Before I began my position, I stated in all of my interviews that I was looking for a better work-life balance. I was given my hours and told that "on a rare occasion, I may have to come in early, but you'll be able to leave early if that happens." Needless to say, I worked many hours of overtime, frequently coming in very early and staying very late. I was never opposed to doing so, but I did feel that I had been upfront in my interviews and was given a certain set of expectations that were never met. The biggest con for me was being unexpectedly laid off. Of course, many people were in the same boat, and again, I do not take this personally. When I was laid off, I was told that they would do anything that they could to help me. They would not give a letter of reference as it was against company policy. When the time came for me to give references in this tough market, I gave them my boss' contact information. She would not speak with them, even off the record, since it was against their policy. Being that I was laid off due to the economy and the fact that my position had been eliminated and had always had stellar performance reviews, I was stunned by this. I almost lost 2 job offers because of this. I find this reprehensible. They should know better that, in this tough job market, a small thing like a reference can truly give one candidate and edge over another.
