Q: I'm an advertising sales rep. I dropped off my résumé to a company and filled out an application. The next day, I got a call to interview the day after that. The next day, I was hired. That all happened from Tuesday to Thursday, and I was asked to start that Friday. The company did not check my references or ask me about a home-based business that I ran for 40 years. I started seeing customers who were advertising on competing TV stations and spent about $150 on gas. I received my first paycheck, which was a draw against commission, and was reimbursed for only $80 of the gas. With all the time I put in and expenses paid upfront — gas and car upkeep, lunch costs and more — I was making about $5 an hour. My boss then asked whether I would call on my clients from my home-based business, which I did without much success. My established searchlight clients were not interested in TV advertising. I then called on ad agencies to sell the TV spots and my searchlight advertising. The employees to whom I pitched complained to my boss for pitching both forms of advertising, so my boss called me and reamed me out. I went in over the weekend, taped my key to her door, and ended my five-week TV sales career. I knew something was wrong with the company in the beginning, but I later discovered the TV station is in financial trouble. I ended up angry, frustrated, humiliated and worse off than if I had not gotten the job.

A: You knew something was wrong with the TV station by the immediacy with which you were hired, but you ignored it because you wanted the additional job. Bad things don't just happen; there are usually warning signs that people refuse to acknowledge because those red flags get in the way of what the person wants. So you wasted five weeks and spent money on expenses that were not reimbursed. Overall, five weeks of employment is a short time to learn such an important lesson. Before you accept a job, investigate the potential employer's financial standing, ask detailed questions about commissions, reimbursement for expenses and whether your home-based business will pose a problem, and get a signed employment contract before you start.

Manager Ignores a Report of Assault on the Job

Q: My shift leader grabbed me, shook me and cussed at me in front of workers and customers. I reported the situation to the top manager, who failed to do anything about it. The experience caused me a lot of stress, so I walked off the job. Now I don't know what to do.

A: The manager was wrong in not dealing with your supervisor's behavior. Call your local police department to file an assault complaint against the employee. Keep records of everything that happened up to and after the assault, and see an attorney who concentrates in criminal law. Even though management did not take action against the other employee, the company is still responsible for its employees' behavior. Your attorney will advise you on whether you should file a complaint against the company in addition to the individual. Cussing may be upsetting, but shaking you is a crime that should be dealt with legally.

Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site at www.LindseyNovak.com. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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