#but I go with the children during the school holiday program when I'm on the excursion shift

[whosname]

Stealing/boosting id from consistantly-changing

[Image descriptions in order: two screenshots of a Reddit post by u/iambeaker titled "'Twas the night before my resignation…" The post reads "I was brainwashed at an early age that loyalty and hard work would add countless "0's" to your paycheck. I remained optimistic after receiving year after year of 3% raises and working holidays. I missed my children's first steps, their school functions, and other life events so I could make the CEO more money.

After the passing of my stepfather and my boss calling me during the funeral, asking me to troubleshoot an issue while my mom cried into my shoulder, enough was enough. I changed companies and made a personal pledge to put family first and my career a distant third or fourth.

Fast forward to present day…. I find myself as the cornerstone of our department. Many of our clients' processes are automated through custom API developed by me. I have maintained a thorough documentation library on how to support the API, the reports, and all of its dependencies. I have offered to train backup so we are not single threaded. My manager told me "No way, we would never do anything to lose you!" Up to now, life was good.

At the beginning of December, ABC Company was audited by the government and found to be out of compliance. They hired my company to regain their compliance by the end of the year or risk fines near $750,000. ABC Company dragged their feet getting us the information we needed to start on the work.

I save my vacation days so I can take the week between Christmas and New Years off. I spend it with my kids to make up for all the time I lost when I worked when they were younger. This time is very precious to me.]

["Last week and this week, I have been notifying the project manager and my manager about my time off. I let them know I would need ABC Company's information soon so I can start on it. I offered to work extra hours to ensure my piece would be finished prior to Christmas Eve.

On Tuesday, my manager calls me and tells me ABC Company finally sent the data over I requested over two weeks ago. He looked beaten because he knew what was about to happen. I told him who should I walk through the project with because I'm off after Christmas. My manager says, "I'm sorry. But I have to ask you to work. I declined your time next week."

I asked, "What happens to my vacation time?" My boss says, "I'm sorry. You know the rules. Use it or lose it. I fought for you but HR wouldn't budge."

I drafted my resignation letter after the call, set it to delay delivery on Monday at 8am, and closed up shop.

ABC Company will pay $700,00 because nobody knows how to program that system since there is no back up. Our other clients will be expecting their monthly, quarterly, and annual reports within the first week of January. No one knows how to do this. We had six projects in progress involving extensive API and reporting, now those projects are dead in the water. Seven clients prepaid for API and automation upgrades in 2022 Q1. I don't know what will happen to those.

Please remember. Family first. You never get that time back."]

[Several screenshots of a text conversation between OP and their boss. It goes:

Boss: Hope you have a great Christmas

Boss: [OP] please call me as soon as you can.

Boss: I received your email. I understand that you are upset but resigning is not the best choice in this circumstance.

Boss: [OP], I have been your friend for five years. I'm asking you as a friend, not a manager to reconsider and call me. Let's talk about this

Boss: Hey, you made your point. You can have today off if you call me and let me know when we can expect you tomorrow. But you need to call me.

Boss: This is ridiculous. Do you know what your actions are going to do to the company? To me? You made your point. Just call me and we will figure out your vacation. But we need]

[Boss: This is ridiculous. Do you know what your actions are going to do to the company? To me? You made your point. Just call me and we will figure out your vacation. But we need [task] done by Friday.

Boss: Why won't you answer your phone? Your wife won't answer hers either. HR needs to talk to you.

Boss: I got out of a meeting with [name]. If we don't get this done for [client] we get penalized and that $ comes from bonus and pay increases. I want you to know that. If you don't finish that, nobody gets a bonus or a pay increase this year. This will be common knowledge

Boss: [OP], I've been talking to [name] We assume you resigned because you were going to lose your vacation. Here's the deal… if you call me by 3, we will rollover your vacation to 2022, but we still need you to work T-F. We need [task] done before 12/31. Call me before 3]

[Boss: [name] sent over a Corrupt CSV file and [name] followed your documentation to manually process it. [Name] tried python and the states can't see their dailies. You gotta help us here Call me!!!

Boss: Dude, log back in and help fix this stuff. Name your price. The states can't see their reports. [Company's] going to fine us [name] wants to know if the reports will be complete by 1/6. Family is important, but we are talking about peoples jobs on the line.

OP: Hey, I will be happy to return to [company] for $80/hour, $5000 immediate sign on bonus, and 6 weeks PTO. With a 12 month guarantee. Send that to me in writing and I'll start immediately.

Boss: Cmon. This is ridiculous. I don't even get paid that much. Why do you think you deserve this much? Quit being so full of yourself, be a team player, login and save this company.

Boss: Pick up your phone. I need to know what reports are due next week. We don't want to be fined.]

[Boss: Not even a counteroffer? Every hour the dailies are down, that's $1000 per STATE. [Name] does not know how to fix it. I don't know how much clearer I need to be. Log back in, fix his mistake, get [task] done, be a team player. We are family too you know.

OP: Please stop calling my dad. He has nothing to do with this. You can call me all you want but don't call my emergency contacts. I resigned, I didn't die.

Boss: We had to make sure you were ok.

Boss: Congrats [OP]. You cost the firm $19k. You taught us a lesson. Now pick up the phone and we talk about a reasonable offer. But you need to fix this states daily thing right now. That is your priority

Boss: Pick up the phone HR wants to conduct their exit interview]

[Boss: [OP], here are your priorities

Fix state dailies

Complete [task]

Provide [name] list of 1/6 reports

Train [name] being your back up

Boss: How much time will it take to fix the dailies? I need to tell [name]

OP: What does this mean? To be 100% clear, I resigned today. I don't have priorities or projects. I am no longer an employee. If you would like me to return, I gave you my offer

Boss: There was a time when a two week notice would before you resigned. Maybe you should be a better businessman and give us two weeks? [OP], we all make sacrifices. You have to sacrifice one week of vacation so we can fix some stuff around this department. Next year, maybe you won't ask off for this week until closer to December and you know what the workload is. You gambled and you lose. Just laugh it off and log on, let's get these states fixed. Let's fix [company]. Let's get this department fixed

Boss: Pick up your phone. It is [name] and me We need to know what it's going to take to fix the state dailies. $19k/hour is going to murder us

Boss: [OP] answer your phone

Boss: ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!

OP: For $10,000, I'll fix your state daily file and train the team on how to run it so this doesn't happen again. Nobody is familiar with Python or understands Alteryx or SSIS. I can train them all using my existing documentation. The answers are all there.

OP: I can fix the state daily file tonight to avoid further fines and train the team the rest of the week. But I will NOT do any work on [project] or provide any information about recurring reports.

Boss: Is that some kind of joke? Your documentation does not have the answer. We've been through it [censored] laughing at $10k. You already cost us $32k today, you want to squeeze another $10k. You got greedy over Christmas]

[Boss: $10k

Fix daily files

Train the team

Do the [project]

Run the recurring reports for January

Deal?

Then we are done.

OP: That is a generous offer. But I'm firm on my offers. But I'm telling you, you don't need me. The answer is in the documentation.

Boss: Then where is it? If you were a true person of your word, you would tell us and save this company. Save your coworkers. Save their paychecks and their bonuses.]

[A gif of Homer Simpson driving. He turns behind him to shout angrily, then the camera changes to a wide shot where he drives over a short wooden bridge, throwing a lighter onto it and lighting it on fire.]

[An update from the OP, which says, "Present Day:

Throughout the day, the manager and CEO send a barrage of texts and phone calls.

One of my coworkers finds the documentation and fixes the reports. Later in the afternoon, he is served corrective action because he was accountable for processing the corrupted file and did not find the documentation faster. He tells me the manager, HR, and the CEO spent all night finding evidence to support the corrective action. I tell him to get his resume up to date. Total down time: 16 hours

Around 3pm, I get a phone call from a new number. It was the client's business manager (the liaison between the former company and the client). I explained to her the delay of getting data until Christmas (despite multiple requests), the loss of a full week of PTO, the text messages/phone calls, and my offer to come back to help her company reach compliance.]

["The business manager told me a different story. The manager and CEO called her earlier to inform her I quit and I am "stalling the project as ransom" in order to obtain more money. I explained how one could skew this view, but I am not actively seeking to return. After observing how the company treats their employees and after being treated post resignation, I have no interest in returning to the company.]

["The business manager asks me what terms (rate, signing bonus, etc.) what I was seeking to return to my former company. She tells me she will call back in an hour and not respond to any more texts from the manager or CEO.

CEO Text: Did the business manager call you? Did she give you a piece of her mind?

Manager Text: I bet the business manager is going to make you personally pay for that fine!

The business manager calls me back on a conference call and asks, "What do you need to finish this project? Software, data, tools, etc.?" I give her a list of everything I need. I answer other questions related to the project.

She says, "Here's the plan. We are going to offer you a contract to finish this API for us by the end of the year for double the hourly rate you asked. If you can finish by 12/31, we will give you the signing bonus. After the New Year, we will see where we are staffing wise and maybe, we can find you a spot, but there is no guarantee, especially if you do not the project. Is that a deal?"]

["I agree to the terms. I inform to put terms in writing and I can start as soon as IT gives me a virtual machine. The business manager says, "No problem, legal checked the contract and there is a clause stating if your former company is unable to perform a function which they agreed to do, we are able to outsource it to a third party and charge the company for it. I just need them to state they are unable to perform the API function, and we will bill them for your time."

TLDR; The client is giving me a contract and billing my former company double my asking rate because the former company is unable to successfully execute a function by the deadline they agreed to in a contract."]

[shhhninja]

AITA for thinking of quitting a theater production because I have 7 lines?

I 16(n-b) have been with this children's theater company for three shows now this would be my fourth. Some background on this theater co pany. These directors wright their own plays so that every one has a speaking part even the 5 year olds

Some background on me. I have ED , Potts, and, chronic pain because of this I have had to recently start to use a cane. They acted ok with this but now I'm not too sure what they think.

Because of these heath problems I missed a few being meet ups. I say meet ups because for the first around four to five months we all meet up and do these fun games and small lessons in theater etiquette (clearly geared towards young children though the company is for 5-17) and so I wasn't too stressed about missing them. I had also told the director we'll call her miss. Kelly, that I would be missing around the first 10-15 minutes of two classes because of another productive that I'm in. She said she'd Wright it down and that it was no problem. Come to today when the cast list comes out and I am cast as a very minor role I find this out through text because the meeting was canceled today.

Well I text and ask the other director we'll call her miss quail, miss quail messages me back saying this"" No, you are good! , we weren't sure with how much you've missed how big of a part to give you, so I don't want you to ever feel slighted by us! We know you are so talented, but your absence has concerned us a little bit about if you need to be gone in the future if that makes sense."" (There was more said in this text but it was basically the same thing said over and over in less nice words)

I then ask what about my absence was concerning as I had given the dates and times of when I'd be late (keep in mind that it would be twice and for the first 10-15 minutes) and she said that they were worried about my missing because of my other theater obligations currently. Even though thr last years I was doing the exact same thing (if anything missing more) and I had gotten big roles every year before this.

I explained exactly that and miss quail just says that they were going to talk to me about it at the holiday party that was scheduled right during my school hours (every other kid in the program goes to a different district than me and had school off) even though they knew I would be at school and unable to make it. Now keep in mind that they had multiple other opportunities to talk to me in person and through my text (as they had before) my mothers text, my mother's group me, my email, and my mother's email. Yet they didn't do any of these things and are blaming it on me not going to a Unrequired party that they knew was during my school, of which I obviously could not just skip nor did I want to just to go to a party.

Miss quail then suggested that I start talking directly to miss Kelly. And so I do I text saying "Hello! This is blank, I hope miss quail has updated you on what we've been talking about, all I would like to say right now is next time please talk to me if you have any concerns about my attendance""

She then responds with this""Hey blank! We honestly have been a little worried about your attendance.

However that doesn't necessarily affect our casting. Believe me--I KNOW how absolutely phenomenal you are! I know you will stand out where you are casted and I'm hoping you'll be able to assist with some extra things as well. ""

So now I am getting two completely different stories one saying that I was casted as a direct result of my absences, and the other saying that I am best with three lines in where the preschoolers are scened.

I asked what these 'extra' things are and she said this ""It will fully depend on the direction and needs of the cast and script. It'll be a lot more evident as we begin to practice through the script.""

Now keep in mind that we are the biggest class and therefore have many more roles than the script called for and so I doubt that I'm going to get anything added.

From what I've heard and understand, they want me to basically babysit because the Littles are close to my one scene. And I am not going to do that.

I would also like to note on the fact that these roles that were added in for these extra kids have more than double lines than me including every single one of the preschoolers. I have 7 lines right now and the other lowest amount of lines I can find for any thing else is 25 lines.

I am not mad about getting a microscopic role not one bit I fully understand how important ensemble is, and I can understand if I don't fit any other roles. But these people literally Wright characters in this story into it so kids will have a part that they can feel proud of. And currently I just don't see how it's fair.

I am also going to put some more background here. I am the oldest right now but last year they had a girl who was 17 (their deadline) and she can been in it since she were 15. Every single time she got a huge role half the time this 'huge' role was written in just for her and this explicitly said (that it was written for her) this girl was also almost never there.

Where as I did costumes,makeup and stayed late eventime I could to help them clean up and now I'm getting. Tossed out like yesterday's paper? I'm not sure how to respond to it. Any suggestions, please tell me if I'm taking this the wrong way.

[lightning-storm-studies]

No-stress Summer Learning Challenge 🌞

Where did the idea of the no-stress summer learning challenge come from 🤔?

I see do many posts about summer studying, that it makes me worried. People spend their time studying during summer holidays, already preparing for the upcoming semester/school year. It's your free time and, as someone, who already has a full-time job (and is trying to finish her thesis to get a master's degree), I can tell you, that you probably won't have that much free time in the summer once you start working. Yes, it's sad and unfair, but unfortunately, it's real 🙁. So please, take your time, use it for something else, than worrying about exams, preparing for school and getting stressed and burnt out before school even starts. Don't waste your energy sitting in front of your PC/laptop, or with a course book, learing stuff by heart, while the sun ☀️ is shining outside, children are playing and other people are going out with their friends and families. And if you already work full-time, but also are still a student, don't use whatever free time you have on summer to study even more. Unless you absolutely have to, of course (I'm in this kind of situation, I have to write my thesis during summer, because the deadline is in September), but even then, don't use all your time for schoolwork. Although I consider summer studying an unnecessary stress factor, there's a difference between studying and learning. Studying is for school, learning is for yourself 🙂. I'm not telling you to be lazy the whole summer, but to consider learning something, that doesn't include schoolwork. It may be related to what you're studying in college/at school, or it may be something totally different. It may be something about technology 🔌 (programming, robotics, electronics...), art 🎨 (drawing, painting, embroidery...), nature 🌱 (gardening, foraging, birdwatching...), music 🎶 (singing, playing an instrument, making electronic music...), foreign languages 🗺️, sports ⚽, cooking 🍲, baking 🍩, kintting 🧶, sewing 🪡... the list is endless. So, as an alternative to summer studying challenge, you can start a no-stress summer learning challenge.

The main rules 📑

The main purpose of this challenge is to find motivation to learn for yourself 😀 again, so no exams, no homework, no grades, just you and your goal .

You're free to choose what you're going to learn, based on your own passions, dreams and ambitions 😍, without worrying about other people's judgement and expectations.

It's supposed to be stress free 😌, so there are no fixed schedules or deadlines. It's up to you to plan your learning and decide, how long it's going to take you.

To stay focused, please choose one topic and stick to it. It doesn't mean, you can't learn anything else. Actually you should, because staying concentrated on one thing for too long can make you burn out quickly, but have one main goal 😎.

Remember to take proper breaks 🥱. Learning all the time will only make you sterssed and tired. It's not school, so you don't need to worry about any fixed due date or preparing for a test.

Don't be too hard on yourself and remember that mistakes are a part of learning 😯, not a failure or shame.

Preparing for the challenge and completing it 📚

Think about, what do you want to learn this summer. It doesn't have to be very specific at this stage. For example, it can be something like "I want to learn about cats 🐈", or "I want to learn to draw 🖼️", or "I want to learn about tea 🫖".

When you know, what you want to learn, do your research, to be able to set a more specific goal. Read about this topic, watch some videos, maybe try to find people, who have more knowledge about it, than you, and talk to them. Let the "I want to learn about cats" become "I want to learn proper cat care 😸", the "I want to learn to draw" become "I want to learn to draw manga 🎏" or the "I want to learn about tea" become "I want to learn, how to brew various kinds of tea 🍵".

You've done the research, so now it's time to find your "why", because to stay motivated, you need to remember that you're doing it for a reason and that this knowledge is useful. The "I want to learn proper cat care" becomes "I want to learn proper cat care to make my cats healthier and happier 😻", the "I want to learn to draw manga" becomes "I want to learn to draw manga, because I'm interested in art and Japanese culture 🌸" and the "I want to learn, how to brew various kinds of tea" becomes "I want to learn, how to brew various kinds of tea, because I like tea and I want to make it even better 🍃".

Once you find your motivation, look for the learning resources 💻. It can be an online course, internet articles, scientific papers, books, YouTube videos, TikTok videos... whatever, depends on what you're going to learn. You can also contact someone, who is na expert in what you're learning, and ask them for help. While learning from blogs, videos, etc., remember to check the sources, to make sure the person, who created this content, knows what they're talking/writing about.

When you know your resources, plan the whole thing ahead 📝, considering your other summer plans (like traveling or going out with friends), to make sure, that you have enough time for learning and that the time you're going to spend working towards your goal is fairly evenly distributed to avoid stress and burnout, but remember to make your schedule flexible, so you don't have to worry about learning at a fixed time. Again, it's not school.

You've planned everything, now set reminders in your phone 📱 and/or write it down in a planner 📔 or on some post-it notes 📄... whatever works best for you to remember about your goal and the time you've decided to spend learning.

To minimize the risk od procrastination, divide the tasks into smaller tasks. You can write to-do lists ☑️ (either digital, or on paper), so you can see your progress and know exactly, what needs to be done.

To avoid getting burnt out 🤯, step away from what you're learning once in a while. Don't overwork yourself, you're not preparing for an exam.

To ensure you have enough energy ⚡, take care of your health, both physical and mental. Take breaks, sleep long enough 😴, go out with your friends, stay hydrated 💧, exercise 🏃🏻‍���️, spend some time in nature 🌲.

Last, but not least: remember to post regular updates about your progress on your blog. It can be every day, every three days, once a week... you decide. It can include photos, but doesn't have to. Just make it regular and tag it with "no-stress summer learning challenge" or "no-sslc" 😊.

[levyfiles]

CW: Death, Suicide, Illness

Hey Guys,

I don't usually like to post a lot of personal stuff on this blog and barring a mention last year that I was laid off due to Covid, a lot has happened since. I got into a collision where a pick-up truck ran a red light and hit me permanently damaging my lumbar which has changed the future for me skill-wise and of course work-wise. I will eventually be able to return to my original job when the government allows my workplace to open again because they permit inter-departmental training so my hope is that I can do modified work while training to do a job that doesn't require me to haul heavy iron carts full of slot machine casettes to and from the back rooms. So I'm still laid off as of now, going to physiotherapy and hoping for the best.

Meanwhile these are two of many of my favourite pictures of my mom. Both she and my stepdad are and were survivors of the residential school program in Canada where the government was single-handedly responsible for generations of abuse both physical and psychological of hundreds of thousands of First Nations children, many of whom did not live to see present day. My mom has told me a lot of horror stories about her childhood in that program and the ways she had to protect herself to make it until she was let go to the years afterward as she watched many of her friends and peers die from addiction and/or suicide. With my stepdad, who she met at the school, she had found happiness and understanding. They would eventually start a small at-home pizza business on the reservation which was her main source of income for going on to three years now.

Last year in November she found my stepdad lying on their kitchen floor. He had passed away from a heart attack and only a few weeks after his passing she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

I can't describe to you guys what it's been like watching her try to power through the grief from losing the love of her life, and endure all the doctor's appointments, biopsies, and invasive hospital visits but what I can tell you is that my time with her will always have been not enough and it hurts me to admit publicly that while my shitty dad never did want me to get to know her, I wasted too many years of my life believing the lies he and many others spoke about her. She is hard working, she is loving; she is generous, and she would have been the person who raised me with love if it weren't for the way Canada's laws work actively against Indigenous women being able to heal or survive the cyclical trauma that comes with being in this country. So as much as I can, I want to be there for her and help her and have more time with her.

Last month she went for a mastectomy and will be starting her chemotherapy in a couple weeks and while all this is happening, she has been unable to run her pizza business and was not even able to afford a headstone for her late husband. And of course, due to the pandemic, the headstone ceremony would not have been able to take place anyway. I am currently at a loss as to how I can be there for her during this time other than a gofundme I started to help her afford to travel out of her village for regular chemo, to pay her bills while she is alone and trying to build her life back together. What I'm basically asking is that if you have the ability to help my mom during this time, please donate to her gofundme and if you're not in a position to give, that is completely okay but I want to ask you guys just one favour, that you at least reblog this post. My hope is to be able to give her the good news that she doesn't have to worry about bills and the cost of living while she is going through treatment, that she can come back to her life without feeling like she has to start from zero all over again or even pick up the shambles that losing her husband has made her life feel like.

I appreciate all of you who've helped out already over the holidays and I will never forget what a kind community this has been and what that means to me. Thank you so much.

[meichenxi]

Hi!! I'm a college student about to graduate and my dream is to teach English in China and I was wondering if you could somehow help me and give me some advice. I have been studying Chinese during my years at university (and I love your blog!), along with my physics degree. I don't know if any of this is relevant but my level of Mandarin is not very high (HSK3), I study in the UK and I'm planning to get a TEFL 120 hour certification in June. Is this a solid plan? Love your blog, Isa

Hiii! Sorry it took me so long to get to this, I have my final exams at the moment and am on semi-hiatus. First, what an amazing dream!! You'll have a wonderful time :D

SO in general having a degree not in English language and a TEFL certificate is most definitely enough to secure you a job, but at the moment it is a rather 'special period', as every job advert says, and so finding a job is a little trickier because of visa problems.

Basically, there are no work or study visas available at the moment for people from the UK. The only people who can get into China are those who the Chinese Embassy deems 'foreign experts' and therefore 'crucial to China's progress', and your company or school will have to provide something called a PU letter. This grants you the ability to actually apply for the work visa, though itself doesn't grant it. At the moment there aren't that many companies available who can offer that.

Because of this, I'd recommend going through a recruitment company. I do not necessarily mean a graduate scheme (the ones advertised as such are not very well paid and you don't have much control over where you go), but a recruitment company. You can find these on any general site if you google 'ESL jobs China'.

In terms of actual jobs - generally speaking there are three categories, private language schools, state schools, and international schools. International schools are by far the best in terms of packages, but they rarely take graduates without 3 years of teaching experience. The good news is that if you do find somebody who is looking for recent grads (if you go to a particularly prestigious university like Oxbridge, for instance), you might be able to teach Physics or Science rather than English language. International schools will also be the easiest to deal with in terms of communication and visa applications, but the competition is quite stiff, and most people who apply will be teachers in their home countries already.

State schools are another good option if you want 'normal' teaching hours, good holidays, and older children. The position I have next year is in a good state school that has two programs, the Canadian curriculum and the GaoKao (the Chinese university entrance exam). The main disadvantage is that you may be the only foreigner in the school, and communication might be difficult. I don't just mean with Chinese but in general: you will be not told things, you will be excluded, you will turn up to your class and find someone else teaching it and be told just to go back to your office. If you can be flexible and have an open mind, state schools are great, but they may be quite exhausting especially if this is your first time in China. You will also have to teach to exams, and the curriculum might be tight. For me personally though, I would much rather teach in a state school than the next option -

Which is private language schools. These are very good - sometimes. This is the main problem: the quality of the schools, the teaching, and the ethos all vary from school to school. You may be teaching very young children, and you may be teaching exclusively in the evening. The schools may be very supportive of creativity in the classroom, or you may be literally forced to teach the flashcards they give you. The plus about these schools is that they often have competitive relocation packages, are not too bothered about how experienced (or not) you are, and that there will be a community of other English speaking colleagues (natives and not) to help you integrate.

The reason I add this is that it's so, so important. It's very laudable and easy to wish for immersion and want to make Chinese friends - and you should!! - but living in another country without easy access to internet you are used to can be exhausting at times and even the staunchest believer in immersion is going to be stressed and tired and teary far from home. Having colleagues who want to improve their English can also be a good basis for a (somewhat awkward at first) friendship.

Some general tips: brush up on your English grammar. Seriously. Because the amount of teachers who have no idea and bluff their way through it is shocking and disrespects those who try very hard to make it a proper profession. Also having students ask you when you use the present perfect continuous and the present perfect simple and not knowing the answer is a very special kind of pain!! I'd recommend bringing a reputable grammar book with you, and using it when making your lesson plans.

Re Chinese: if you already have a little, your Chinese will improve so much when you're there!! Don't stress about it because China is a wonderful environment for learning - it's literally perfect, few people speak English and EVERYBODY wants to speak to you as many people are direct and very curious - but at the same time, the more you can learn, the easier it will be. Don't neglect your characters!! Learning useful menu characters and signs will be hugely helpful too. You won't need Chinese in your job really, but you definitely will in your daily life, so well done for learning and keep at it!!

The other thing I would say is: sort out your music and your social media and your banking before going to China. This includes a good VPN. You can't download apps on the google App Store, and to make the transition to the Chinese internet easier, I'd recommend getting a Weibo account, any music app, Baidu translate and maps and so on, and accustoming yourself to that before going.

Re where you are going and the package: you should have your flight paid, help with your visa, and transparency about quarantine procedures. You should also have accommodation or an accommodation allowance of between 2000-5000 (2000 is more than fine). Public or international schools may pay for your food during school-time as well. Re cities: prioritise what is important to you. If you want to save, bear in mind that China is extraordinarily cheap and that even in places like Shanghai, you can still save a lot if you live somewhat sensibly. To give you some context: I lived in Tianjin, a second-tier city, and I got 'pocket money' of 2000 every month (with accommodation and food paid), and I managed to save enough to do martial arts for a month at an academy after 5 months. And I was living well - going out about twice a week, taking taxis, eating out almost every evening (cheap food). So don't prioritise one position over another solely because of money, and also bear in mind kindergarten teachers may only be getting about 2000-3000 a month - so regardless of whether you earn 10,000 or 15,000, it's a) SIGNIFICANTLY enough to live very well and save very well too, and b) considerably more than many of your coworkers will be earning.

Also, different cities have different costs of living: 10,000 somewhere like Hangzhou will go considerably further than 16,000 in Shanghai. Another thing to bear in mind is the air quality, and the environment, and the access to green spaces. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS. If this is important to you, go somewhere smaller or in the south with access to nature - I nearly went crazy living in such a big city with such poor air quality. The positions I had to choose between were one in Shanghai, better paid and at a better school, and a position in Zhuhai in a campus in the mountains, in a third-tier city by the sea. I know now how important green is to me, how much I prefer a more relaxed pace of life, and so I chose the latter.

Lastly, don't be intimidating and don't be afraid to ask questions about your job. Make sure that everything they say is in the contract, in both the English version and the Chinese version. This is important because only the Chinese version is legal, so if you have a friend, get them to check that the same stuff is in each bit of the contract. Communication might be difficult, but don't be afraid to be direct and press for answers, don't just accept what you're told. You might be messed around with a bit, so it's important to 'shop around' for positions - don't feel bad if you do so, and don't be afraid to turn things down that don't suit. Finally, don't feel terrified if you can't find information about a school online - a lot of stuff isn't on Google, and will also be better accessed via WeChat or mini programs. Not finding information about your school or city does not mean it doesn't exist!!

So be prepared for a wild ride - and enjoy! If you have any more questions about any of this, please feel free to ask at any time!

meichenxi out :P

[lamalefix]

As far as I know, but I'm definitely not an expert in that matter, the pledge of allegiance actually started in the us way back to 1892 by Francis Bellamy, who was a Christian socialist minister(???) that was working at a youth magazine. He wanted something physical to accompany the pledge that he wrote.

And a form of that very physical activity was adopted, a few decades after, by Germany and Italy.

The goal of this activity was, basically, to promote patriotism.

Now the funny(creepy) thing about it is that all this thing was born due to a program of activities promoted for the 400th anniversary of Cristoforo Colombo arrival, in order to make it a national school holiday so that every classroom was required to get a flag in it.

Bellamy was in charge of creating a program of exercises (which I don't exactly remember, but included odes and songs) and those activities were all built up to get to the climax: the pledge to the flag. Who Bellamy ultimately was forced to write (or at least this is what my professor back at school said) because none of his colleagues refused to.

But you know what's creepy? And then again I'm going to underline the fact that all this was dated back 1892 (way earlier than Nazism and Fascism broken loose in Europe)

During the performance of the pledge, students did what was then known the Bellamy Salute. Something that the American Flag Association itself describes as: "right hand uplifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it". Like... What? Does it ring a bell? Just like the Roman Salute adopted by Germany and Italy during Nazism and Fascism respectively.

Definitely concerning...

That's why, during WWII, Roosevelt decided that during the pledge students had to put their hands on their heart instead, so that American school children wouldn't be confused for Hitler Youth or Balilla Kids.

Aaaand that's it folks. I distinctly remember my high school history professor who was a disenamoured with life 60 years old lady who actually sprang into action when we started studying Nazism and Fascism, and specifically the school laws, and made us read (alongside with our English professor) Richard J. Ellis' To the flag: the unlikely history of the pledge of the allegiance.

This definitely still creeps me out, (and always will) especially knowing where this will lead. It's diluted propaganda. And with an hand on your heart or with an hand outstretched this definitely isn't patriotism. It's brainwashing.

do u guys understand how creepy the pledge of allegiance is though like every day when ur a kid everybody just chants how great america is every morning it’s creepy

[theo-ramsay]

theo

BASIC STATISTICS

FULL NAME: Mateo Olivier Ramsay NAME ORIGIN: Ask my mom, bruh...oh wait. NAME MEANING: “gift from God” NICKNAMES: Theo, it’s what I go by. Almost no one knows that it’s short for Mateo. NICKNAME ORIGINS: A neighbor, actually. I came home from the hospital and she couldn’t remember my name so she just kept calling me Theo. SEX: Male AGE: 24 BIRTHDAY: March 26th, 1990 PLACE OF BIRTH: Seattle, Washington ETHNICITY/NATIONALITY: Caucasian SEXUALITY: Bi, preference is men. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single and definitely mingling. POLITICAL ALLEGIANCE: Liberal CRIMINAL RECORD: I once was hauled in for vandalism when i was but a teenager. spent one night in jail then my mom came and got him

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

HEIGHT: 6′0″ WEIGHT: 190 lbs EYE COLOR: Blue NEED GLASSES/CONTACTS? Yes HAIR COLOR: Blonde DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Jaw SCARS: I has one on my back from falling on a skateboard and a couple on my arm from a hospital visit after a terrible terrible IV experience. TATTOOS: ‘my oh my’ written on his back in a mariners logo, I has a couple others I’ve designed for Barry and Alex.  WHO DOES S/HE TAKE AFTER?: I'd like to think my mom but I got my hair color and jawline from my dad. LEFT OR RIGHT-HANDED?: Right

EVERYDAY BEHAVIORS/HABITS

ADDICTIONS: Erm. Adrenaline maybe. MORNING ROUTINE: I wake up at 5, showers and primps for the day, goes into the shop to assist his baristas during peak, does the order and calls in any mechanical problems AFTERNOON: eats lunch, paperwork mostly and other behind-the-scenes things he has to do for the shop EVENING ROUTINE: gets the evening crew set up, goes home to Barry SLEEP HABITS: I cuddle anything within arm’s reach when I’m sleeping DOES THIS CHARACTER SNORE? surprisingly, no. ANY SPECIAL TALENTS OR SKILLS? I'm an artist over a few mediums but my favorite is definitely visual. painting, spray-paint, shit like that. WHAT IS S/HE PARTICULARLY UNSKILLED AT? Math HOBBIES: I fucking love baseball and i’ll pick up his guitar every now and again when i finds time

LIFE

CURRENT ADDRESS: Manhatten, New York DOES S/HE RENT OR OWN? Rent DOES S/HE LIVE WITH ANYONE? IF SO, WHO? Barry, Alex, Boo BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HOME: Tiny and packed with everyone’s things, it’s a   jungle in there WHAT IS THEIR BEDROOM LIKE? I share one with Barry and the bed takes most of the room. DOES S/HE DRIVE? IF SO, WHAT CAR? i’ve never learned how to drive. SPOUSE/PARTNER: ....Barry CHILDREN: None. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS/HER CHILD(REN)? N/A PETS: does the toddler count? OCCUPATION: Owner of the Mudhouse which right now kind of feels like a glorified barista JOB SATISFACTION: It’s...very hard owning a small business right now. You gotta want it and god damn it, you gotta work around the clock for it. INCOME: Enough to get by. GENERAL HEALTH: I have diabetes but don’t worry ya’ll, I still have all my toes and shit, PAST HEALTH PROBLEMS, IF ANY: other than problems managing my diabetes when I was younger? not really much.

FAMILY OF ORIGIN

FATHER: Anthony Burke FATHER’S OCCUPATION: Lawyer? Accountant? I dunno man, he wears a suit I think? Whatever, go ask him. MOTHER: Cassidy Burke MOTHER’S OCCUPATION: She was an art teacher. DID THE CHARACTER’S PARENTS RAISE HIM/HER? IF NOT, WHY? My mom raised me. Why? Uh, because my dad’s a coward? ARE THE CHARACTER’S PARENTS STILL TOGETHER? IF NOT, WHY? No, because he’s a dick and she’s dead. DOES THE CHARACTER LIVE WITH HIS/HER PARENTS? No DOES THE CHARACTER HAVE SIBLINGS? No HOW HAS THIS CHARACTER’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR SIBLINGS CHANGED SINCE CHILDHOOD? N/A DESCRIBE HIS/HER FAMILY LIFE AND DYNAMIC WHILE GROWING UP: I remember it being pretty fun but real tough sometimes when money got tight, my mom had me when she was 17 and essentially raised me alone but she never really let me know we were in any trouble when I was really young.  I spent a lot of it just kind of running around Seattle causing trouble with neighborhood kids. My dad sometimes would pop in and out if he was feeling guilty about leaving but surprise, he’d always leave again.

THE PAST

HOMETOWN: Seattle, WA DESCRIBE HIS/HER CHILDHOOD: I’d say it was pretty fun. EARLIEST MEMORY: I remember the opening for a news broadcast when I was toddler-age. HAPPIEST MEMORY: Not sure I have one. Not that my life is sad or anything but I think that the best is coming so I don’t wanna commit. SADDEST MEMORY: When my mom died, I would never wish that 48 hours on my worst enemy. MOST EMBARRASSING MEMORY: I bought the Mudhouse when I was off my face and I straight-up forgot for like, a week. MOST IMPORTANT EVENT IN THE CHARACTER’S LIFE THAT STILL AFFECTS HIM/HER AND WHY/HOW: Once I was on the plane to Florida after my mom’s funeral, I kinda knew that it was like, the start of a new life. It was a very hard 48 hours. my life in Seattle feels so far away now HOW MUCH SCHOOL DID S/HE ATTEND? DOES S/HE LIKE SCHOOL? I, um, got into NYU’s visual art program but I couldn’t afford it...never considered going back. WHAT IS THE WORST THING THIS CHARACTER HAS EVER DONE? I’d rather not say.

EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral FOUR TEMPERAMENTS: Choleric. SPONTANEOUS OR STRUCTURED? Spontaneous HOW HAS THIS CHARACTER MOST CHANGED FROM YOUTH? A little more focused when it’s time to be and he’s better about being honest about his emotions. HOW HAS THIS CHARACTER REMAINED THE SAME? Still incredibly impulsive and doesn’t always consider consequences. Still kinda reckless.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

WHO IS HIS/HER BEST FRIEND? Barry and Alex ANY SECRET ATTRACTIONS/CRUSHES: None FIRST CRUSH/ROMANTIC LOVE: Can’t remember CURRENT GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND/SPOUSE: ....BARRY! PEOPLE S/HE DISLIKES: No one, really? I don’t know man, it’s hard holding a grudge. HAS S/HE LOST TOUCH WITH ANYONE SIGNIFICANT IN HIS/HER LIFE? IF SO, WHY? People move, people change. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAS S/HE DATED? DESCRIBE EACH RELATIONSHIP. Okay, FIRST OFF, we’re absolutely not doing this because I would literally be talking all fucking day. I’ve slept around a bit.

SEX/ROMANTIC LIFE

WHAT DO THEY CONSIDER TO BE A ROMANTIC DATE? Art gallery showing or a gig. Anytime I open up my art. HOW DOES A NORMAL DATE GO FOR THIS CHARACTER? Normally I just goes with someone to a bar and then fall into bed with them. Not really a dater. HOW WOULD THEY LIKE TO PROPOSE OR BE PROPOSED TO? I’d make a huge fucking deal out of it. I can be a little, as the kids say, dramatic. VIRGIN? hahahahahaha no. DESCRIBE HIS/HER SEX LIFE: Man, the man is non-stop. HOW OFTEN DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE SEX? Once every couple of days at the absolute least. HOW LONG CAN S/HE GO WITHOUT SEX? Like a week. Or else I get cranky. HOW DOES THIS CHARACTER FEEL EMOTIONALLY AFTER SEX? Normally I try to slip out after sex but most of the time I’m just relaxed. DOES SEX PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HIS/HER RELATIONSHIP? Not as much as I thought. TOP OR BOTTOM? Flexible. Most times I’m with dudes I like being a bottom. DOMINANT OR SUBMISSIVE? I find myself being more submissive lately. WHAT WAS HIS/HER FIRST SEXUAL EXPERIENCE? IS IT A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE MEMORY? It was painfully average. HAVE THEY EVER IMPREGNATED SOMEONE, OR BEEN IMPREGNATED? Not that I...know of. HAVE THEY EVER HAD INTERCOURSE OR A SEXUAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE SEX IN WHICH THEY ARE NOT ATTRACTED? No.

MENTAL ATTITUDES/PERSONAL BELIEFS

MYERS BRIGGS PERSONALITY TYPE: ENFP ANY PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES?  ENNEAGRAM: #7 - The Enthusiast KNOWN LANGUAGES: English SELF-CONFIDENCE: I’m the hottest piece of ass in any room and I damn well know it. OPTIMIST OR PESSIMIST? Can be a little pessimistic...is there a word for kinda both? EXTROVERT OR INTROVERT? Extrovert. EMOTIONAL OR LOGICAL? Very emotional. PATIENT OR IMPATIENT? Impatient. COMPASSIONATE OR SELF-INVOLVED? Self-involved. WHAT DOES S/HE LIKE MOST ABOUT HIM/HERSELF? Confidence. WHAT DOES S/HE LIKE LEAST ABOUT HIM/HERSELF? Recklessness. WHOM DOES S/HE REALLY LOVE BEST? Barry and Alex. WHAT IS HIS/HER GREATEST FEAR? Becoming nothing. CHARACTER’S GREATEST STRENGTH: My confidence and ability to handle situations as they come. CHARACTER’S GREATEST FLAW/WEAKNESS: I’m so all-systems-go and charging forward that I don’t...consider consequences. My recklessness is my worst flaw. SEVEN VIRTUES: Diligence SEVEN SINS: Slut? BIGGEST VULNERABILITY (NONPHYSICAL): It’s very easy to get me to do things if you rile me up enough. BIGGEST REGRET: Ooh, maybe not going to college? BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Getting accepted into NYU. WHAT IS/ARE THE CHARACTER’S BIGGEST, DARKEST SECRETS? (He sometimes has suicide ideation and it’s stronger than he’d like to admit) WHO ELSE KNOWS, IF ANYONE? No one. SHORT TERM GOALS: Pay rent. LONG TERM GOALS: Have the Mudhouse survive in the economy and become something to the neighborhood. WHAT EVENT OR OCCURRENCE DOES S/HE MOST DREAD OR FEAR? Losing everything on this stupid coffeehouse. WHAT DOES S/HE ACTIVELY WORK TO GAIN, KEEP, OR PROTECT? That stupid coffeehouse. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S DREAM JOB? I always wanted to be like, a real artist. But this is a cool second. RELIGION: Agnostic DOES THE CHARACTER BELIEVE IN A GOD OR GODDESS? No IS RELIGION OR SPIRITUALITY AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS CHARACTER’S LIFE? Nah SUPERSTITION: None CHINESE ZODIAC: Horse ASTROLOGICAL ZODIAC: Aries ELEMENT: Fire

LIKES AND DISLIKES

COLOR: Royal blue FOOD: Crab DRINK: Black-eye BOOK: Ha. I don’t read. THEME SONG: I will rock out to that Orange is the New Black song for my entire life. MUSIC GENRE: Alternative PLACE: Seattle PERSON: Barry MOVIE: Trainspotters TV SHOW: Parks and Rec SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Art ANIMAL: Cat LEAST FAVORITE ANIMAL: Goose WHERE DOES THIS CHARACTER LIKE TO HANG OUT? A blues bar by where we live. WHERE IS THIS CHARACTER’S DREAM PLACE TO LIVE? Moving back to Seattle but only if Barry and Alex can come with. WHAT SORTS OF BOOKS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE FOUND ON THEIR SHELVES? Ha. MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: Transit. SEASON: Fall. HOLIDAY: That month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is cool. FLOWER: Erm. Ones that smell nice? POSSESSION: I still have a baseball jersey that belonged to my mom and it’s literally the last thing I have of her.

[aethelflaedladyofmercia]

The fact that this is addressed to the parents, not the kids, is especially creepy?

Anyway, Federal Child Labor Laws: (apply to ALL states)

--Children under 14 (13 for agricultural labor) can only be employed by their own parents/guardians

--14-15 year olds are limited to 3 hours per day, 18 hours per week during the school year (up to 8 hours on weekends/holidays), and 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week when school is not in session.

--They are also limited to working 7am-7pm (or 9pm during the summer), and only outside of school hours

--Only a specific list of jobs are permitted for children of this age (relevant to this, they are allowed to reheat food, wash dishes and equipment, and do some limited cooking/food prep such as washing vegetables). Any work outside this list is prohibited.

--There is also a broad list of jobs/duties they are prohibited from (including any work with ladders, or work with powered meat slicers or several types of powered baking equipment)

--Oh, hey, this is interesting! The federal minimum wage for employees under the age of 20 is $4.25 for the first 90 days they hold a job. I wonder how many days fall between the end of the school year and the start of the next. Oh? Just about 90? What an odd coincidence, that this company would be looking to hire children just before the time of year when they can work (a) later hours (b) more hours per week and (c) likely to need to stop before they get shifted to the full minimum wage.

(An entirely different set of rules apply to agricultural work, and for working directly for one's parents or family. There are also some jobs allowed to children under 14. I'm not going into those.)

Now, I'm not opposed to 14 and 15 year olds working appropriate jobs. I babysat at that age, other kids mowed lawns, raked leaves, life guarded at pools, etc.

But there is something a little predatory about this sign, particularly going up now.

And as people have pointed out, kids that age don't know their rights. They don't know the laws. And even if they do, they don't know that the laws are there to *protect* them. I've known plenty of teenagers who think they boss is *doing them a favor* by allowing them to work outside their limited hours, or continue working while clocked out for their lunch break. When I worked as a waitress, my manager suggested this as a way to earn extra tips. Heck, I was almost THIRTY, and you wouldn't believe how many little ways they tried to wriggle around the rules to get a little more work out of me. (Unless you've worked this kind of job, then you'd absolutely believe it.)

Another thing--these jobs are *exhausting.* I've worked manual labor, I've worked in schools, retail, all kinds of jobs, but nothing made me end the day, back throbbing, fling-myself-into-bed tired like working in a restaurant. I don't know what it is, maybe the hectic pace of the busy hours, maybe the way you're expected to be busy every second of your time there, maybe it's the fact that I spent most of each day walking as fast as I could from one end of the building to the other. I don't know. But I wouldn't wish that on any 14-year-old.

So, anyway, I'm looking at this little flyer, and I'm concerned. Not because I don't think a 14-year-old should ever work. But because I'm trying to think why a BK would put out a sign SPECIFICALLY asking for the youngest age they can employ, with NO details suggesting this is a special youth-support or training program, only A FEW WEEKS before summer vacation, and targeted to their PARENTS who, let's face it, are probably eager to get some time away from the kids after the last year.

Why would any business make this SPECIFIC ad? I don't know, but every answer I come up with doesn't sit well with me.

[consistantly-changing]

[Image descriptions in order: two screenshots of a Reddit post by u/iambeaker titled "'Twas the night before my resignation..." The post reads "I was brainwashed at an early age that loyalty and hard work would add countless "0's" to your paycheck. I remained optimistic after receiving year after year of 3% raises and working holidays. I missed my children's first steps, their school functions, and other life events so I could make the CEO more money.

After the passing of my stepfather and my boss calling me during the funeral, asking me to troubleshoot an issue while my mom cried into my shoulder, enough was enough. I changed companies and made a personal pledge to put family first and my career a distant third or fourth.

Fast forward to present day.... I find myself as the cornerstone of our department. Many of our clients' processes are automated through custom API developed by me. I have maintained a thorough documentation library on how to support the API, the reports, and all of its dependencies. I have offered to train backup so we are not single threaded. My manager told me "No way, we would never do anything to lose you!" Up to now, life was good.

At the beginning of December, ABC Company was audited by the government and found to be out of compliance. They hired my company to regain their compliance by the end of the year or risk fines near $750,000. ABC Company dragged their feet getting us the information we needed to start on the work.

I save my vacation days so I can take the week between Christmas and New Years off. I spend it with my kids to make up for all the time I lost when I worked when they were younger. This time is very precious to me.]

["Last week and this week, I have been notifying the project manager and my manager about my time off. I let them know I would need ABC Company's information soon so I can start on it. I offered to work extra hours to ensure my piece would be finished prior to Christmas Eve.

On Tuesday, my manager calls me and tells me ABC Company finally sent the data over I requested over two weeks ago. He looked beaten because he knew what was about to happen. I told him who should I walk through the project with because I'm off after Christmas. My manager says, "I'm sorry. But I have to ask you to work. I declined your time next week."

I asked, "What happens to my vacation time?" My boss says, "I'm sorry. You know the rules. Use it or lose it. I fought for you but HR wouldn't budge."

I drafted my resignation letter after the call, set it to delay delivery on Monday at 8am, and closed up shop.

ABC Company will pay $700,00 because nobody knows how to program that system since there is no back up. Our other clients will be expecting their monthly, quarterly, and annual reports within the first week of January. No one knows how to do this. We had six projects in progress involving extensive API and reporting, now those projects are dead in the water. Seven clients prepaid for API and automation upgrades in 2022 Q1. I don't know what will happen to those.

Please remember. Family first. You never get that time back."]

[Several screenshots of a text conversation between OP and their boss. It goes:

Boss: Hope you have a great Christmas

Boss: [OP] please call me as soon as you can.

Boss: I received your email. I understand that you are upset but resigning is not the best choice in this circumstance.

Boss: [OP], I have been your friend for five years. I'm asking you as a friend, not a manager to reconsider and call me. Let's talk about this

Boss: Hey, you made your point. You can have today off if you call me and let me know when we can expect you tomorrow. But you need to call me.

Boss: This is ridiculous. Do you know what your actions are going to do to the company? To me? You made your point. Just call me and we will figure out your vacation. But we need]

[Boss: This is ridiculous. Do you know what your actions are going to do to the company? To me? You made your point. Just call me and we will figure out your vacation. But we need [task] done by Friday.

Boss: Why won't you answer your phone? Your wife won't answer hers either. HR needs to talk to you.

Boss: I got out of a meeting with [name]. If we don't get this done for [client] we get penalized and that $ comes from bonus and pay increases. I want you to know that. If you don't finish that, nobody gets a bonus or a pay increase this year. This will be common knowledge

Boss: [OP], I've been talking to [name] We assume you resigned because you were going to lose your vacation. Here's the deal... if you call me by 3, we will rollover your vacation to 2022, but we still need you to work T-F. We need [task] done before 12/31. Call me before 3]

[Boss: [name] sent over a Corrupt CSV file and [name] followed your documentation to manually process it. [Name] tried python and the states can't see their dailies. You gotta help us here Call me!!!

Boss: Dude, log back in and help fix this stuff. Name your price. The states can't see their reports. [Company's] going to fine us [name] wants to know if the reports will be complete by 1/6. Family is important, but we are talking about peoples jobs on the line.

OP: Hey, I will be happy to return to [company] for $80/hour, $5000 immediate sign on bonus, and 6 weeks PTO. With a 12 month guarantee. Send that to me in writing and I'll start immediately.

Boss: Cmon. This is ridiculous. I don't even get paid that much. Why do you think you deserve this much? Quit being so full of yourself, be a team player, login and save this company.

Boss: Pick up your phone. I need to know what reports are due next week. We don't want to be fined.]

[Boss: Not even a counteroffer? Every hour the dailies are down, that's $1000 per STATE. [Name] does not know how to fix it. I don't know how much clearer I need to be. Log back in, fix his mistake, get [task] done, be a team player. We are family too you know.

OP: Please stop calling my dad. He has nothing to do with this. You can call me all you want but don't call my emergency contacts. I resigned, I didn't die.

Boss: We had to make sure you were ok.

Boss: Congrats [OP]. You cost the firm $19k. You taught us a lesson. Now pick up the phone and we talk about a reasonable offer. But you need to fix this states daily thing right now. That is your priority

Boss: Pick up the phone HR wants to conduct their exit interview]

[Boss: [OP], here are your priorities

1. Fix state dailies

2. Complete [task]

3. Provide [name] list of 1/6 reports

4. Train [name] being your back up

Boss: How much time will it take to fix the dailies? I need to tell [name]

OP: What does this mean? To be 100% clear, I resigned today. I don't have priorities or projects. I am no longer an employee. If you would like me to return, I gave you my offer

Boss: There was a time when a two week notice would before you resigned. Maybe you should be a better businessman and give us two weeks? [OP], we all make sacrifices. You have to sacrifice one week of vacation so we can fix some stuff around this department. Next year, maybe you won't ask off for this week until closer to December and you know what the workload is. You gambled and you lose. Just laugh it off and log on, let's get these states fixed. Let's fix [company]. Let's get this department fixed

Boss: Pick up your phone. It is [name] and me We need to know what it's going to take to fix the state dailies. $19k/hour is going to murder us

Boss: [OP] answer your phone

Boss: ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!

OP: For $10,000, I'll fix your state daily file and train the team on how to run it so this doesn't happen again. Nobody is familiar with Python or understands Alteryx or SSIS. I can train them all using my existing documentation. The answers are all there.

OP: I can fix the state daily file tonight to avoid further fines and train the team the rest of the week. But I will NOT do any work on [project] or provide any information about recurring reports.

Boss: Is that some kind of joke? Your documentation does not have the answer. We've been through it [censored] laughing at $10k. You already cost us $32k today, you want to squeeze another $10k. You got greedy over Christmas]

[Boss: $10k

Fix daily files

Train the team

Do the [project]

Run the recurring reports for January

Deal?

Then we are done.

OP: That is a generous offer. But I'm firm on my offers. But I'm telling you, you don't need me. The answer is in the documentation.

Boss: Then where is it? If you were a true person of your word, you would tell us and save this company. Save your coworkers. Save their paychecks and their bonuses.]

[A gif of Homer Simpson driving. He turns behind him to shout angrily, then the camera changes to a wide shot where he drives over a short wooden bridge, throwing a lighter onto it and lighting it on fire.]

[An update from the OP, which says, "Present Day:

Throughout the day, the manager and CEO send a barrage of texts and phone calls.

One of my coworkers finds the documentation and fixes the reports. Later in the afternoon, he is served corrective action because he was accountable for processing the corrupted file and did not find the documentation faster. He tells me the manager, HR, and the CEO spent all night finding evidence to support the corrective action. I tell him to get his resume up to date. Total down time: 16 hours

Around 3pm, I get a phone call from a new number. It was the client's business manager (the liaison between the former company and the client). I explained to her the delay of getting data until Christmas (despite multiple requests), the loss of a full week of PTO, the text messages/phone calls, and my offer to come back to help her company reach compliance.]

["The business manager told me a different story. The manager and CEO called her earlier to inform her I quit and I am "stalling the project as ransom" in order to obtain more money. I explained how one could skew this view, but I am not actively seeking to return. After observing how the company treats their employees and after being treated post resignation, I have no interest in returning to the company.]

["The business manager asks me what terms (rate, signing bonus, etc.) what I was seeking to return to my former company. She tells me she will call back in an hour and not respond to any more texts from the manager or CEO.

CEO Text: Did the business manager call you? Did she give you a piece of her mind?

Manager Text: I bet the business manager is going to make you personally pay for that fine!

The business manager calls me back on a conference call and asks, "What do you need to finish this project? Software, data, tools, etc.?" I give her a list of everything I need. I answer other questions related to the project.

She says, "Here's the plan. We are going to offer you a contract to finish this API for us by the end of the year for double the hourly rate you asked. If you can finish by 12/31, we will give you the signing bonus. After the New Year, we will see where we are staffing wise and maybe, we can find you a spot, but there is no guarantee, especially if you do not the project. Is that a deal?"]

["I agree to the terms. I inform to put terms in writing and I can start as soon as IT gives me a virtual machine. The business manager says, "No problem, legal checked the contract and there is a clause stating if your former company is unable to perform a function which they agreed to do, we are able to outsource it to a third party and charge the company for it. I just need them to state they are unable to perform the API function, and we will bill them for your time."

TLDR; The client is giving me a contract and billing my former company double my asking rate because the former company is unable to successfully execute a function by the deadline they agreed to in a contract."]