Blacklisted!

Here's what's going on with us, especially Melinda, as regards employment. The back story is, in 2003 she was working at a Waffle House as a waitress. Another woman, a fellow waitress, called Melinda a bitch "on the floor" meaning, right out in the customer area. I dunno what the argument was about, not really relevant for this. Melinda went into the back room to cool off cuz she REALLY has a problem with that word. Other woman follows her back there. Melinda goes out back door, trying to get away from her and regain her composure. The manager orders Melinda back inside, other woman still persists...Melinda smacks her a good'un. Melinda is fired.

Fast forward seven years. Melinda has been out of work seven months after being fired from the Wild Animal Park. She thinks about going back to Waffle House. She was told, back then, that she had been put on "discretionary hire", which is essentially a black list...do not hire this person. She's told a couple weeks back that Waffle House no longer has that policy. She applies. Turns out Waffle House does indeed still have that policy and Melinda is STILL on the "no hire" list. The good news was that she was scheduled to come off this list next month, and so there should be no problem with her being hired again. She's encouraged to call a district manager to inquire about maybe being taken off that list a little early, since she's supposed to come off next month anyway.

She calls the guy a week ago last Thursday. He says he will look into it and get back to her tomorrow. He doesn't call. She calls him again and gets his voice mail. Weekend passes and it's into Monday with no call, so she calls him again. Voice mail. This continues most of the week. Finally Melinda calls the woman who originally told her she should call this guy. Woman says he has been on vacation the last week and she should call him again and leave a message and he would get back to her. We've been on this loop before. Melinda calls the guy again... voice mail, no response.

Now Melinda calls corporate headquarters trying to find someone who knows what's up. The person she talked to never heard of the manager guy she's been calling. This person will "look into it" and get back to her. We are both getting rather exasperated...you'd think she was applying at the freakin' Pentagon, and not a Waffle House! I told Melinda I had a dream in which they told her that not only was she permanently on a no hire list for the rest of her life, but they were banning her from being on any Waffle House property at all, even as a customer. We await some response tomorrow. *sigh*

TRB

UPDATE: Turns out my dream was at least half right. Melinda is banned forever from working at Waffle House. Have not yet tried being customer again...will have to wait for money to arrive. Today (Friday) was spent applying at the Dollar General in Pine Mountain, and at Callaway Gardens. Got home on fumes. Will pour the lawn mower gas into car. Now must go back to my regular occupation (see next blog).

TRB