Closing the Exit

I had made the exit, an evident of which is the previous post. It is the case, however, that the very act of exiting hasn't come to an end. In my intention to close this act of exiting, I counted my days of waiting and realized that it has been almost three months since my last day as an employed individual. Wanting not to transform this "three months" to "six months of waiting for unclaimed salary," I am making this post, which is almost an affidavit that contains the events regarding the "exit." There is nothing more I want as of this moment than to be freed from this bureaucratic nightmare.

January 2008: Resignation, which is effective on march 1, 2008, had been officially tendered.

February 14, 2008: Valentine's Day. But it's not it's being the day of Valentine that made it remarkable, but it's being the day I had realized and known that I wouldn't be receiving my salary for the whole month of February yet.

With the company I used to work for, salaries are given every 14th of the month. As a rule regarding resigning employees, the salary of employee for his/her last month at the company would have to be on hold. The salary would only be released when the employee no longer has accountabilities to the company.

February 15, 2008: I received my Out-of-base subsidy. (And thank God the company still sent my relocation subsidy.)

February 29, 2008: My last day at work.But before leaving, I made sure that I no longer have accountabilities to the company.

March 3, 2008: Exit Interview with Ms. A (not her real name) of HR Department at the Head Office. But this exit interview is not really the "exit" as I was told that the salary would be received after the 30-day clearance period or the time for the company to check whether I do still have accountabilities.

April 3, 2008: Follow-up call to the HR Department. I was told by Ms. B (not her real name) of HR Department to wait and call again on the third week of April.

2nd or 3rd week of April 2008(the call/s is/are supported by phone bills as evidence): Follow-up call to the HR Department. I was told that I do still have unliquidated accounts amounting to more than P21k. Which only means that I couldn't claim the salary, because this P21k would have to be subtracted from my salary, which would then yield a negative balance. Hence, I have to clear my name and the said unliquidated accounts before claiming the unclaimed salary.

I was further told to coordinate with Mr. X (not his real name), an employee of a third-party outsourcing company in-charge of the accounting stuffs of the company.

A day or two after the previous call: Conversation with Mr. X over the phone. I was told that I still have five (5) unliquidated accounts, a total of which amounts to P21,500. I asked Mr. X to send me the SOA (Statement of Accounts), which I have not (but should have) received prior to my resignation.

I wasn't really bothered with the P21,500 worth of unliquidated accounts because I am a trillion percent sure I had liquidated such. Indeed, I was thankful that it wasn't P76,500 - just like in the SOA I received while I was still an employee. What bothered (and still bothers) me is this bureaucratic nightmare I am experiencing following my resignation. I couldn't believe that after properly submitting all the liquidations on or before their deadlines, the accounting firm is not doing its job well. It's sad that my clear conscience couldn't free me from this bureaucratic nightmare.

May 1, 2008: Labor Day. I used this day to free me from labor-related problems through proving I had liquidated the said/purported unliquidated accounts. Prior to this day, I was exchanging e-mails with Mr. X regarding my liquidations. And before the Labor Day ended, I sent Mr. X, through pouch, copies of the liquidations he said he had not received.

1st or 2nd week of May 2008: Follow-up call to Mr. X. He confirmed that he received what I sent last 1st of May and further confirmed that the original liquidations were indeed in the Head Office. Which actually pissed me off as he previously told me, on my first conversation with him, that they hadn't received my liquidations.

I was again asked to wait. But this time, for them to process my liquidations.

2nd week of May 2008: Follow-up call to Mr. X. He said they were not yet processing liquidations so I have to call again.

4th week of May 2008: Follow-up call to the 3rd party accounting firm. I was looking for Mr. X but a certain Mr. Y (not his real name) attended my call. The latter told me that he would coordinate with Mr. X regarding my concerns. Which means I have to call again.

May 26, 2008: Follow-up call to the 3rd party accounting firm. Mr. Y again received my call and said that they released an updated SOA as of April 30. Which again pissed me off because I had been coordinating with Mr. X from April until 2nd week of May and I wasn't even told that there is an updated SOA. The updated SOA means another problem for me as it means another set of unliquidated (but indeed, liquidated) accounts - another manifestation of bureaucratic nightmare.

Mr. Y told me to e-mail him so that he could send me the updated SOA, which I failed to do so due to a family emergency. What I did instead was to ask an employee in the company's branch in Baguio (where I came from) to send me the latest SOA issued by the accounting firm if there is any.

May 27, 2008: I checked my e-mail and saw the updated SOA. It's funny that the accounts stated there are those that are in the previous one. This means that the firm is not yet finished with processing my liquidations.

Another funny thing is that some amounts of money were subtracted to my supposed debt (balance due to the said unliquidated but indeed liquidated accounts). But upon analyzing them, I discovered that they shouldn't be because these amounts of money that I gave back to the company have nothing to do with the said/purported unliquidated accounts. The error of subtracting these amounts would lead to company's loss because that would mean that the company has to pay me with such amounts of money. Which made me think that "Fuller" is indeed "Fooler" by hiring the service and stupidity of this accounting firm. (Pardon me but the word "stupidity" is indeed appropriate here.)

I e-mailed Mr. Y regarding the SOA and their error on subtracting certain amounts of money to my supposed balance, and I haven't received a reply until now.

But what's remarkable with the said e-mail is my last paragraph, which almost uses argumentum ad misericordiam, and almost accuses them and the company they are working for - the company I worked for - of inflicting "injustice to a resigned employee through the use of bureaucratic nightmare."

Nothing could make me happier now than to succesfully close the exit. I dont' want to wait for three months more for that would mean six months of waiting when I had only worked for six months.

Tomorrow, I'll make a call again. And I am hoping for a good news.