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RE: a prospective employer doing credit checks, etc.
I also would have to be pretty desperate to submit to that kind of abuse.
Unless the job entailed me using heavy equipment or driving a bus, there is
NO WAY i'd consider having to pee into a cup to be even considered for the
job ... its inappropriate and degrading. If I can come in and perform well
and generally conduct myself in a professional manner, its nobody's business
if i go home and smoke crack every night, or if i had my credit problems at
some point in my life, because, oh, maybe some useless ex-husband cleared me
out or something. I'm so glad that I don't live in the "Land of the Free",
where it appears this sort of thing is becoming more accepted... I don't
even think employers in my country are ALLOWED to do those things. As I
recall, they aren't even allowed to ask you your age or gender up front. And
for sure I'd be hesitant about working in a corporate environment where
people applying for professional positions are assumed to be low-life losers
until they prove otherwise.
RE: the old payola switcheroo. By accepting a lower rate without really
fighting an unfair surprise, you are just saying that you can be taken
advantage of, which means that no matter how nice the employers appear to
be, they will always think of you as a pushover and will rip you off again,
given another chance... which isn't actually nice at all. If you allow
people to promise you a meal, then toss you scraps, scraps are all you'll
ever get. If you really need the work, a counter-offer is an excellent way
to save face... or say, ok, i'll do it at the lower rate, but then you're
only getting x hours of work out of me, and be sure to get them to agree to
regular payments at logical points in the contract... cause if you run out
of time and the work's not done, they have the option of withholding payment
and force you to finish it anyway. I'm sure that they expect THEIR customers
to pay their bills on time, in full... so why should you be expected to
settle for less? Its business... whether or not they are nice doesn't enter
in to it.
Lynne Wright
Technical Communications
Positron Inc.
5101 Buchan St. H4P 2R9
(514) 345-2200
fax: 345-2272
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