Returning to work...

Returning to work, well if my doctor had his way I believe he would have all of his transplant patients retired, or at most working from home. Working means exposure to the outside world – disease, illness, dirt…. All good things he wants us to avoid. However, in May of 2008 he gave me his blessing to return to the workforce.

I had not worked since my hospitalization in 2007 although Bill Smith did keep me on the books (and paid my health insurance until Humana raised his premiums for doing so by $2500 a month). I’ve worked construction in one form or another since high school, trading in my toolboxes in 2004 to work in the office. I still enjoy the industry, its people and the sense of accomplishment with a projects completion.

I found a position as a Project Engineer with a smaller general contractor out of Carlsbad, who agreed to take me on a trial basis for 30 days. He would pay me $800 per week, and after the initial 30 days I would get $60,000 annual and my benefits. Being a trusting soul, I believed him, and started my position June 1.

By mid July I was becoming concerned. He was still paying me my trial $800 per week (under the table), and had made no effort to get me the medical coverage promised. I was not only doing my Project Engineer duties that we had discussed, I was also his Site Supervisor and Project Manager. By issuing him an ultimatum, he finally started paying what he had originally promised, however he was still doing it under the table, though he promised (again) that he was setting up with a payroll service and I would be ‘legal’ soon.

The camels back was broken towards the end of August, when he instructed me to order non approved materials for a job. Refusing I informed him that ‘as my name was on the submissions’, only those materials would be used unless he obtained the clients permission ahead of time. After listening to him rant and rave how I was an ungrateful SOB, not appreciating ‘all he had done for me’, I walked to my car, retrieved all of the blueprints and documentation for the jobs I was working on and turned them over to him. I left him standing in the parking lot with a lost look on his face. He called for the next two weeks promising me the moon if I would return (seems everyone else quit at the same time).

I have been unemployed since then, the longest period of time in my life. However I am determined that I will not return unless I can find a reputable company that will treat me as I should be treated - as a professional.