Thursday, October 04, 2007

Wow, it feels like ages since I last came by here...don't blame me too much but it's the usual excuse..I've been swamped with work! LOL...Anyway, this time, it's not really the usual excuse...We moved offices so everything has been crazy for the past week or so...I have to travel further to work now, more traffic, more wahala....anyway. we're settling down in the new place now so it's going to be back to the old swing of things for me soon....

Anyway, I want to blog about something that went down in last week/this week...it was quite an interesting and surprising thing that left a bad taste in my mouth....it relates to a staff of a consulting company that provides accounting support services to my company, their work basically covers preparing our payslips and remitting PAYE to the govt. within the stipulated time, calculating WHT of the suppliers and remitting and generally helping out with our accounting using a software of some sort...but that's not the gist. Well, this staff of theirs was posted to my office and she comes in regularly, in fact she's here three times a week and we've gotten quite friendly over the months.

Now Angela (not real name) confided in me that although they (her colleagues and her) raked in a lot of money for their company, they are very poorly paid and she earns next to nothing. I was surprised to learn the actual amount because I happen to know how much her company gets from my office monthly (though it's based on the number of hours worked, I have a pretty good idea of the average) and thought it sad that she was treated so poorly in terms of remuneration. Anyway, I encouraged her to look for a better job being that she has 5 years of experience as an accountant although she's not Chartered. I took her resume and helped her send it to a few places, and she also passed it around through her other contacts. The idea was to push it around in the hope that she would go for interviews and eventually get a job that would raise her earning power.

Last week, she got a call from a certain "Charles"(not real name) who introduced himself as a staff of XXX Company, asking her to send him her profile and telling her he had heard of her and that he wanted to meet with her for a chat about possible employment with his organisation. She told him she wasn't free during the weekdays, and they fixed an appointment for Saturday, it was planned to be an informal interview... She wondered how he got to know about her and asked him when she met him for his 'chat'. He told her he knew someone who knew her and gave him her contact details and in the course of the meeting/interview, he asked her questions like how much she was earning, and all sorts of interview questions and told her he'd get back to her as soon as....

Well, well, well... on Tuesday this week - she comes to our office three times a week i.e Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and reports at her office on Tuesdays and Thursdays- she went to her office and was surprised that a Management meeting was to be held -and yes, she's supposed to be management with that dirt cheap salary - and she was the subject of the meeting. Her M.D told her she had been found out, and that they all knew she was up to something and so she wanted to leave eh? Turns out the whole interview was stage managed by her Madam and she told me yesterday that she finally understood the meaning of wanting the earth to open up and swallow me.

I wonder why her boss and her colleagues had to go to such measures to find her out...I thought it was very low and then, is there anyone who doesn't wish to change his/her situation for the better? What was her crime? To attend an interview in her spare time.. I just don't know what to make of this but to say I am disappointed is really an understatement. Anyway, that's the gist for today! I'll be back soonest with berra gist..Take care!

P.S
Pamelastitch, wassup? How come I cant view your blog? Na wah, I go vex o!

61 comments:

Arewa said...

I was abt to send out the blogville cops to check up on u...Hope u've beeen cool sha!

Thats way out of order though... an emoployee has the right to decide that they no longer want to work for a company for reasons best known to themselves. She is not bound by any laws to work for that company for the rest of her life.
All she needs to do is find a job of her choice and hand in a resignation letter as long as she works her notice period....and thats that...
Whether she goes round the whole oF lagos looking for job is no ones business but hers.....
This is proper piss take.
Maybe the comapny bosses have something to hide and are scared thatshe might expose thier behinds once shes out of there. Na wah ooh

classybabe said...

That's some serious wahala oh.Who grassed her out in the first place that she was looking for a new job?Hope they've not fired her sha.
She should have voiced her concerns then and told them why she was looking for a new job,if they are "reasonable",maybe they may improve her pay.If not,she has the right to look for a job that will take care of her needs sufficiently

Aijay said...

Thats nonsense!!
Why would they go to that extreme?
They have absolutely no right to monitor her moves.
This is very annoying. Hiss*
Hope she gets a better job.

Anonymous said...

HEREEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Obinwanne said...

i will forst congratulate you for your new office, and secondly the company should be ery ashammed to go to that extent and monitoring someone's life...if she wants to leave nko? they enployed her but they didnt buy her life...naija nawaooohh?????

thanks for stopping by...im pretty happy we are winning matches now...i'll update pretty soon...check and see...

Admin UD said...

Oh dear! poor girl. So wats up with her now?

Awoof said...

Hey, imbre.. I'm fine oo... Same drill here - Work, work, work!

Regarding your post - I think the way she went about the ordeal in the first place wasn't the wisest. Her managers are humans like her, and humans can communicate. She could have gone to her manager, asking for a chat to negotiate her wages. She could highlight her previous experience and loyalty to the company, and suggest that on these grounds, her salary be negotiated, as she feels exploited. (Which I believe is true.) I'm sure any employer would respond - either positively or negatively.

If these were done at the beginning, any further actions she takes would have been justified and there would be no need for sneaky investigations or wishing for "the ground to open up and swallow"

Stuck in my throat said...

Goodness...na by force?why do accountants and lawyers always underpay their staff?
I pray she gets a job soon...wicked people..
Tha madam sef na idiot.

Unknown said...

OOOPS!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE??

HOPEFULLY YOU CAN VIEW IT....

it is not illegal for an employee to look for a job on her own time. If she is fired as a result - then she can bring about a wrongful termination suit on her company.

If her company is well run - that should be an opportunity for her to negotiate her pay.

But that meeting that was called with her boss is illegal.


anyways...

how body dey? :)

Thirty + said...

Obviously they have no better jon than to be tailing staff who are looking for better job.
Did she sign a life contract when she started working for them.

Ignoramus management wasting company resources on stupid tasks

Nonesuch said...

i know its hard for employer to let go of employee. Most times the employee are also not aware ot the business angle to the business ( professionals esp.) They want to earn so much but really they bring so little to the table in terms of experince half of the time you are training them all they have is a degree or you are the one bringing in the business with ur contacts. Salaries can not be equal to what comes in. There are so many other indices, overhead, the cost of running the business, shareholders, the directors, overdraft, bank loans etc etc and its not unusal for employees to complain about poor pay and expect that salaries should increase with the organisations growth.( i had to get that out)

But her employers had no reason to do what they did. She can actually sue them for something. Employers also need to develop trust and loyalty amongs their internl customers. She should resign cos those people who can stoop that low will victimise her. All the best. Sorry about the long comment.

princesa said...

You know the first thing that came to my mind was:"Thank God she didnt go on Company time like take an excuse from the office and go for the interview(i have done that on some occassions),that one for be real yawa!

Poor babe! She neednt have felt embarrassed joo. If na me i for politely tell madam say me i want better for my life too. Which kain sufferhead be dat!

I think in the process of CV spreading, it fell into the wtong hands, she needs to be more careful henceforth.

bighead said...

Yeepa; you pay miserable salaries and monitor the person on top of it. Talk of insult on injury. Rather than feel ashamed, she should have told them her mind, sat down and waited for their worst. Useless people. What is the name of the company? Let me and my friends kill it in the media. Mchew.

bighead said...

There are some really spiteful player-haters in that company, I must add. The length they went to. Cos they probably had to hire the fake interviewer. double hiss (Mchew, mchew)

Anonymous said...

That is so messed up. If they didn't want her to look for work, then they should make an effort to keep her, a good salary would be a start. I'm guessing this is Naija, this mentality is just messed up, where workers are treated as slaves.There is nothing wrong with wanting to look for work, she didn't break any laws, and she is doing it on her own time. I would not be ashamed if it was me, in fact, I'd start to shout at them for being so petty and unprofessional.

Unknown said...

Its a mentality thing. Whats wrong with an employee wanting a better life for herself? If her employer wants to keep her, then she's got to upp the stakes and I'm sure her madam knows that too well.

LurLar said...

That's not even funny!!! Na by force she has to be enslaved to them? Make she step up...nd find her self a more suitable job. They are guilty of underpaying her..that's why they r stalking her.Yeye Pipo.

flawsandall said...

they have time on their hands to be setting up people.....I pray she finds a better job..In a way it might be a good thing cos not they know how she really feels about them

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

That is hideous! People are allowed to use their free time to research the possibilities of alternative employment. Haba, it is not a crime.

Femme said...

so every one has said everything.
there wasnt any need for her to feel mortified, she did nothing wrong esp since it wasnt on company time.
hope she gets a better place soon and still move on to a better place.

Uzo said...

Wow...A bit elaborate to catch her isnt it?

A Kel called Wonder ...... said...

Now thats very low. I hope she gets something better and gets out they dont even trust themselves.............IMAGINE!!

princesa said...

Am back to ask:
"Did she sign any agreement to work for them for life???"

Meanwhile update o!

UndaCovaSista said...

I am outraged by this. Firstly because i can relate - i worked for an accounting firm early in my career and they used the heck out of me, paying me peanuts!

If she finds another job, as long as she gives appropriate notice in line with her contractual terms, she is well within her rights to move on. Na wa o! It's not like it's her father's company

Joy Isi Bewaji said...

arrant nonsense! nobody has any right to treat another so badly. she should leave! they have no respect for her, there's no use!
oya come nah, lets play ten-ten on my blog.

My 2 cents said...

Only in naija sha! I don't know how they come u with this vicious antics. That nonsense in a civilized society will the victim smiling to the bank form a law suit settlement. what's up love?

Rinsola said...

There's no law that says don't look for another job while at another. I guess she's an asset to to the company 'cos i don't understand why a company would monitor the movement of any staff. I hope she gets a better job soon.

NikkiSab said...

Dat was mean, mean, mean.!!!!! de pay her pebbles and tink she should kiss dia feet? Well my office isnt far from being as shitty as hers but de just wont care if u wanna leave. It has become a family biz so beta u go so de recruit a new family member. I hope de not sack her o!!!

Onome said...

all i can say is dat organisation board should be ashamed of demselves...if dey want dia staff to stay, dey should give dem proper incentives and treat dem right....hope to see an update soonest.....

Mommy said...

I've come to realise that in most cases, when a woman is the madam, you should be standing on your toes 'cos anything can happen. That was very low of her employer.

Admin UD said...

where @ thou??

Unknown said...

PRESENT

ONB's bash is going down here o

Writefreak said...

wow..that's serious but are employers allowed to do that? I think it;'s not a fair deal, if they're treating staff well, why snoop on them?
As for me, i would have stood up to the useless madam, excuse my french...
I'm so pissed!

Mrs Somebody said...

Too bad her employers had to stoop so low.
Oya we need another update now!!!

Unknown said...

that's messed up

Mrs Somebody said...

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Femme said...

hope u are enjoying your holiday.

Unknown said...

kpam kpam kpam...

Pamela is knocking on your door o...!!

Porter deHarqourt said...

paranoid, petty, pretty shameful.

`nuff said...oya update!!

Ms. Catwalq said...

shylocks!!!
They want to exploit her and prevent her from growing?
Disgusting!!!
they legally cannot do anything. She has the right to look for a better job.

Mimi said...

sister mi, how r u?

Jaja said...

update the blog na..

abi u have moved office again???

Nyemoni my sister, I dey burst it Kaiama for Camp oo ( its only you am telling)

Lay ra

Joy Isi Bewaji said...

nyemoni! nyemoni!! nyemoni!!! how many times i call u?! oya update- sharp! sharp!!

Manda said...

Babe, how u dey? Dat was not rite at all! the gurl shld just fashee the job and look for greener pastures. Hope they give her good recommendation.

Ms. Catwalq said...

CATWALQ ACADEMIE IV IS HERE!!!!

TMinx said...

Wow thats crazy, isn't someone alowed to leave anymore and they should be ashamed at the paltry salary they are paying her. Hope she get something good soon

Carlang said...

I think it's terribly unfair and unethical what happened to her.
But then again..
that's nIgeria for you.

Hi there.
Glad to have you back..
ONly...

you;re really not back.
Update already!!

lol.

SET said...

SAD, I FEEL BAD FOR HER. SHE IS ALLOWED TO GO OUT FOR INTERVIEWS AS LONG AS ITS DURING HER OFF TIME. WOW I WISH HER THE BEST BUT THIS IS CLEARED TO SEE WHY SHE NEEDS TO MOVE ON, SHE WILL NEVER FEEL COMFY IN THAT JOB ENVIROMENT ANYMORE.
HOW ARE YOU LADY?

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

Nyemoni, wetin??? Update nah? Abi, you no dey kampe?

Original Mgbeke (Part 2) said...

Na wa o. So what did they do to her then? If they pay sucks then she has to try and get something better..see the idiots acting like she signed a contract with them. Sometimes the Naija system kills me.

Joy Isi Bewaji said...

update o! lol!! wassup?

The Beads Factor said...

Hello!
I just want to introduce my blog to you.
I do hope you would drop by,
Thanx!

4wardnfiaca said...

that is absolutely low. she could have been paid the money the bosslady spent tryna monitor her...
on the other hand it is sorta funny if it isn't happenin to you

LurLar said...

Update na...Hope everything is aiight with u?

Atutupoyoyo said...

Moni, hope all is well. I can only assume that you have been so busy celebrating the Red Devils return to form that you have not had time to drop a line.

Make we hear from you abeg

princesa said...

Am sending out a search party.

Nyem! Nyem!! Where are thou?!?!

Thirty + said...

Where this girl na

Anonymous said...

Feedback now? Haba why the drama?

Unknown said...

hmm they'r elucky its not the US, she would've sued them and won.

Bella Naija said...

Oh My Gosh! I cannot believe I am ready this.
Wow. Nigeria is amazing....I havent heard of such pettiness and sneakiness in the workplace in a very long time!
Biko, what did she do wrong? Because she is looking for another job?
If she was in the UK.....straight to employment tribunal and she will win sharpishly....especially with the 'covert operation' they pulled on her.
In the US, homegirl will be a millionaire by now cause she would have sued them sharp sharp

Unmodern said...

Thats unscrupulous !

But in an environment like naija ...I guess there isn't much she can do about it ...shame though

 

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