why? I don’t understand why you have to be so serious to have a kid. They like fun, don’t they? Why can’t you be a fun parent?’
‘I’m sure I will be, but someone will have to provide the stable environment, Amber, and at the moment, it doesn’t appear it will be you. I’m going to work.’
With that, he gets his briefcase and walks out of the door. It’s the first time since I can remember that he hasn’t kissed me goodbye.
I get to work at twenty past nine.
‘Where’ve you been?’ says Jo.
‘Sorry, running late. I emailed you.’
‘I’ve not received it,’ she says.
Andi pops her head around the door. ‘Can I see you for a minute, Amber?’
Damn.
I find out Andi is one of those managers who pretends “we’re all colleagues together,” until something upsets the happy unit. She’s a blonde haired (tied back daily in a ponytail), twenty-five-year-old graduate. As I enter her office, she sits in her office chair, long tanned legs stretched out of her navy pencil skirt. She dresses for her role and today I see her act the part.
‘I’m sorry, Amber, but I believe your contract states a strict nine-to-five working pattern, does it not?’
‘Yes, I apologise. I sent Jo an email—’
‘Well, neither Jo, nor Mirelle, said they’d heard from you, and that’s not the protocol anyway. If you are going to be late, you are to call me direct—at least thirty minutes before the start of your shift.’
My gaze lowers. ‘I’m sorry.’
She taps into her computer. ‘So… what is the reason for your lateness, so I can record it?’
‘I, err, I overlaid.’
‘Oh-kay. Well, perhaps you could set an extra alarm in future, to ensure you’re on time?’
I nod.
‘We’re running an extremely tight workforce. I shouldn’t need to remind you everyone needs to pull together as a team. I appreciate anyone can overlay, but I must bring to your attention that should this become a habit, as a temporary member of staff, I would have to report you to your agency and request a replacement.’
‘It won’t happen again. I can assure you.’
‘Okay, Amber, that’ll be all. All our staff are equal here, the fact you’re a temporary member of staff does not make you any less important in our place of work.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Right, well back you go to the office. I expect you’ll stay over to make up your time?’
My eyes widen. ‘I’ve stayed over my hours plenty of times.’
Her lips purse. ‘Yes? Well, I’d still appreciate you staying over tonight.’
‘Fine.’
‘Is there a problem?’
‘No, of course not. I’ll get back to it then.’
‘Thank you, Amber. Don’t forget my door’s open if you need any support.’
I head back into the office, switch my computer on and throw a few files across my desk to look busy.
‘Everything okay?’ asks Jo.
‘Yeah, just reminded of the rules.’ I sigh.
‘You look like shit,’ says Mirelle.
‘Yup, heavy night.’ I wink. ‘I don’t know why my email hasn’t arrived.’
‘Oh, it came through while you were in with Andi,’ says Jo. ‘I’ll show it to her later, it might get you off the hook.’
‘Nah, it’s too late now. Don’t worry about it.’
‘Do you want a drink?’
‘I’m gasping for a coffee,’ I say, ‘and then I’d better get on with some work as I reckon Andi will keep a close eye on me today.’
As indeed, she does. Usually never seen, she drops in three times over the course of the day to make sure everything is okay.
‘I checked with Mr Smith,’ she says, ‘and he’s very pleased with your work, Amber. Bearing in mind you’ve taken on a lot of an experienced staff member’s workload, he’s very impressed.’
‘Thank you.’
‘What was that all about?’ I ask the others after she’s left.
‘That’s how she operates,’ says Jo. ‘Once she’s reprimanded you for something, she comes back and butters you up, so we know she’s still “one of us” and appreciates
‘I’m sure I will be, but someone will have to provide the stable environment, Amber, and at the moment, it doesn’t appear it will be you. I’m going to work.’
With that, he gets his briefcase and walks out of the door. It’s the first time since I can remember that he hasn’t kissed me goodbye.
I get to work at twenty past nine.
‘Where’ve you been?’ says Jo.
‘Sorry, running late. I emailed you.’
‘I’ve not received it,’ she says.
Andi pops her head around the door. ‘Can I see you for a minute, Amber?’
Damn.
I find out Andi is one of those managers who pretends “we’re all colleagues together,” until something upsets the happy unit. She’s a blonde haired (tied back daily in a ponytail), twenty-five-year-old graduate. As I enter her office, she sits in her office chair, long tanned legs stretched out of her navy pencil skirt. She dresses for her role and today I see her act the part.
‘I’m sorry, Amber, but I believe your contract states a strict nine-to-five working pattern, does it not?’
‘Yes, I apologise. I sent Jo an email—’
‘Well, neither Jo, nor Mirelle, said they’d heard from you, and that’s not the protocol anyway. If you are going to be late, you are to call me direct—at least thirty minutes before the start of your shift.’
My gaze lowers. ‘I’m sorry.’
She taps into her computer. ‘So… what is the reason for your lateness, so I can record it?’
‘I, err, I overlaid.’
‘Oh-kay. Well, perhaps you could set an extra alarm in future, to ensure you’re on time?’
I nod.
‘We’re running an extremely tight workforce. I shouldn’t need to remind you everyone needs to pull together as a team. I appreciate anyone can overlay, but I must bring to your attention that should this become a habit, as a temporary member of staff, I would have to report you to your agency and request a replacement.’
‘It won’t happen again. I can assure you.’
‘Okay, Amber, that’ll be all. All our staff are equal here, the fact you’re a temporary member of staff does not make you any less important in our place of work.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Right, well back you go to the office. I expect you’ll stay over to make up your time?’
My eyes widen. ‘I’ve stayed over my hours plenty of times.’
Her lips purse. ‘Yes? Well, I’d still appreciate you staying over tonight.’
‘Fine.’
‘Is there a problem?’
‘No, of course not. I’ll get back to it then.’
‘Thank you, Amber. Don’t forget my door’s open if you need any support.’
I head back into the office, switch my computer on and throw a few files across my desk to look busy.
‘Everything okay?’ asks Jo.
‘Yeah, just reminded of the rules.’ I sigh.
‘You look like shit,’ says Mirelle.
‘Yup, heavy night.’ I wink. ‘I don’t know why my email hasn’t arrived.’
‘Oh, it came through while you were in with Andi,’ says Jo. ‘I’ll show it to her later, it might get you off the hook.’
‘Nah, it’s too late now. Don’t worry about it.’
‘Do you want a drink?’
‘I’m gasping for a coffee,’ I say, ‘and then I’d better get on with some work as I reckon Andi will keep a close eye on me today.’
As indeed, she does. Usually never seen, she drops in three times over the course of the day to make sure everything is okay.
‘I checked with Mr Smith,’ she says, ‘and he’s very pleased with your work, Amber. Bearing in mind you’ve taken on a lot of an experienced staff member’s workload, he’s very impressed.’
‘Thank you.’
‘What was that all about?’ I ask the others after she’s left.
‘That’s how she operates,’ says Jo. ‘Once she’s reprimanded you for something, she comes back and butters you up, so we know she’s still “one of us” and appreciates
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