New Adventures

I was reading somewhere about the grammatical rule to not split your infinitives (probably in a grammar book as I was doing lesson plans). Anyway, they used the example of the Star Trek theme "To boldly go where no man has gone before." Really now, aren't we all going where we haven't been before? Ok, I'm no philosopher, but welcome to 2007. May you split many infinitives and live boldly.

My mom ask me to blog about Ben's first job, so here's the scoop. T.A.'s office has needed someone to come in and organize a storage room full of file boxes. Heavy file boxes weighing 30 to 50 pounds. Since it's a huge company, bureaucracy is the rule of the day. They have to go through a temporary agency to hire anyone. Most temporary agencies don't have burly people on their payroll waiting for assignments to shift heavy objects. So, Theresa suggests maybe her nephew can come in and do the job.

So, off to Kelly Girls we go. It's really Kelly Services now but you have to watch a company video about their history and it WAS Kelly Girls. The "about one hour" to fill out forms turns into two. This with me filling in forms to help and shoving the papers over for him to sign as he worked on forms, also. Finally, we think we're done but then see on the employee agreement it states "I swear I'm over 18 etc.." I say "You can't sign this you're only 16." The Kelly person has to call headquarters to find out what to do and they are gone for the Christmas holiday. Plus, she tells us Kelly's policy is none of their employees can lift over 25 lbs, and they won't cover under 18 on workmen's comp. insurance. So we leave without getting his drug screening and go home to wait. Kelly said they could handle minors and knew what the job assignment requirements were, by the way.

Almost a week passes and T.A. calls to say they're using another temporary agency who says they can put Ben on their payroll. He can even fill out his employment application online. So Mike from the subcontractor place calls and we still have to go over to sign some forms and get his drug screening paperwork. We decide to go ahead and give it a try. Mike is very nice and got all the paperwork from Kelly that Ben had signed about insider stock trading and proprietary information and gives us the drug testing form. I immediately notice they require a photo I.D. to get tested. Ben doesn't have a photo I.D. as he's only 16 and doesn't have his drivers license, yet. They call to try and get that waived but the lab is adamant. "He'll have a student I.D. the pesky lab person states." Mike states he's homeschooled. "Well you'll have to come with your company photo I.D." says pesky. "I don't have one," says Mike. "His mother has his social security and birth certificate," trys on our side Mike. No deal says lab. So headquarters is called and they say "They want a photo I.D.? We'll make him one." Snap with the digital camera and sent via the magic of computer and email and voila, two day later Fed Ex delivers a company badge with "clerk" Ben Wallace.

Off to pesky lab tomorrow and perhaps Ben will begin work on Thursday. They have to run a 7 year background check on him and who know what they'll find. I think he was in trouble allot when he was 10.