In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Why I’ve Been Quiet Lately

zuzu

I know I explained a couple of weeks ago that I’d been quiet because weird things were happening at work. Now, I am here to tell you a little something about the weird things: I wound up being forced into choosing between going along with a substantial change in the terms and conditions of my employment or leaving. I decided to leave.

So I’ve been a little taken up with decompressing after that experience (read: napping and going to the gym), filling out paperwork for unemployment insurance, and trying to find a new job. No real bites yet, but it’s only been a couple of weeks.

Fortunately, once I get one more form, I can file my tax return, which means a pretty good refund (thank you, mortgage interest deduction!), so I can be comfortably unemployed for a few months even if my claim for unemployment is denied. And even if my former employer withholds my final paycheck, which might happen.

So. If anyone has any job leads or contacts, preferably in public-interest law, drop me a line at feministe (at) gmail (dot) (com). Thanks!

(p.s. I can’t yet discuss the details of what happened, so don’t ask)

26 thoughts on Why I’ve Been Quiet Lately

  3. It’s not obvious! I haven’t been in the public-interest market for 10 years, so this is a big help. Thanks!

  4. Oh good. Someone already mentioned idealist. (I didn’t know about pslawnet)

    Sucks, zuzu. I wish you good job-hunt mojo.

  5. zuzu, you could also check the Feminist Job Center at http://www.feminist.org. I’ve been looking on there for jobs on and off, and there are often orgs looking for staff attorneys. Good luck! (And I eagerly await your next installment on the Dawn Eden book) 🙂

  9. Hope you find something interesting and engrossing reasonably fast, but I also hope you have enough time to decompress and assess what you want to really do now. Lots of luck.

  11. Wow — what an icky way to start the year! 😛 Good on you for sticking to your original agreement and walking out, though. I’ll look forward to hearing what the issue was when you can talk about it. (And feel like doing so.) I only hope your former employer ends up missing you *badly*. *evil grin*

    Take care of you and the Junebug. Much moral support from the Midwest.

  12. This sucks. But, it is GREAT that you stood by your convictions and the original agreement. You did the right thing, and you’ll make it. Maybe, this is a good way to start the new year. (My thought is, if they were this uncompromising [on the issue you bring up], then, they were probably bad on other job issues, too.)

  14. Ugh. I feel your pain — I had to quit a job last year because it was, quite frankly, damaging my health. (Having your boss call you an idiot to your face = bad job, no matter what the other compensations are.)

    Hopefully you’ll find something even better soon — I did!

  15. Zuzu, I am an attorney in Maryland/Washington DC. I get the idea, though it isn’t clear, that you are in New York. If this is wrong, please advise. If I can help you land the next thing down here, would be glad to.

  16. Sorry about what happened, zuzu. Sending good job thoughts your way.

    P.S. Please give big love to Junebug.

  18. Good luck on finding an even better super-awesome job.

    I did have a question for anyone who could answer–how can an employer withhold your final paycheck? I really don’t get how they could do that.

  19. zuzu, I’m glad to hear that you’re doing what you think is right and going for change, even if it’s a riskier change than you would have liked.

    I can think of a few instances in my own working life in which I should have done the same, but didn’t, and it only prolonged my misery.

  20. I wish I had a lead for you, but everyone else seems to be helping in that direction, and I don’t have a lead, so I’ll wish you luck and hope that everything resolves itself satisfactorily. Good luck finding the next thing, and yay for leaving unsatisfactory situations, whatever they may be.

  21. oh man, we’re in the middle of something…i won’t say similar, since i dunno what yours is, but…they are radically changing the way they want our group to work (isntead of doing work, we’ll be ahh, in charge of a bunch of contractors they will hire very cheaply and fire at a whim)

    taking my work from being a barely tolerable way to make a decent living and fund my nefarious plots for world domination to being exactly the kind of thing that makes me wake up in a cold sweat.

    (although unlike some of my more…loathesome…coworkers, i’m not particularily mad at the contractors they are bringing in. nice guys, just trying to make a buck like the rest of us. but i guess having brown skin makes them TEH DEVILS, rather than our white corporate overlords that do anything to squeeze out another dollar off our backs. but i digress.)

  22. Also Zuzu, i’m a second year at michigan law right now and the public interest office is always telling us how as alumni we have access to job postings and the like. You graduated from here right? If you still remember your uniquename and password, you should be able to access job postings online. OR you could just call them up and ask for access. Lord knows they love, love, love people going into public interest. Good luck!

  23. Hi, zuzu, I’m sorry to hear you’ve had to leave the ranks of the employed, but hope it will only be for a short time. Meanwhile, enjoy the leisure. And, unfortuntaely, I don’t think I can be of any use to you in finding work as a lawyer, non-evil or otherwise.

  24. Sorry to hear this, Zuzu.

    There are definitely statutes (federal or NY or both, I don’t recall) against withholding the last paycheck. Don’t even think of letting them get away with that.

    (All usual caveats about not providing legal advice, etc., etc.)

  26. Zuzu:

    I’m happy to hear that you’re going to the gym and working some of that stress out from your system. When things get tough, some people choose to do things that are counterproductive. But it sounds like you’ve devised a solid, realistic plan.

    Best of luck.

Comments are currently closed.