When ‘thank you for your service’ becomes you are just another number…

17 years between date of hire and date of “retire”. (I have since learned that people do not like it when you say you retired, if you did not complete the traditional twenty years in the same place. However, in my field, ten years was the magical number for vesting. Therefore, I retired).

12 accolades in my personnel file, in the form of department awards, recognition from other departments as well as official recognition addressed to the Chief.

15 years as the lead communications trainer; consulted on countless new hires.

3 department policies I assisted with writing.

1 government training that I attended in Alabama at the FEMA training facility. Not only did I attend, but also participated in and passed the test to receive certification for large scale disaster communications and the administration of said communications.

2 babies I birthed during my career.

1 gender discrimination complaint made to the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities when my right to express breast milk at work was denied.

1 discrimination suit dropped by me for career preservation.

1 child with disabilities and special needs.

10 doctors spread over 2 states, requiring multiple sick days and hours taken off of work.

1 life threatening, serious brain illness which required,

3 months off (12 weeks).

3 weeks (at best) were paid.

1 FMLA request granted.

9 weeks home on unpaid leave.

3 separate diagnoses that I was told would only improve if I separated myself from stress.

1 gut wrenching, nauseating decision to leave the only field I’ve ever known and loved.

0 communication from the town administration.

1 email that changed everything.

$877 is the amount of money covered by the town for my weekly health insurance contribution that they assumed while I was on un-paid leave.

$300 is the contractual benefit I was entitled to for my years of service (referred to as ‘longevity pay).

$300 of my longevity bonus is what the town asked to keep to deduct from the balance I was informed I owed, because of retiring.

$577 is the “outstanding balance” of what I owe the town.

1 small claims suit.

17-years of nights, weekends, holidays, and missed family events, reduced to one small claims suit and a broken heart.