Ok, right off the bat I need to clarify one tiny, insignificant detail...I work 7:30 to 4:30....didn't want to mislead anyone...that is certainly not my purpose here. Also, just in case you think my MMB (Monday Morning Blues) rolled over to Tuesday, nope...they left me as they always do, and I'm happy to report, my day was a breeze. One of the reasons I decided to revisit this particular subject--I wanted to follow-up with what the rest of my week is truly like at work...after my MMB become a faint memory...it's a different world for me, one that I continue to enjoy :)
First off, my commute from home to work, can't really be called a commute...I'm literally in the car about 5 minutes unless the bridge is up. I actually chose my hours from 7:30-4:30, so that I'd get a decent parking spot near our building. It may sound a bit silly, but if you don't arrive before 8 am, you are in for quite a long walk. Our facility is made up of five buildings spread out over a very large area, with parking as far as the eye can see. Believe me, when it's hot, windy, rainy or even a bit chilly, you don't want to walk in from the furthest parking spot on the campus. The buildings and surroundings are very pleasant with a pond, fountains, jogging path, volleyball sand pit, and well maintained greenery everywhere. We have a medical facility, full service gym and a huge cafeteria that has the ability to feed 2000 employees breakfast and lunch 5 days a week. Although I sometimes forget how large this corporation is, I am reminded each afternoon, as I leave the building, and glance up to see the company helicopter hovering over my head, (the landing site is on the roof of the building), flying employees back and forth to our other offices located throughout the state. After almost 6 years, I'm still very proud to be a part of an innovative power company, that among other things, is one of the top producers of wind and solar energy in the country.
I've been working in the legal world for more than 13 years, more specifically in the employment law arena, and I love the work, but am not always fond of the stress. Realistically, I can't think of many jobs out there that don't have some stress associated with them, it's how you deal with it that can make or break you.
This company treats it's employees extremely well and strictly complies with the standards and regulations set forth by state and federal laws, when dealing with employment issues. If allegations related to an employment issue become a lawsuit, the case will eventually make it's way into one of my file cabinets. I wish I could say that they stand empty every day, but that is just not our reality. As I've mentioned before, it's never a dull moment and we rarely know from one moment to the next, exactly what will end up on our desk. I work with one very seasoned female employment law attorney and one mildly seasoned male attorney who happens to be new to the world of employment law. It certainly makes for an interesting combination and they both tend to keep me on my toes every single day. Of the three of us, I'm the eldest and they jokingly refer to me at times as their mother and/or babysitter...hmmm, there is something wrong with this picture...but you'd understand if you spent 40 hour work weeks with busy litigation attorneys. They are constantly running in ten different directions, juggling several complex cases at a time..someone has to keep them on an even keel, and that responsibility falls to me. With 10,000+ company employees, across 36 states and in several countries, and only 2 employment litigation attorneys to deal with each issue, it makes for a very busy case load.
I love the folks I work with, even on the days I want to crawl under my desk and hide. Ironically, due to no choice of my own, I actually ended up under my desk one morning....but that's another story. We all get along extremely well and thankfully comply with company policy when dealing with each other as individuals. Being treated fairly and with a great deal of respect, goes a long way in my book. The law department has grown tremendously since I began in 2005, I believe we total approximately 140 as of the last count. For the most part, we tend to function as a larger law firm would out in private practice. I've gone the whole private practice route, and let me tell you, the corporate world has so much more to offer an employee right now. I've known quite a few firms that were not able to survive during the economic crunch, in the last few years.
Ok, so what exactly do I do all day that keeps me so busy...well as I said, I never know in advance what will pop up or what "fires" we will spend the day putting out...but here is a sample (just for shits and giggles-I managed to keep a list yesterday) of my work load on a typical morning, BEFORE I break for lunch...
Review/respond emails
Phone calls
Schedule executive mtg
Schedule executive lunch
Electronic filing docket search
Electronic scheduling
Review local court rules
Draft defendant case list
Draft delinquency letter
Draft/file hearing notice
Docket/file pleadings
Reschedule Pro Bono attorney clinic
Order breakfast BYOC meeting
Attend admin meeting
Attend attorney meeting
Prep UPS
Prep fax
Process invoices for payment
On a good day, I blink and its noon.....on an even better day, I blink for the second time and the clock says 4:30. The times rushes by, I rarely pay attention to how many tasks are set before me, I just tackle them as they appear. If you are unable to multitask--you will not survive in a litigation group...it's as simple as that. I entered this world many years ago, with absolutely no experience and was slowly taught the foreign language of the legal profession. The judicial process is still fascinating at times and it never ceases to amaze me how the entire system functions on a state and federal level.
As the song says....it will drive you crazy if you let...but I continue to work and make a living...I'm in the same boat with a lot of my friends....cause I'm only working and waiting for the time the next ship'll come in....how many days until my next cruise....6 left but who's counting???
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