Punishment for the Reliable, Proficient Worker
Mood: Still waking up
Song: The Lazarus Heart - Sting
Units of Caffeine: 2
Days Until Vacation: 19
As I was logging into Blogger this morning, I had this image of me walking into a house - exhausted, tired and beat - while Blogger was sitting on the couch, looking at me with an accusing look, asking, "Well, well, well.... And where exactly have you been?"
Gawd, how things in the office have changed! I remember when there was a time that I really liked my job: It gave me so much flexibility and my boss was so supportive with everything that I did. Well, my boss is still very supportive, but just doesn't have an effing clue how much she is making my life miserable. Over the past x years that I have worked here, I have proven myself to be extremely responsible; so much so that my boss has relied on me to do a lot of tasks that fall outside of my typical job description. Until recently, I've never really minded picking up these added tasks - I'm not one to just stick my nose up at some added work and say, "That's not my job." I guess I am very team-oriented that way. But, as they say, there is no "I" in team. So, when I'm getting relied upon to carry the majority of the responsibilities associated with the office, while others around me come in late; leave early; jerk around and not do anything to pull their weight - You can see how this can really rub me the wrong way. Over the past few weeks, I have been asked to put in some overtime hours (read: compensated with comp time; not overtime pay), and stay late to cover the closing shift. Initially, I didn't really mind too much because (a) I knew it would be a temporary thing and (b) It gave me added time in which to try to catch up on my seemingly bottomless in-box full of work. This week will be week number four of helping out with the closing shift. I have noticed that no-one else has been asked to cover the closing shift, and I'm pretty sure I know why - I've noticed that, (aside from my boss), I am the only one who comes in on time. I have also noticed that I am the least likely to call in late or sick. (I think for every one time I call in sick; my colleagues call in 4 or 5 times). So, I feel that because I am the only one who seems to be responsible, that my boss relies on me and only me to do all the added tasks. Therefore, I am being punished for being a really good worker. And as for the whole "comp time" thing - I don't see what the point is of getting comp time when I am given little to no opportunity to use it. Just the other day, I was running a little late and called my boss to let her know I would be 5 or 10 minutes late, (which is still considered "early" as compared to my colleagues.) And she said that she was worried for a moment that I was calling in sick and even went so far as to say, "...the office just doesn't run without you." Had she said something like this a year or two ago, I think I would have been flattered - but now, it's just further proof of how much I am depended upon. I have never heard my boss say that to any of the other staff. They just call in and my boss says, "Okay," and it's done. And almost every time I have called in sick, I've been called by my boss and/or co-workers about various things; (this has also happened the last three times I've been on vacation). No one would ever think about calling any of the other staff if/when they call in sick or are on vacation. One of the things I am looking forward to with the upcoming cruise I am taking is just being cut off from the rest of the world. And one of the things I am looking forward to this fall is leaving.
Song: The Lazarus Heart - Sting
Units of Caffeine: 2
Days Until Vacation: 19
As I was logging into Blogger this morning, I had this image of me walking into a house - exhausted, tired and beat - while Blogger was sitting on the couch, looking at me with an accusing look, asking, "Well, well, well.... And where exactly have you been?"
Gawd, how things in the office have changed! I remember when there was a time that I really liked my job: It gave me so much flexibility and my boss was so supportive with everything that I did. Well, my boss is still very supportive, but just doesn't have an effing clue how much she is making my life miserable. Over the past x years that I have worked here, I have proven myself to be extremely responsible; so much so that my boss has relied on me to do a lot of tasks that fall outside of my typical job description. Until recently, I've never really minded picking up these added tasks - I'm not one to just stick my nose up at some added work and say, "That's not my job." I guess I am very team-oriented that way. But, as they say, there is no "I" in team. So, when I'm getting relied upon to carry the majority of the responsibilities associated with the office, while others around me come in late; leave early; jerk around and not do anything to pull their weight - You can see how this can really rub me the wrong way. Over the past few weeks, I have been asked to put in some overtime hours (read: compensated with comp time; not overtime pay), and stay late to cover the closing shift. Initially, I didn't really mind too much because (a) I knew it would be a temporary thing and (b) It gave me added time in which to try to catch up on my seemingly bottomless in-box full of work. This week will be week number four of helping out with the closing shift. I have noticed that no-one else has been asked to cover the closing shift, and I'm pretty sure I know why - I've noticed that, (aside from my boss), I am the only one who comes in on time. I have also noticed that I am the least likely to call in late or sick. (I think for every one time I call in sick; my colleagues call in 4 or 5 times). So, I feel that because I am the only one who seems to be responsible, that my boss relies on me and only me to do all the added tasks. Therefore, I am being punished for being a really good worker. And as for the whole "comp time" thing - I don't see what the point is of getting comp time when I am given little to no opportunity to use it. Just the other day, I was running a little late and called my boss to let her know I would be 5 or 10 minutes late, (which is still considered "early" as compared to my colleagues.) And she said that she was worried for a moment that I was calling in sick and even went so far as to say, "...the office just doesn't run without you." Had she said something like this a year or two ago, I think I would have been flattered - but now, it's just further proof of how much I am depended upon. I have never heard my boss say that to any of the other staff. They just call in and my boss says, "Okay," and it's done. And almost every time I have called in sick, I've been called by my boss and/or co-workers about various things; (this has also happened the last three times I've been on vacation). No one would ever think about calling any of the other staff if/when they call in sick or are on vacation. One of the things I am looking forward to with the upcoming cruise I am taking is just being cut off from the rest of the world. And one of the things I am looking forward to this fall is leaving.
posted by Dr. Dexter at 8:22 AM
1 Comments:
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS TO ME!!! I can't even take a sick day without the phone ringing all day and my email being jammed full of shit. My boss said once, "I don't know what I'd do without you," and I half-jokingly replied, "Well, you should probably figure it out."
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