you guys have really given me a lot of food for thought. everything you say is really very accurate. several times yesterday, my head was about to explode. liz and i came very close to popping each other, the tension was pretty obvious. and, ALL of this is due to AMY. i will incorporate some of your thoughts into our discussion, you have managed to put into words what i have been thinking for months now.
HG, yes, amy is texting ME because she does not want to have to explain these absences to liz. liz has commented to me more than once that amy should be letting HER know she's not coming to work, not texting ME. this, she needs to tell AMY!
i have always taken pride in my work and i work very hard to make sure that the documents i turn out are accurate and that my work is timely. for the most part, unless i am buried, what comes in goes out the same day. i have always, ALWAYS, personalized my correspondence. i have anywhere from 250-300 public defender clients at any given time. for the past few months, rather than sending personal letters, i have been reduced to "dear client" form letters and that just really sticks in my craw. with all of the extra work piled on me, if i tried to personalize everything, i would be LIVING at that place.
since i am so busy with my own work, i don't know much of what goes on with amy's civil cases. when i have to draft a document or write a letter to a client, i am always afraid that i will do something wrong or that what i do won't make sense because none of it makes sense to ME! i simply do not have time to try to learn it all so i wing it as best i can. so far, there have been no major snafus but if this keeps up, it's only a matter of time before i adopt the wrong child to the wrong people or the warranty deed i do will grant the wrong house to the wrong people!!
LOL
i have also explained to liz that i simply cannot and WILL NOT subject myself to the rantings of people going through a divorce. i've never liked divorce work and i've never had to do much but lately, it has all been piled onto me. i told liz it isn't because i CAN'T do it, it is because, emotionally, it is just too draining. since gary's death, the last thing i want to have to do is sit and listen to couples bickering over TUPPERWARE. and no, i am NOT kidding!
as for the "we" ironing this out...liz has always considered us more as co-workers than employees. that is part of the reason amy has gotten away with this behavior for almost TEN MONTHS now. our working relationship, up until all of this started the week after i returned to work after gary's funeral, was perfect. everything went like clockwork. amy did her work, i did mine, and we helped each other out in a pinch. at this point, i am pinched beyond my capabilities and i am done being taken advantage of.
thanks so much for your input! i'm glad to know that others see it my way and it has empowered me to stand up for myself. charlene is DONE being a doormat!!! i will let you know if i remain employed at the end of the day.
