ShabbyCat
02-16-2006, 07:13 PM
This is a bit long but I need some advice - I'm at the point where I need to make a decision on what to do about my 'job'.
I have worked with a private LC practice for 5 years now, as an intern (unpaid) for 2 years, paid intern for 1 and contractor for 2, I don't have a contract per say with the owner (my boss) except verbally that I earn a per hour charge for office work and a % of consultation fees for consults that I go on (I am a lactation consultant that does home visits with new mothers) The first 2 years I shadowed the owner while she trained me. Then she left the practice to work for a start-up company producing a new product and I took over as the main person in the practice managing day to day operations, accounting, seeing clients and managing the programs already in place and she paid me per hour to manage the practice with an agreement that I would work 15-20 hours per week. Once I became board certified in 2003 I began to do consults and made a commission on the charge same as her other contract consultants.
Last January the start-up laid her off and she returned to the practice, the first few months were ok, she did consults and had me re-train her on the office proceedures as she had not used the accounting system for 2 years and we had changed to using a contact manager program to make things easier (at least for me!).
I got sick in August 05 and we hired a accounting clerk to take some of the daily details off our plate. I was out of the office most of August and then had to have major surgery in December and was off till February 1st.
Since Feb 1st it has been a nightmare. I am frustrated that nothing that was supposed to be done while I was off got done (even though she knew it needed done and had instructions to follow to do it - claims there just was not enough time or she just forgot) so I am having to work overtime to get things done and to complete a project by our deadline of next week. She is not happy with the amount of time it is taking to complete the report - she never complained in years past. She is nitpicking everything I do and getting mad about things not being done when I was out.
I was supposed to be only working 10 hours per week and have put in way more, and am paying with my health.
Honestly, I want to tell her that I need and want to take more time off. I can't handle the stress right now and my health is suffering.
I am torn because I love working with the mothers and I know that things will go downhill if I am not there to get them done. Plus over the years she has really become a friend and that makes it hard.
Today really was the kicker - I am in trouble because she missed the due date on a credit card payment (which the computer reminds her a week in advance), I can't go to an event on Friday because kids are off of school and I don't have a babysitter (which she knew as I put it on the calendar before I went out for surgery) and I told her I could not do something for her as I had to work on the data for our presentation on Tuesday (I worked 12 hours on it today on my day off and may not get paid for it) so that we have a quality report to present to our largest corporate client.
I don't know what to do, quit working with her or just continue to be walked over because she can't remember/is slow, etc.
Anyway - thanks for 'listening' to my vent
I have worked with a private LC practice for 5 years now, as an intern (unpaid) for 2 years, paid intern for 1 and contractor for 2, I don't have a contract per say with the owner (my boss) except verbally that I earn a per hour charge for office work and a % of consultation fees for consults that I go on (I am a lactation consultant that does home visits with new mothers) The first 2 years I shadowed the owner while she trained me. Then she left the practice to work for a start-up company producing a new product and I took over as the main person in the practice managing day to day operations, accounting, seeing clients and managing the programs already in place and she paid me per hour to manage the practice with an agreement that I would work 15-20 hours per week. Once I became board certified in 2003 I began to do consults and made a commission on the charge same as her other contract consultants.
Last January the start-up laid her off and she returned to the practice, the first few months were ok, she did consults and had me re-train her on the office proceedures as she had not used the accounting system for 2 years and we had changed to using a contact manager program to make things easier (at least for me!).
I got sick in August 05 and we hired a accounting clerk to take some of the daily details off our plate. I was out of the office most of August and then had to have major surgery in December and was off till February 1st.
Since Feb 1st it has been a nightmare. I am frustrated that nothing that was supposed to be done while I was off got done (even though she knew it needed done and had instructions to follow to do it - claims there just was not enough time or she just forgot) so I am having to work overtime to get things done and to complete a project by our deadline of next week. She is not happy with the amount of time it is taking to complete the report - she never complained in years past. She is nitpicking everything I do and getting mad about things not being done when I was out.
I was supposed to be only working 10 hours per week and have put in way more, and am paying with my health.
Honestly, I want to tell her that I need and want to take more time off. I can't handle the stress right now and my health is suffering.
I am torn because I love working with the mothers and I know that things will go downhill if I am not there to get them done. Plus over the years she has really become a friend and that makes it hard.
Today really was the kicker - I am in trouble because she missed the due date on a credit card payment (which the computer reminds her a week in advance), I can't go to an event on Friday because kids are off of school and I don't have a babysitter (which she knew as I put it on the calendar before I went out for surgery) and I told her I could not do something for her as I had to work on the data for our presentation on Tuesday (I worked 12 hours on it today on my day off and may not get paid for it) so that we have a quality report to present to our largest corporate client.
I don't know what to do, quit working with her or just continue to be walked over because she can't remember/is slow, etc.
Anyway - thanks for 'listening' to my vent