Yeah, this is SUPER old...don't get freaked out. I just forgot to post it, but I figure it's still worth posting cuz it's such an interesting story. ;)
So I know I haven't posted in almost 3 months, but I decided this was worth posting immediately.
I've decided the WORST possible way to get "fired" is basically what happened to me over the weekend. I have been working hard trying to get a weekly report done EVERY week, with a report system that basically takes 1/2 a week to get done...so needless to say I'm a little behind. But I had heard no complaints from my boss(es), and in fact was receiving more tasks to do on top of what I already had...which was fine. =)
I had set up a group to go with me to Mardi Gras at Universal Studios this past Friday night to see Boys Like Girls. =) I had given 2 of myc comp tickets for 2 of my friends to use to get into the park, I was going to use my employee ID, and 3 of the girls were going to get/renew their annual passes. The day of, I actually semi-freaked out, thinking maybe the girls w/ the comp tickets wouldn't be able to get in since M.G. is a 'special event'. So I called the number and my anxiety was put to rest...temporarily.
When all 6 of us got to CityWalk, 3 girls went ahead to get their passes taken care of while Jenn, Linds and I stayed in my QF store in CityWalk, trying on sunglasses, hats, and taking pics. =) When we got to the Universal gate, I let the 2 girls go ahead of me, and they went through fine. I breathed a sigh of relief. I gave the 'turnstile lady' my ID and she scanned it. The screen showed "unable to scan". We both seemed puzzled, but I just assumed that the magnetic strip on the back had gotten screwed up because it was in my wallet w/ my credit card, etc. The lady took my ID a few turnstiles down to another lady. They whispered to each other and looked back at me (meanwhile, I'm holding the line up which I LOVE!). The lady came back and said it was void, and usually an ID is only voided if the employee was terminated....?????? I smiled politely at her and said that I hadn't been terminated since I had just gotten off work about 1 1/2 hrs earlier. Ms. Turnstile didn't crack a smile. Suddenly she turned into robo-cop and was treating me as if I were a rebel teenage brat who was trying to smuggle myself into the park w/ a voided/stolen ID. She began interrogating me as if I were a suspect, asking questions like "when was the last time you worked?" and "are you sure you weren't terminated?"...guh. I was quickly losing my patience so I asked her to go check w/ her supervisor (bad idea) because I KNEW this was a mistake. She left and came back w/ her super who was probably the same age as me, tall, thin, blonde hair, dark sunglasses (which you're not supposed to wear in front of guests, if they can't see your eyes...it's rude and impersonal, but w/e).
This guy was not much better w/ his 'guest manners'. I attempted to assure him that I am, in fact, still employed, and tried to give him as much information about my company as I could squeeze out of my rattled brain at the moment. He also had come to me with the attitude of assuming I was one of those 'teen brats' that he obviously doesn't enjoy dealing with. He picked up on the 'interrogating' process where Ms. Turnstile left off, saying things like 'your name didn't show up on the time card' (even though I had just rec'd my paycheck that day) and 'this ID was last used in December' (which isn't true). The biggest shock was that he stated I shouldn't even HAVE this ID if I'm employed by a 3rd party vendor (which is what QF is to Universal) because 3rd party vendors have completely different ID's that don't allow access into the parks. I asked him if that was a new policy, and he smiled like I was stupid and said No. I informed him I had taken the class in October w/ a whole room full of 3rd party vendors and we all got the same ID. He basically avoided that comment, and then proceeded to tell me that my ID was herein confiscated!!! I asked him how I was supposed to go back to anyone (since all my supervisors/boss were already gone for the weekend) and PROVE that I was a current employee. He basically said it wasn't his problem, because "this ID is now Universal property. (turns card over and points) see? It says 'property of Universal Orlando'"....ARG!
I asked him what he expected me to do since I'd just let my friends in w/ MY comp passes that I'd just gotten a MONTH ago w/ my ID...he said w/ a smirk "you could buy a Mardi Gras ticket." Linds was standing behind him, motioning for me to calm down cuz she knew I was getting angry. =\
Long story short, I was able to get a night-manager at QF to talk to CityWalk guest services (since Universal Guest Services was hanging up on him every time he tried to call!) and they got me a comp pass, but not before informing us that Universal was not supposed to take my ID away from me. ):-( So even though all my friends got to get into the park at 6:30 that night, this whole ordeal took me 2 hours before I was able to get through the turnstiles.
THEN today I had to go to HR to retrieve my ID...met up w/ more frustration when the receptionist informed me that I was indeed terminated...on January 30th, 2009! Weird. My heart kind of sank, but then she asked me when I last received a pay check from Universal. I told her I got one on Friday. There was a lot of back n' forth between me and 2 other women, both of whom seemed completely unaffected by the trouble that their employees had given me...probably because the system still says I'm terminated. So HOPEFULLY the 'reinstatement' papers will be sent in today (by the manager at the CityWalk QF that did this in the first place) and my status will go back to 'employed' as of tomorrow. =) I then have to go back to HR and get a new ID. Oh joy.
Moral of the story...maybe you can point it out for me.
