Rant warning, but a perfect example of how much power employers hold and how little accountability there is for them in Texas, where I live.
I work in dentistry, and in dentistry there are corporate offices referred to as DSOs, or Dental Support Organizations. I worked for one of these and was completely overworked and miserable, and I was doing work that I hated. When I actually was able to assist chairside (What my license is for) it was very basic, quick stuff that would let them corral me back up front to deal with upset people all day, every day.
Fast forward to July and I found my dream job. I got interested in periodontics and surgery at my previous job and wanted to find an office that did some of that where I would be allowed to assist chairside in more complicated procedures. Imagine my luck when I find an office owned by a residency-trained periodontist with advanced oral surgery training (Not an oral surgeon, but he got advanced schooling in more complex cases) and was hired for just $2/hr less than I asked for after asking a seriously high number. I took the job as soon as I could and went to work.
Another assistant left on maternity leave about a week after I left, and I fell right into the position. I mean, I loved working there; The patients were so friendly, the doctors were personable, knowledgeable, and willing to teach, and I even got to assist with surgical and periodontal procedures. It was everything I wanted at a great pay rate and a very relaxed 4-day work week literally 8 minutes from my son's daycare. I went to work every day with a smile on my face, and I came home happy and energized. I wanted to stay there forever.
So fast forward. I got fired on Friday. Their explanation was a shallow excuse: “You just don't have enough experience,” despite knowing exactly how much experience I had when I was hired, despite knowing just how hard I've been working to learn all of this complicated stuff, and despite how much I felt I could bring to this office. None of that mattered, though, because to them it was never meant to be a permanent position. They had no intention of keeping me long-term, nor did they have any intention of training me beyond the bare minimum. They never had any intention of giving me any warning, or of offering any sort of assistance. One second I was assisting the doctor with an implant case, and five minutes later I was in my car heading home.
They said they would pay me for the rest of the day whether I stayed or left. That doesn't matter to me or to them, though. It doesn't matter to them that I might miss rent, that I have no more options because nowhere within reasonable distance of my son's daycare is hiring, and no daycares are available without a ridiculous waitlist. It doesn't matter because there is no accountability for them in this situation, because Texas is a “right-to-work” state and they can fire anyone on a moment's notice for any reason they like.
How do I know all of this? How do I know their motivations? How do I know their reasoning? It's very simple.
The other assistant got back from maternity leave on Tuesday. They lied on their job posting, they lied to my face, and they misled me and made me believe that I could be happy there for a very, very long time just to cover their own ass because they know nobody would answer a job posting for a temp position.
They always talked about personal accountability for patients and staff, but I guess that only applies to the people at the bottom.
Rant over. Thanks for reading. I need this shit off my chest so I can move on and figure out how to make it work