Town Forced to Shut Down After Sole Clerk Resigns About Holiday vacation Denial

A modest town in Maine has efficiently shut down immediately after its only clerk resigned.

Christen Bouchard resigned from her purpose as town clerk of Passadumkeag, Maine, on April 7, the Bangor Each day Information reported. The city has a inhabitants of 356 as of the 2020 census.

The file range of People quitting their jobs because the commence of the COVID-19 pandemic has been termed “The Good Resignation.” Quitting premiums have ongoing to soar this yr, with more than 4.5 million persons leaving their work opportunities in March, in accordance to the Bureau of Labor Studies.

Bouchard stepped down for the reason that the board of selectmen denied her a two-week holiday, professing there was no 1 out there to consider over her obligations. Regrettably for the officials, the career that would have necessary filling for two months is now permanently open up.

In the course of the time that Bouchard served as city clerk, she also turned deputy treasurer and took demand of licensing animals, registering motor vehicles, maintaining records and liaising with Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. She oversaw the November 3, 2020, election soon after just 3 times of education and two months on the position.

With Bouchard absent, the city can’t problem automobile registrations, inspect properties or corporations, evaluate houses or respond to reviews of rabid or abused animals. Passadumkeag has effectively been compelled to shut down.

A Google evaluate posted by the Passadumkeag City Office environment on April 19 declared, “As of April 21st, 2022, there will be no clerk to fill the posture in the City of Passadumkeag. This means the business office will be shut right until even further recognize to in-particular person visits.”

The office famous that the Treasurer would be in a few of times a week to take certain payments, but inhabitants ought to get in touch with the business before viewing “as there are no specified hours of operation now.”

Newsweek‘s calls to the Passadumkeag Town Office environment went unanswered.

Bouchard informed the Bangor Each day Information that she was compensated $13,500 a year to do the job 16 hrs a week, but in truth, her position never in shape into individuals several hours. She was ordinarily the only human being in the city workplace who could assist residents with their thoughts, frequently coming in on her off times to function.

Us residents have been motivated to leave their employment by the growing availability of new do the job and a need for increased spend, superior benefits, much more meaningful work and enhanced function-life equilibrium.

Newsweek has included several viral career quitters, like a videographer who employed American Idol reject William Hung to announce his two weeks’ see, a restaurant worker who resigned as a result of text information, and a revenue rep who walked off an unfinished position after being denied overtime pay out.