HEADING FOR SUMMER... and whatever it brings (Part 160e)

HEADING FOR SUMMER… and whatever it brings (Part 160e)

Once inside the Board room I was told to take a seat. It didn’t take long to find out why “Gee” was there. It had to do with how legally binding Jerry’s offer of the position of assistant manager was to the lady sitting in Bert’s office. In a nutshell; no such position had ever been authorized by the Board… but, Jerry was a corporate officer and that would have some standing in a court of law. His opinion was to have the Board create the position. The consensus around the table was for the committee to propose it to the full Board. Now the question evolved around what to pay the woman. “Gee”, who was chairman of the salary committee, turned to me and asked if I had a suggestion. That caught me totally by surprise.  Only because I’d ‘peeked’ at the woman’s application did I know her current position was that of a head teller. Trying to think fast I suggested that because it was a start up branch we offer a head teller salary. However, that backfired because the main office head teller, Letitia, because she had been employed for so long was making way more than a regular head teller would make. I explained that to the committee but also asked if I could make a quick call to a competitor bank. My thought process took me right to Gina who was now a head teller at another like bank. I knew exactly what she was making without making the call but, to keep the situation ‘real’, I asked to be excused to complete the call. I faked it, plain and simple and returned with the number $6,000, or half what Jerry was making. I did explain that the person holding that title was the main office head teller with eight employees reporting to her.

The committee members all started ‘buzzing’ to each other until “Gee” reined them in. He then looked at me and asked what my thoughts were. I immediately looked at Hobie. I knew I was ‘on a spot’ and was looking for help… but none came. In spite of his warning not to question Jerry’s choices, it was directed for me to not say anything to him… not the Board members. I was asked my opinion and it was an opportunity to express my thoughts. I took a breath and started in.

My position was that all that was needed to open the branch was a group of experienced tellers. With a manager, Jerry, three full time experienced tellers and one part timer for the first few weeks staffing would be adequate. Before I could continue “Gee” spoke up to remind me (and the others) we had a problem and she was sitting in Bert’s office. He then asked what my thought was on the $6,000 amount. I had to say it. I thought, for the projected job she would be doing, it was too much. Then he polled the members of the committee. I’m sure their vote was based upon the potential for litigation and bad publicity and they, to a man, voted to go with the $6,000.

I thought they would call the woman in at that point but it was Hobie who spoke up about me having the drawings for the proposed signage. I passed the rendering around and fully expected to hear that it was too big, too small or something else to delay the production of it. But, their focus was on the woman so I was excused with the plans for the signs intact. At least I’d won something.

Of course I was disappointed to have to leave without the resolution of how they proceeded with the woman. It was almost 3pm and time for the mortgage committee meeting when I got back to my desk. The look on Jerry’s face was one of concern and I surely wasn’t going to discuss what I knew with him. I did exactly what Hobie had instructed me to do… not discuss anything about Jerry’s choices. In a perverse way, I was enjoying myself watching him. I was sure he knew the woman was coming but he was away from his desk when she walked up to Tricia. For me, there was just so much I didn’t know about what he’d told her during the interview… and no idea what she was making as a head teller and now I was ‘on the record’ for what I thought she should be paid. However, I was also ‘on the record’ of saying that $6,000 was too much to pay for the work she’d be doing. Now, all I could do was to accept what the committee (and subsequently, the full Board) decided.

Based upon what I’d seen and heard I was steeled to expect, for me, the worst. However, a little after 3pm I saw the woman striding across the lobby. If she knew Jerry was there she made no indication of it, heading straight for the back door. Both Jerry and I saw her leave without even a glance our way. I wondered what it meant but I wasn’t to find out that day. Jerry usually left around 4:30pm because he’d worked out a ‘deal’ to leave early because of his long commute. Not on this day. Just as he was clearing off his desk Trish told him he was needed up in the board room. That, and the way the woman left, told me something was up. The temptation to stay and hope to find out what had happened was very high… but common sense told me to leave at 5pm with everybody else. My mind, usually very creative when it came to coming up with potential actions (not always correct), was at a loss to come up with a potential resolution in this situation.

At work the next morning, Trish informed me that Jerry wouldn’t be in. I asked why and she just shrugged her shoulders. I really wanted to know what had taken place in the Board room after I’d left but, somewhat concerned about my having been so candid at the meeting, decided to hold off pursuing it with Hobie.  It was a good choice. Bert called and asked me to come to his office where he, without much detail, told me the woman was insulted by the salary that the committee offered her and, without even trying to negotiate it, got up and walked out. But that was somewhat incidental to what he wanted to talk to me about. When I received the applications that Jerry had discarded I was to review to see if there was one or more that could fill the description that I’d described in the meeting. If there was I was to instruct Jerry to contact them and have them come to the main office for another interview… with me… but with Jerry present. It wasn’t utopia but it was a start to some semblance of normalcy. Before leaving his office I asked if Jerry was aware of this. I remember the big smile on his face when he said something along the lines of “I can assure you he knows!” I smiled too.

To be continued..