Friday, February 4, 2011

The Big Scary One

If you have been following along, and I hope you have been, I talked about a large portion of who I am recently.

Well, there was a reason I told you all that.

Yes apparently there are methods to my madness.

However the reason I explained all that is that I have a rather important meeting coming up.

HR.

Yep, I am tentatively meeting with them next week to discuss an issue.

I am not entirely sure how to approach this. I have thought about a detailed packet of information and a disclosure letter. Other ideas were to just walk in explain things and get feed back from HR about the issue.

Right now I am not looking to tell them when I am transitioning, just simply that I am planning it and that I need to know exactly what the company's response is and what their stance is going to be.

I do know there is some good verbiage in the employee handbook but I wouldn't say it is perfect.

At least there is some promise there.

I don't know recent discussions have me thinking all different types of things and I am running out of time to figure out what and how.

Though as of right now I am leaning toward just telling them the basics and leaving the door open to provide more should they ask for it.

However if there is one thing I am still absolutely terrified about it is my job.

I may not love it anymore. I may hate the political waffling that screws with my ability to provide services to the company as a whole. I might hate the constant finger pointing between departments. I may not like the two people I am being forced to train on the systems I work on (It is for backup reasons, my manager panics whenever I want time off and he just wants someone to have some familiarity with these systems. I guess it is the 'what happens if I get hit by a bus syndrome'. As for those too, well one forgets everything I teach him, even when I make him take the notes and write up the documentation, really? The other is just awful to work with, he thinks he is smarter than everything else even after the countless times we have proved him wrong. Sad really.) While it might not be my life. It allows me to live my life.

That is why it is such a huge concern for me. I cannot transition without it.

I know that I fully intend to leave at some point, but that isn't now. I need time to make this switch and maintain my employment.

So this particular disclosure has me almost petrified. I am second guessing everything and how to do it.

Yet I know it needs to get done.

Color me scared today.

Here is to keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Kelli,

I completely relate to your fear in telling your employer about this. I started the process last May, with the official transition taking place last September.

When it came time for me to do start the process with my employer I used a single page "just the basics" professional letter which I delivered by hand during a meeting with my supervisor. Others prefer their HR representative to be their first contact. I found it worked well to emphasize that my transition in the workplace was not something I was demanding, but rather a request to engage with management and HR to make my proposed transition successful and minimally disruptive to the company.

I hope it goes well for you!

Laura Bennett said...

Look at Diana sneaking in to comment before me! :P

She's got great advice.

Oh and quit worrying! You'll be fine!

xoxo

Kelli Bennett said...

@Diana, That is really what think I am going to do. I simple non confrontational letter that I will deliver to my HR rep in person.

I have talked to a few people about this and really hope to just work with them to accomplish my goal and avoid any messes.

@Laura, LOL some of the things we talk about raise more concerns with me than I think you realize. Though the fact that you challenge me to think of other things is welcome. There is simply so much going on you can't possible account for it all right now.

Just another thing to go to your head. I don't recommend anyone to find an older sister they didn't know they had. Sounds nice but they are ALWAYS bossing you around, jealous and complaining to mom!

LOL Love you sis and you know it!!!!

Kristina Nicole Devereaux said...

Good luck with HR Kelli. Obviously you have done a lot of thinking on your presentation. Remain confident and all should go well.