One of my pet hates is, being late, as my Dad says, always be 5 minutes before parade. I pride myself on my time keeping skills especially in the workplace, it shows professionalism and keen ness!
Not once did you ask me, is everything ok. That could have changed the who situation, I would have opened up to you, you could have been my key to freedom, but instead, you sacked me there and then on the spot, no verbal warning, no written warning, no three strikes and you are out. You didn’t even listen to me when I tried so hard to explain to you why I hadn’t come into work for the second day that week. Surely you noticed it was out of character for me, that I had never once been late before, I mean, I was a temp for you for a month and then you employed me on a full-time basis, so you knew what my skills and characteristics were, didn’t you?
I was no longer that bubbly person, with the smile as big as her face, walking around like a bottle of fizzy pop. My sparkle and shine was now damp and dull, I hid inside my shell, wasn’t really able to concentrate but not once did you ask me, is everything ok.
It’s only a job, you said.
Only a job! Only a job! I had worked so hard to get where I was, even doing an ILEX course to become a paralegal, of course it was more than just a job! It was my career, my life, my aspirations. But you never took the time to ask if everything was ok and even thought I begged and pleaded with you, you never gave me another chance. You took away my last chance of hope, my escapism, my independence. As a boss, you should have asked me if everything was ok.
You had no idea how completely isolated I was, couldn’t even use my own mobile phone to lie to you why I couldn’t make it in, I was locked in the flat, couldn’t get out, constantly accused of having an affair. I’d only got where I was in my career because I had slept my way there, why did I want to come to work anyway because no one liked me and I was took thick to amount to anything, so what was the point, I only dressed smartly because I was cheating on him and wanted you.
That was just half of what it was like for me, living with my perpetrator.
Never in seven years had I been shouted at, reprimanded or suspended at all, yet here you were with the power of my independence in your hand and when you uttered those words, you are sacked, I crumbled even further inside. He was right, I was useless, no good and worthless. Now, to make matters worse for me, he could continue to control me ever further. Every single second of every single day I would be under his watchful eye.
What had you done.
If only you had asked me, if everything was ok. You could have helped me break the cycle, you could have helped me find a way out, you could have saved me.
But you didn’t, you knew nothing about what I was going through; I wonder if you had ever even heard of the term domestic abuse. You didn’t notice the signs, did you? Just assumed I was skiving off work, just assumed my time keeping skills has changed because I was lazy or I didn’t care about my job after all.
Maybe if I had a regular review with you, you would have talked to me, asked me things, supported me, things would have been different. Maybe if more domestic abuse awareness was around, things would have been different….maybe, maybe, maybe.
All my confidence and self-esteem crushed in those few words, you are sacked, and me put into an even dangerous position than before. I was now isolated, financially insecure and monitored around the clock.
Depression soon set in, what did I have, if I didn’t have my career anymore, what life did I have to look forward too, I had nothing and it felt like my perpetrator was absolutely right, all because not once did you ask me if everything was ok.
sammieb1980 