I work at one of the oddest places I’ve ever worked at. The people are very friendly – everyone is super nice. But for a company that’s been around since the 1960s, it certainly has a lot of issues. Issues which make me wonder how it has survived so long.
Most of the people have been around forever. The average person has been at the company for over 10-years – some have been around for over 20-years.
Not bad – in a day when job security is non-existent, it is good to know once you get a job here you’ll never have to find another one.
Though those who have been here the longest also demonstrate another oddity. Laziness.
Last Friday, we had a turkey lunch to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was the Friday before the long-weekend, where we eat turkeys, get stuffed with stuffing and watch really cheezie movies on the tube.
During this Thanksgiving lunch, management gave out long-time service awards for those with the company for many, many years.
They gave out gifts to those who had been with the company for five, ten, fifteen and twenty or more years.
Those with five and ten-year awards came up and accepted their gifts. Those that were at the company for 15 or more years, were named, but not to be found. All of ‘em had either called in sick, taken a personal day, or were on holidays!
All things – good and bad – stem from the top down. When a company’s leaders demonstrate good traits, those traits are often picked up on by the rest of the company’s employees. So too, are the bad traits – like apathy, laziness, and a general desire to appear busy and hard at work, but just appearing so – without doing any real work.
My office is where a lot of managers offices are – I’m in an elite group – lucky me.
This Friday, as with most Fridays – especially those before a long weekend – none of the managers were around. One of these managers was actually a vice-president – and surprisingly, he too wasn’t around.
Well, not surprisingly – all things stem from the top down. If the boss doesn’t have to come in on Friday – why should I?
The interesting thing about all of this, is a good number of the executives and managers in other departments did attend the turkey lunch. The company president was there too – he accepted an award himself, for being with the company for five years.
But then, just as the lunch was over, the president grabbed his stuff, and hit the road. Some of the other executives followed suite – if he doesn’t have to be here, why should I?
Then, some of the employees filed out too – if my boss isn’t here – why am I?
It makes it hard for those of us that have work to do – which should be everyone at work because that’s what work is – to do the work.
When no one is around, or people get up and leave early, and you realize you’re one of just a handful of people in the office, you wonder if you’re being taken advantage of. You feel that you’re being given everyone’s workload, so that they can goof off and enjoy life, while you work your ass off.
I left just after five o’clock that Friday – as I leave every working day. But I’m struggling with whether or not I should do the right thing and do my work next long weekend – or take the day off?
On the one hand, it is wrong to just be lazy and give out some dopy excuse to get out of work. On the other hand, if management can do it – why can’t I?
Most of the people have been around forever. The average person has been at the company for over 10-years – some have been around for over 20-years.
Not bad – in a day when job security is non-existent, it is good to know once you get a job here you’ll never have to find another one.
Though those who have been here the longest also demonstrate another oddity. Laziness.
Last Friday, we had a turkey lunch to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was the Friday before the long-weekend, where we eat turkeys, get stuffed with stuffing and watch really cheezie movies on the tube.
During this Thanksgiving lunch, management gave out long-time service awards for those with the company for many, many years.
They gave out gifts to those who had been with the company for five, ten, fifteen and twenty or more years.
Those with five and ten-year awards came up and accepted their gifts. Those that were at the company for 15 or more years, were named, but not to be found. All of ‘em had either called in sick, taken a personal day, or were on holidays!
All things – good and bad – stem from the top down. When a company’s leaders demonstrate good traits, those traits are often picked up on by the rest of the company’s employees. So too, are the bad traits – like apathy, laziness, and a general desire to appear busy and hard at work, but just appearing so – without doing any real work.
My office is where a lot of managers offices are – I’m in an elite group – lucky me.
This Friday, as with most Fridays – especially those before a long weekend – none of the managers were around. One of these managers was actually a vice-president – and surprisingly, he too wasn’t around.
Well, not surprisingly – all things stem from the top down. If the boss doesn’t have to come in on Friday – why should I?
The interesting thing about all of this, is a good number of the executives and managers in other departments did attend the turkey lunch. The company president was there too – he accepted an award himself, for being with the company for five years.
But then, just as the lunch was over, the president grabbed his stuff, and hit the road. Some of the other executives followed suite – if he doesn’t have to be here, why should I?
Then, some of the employees filed out too – if my boss isn’t here – why am I?
It makes it hard for those of us that have work to do – which should be everyone at work because that’s what work is – to do the work.
When no one is around, or people get up and leave early, and you realize you’re one of just a handful of people in the office, you wonder if you’re being taken advantage of. You feel that you’re being given everyone’s workload, so that they can goof off and enjoy life, while you work your ass off.
I left just after five o’clock that Friday – as I leave every working day. But I’m struggling with whether or not I should do the right thing and do my work next long weekend – or take the day off?
On the one hand, it is wrong to just be lazy and give out some dopy excuse to get out of work. On the other hand, if management can do it – why can’t I?
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