Angry and Frustrated

I am so frustrated with my employer right now, it's not even funny! I was so excited about this job just a couple of months ago, and now I feel cheated.

A little background:

Most of you who read my blog know that I was a GS employee at the Health Clinic on post for the last three years we lived in Germany. About the beginning of 2006, I started seriously looking for work. By then we were pretty sure we were coming to the Fort Bragg area. A part of me wanted to remain with the GS system, but I also wanted to be open to other options. A colleague of mine gave me the name and contact information for a company here in the States. If I got a job with this company, I would still be affiliated with the Military Health System (which I honestly love) but would be a contractor. There was an opportunity for a nice pay raise. So I contacted the company before we left Germany and had a job lined up, to start shortly after we hit ground in the U.S.

The best part about this job...I get to work mostly from home, going in to Womack when they need me to.

When I got my original offer letter, I was also eligible for benefits. These benefits included health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, and 401K. Well, for obvious reasons, I didn't really need the health or dental. The life insurance was free of charge for me, paid for by the company. I wasn't eligible to start contributing to the 401K until I had been an employee for 3 months. I contributed to the TSP when I was a GS employee, and planned to roll those funds over into the 401K as soon as I was able to.

I started work after we got back to the States, and everything seemed to be going well. Then I learned that things were changing within the company. I tried not to stress too much, even when I got a new contract that differed significantly from my original one. The Vice President for Human Resources told me to disregard that one, and that I would be getting another one shortly. That was a month ago.

To make a long story short, I found out this evening that the new contract I received a month ago is indeed my new agreement with the company. I am now a contractor instead of an employee of the company. I will now be paid per record coded or audited instead of the salary I was originally offered. You know what the worst part is? The worst part is that as a contract employee, I'm no longer eligible for any benefits. Including the 401K and life insurance. The two that were most important to me. One thing I've learned over the years is that net pay isn't everything. I'd much rather take a cut in take home pay and have certain benefits available to me.

You know what the most interesting thing about this situation is? September was my 3 month mark with the company. Is it just a coincidence that my status is being changed at the time I'm supposed to be eligible for certain benefits? Maybe I shouldn't, but I feel betrayed and blind-sided by the whole situation. Guess I'll be looking for a new job...