This will equate to about a 26% pay increase, between getting 10 more hours per week and the health insurance premiums being cheaper. Pretty great news!
The bad news? Our COO (whom I like for reasons other than her giving me a FT position) has been battling cancer for 2 years. It’s winning. They have given her 6 months to live. I think one of the worst parts is that her resolve to die a strong person is one of the reasons I like her so much. I swear, if not for the talk of God and heaven, she could be Buddhist in her ability to accept the inevitable with strength and dignity. I only hope that I can be as strong when my time comes. She announced at the end of the day yesterday that she will be going to a part time schedule while training her replacement (who is my direct supervisor now – and whom I also like) and basically plans on working until she can’t anymore.
It’s hard to balance being happy about my good fortune, as well as that of my direct supervisor when I know it is at least partially due to the bad fortune of someone else that I hold in high regard. So, bittersweet as it is, I am still thrilled – but now I wonder how I will find enough stuff on the intarwebs to keep me from being bored out of my skull that extra 10 hours/week?