I will not play a part.
Jan. 20th, 2005 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gement"I think maybe Hell is a place. But you don't have to stay anywhere forever." - Charles Rowland, Season of Mists
Since there's no mention in my journal yet, it's time I explained that I started on a temp job in July that turned into full-time. I work for the Nursing Homes department of $MajorHMO. I cut off people's Medicare for a living.[1]
I took this job because it's walking distance from my home and right next to $GroceryStore. It's also a reasonable workload of methodical daily tasks that keep my obsessive-compulsive tendencies well-fed and relaxed. So, other than the content of the work, ideal. And I'm only here until next August, because then I'll be going to school.
After two days of this job as a temp job, I came home and cheerfully mentioned that this temping thing was giving me a lot of experience with the various ways that a job can be unacceptable, thus helping me make a better list of what I want an ideal job to be.
(Part 1: The bathroom shouldn't reek, the department should have doorjams instead of wadded up bits of paper, and someone should have actually *designed* the cubicle configuration for human movement. The feng shui of this office has the heebie jeebies, and I am not one to usually mention the "energy" of a space. Part 2: Hard-working employees should not be treated like naughty kindergarteners.)
The bosses vs. employees atmosphere in this department of a dozen people is flat out toxic. The most seniority at this point is 9 months, and one of those has been looking for other work for the last 5 of those months. They hired a whole new crop of people who want to work hard and get along. Those people, four months later, now spend a lot of time bitching about the boss.
...
Today, my hardest-working coworker gave her two week notice. It was freeing, for me. When I sit and stew too long, I start wanting to rescue my poor coworkers who are stuck here as I am not. Today I remembered that they are not either. The only people who are even possibly stuck here are the bosses, who aren't destroying their department on purpose, but obviously don't know how to change it.
And they're not actually stuck either.
I've asked the boss for a lunch date to talk a little about what it might take to make this a happy workplace again. Because I'm walking away, so I got nothing to fear. But I would like to see it work well, if it could. Anywhere can be better.
[1] Before you say it, yes, just like Davan from Something Positive. But actually he sends Medicaid bills. But it feels nearly as yuck.
Since there's no mention in my journal yet, it's time I explained that I started on a temp job in July that turned into full-time. I work for the Nursing Homes department of $MajorHMO. I cut off people's Medicare for a living.[1]
I took this job because it's walking distance from my home and right next to $GroceryStore. It's also a reasonable workload of methodical daily tasks that keep my obsessive-compulsive tendencies well-fed and relaxed. So, other than the content of the work, ideal. And I'm only here until next August, because then I'll be going to school.
After two days of this job as a temp job, I came home and cheerfully mentioned that this temping thing was giving me a lot of experience with the various ways that a job can be unacceptable, thus helping me make a better list of what I want an ideal job to be.
(Part 1: The bathroom shouldn't reek, the department should have doorjams instead of wadded up bits of paper, and someone should have actually *designed* the cubicle configuration for human movement. The feng shui of this office has the heebie jeebies, and I am not one to usually mention the "energy" of a space. Part 2: Hard-working employees should not be treated like naughty kindergarteners.)
The bosses vs. employees atmosphere in this department of a dozen people is flat out toxic. The most seniority at this point is 9 months, and one of those has been looking for other work for the last 5 of those months. They hired a whole new crop of people who want to work hard and get along. Those people, four months later, now spend a lot of time bitching about the boss.
...
Today, my hardest-working coworker gave her two week notice. It was freeing, for me. When I sit and stew too long, I start wanting to rescue my poor coworkers who are stuck here as I am not. Today I remembered that they are not either. The only people who are even possibly stuck here are the bosses, who aren't destroying their department on purpose, but obviously don't know how to change it.
And they're not actually stuck either.
I've asked the boss for a lunch date to talk a little about what it might take to make this a happy workplace again. Because I'm walking away, so I got nothing to fear. But I would like to see it work well, if it could. Anywhere can be better.
[1] Before you say it, yes, just like Davan from Something Positive. But actually he sends Medicaid bills. But it feels nearly as yuck.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-01-20 10:25 pm (UTC)Well, at least you aren't stuck.
Welcome to full-time work
That was the first real full time job I ever had. It was awesome. That's how I was promoted through the ranks in 2 years, got into a management position in the company with only 4 managers... work ethic, team work, volunteering to help others when I was caught up, and ideas for improvement were rewarded. Unfortunately, I thought that's how every company behaved, and when I left that job, I have come to appreciate how great it was.
There's a book called The Customer Comes Second. The main point in the book is great, and one I feel strongly about, but most of the book is basically fluff so I don't recommend it. However, the main point is if you treat your employees well and create a good work atmosphere, then your company will be more profitable and your employees will treat the customers better and everything improves. It also points out how the majority of people, on their first day of work, are excited about their new job. They have ideas, they want to work hard, etc. If the work atmosphere crushes that, then the company has destroyed a great asset.
It seems to me that unless you are lucky and end up working for a great company, then the best way to improve your workplace is to just keep trying. Volunteer ideas, communicate what needs to happen to improve the place, etc. Anyway, good luck talking with your boss.
H.A.N.D.!
Re: Welcome to full-time work
Date: 2005-01-22 04:58 pm (UTC)Re: Welcome to full-time work
Date: 2005-01-22 07:29 pm (UTC)If the company can't figure out how to keep the good employees around (ie. support must come from the top) instead of using them up, then they will continue to have high turnover.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-21 06:23 am (UTC)I'm in one of the few jobs where the managers actually know their shit, however, the problem is the customers. Yay for hotel work. :P