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Of Men and Straws
18 years ago
General
When talking about straws, there are only two worth mentioning: the Bendy and the Final.
I like bendy straws. They work perfectly for what they supposed to do. They almost never fail unless abused. You don't get that too much these days out of most things. And for that, I salute the bendy straw.
However..... I do NOT care for the the Final Straw. The one that makes the proverbial camel's knees buckle and spine snap. Don't like that one, but sadly, I am far too familiar with it.
Today, at work, I met with the Final Straw once again.
My bosses are pricks of the highest order. And thats not saying anything special. I've had lots of shitty bosses before. EVERYONE has shitty bosses. Its a fact of life.
However, MY shitty bosses, have recently been paying a bit too much attention to my "department"(which consist of only two employees). We were on the "Merry Go Round of Managerial BS", nothing special, again, they've done it before. But this time, it WAS special.
The bastards start off by telling me to keep up to a mathematically sound, but practicably infeasible pace, siting that our department was eating up too many scheduling hours in comparison to other locations.
BULLSHIT.
I am a full time employee, yet I have NEVER made full time. I often have shifts that last only 4 hours all six days a week I work. Which was why a short while ago, I set up scheduling to place in there by myself on Tues and Weds. I work with my partner all the rest of the week and have each Mon off. That way, I could get my hours over the week, and bulk up a little on those two days. Even with that, I was barely scratching 65-70 hours per pay period, nowhere near a full time 80 hours. And on the days I had backup, we both put in only 4-5 hours.
So, I wonder, as the sly threats and barely veiled intimidation start.... where are these "12-16 hour days" coming from? What bizzaro math are they using? As I think about it, I can see a few 12 hour days back over the holidays when we were extremely busy, and had to stay that long. But those are a single handful out of 365... they couldn't be this snippy over what happens without fail EVERY year, could they?
Anyway, things continue to sour. My department micromanages itself far better then most of the rest of the store. We don't need the bosses looking over our shoulders all the time, because we ALWAYS get our work done, and done right, the FIRST time. You'd think that after 10 combined years of experience, they would think we knew what we're doing. But no.
So... they want a photocopy of the work sheet after I do the count, so they can start figuring work load to time spent. I can't front them there, they, like all bosses, want to keep cost down as much as possible. So no big right? Well, as it turns out, even though I'm not getting a full shift, or breaks, I'm not keeping up to this fictional pace they want. Now, it CAN be done, if your on speed and perfect at your job and everything rolls your way. Well, I'm perfect at my job. I'm not on speed. And everything going my way is a statistical impossibility. Several things on my list take an hour, or just about, by themselves. So averaging four things and hour is a stupid demand. Additionally, my work load varies by the day, and sometimes by the hour. Keeping that pace, no matter what would turn most days into 2-3 hour shifts.
I can't eat on that little money.
Do they care? No.
Further, they go another step, and so brings me to the final, knee buckling, spine snapping straw. They tell me I can't doodle while working. I cannot spend 30-45 seconds every HOUR to DRAW.
Ladies and gentlemen, I don't smoke. I don't, therefore, get smoke breaks. I don't work long enough to warrant a federally mandated break. But, and heres the kicker, the other employees, ALL GET SMOKE BREAKS. Why? "Because its traditional to allow smoke breaks." As quoted to me by my boss today. They get a FEW MINUTES, two or three times a shift, to step away, relax and smoke. I don't get 30 SECONDS to doodle.
I have often been angry at work, and angry while at work. But today I reached a boiling rage that I've not felt in months. I've been at this shit hole for too long if it can upset me so. It was all I could muster to put away my sketchpad and get to the rest of my work, speed up to a break-neck pace and get the hell out of there before I stepped into the manager's office and locked the door behind, knife in hand.
Deep breath.... calming thoughts.....
Ok..... so, I'm on the job hunt again. I have to keep this job until I find another. And the only ones I'm going to notify of my leaving will be my partner(she doesn't deserve a nasty surprise), and the guy who handles the schedule(my roommate's brother; nice guy), because I have someone who can take my place and deserves the pay increase that goes with it.
I can't afford to by unemployed, but I CAN efford a little vengeance on my end when I just don't come back.
Wish me luck.
I like bendy straws. They work perfectly for what they supposed to do. They almost never fail unless abused. You don't get that too much these days out of most things. And for that, I salute the bendy straw.
However..... I do NOT care for the the Final Straw. The one that makes the proverbial camel's knees buckle and spine snap. Don't like that one, but sadly, I am far too familiar with it.
Today, at work, I met with the Final Straw once again.
My bosses are pricks of the highest order. And thats not saying anything special. I've had lots of shitty bosses before. EVERYONE has shitty bosses. Its a fact of life.
However, MY shitty bosses, have recently been paying a bit too much attention to my "department"(which consist of only two employees). We were on the "Merry Go Round of Managerial BS", nothing special, again, they've done it before. But this time, it WAS special.
The bastards start off by telling me to keep up to a mathematically sound, but practicably infeasible pace, siting that our department was eating up too many scheduling hours in comparison to other locations.
BULLSHIT.
I am a full time employee, yet I have NEVER made full time. I often have shifts that last only 4 hours all six days a week I work. Which was why a short while ago, I set up scheduling to place in there by myself on Tues and Weds. I work with my partner all the rest of the week and have each Mon off. That way, I could get my hours over the week, and bulk up a little on those two days. Even with that, I was barely scratching 65-70 hours per pay period, nowhere near a full time 80 hours. And on the days I had backup, we both put in only 4-5 hours.
So, I wonder, as the sly threats and barely veiled intimidation start.... where are these "12-16 hour days" coming from? What bizzaro math are they using? As I think about it, I can see a few 12 hour days back over the holidays when we were extremely busy, and had to stay that long. But those are a single handful out of 365... they couldn't be this snippy over what happens without fail EVERY year, could they?
Anyway, things continue to sour. My department micromanages itself far better then most of the rest of the store. We don't need the bosses looking over our shoulders all the time, because we ALWAYS get our work done, and done right, the FIRST time. You'd think that after 10 combined years of experience, they would think we knew what we're doing. But no.
So... they want a photocopy of the work sheet after I do the count, so they can start figuring work load to time spent. I can't front them there, they, like all bosses, want to keep cost down as much as possible. So no big right? Well, as it turns out, even though I'm not getting a full shift, or breaks, I'm not keeping up to this fictional pace they want. Now, it CAN be done, if your on speed and perfect at your job and everything rolls your way. Well, I'm perfect at my job. I'm not on speed. And everything going my way is a statistical impossibility. Several things on my list take an hour, or just about, by themselves. So averaging four things and hour is a stupid demand. Additionally, my work load varies by the day, and sometimes by the hour. Keeping that pace, no matter what would turn most days into 2-3 hour shifts.
I can't eat on that little money.
Do they care? No.
Further, they go another step, and so brings me to the final, knee buckling, spine snapping straw. They tell me I can't doodle while working. I cannot spend 30-45 seconds every HOUR to DRAW.
Ladies and gentlemen, I don't smoke. I don't, therefore, get smoke breaks. I don't work long enough to warrant a federally mandated break. But, and heres the kicker, the other employees, ALL GET SMOKE BREAKS. Why? "Because its traditional to allow smoke breaks." As quoted to me by my boss today. They get a FEW MINUTES, two or three times a shift, to step away, relax and smoke. I don't get 30 SECONDS to doodle.
I have often been angry at work, and angry while at work. But today I reached a boiling rage that I've not felt in months. I've been at this shit hole for too long if it can upset me so. It was all I could muster to put away my sketchpad and get to the rest of my work, speed up to a break-neck pace and get the hell out of there before I stepped into the manager's office and locked the door behind, knife in hand.
Deep breath.... calming thoughts.....
Ok..... so, I'm on the job hunt again. I have to keep this job until I find another. And the only ones I'm going to notify of my leaving will be my partner(she doesn't deserve a nasty surprise), and the guy who handles the schedule(my roommate's brother; nice guy), because I have someone who can take my place and deserves the pay increase that goes with it.
I can't afford to by unemployed, but I CAN efford a little vengeance on my end when I just don't come back.
Wish me luck.
