Primary election job forms

I was an election judge Tuesday. I was happy to do it. The election department called me early Monday afternoon to ask to me to help them Tuesday.

The difference this time is that Flathead County outsourced the hiring to Express Personnel Services, a private employment company. I got paid the same as when the County handled the employment in 2006; I guess now it costs the County more as they pay me and also pay the employment company a fee to administer the program. I'm sure they need to be reimbursed for having to handle all the forms we had to fill out for being employed.

*sigh*

That meant I have to go to the Express company office and fill out paperwork. Lots of paperwork. More paperwork than I wanted to fill out. By the time I left them Monday I was in a prickly mood, and I think the little pimply receptionist picked up on my mood.

For a $6.50 an hour one day job I had to fill out

• an application form
• release to search my past employment history
• release for drug testing
• other forms I have forgotten.

I did not have two forms of id as I only had my drivers license. That was not good enough. Therefore I had to come uptown today to finish the paperwork before I would be paid.

Today was more forms:

• the id form
• W4
• benefits form
• form asking if I ever been on food stamps, TANF, or other assistance
• form asking about military service, if I was affected by Hurricane Katrina, and other situations where I may have preference in being hired.

For each form I had to fill out my name, address, age, and social security number as minimum. I should just had a sticker name made to put on the forms. By the end, and with the stupid forms, my handwriting was poor as I didn't care anymore - even I had trouble reading my handwriting.

I was not happy about the forms.

I was not alone. During the election I talked about this to the other election judges. Apparently during the training sessions when all the judges had to fill these forms out, most of the little old retired ladies who have volunteered for years were very offended about the form for drug testing. Apparently to calm them down the company said they were not planning on conducting any drug tests or making the people submit urine. Then why make everyone fill out this form?

At the end of my form filling I mentioned that if the company had any one or two day jobs that were interesting to let me know. The receptionist said they didn't have any short term jobs at this time, but if I was interested in being considered to come in and have a full profile done as the forms I filled out were only a "shell" evaluation.

You got to be kidding me. I ain't interested in filling out more forms.

And I left.

I guess I am still in a prickly mood.