Octopus Overlords

I've seen something funny nearby. A certain company is advertising for a "junior hardware engineer"... that offers salary up to 200K yearly.

It went unfilled for 2 months. Then the identical position was advertised by a recruiter for 3 weeks, before it finally went away for good.

So after so research today I found out my company who most of you all already know sucks is violating the following rules.

Violation 1 forcing people that can work from home to come into the office. The rules in NJ are very clear that this isn't optional for the company and that they must allow people who can work from home to do so.

Violation 2 taking sick and vacation time when out of the office due to covid related illness. I didn't know this until today but one of the things passed in the bills was a federal rule that they must give up to 80 hours of paid sick time.

Sooo not only is the owner being a dick for blocking me from working from home he's breaking state law. And on top of that he's breaking federal law taking my vacation days.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandem ... paid-leave

I know the find another job part... But I honestly am so pissed off that I'm tempted to report them to the state. I have all of this in emails so proving it is easy peasy. It just will end up with them making my life a living hell.

What the f.....

Anon complaints and whistleblower protection?

Octavious wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 1:43 amI honestly am so pissed off that I'm tempted to report them to the state. I have all of this in emails so proving it is easy peasy. It just will end up with them making my life a living hell.

First, please do. They're trying to kill people. Do it anonymously if possible.

Second, whistleblower laws prevent them from making your life hell. They can't show a hint of anger over you reporting them for breaking laws or they're in deep shit and you get to sue (and quite possibly easily win).

For all you've complained about your employer over the years and the toll it's taken on your sanity, I don't know why you'd even hesitate. Their policy of "Come in, no matter what" and "Screw the laws, we run this place" will end up getting people actually hurt or killed. They need to be stopped before that happens.

Just want to point out that a company that flouts the COVID rules will almost assuredly show the utmost respect for whistleblower laws.

I immediately got all my vacation days back when I emailed the department of labor link. Scumbags

ImLawBoy wrote:Just want to point out that a company that flouts the COVID rules will almost assuredly show the utmost respect for whistleblower laws.

Exactly... I'm not touching the wfh stuff for now. I may reporting it a couple of weeks after I go back to work.

I'm reapplying for my job, so...

Buatha wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 11:42 am I'm reapplying for my job, so...

Might as well apply a few other places as well. Just for practice, of course.

Paingod wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 6:45 am

Second, whistleblower laws prevent them from making your life hell. They can't show a hint of anger over you reporting them for breaking laws or they're in deep shit and you get to sue (and quite possibly easily win).

Laws don't prevent it. They discourage it and provide penalties if the company does retaliate but proving it can be difficult and a lawsuit can be time consuming and expensive. In the meantime, retaliation has occurred.

Buatha wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 11:42 am I'm reapplying for my job, so...

The best part will be the $43m bonus the executives give themselves for getting labor costs under control.

I give job fit interviews on the regular and am certified and have given many behavioral interviews as well. I am about 80% certain if I had to go through my employer's current interview process, I would not be hired.

Buatha wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 11:42 am I'm reapplying for my job, so...

I'm in the middle of seeing that happening at your peers. The whole industry is re-structuring.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 2:27 pm I give job fit interviews on the regular and am certified and have given many behavioral interviews as well. I am about 80% certain if I had to go through my employer's current interview process, I would not be hired.

I just went through a final round for a well-known tech company. 5 hours of interviews and an additional 1 with the interim head of the department. Only 1 was technical in the area involved for an Engineering Management spot! I'll find out next week but the interviews were off the wall IMO. I get values based interviews but 3 of them overlapped so much that I wish I had done them as a panel.

Yeah for individual contributor roles, we have an online pre-screen/test and then 4 hour long interviews (3 of which are technical) and for management roles add a 5th interview (non-technical).

We want to be seen as a tech company so we interview like a tech company.

Gross.

have gone through that hazing ritual several times now. the most inexplicable was for a certain well-known web-based job search company, where i flubbed one question in the second to last hour of four and a half hours of interviews, and was apparently disqualified based on that. i was told by the interviewers i greatly exceeded their expectations in the first two hours, and generally got compliments otherwise, so i asked the recruiter why i wasn't accepted, and i was told that if there was a role _junior_ to the one i had interviewed for, i would have been accepted for that. nevermind the position i was interviewing for was already far junior to what i was currently working (STE vs my current role as SDET III - i just really wanted to get out of my current company). so i'm not a fan.

I don't interview well. I am usually quite socially awkward until you get to know me (or when I am online hiding behind a keyboard). I think I've only gone on... 6 interviews in my entire working life, 3 of which I bombed. I will probably never find a job in this job environment. F*** me.

Pension statement came in. Looking at ~$800/month at collection if I were to leave today. And it can only go up from here.

If I were to stay for the next 21 years, they project it to be over $4k a month.

four more years...

My main October paycheck, which was already small due to a new CMS rollout that cut my hours in August, was a few days late. When I emailed the accountant she said "IDK what happened, you should have it soon." Well, it's soon now, and I still don't have it. I'm kinda running on fumes here.

When I asked them about direct deposit they sent me a third-party signup link. I went thru the whole routine until I read the terms of service (!), which vaguely mentioned processing fees. When I emailed that company to ask "Yes or No, are there any fees to me if I sign up for this," they replied that I should phone them to discuss the terms of service. That means Yes, so I didn't. Still haunting the mail slot every day, waiting for that paper check, and living on a credit card until it gets here.

Being a one-man business has some drawbacks.

On the plus side, I've billed out a lot more work for November payment, so this is just a cash flow hiccup.

New record -- applied for a job at 7 pm last night and checked all of the boxes what they were ostensibly looking for. Rejection came before 9 am this morning. I can only assume they explicitly didn't want someone old.

Default wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:40 pm four more years...

I had to check what thread I was in.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 11:14 pm New record -- applied for a job at 7 pm last night and checked all of the boxes what they were ostensibly looking for. Rejection came before 9 am this morning. I can only assume they explicitly didn't want someone old.

Oh, I had a rejection that came within hours. Apparently my old EE degree is not good enough to do tech support for a company that specializes in COVID testing.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 4:45 pm Yeah for individual contributor roles, we have an online pre-screen/test and then 4 hour long interviews (3 of which are technical) and for management roles add a 5th interview (non-technical).

I'm not sure which is worse, the single 4-hour long interview I thought you were talking about - or the 4 1-hour long interviews I now believe you're discussing.

The most I've ever been subjected to was a phone screening and two in-person interviews that lasted anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. No one has ever questioned my technical ability when I apply for an IT job, but I can certainly see why they would.

I'd fail a technical interview, though. While I absolutely understand the concepts and themes and applications of IT, I have not committed to memory every tweak, turn, error, setting, and method I've ever used or might need. I don't think I could write out a PowerShell script on a notepad with a pencil if someone had a gun to my head, but I can take a sample, pull it apart, and stitch it back together to accomplish my goal without issues when I have one open in front of me. Google is my ally, coupled with an understanding of asking it exactly the right questions to get the answers I need in a timely manner.

That might be different if I was locked into one aspect (like just network engineer) instead of functioning as a generalist (doing everything from A to Z in business IT).

Octavious wrote:I immediately got all my vacation days back when I emailed the department of labor link. Scumbags

Test came back negative. I will report it around 2pm because f them.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:07 pm Pension statement came in. Looking at ~$800/month at collection if I were to leave today. And it can only go up from here.

If I were to stay for the next 21 years, they project it to be over $4k a month.

You'd get a pension from your company if you left today, even without being at retirement age?

Actually, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I'd get one from the government if I did the same thing.

pr0ner wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 9:19 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:07 pm Pension statement came in. Looking at ~$800/month at collection if I were to leave today. And it can only go up from here.

If I were to stay for the next 21 years, they project it to be over $4k a month.

You'd get a pension from your company if you left today, even without being at retirement age?

Actually, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I'd get one from the government if I did the same thing.

My pension vested after 3 or 4 years. Doesn't matter when I leave, I'll get it. The amount would change, of course.

Vesting was at 5. I just passed 7.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 10:51 am Vesting was at 5. I just passed 7.

Frocking will take place at 10, followed shortly by Wigging at 12.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 9:07 pm Pension statement came in. Looking at ~$800/month at collection if I were to leave today. And it can only go up from here.

If I were to stay for the next 21 years, they project it to be over $4k a month.

If you're not government or union I'd be surprised to see it still be around for new contributions in 5 years, let alone 21.

I had maybe 5 vested years into mine when they killed it at my old job. When I left it was projecting $500/mo or so. It was tempting to keep because it was over funded and getting around 3%/year. But I decided to cash out the lump sum, take the tax hit, and invest it myself. If I had kept all the AMD I bought with it, I'd.probably be retired now.

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 1:05 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 11:14 pm New record -- applied for a job at 7 pm last night and checked all of the boxes what they were ostensibly looking for. Rejection came before 9 am this morning. I can only assume they explicitly didn't want someone old.

Oh, I had a rejection that came within hours. Apparently my old EE degree is not good enough to do tech support for a company that specializes in COVID testing.

I've had that happen during the day, this just seemed odd considering the time of submission and the time of rejection. Then again, I suppose HR drones don't work in the office these days so don't follow normal business hours.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 10:34 am

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 1:05 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2020 11:14 pm New record -- applied for a job at 7 pm last night and checked all of the boxes what they were ostensibly looking for. Rejection came before 9 am this morning. I can only assume they explicitly didn't want someone old.

Oh, I had a rejection that came within hours. Apparently my old EE degree is not good enough to do tech support for a company that specializes in COVID testing.

I've had that happen during the day, this just seemed odd considering the time of submission and the time of rejection. Then again, I suppose HR drones don't work in the office these days so don't follow normal business hours.

A lot of it is automated. We have some service that auto rejects and/or auto escalates based on key words, qualifications, etc. It queues up and you just have to hit the batch button to approve (or you can override I suppose). Guessing maybe someone hit the batch first thing in the morning. Happy Thursday!


FWIW, I don't hire clinical so I never use it. Some of my best employees have been "bad" on paper.

That's certainly possible. Still, I can't help but wonder if my responses would improve if I culled about 30 years from my resume (older jobs are line items, not fleshed out like more recent/significant stuff).

The problem isn't with the auto-reject. Those are at least... replies.

It's never hearing ANYTHING back.

If I bombed the interview, I understand not contacting me again.

But after replying to me, and ask me to send in a resume, then ghosting me... that's NOT cool. Because it's obvious you DID get it.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:45 pm That's certainly possible. Still, I can't help but wonder if my responses would improve if I culled about 30 years from my resume (older jobs are line items, not fleshed out like more recent/significant stuff).

I really doubt it's necessary to go back that far in your work history.
It may help to keep it to the last 20 years.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:45 pm That's certainly possible. Still, I can't help but wonder if my responses would improve if I culled about 30 years from my resume (older jobs are line items, not fleshed out like more recent/significant stuff).

Depending on the role you should cull unnecessary to keep them guessing a little about age. Age discrimination is a real thing.

malchior wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 7:56 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:45 pm That's certainly possible. Still, I can't help but wonder if my responses would improve if I culled about 30 years from my resume (older jobs are line items, not fleshed out like more recent/significant stuff).

Depending on the role you should cull unnecessary to keep them guessing a little about age. Age discrimination is a real thing.

Yes, absolutely. List employment dates for your most recent and relevant job(s), relegate everything else to undated "Previous Experience," and don't list so many bullets that they can tell it spans eons. If they want those deets after you get your foot in the door, that's fine.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 10:55 am

malchior wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 7:56 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:45 pm That's certainly possible. Still, I can't help but wonder if my responses would improve if I culled about 30 years from my resume (older jobs are line items, not fleshed out like more recent/significant stuff).

Depending on the role you should cull unnecessary to keep them guessing a little about age. Age discrimination is a real thing.

Yes, absolutely. List employment dates for your most recent and relevant job(s), relegate everything else to undated "Previous Experience," and don't list so many bullets that they can tell it spans eons. If they want those deets after you get your foot in the door, that's fine.

I'll be in trouble if I'm ever in the market. I have exactly 2 career related jobs in an unbroken span going back to 1997.

had meeting today with the manager. company has decided to not convert me to a full time employee, due to 'covid-19 financial uncertainties'.. which is kinda probably overly conservative, given they seem to be doing just fine right now, but they have no active headcount at the moment. my contract has been instead extended to the end of 2021, so i guess i'm officially a 'permatemp'. they will be offering me some of the fulltime employee benefits, such as the training budget and an 80%/20% sprint (where 20% of my hours can go to developing work projects, rather than my usual priority workload). i was offered the choice if i wanted to start 1:1 meetings (clearly not a requirement, since i am not an FTE) and i said, alright, fine

so, not ideal, but pretty much guaranteed employment for the foreseeable future. i feel i'm in some of sort of weird 'contractor+' situation now and i'm just kinda meh about it.