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Fix My Job! – TidyTweet SearchCross-posted from Blog at Work:
Stressed. Exhausted. Exploited. Abandoned. In a new book, Tom Juravich exposes and examines the degradation of work in the United States today. At the Altar of the Bottom Line, based on in-depth interviews with workers, lifts up the experiences of working people from diverse sectors of our economy.
Juravich, a writer, researcher, and professor at the University of Massachusetts Labor Center, spent six years interviewing workers in four different occupations:
Cross-posted from Blog at Work:
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The company where I work has an open door policy-if you don’t like what we do to you, there’s the door. We are not allowed to talk with people in other departments (including human resources) and can’t talk to our co-workers except on breaks. We work 12 hour shifts with 2 15 min breaks and 1 20 min break. Break time starts when you leave your work station. Then you have to use the bathroom, eat, get something to drink, make a phone call, smoke,or whatever and be back at your work station ready to work. You are expected to produce high quantities of products without making mistakes. You have to fill out a variety of production reports and enter your job information into a computer. You are expected to work up to the last second of your shift or until someone comes to take over for you. If it is after your shift ends, too bad. Then you wait in a line to log out of your job on the conputer. Then you go punch out at the time clock. Then you can go to your locker and go home.
If you are sick, you get demerits. If someone in your immediate family dies, you can take 2 days off. If they live out of town, too bad. If you get hurt at work, it is your fault so don’t try to collect workers compensation. If someone stares at you or harasses you, you asked for it. Don’t complain. Mind your own business. Get another job. Be grateful for your job. Don’t get angry when you are treated unfairly or the whole group is punished for what one or two people do. Make a mess in a company microwave and fail to clean it up, you are fired. Yes, this really happened last month. The company was nice enough to give us a holiday party in December. Attendance was mandatory. If you didn’t want to go, maybe you should go look for another job. Wonder why morale is low and so many of us hate to go to work?
I have volumes that I could add here, but suffice it to say that most department managers seem to be paranoid and unstable. Maybe it’s the state of the economy, but their behavior undermines employee moral and is counterproductive to business as a whole.
I just started a new job after being out of work for 6 months. My new job requires me to work at the front desk of a busy retail eyeglass and contact store with 3 in-house optometrists. We are extrememly busy, and I was hired to assist the only other full-time, front-desk CSR. I was told that I caught on quickly and that they were very happy with my job performance. The other full-time front desk employee (we’ll call her MIA) was the only one in that position for nine years. She is very territorial and did not adapt well to my presence. She actually “checks” me by elbowing me out of the way when we are working together. I am given a very small space in which to assemble charts, enter data on the computer, answer the phone, greet patients and dispense forms.
She complained to the boss that I was interfering with her work, and that essentially “there’s not enough room in this town for the both of us”. I was hired to help her because of the increase in business at our location. She is not able to keep up with it by herself.
I have not accumulated any sick or vacation time, but MIA took off one day last week for illness, and then another three days vacation. I have been sick for over a month, but was trying to tough it out. A number of other employees were calling in sick or leaving after half a day. I was working last Friday, when MIA called in (while on her vacation) to tell the boss that she was at the hospital ER and they had diagnosed her with pneumonia. My boss asked me to work Monday (my usual day off) for her, so that she could have an extra day to recover.
Me being the accomodating individual that I am said, “No problem.”, even though I had planned to help my daughter with something that day. Friday night I became even more ill myself, and couldn’t sleep at all. I called my boss at 5:30 am and left her a message letting her know that I was going to the doctor’s at 8:30am and that, depending on what the doctor said, I would either be in later that morning or would be out for the day, on Saturday. I went to the doctor, and was told I had a fever and chest congestion. He gave me an RX for an antibiotic, and gave me doctor’s excuse for Saturday, saying I could return to work on Monday, which is the day I agreed to work for MIA. I called to give the update to my boss, and she said that was fine. I figured if I didn’t take time to get to the doctor’s on Saturday, I might not be well enough to help MIA by working for her on Monday.
I get to work Monday moring and the first person to show up is MIA. WTF? She said my boss said I couldn’t work for her Monday, and that I’d be in Tuesday. I went to a lot of trouble to make sure she would have sufficient recovery time, while still taking care of myself in the process. I called to let my boss know that we both showed up, but was met with a negative response concerning the mix-up in communication.
The other issue is that during this month, my manager and her assistant both said I should not try to accomplish too much, and that I should work as a support person to MIA, and not try to take on too much too soon. The next week, MIA takes off all but one day, and I am left to sink or swim on my own. I felt I did a good job, but because I was off on Saturday, and my boss had to fill in for me, I heard a litany of complaints about things that I deal with on an everyday basis. She even admitted herself that she can’t handle the front desk well.
I am very frustrated at the schizo behavior of management. It seems that they can’t make up their minds about the way things should be, they don’t really listen,and MIA really doesn’t want my help. It’s a lose-lose situation. Anyway, I always feel like anything I try to do to improve a situation backfires in my face.
Love my job but despise the management and the extreme favoritism towards some. No raises for 4.5 years despite hard work. They are focused on numbers versus quality in a health related profession. Always threats of not being able to take earned annual leave/sick leave if quotas not met. And even if you are sick (with doctors dismissal) it is held against you. Employees afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation. Extreme micromanagement has lowered the morale. The favorites are not held to quotas. Afraid to bring issues to supervisory/management staff for fear of discipline. Often asked to perform job against state regulations. Under enormous stress which the management poo-poos – they haven’t got a clue. And the union in Florida is about useless – have not made any strides in getting raises deserved. Nor is the dept worked for unless one is a favorite and then a sneaky promotion given. Yet department despite stating budget constraints prevent pay raises upper level management has been hired in addition to those already on board. A hostile work environment makes employees afraid of being terminated without cause. Some not held accountable for doing below minimum and others often have to cover what they were supposed to do. Time to get a real union with some teeth in Florida. But of course Florida is an “anti-employee” state.
I work for Wal-Mart, have for 15 years, and the recent wave of changes within the company have me more than concerned; a program called “Scorecard” includes completely computer-generated schedules, without regard for an employee’s life requirements. Another program, “Routines”, makes every employee a virtual slave to computerized micro-management during every workday, as they are required to “clock” every assigned function of the day. A new supervisory structure has added 8 new supervisors to store staff, without replacing them from the hands-on working ranks. The attitude has already been presented that, if you don’t like what’s happening, “nobody’s FORCED to work for Wal-Mart”. We have been told for well over a year that we are expendable, that jobs are hard to come by, and that someone else is always looking for work. Obvious veiled threat here….
Being in my 50′s, I have concerns about this, as my variety of skills are not all that marketable — at least not for a living wage.
I work for the nations largest retail store. I used to love my job. But it seems that they have found a way to turn it into a legal sweat shop. With unreasonable time limits on new freight coming in that the overnight stocker’s must deal with, to no overtime allowed even though you may be asked to stay late. In that case we are required to cut over time either by leaving early our coming in late, in either case you will be called in months later to explain your tardies or incomplete shifts that go on your record. By the way, one minute of overtime could very well mean a write up. And don’t think about an injury. At least, not in my store. All camera angels are reviewed over and over again. If any small part of it could be your fault even if you don’t see how, you’ll get a write up. But, if you get an injury and are afraid to report it because of that first rule, and it gets worse and report it later, you get a write up.
At our company you have to take a test and get licensed to use things like electric pallet jacks, or you could be fired. On the overnight shift at my store, most people using them either have expired licenses or non at all. But we are so short staffed that managers will just say, “Use it real quick and don’t get injured”. I know what that says. Get injured, and we’ll deny we ever told you to use it. And I have found out that if you should happen to get fired unfairly and get unemployment pay, that the company will come back and try to get that money back even if they have to tell some little white lies.
You, are sooooo describing my experiances with Walmart
Yes, that is where I work.
As a non-profit worker you realize when you step into a non-profit that you are not there to get wealthy by any means.It also does not mean you should be forced to take a vow of poverty for slave labor wages. I love the work and hate the management.Ever hear of too many chiefs and not enough indians?That’s my world. If you think that non-profits are immuned to sleazy business tactics you are wrong.The fact is it is a dictatorship with their workers having absolutely no representation whatsoever. Tactics like demanding hourly workers to work overtime ,but fudge time sheets and be forced to take comp and flex time.Being forced to break laws including OSHA laws.This has been going on for decades.So to right a wrong this organization cut all hourly workers hours ,of course just above the 50% level to make sure you cannot collect partial unemployment and you lose all benefits.They even salaried hourly positions to keep from breaking the labor laws.They changed policy but did not reimburse any worker for their the hours of non paid service.Keep in mind I have worked in this organization for 15 years.Now when you add all the volunteers hours you work willingly with all the forced volunteerism they shove down your throat,you are talking about little pay for ungodly hours.Then there is being on call 24/7.As one of those that were on call we get paid for the time we are there.That means you might have to leave a family function drive two hours to get paid for 10 minutes.Yes I have been pulled out of funerals,weddings,medical emergency situations and many other events in my family during my so called time off. The cronyism,including the board members and nepotism from top CEO’s to shield themselves from unethical conduct.To make a long story short the CEO’s friends that was hired has next to no resposiblities while everyone else is piled on.These cronies steal others ideas and pass them off as their own,along with taking credit for jobs they did not even participate in.When it was time to make concessions for the CEO’s fiscally irresponsible decisions it is the non mangement that takes the hit each and every time.One department has been targeted and if you are not a good friend of a member of management no matter how hard you work ,how many responsibilities you successfully execute,how loyal you have been it will be the friends with a whole whopping couple years experience that will hold onto their do nothing big paying jobs.For those that got their hours cut ,it means training your supervisor to do your job.When management makes bad fiscal decisions don’t think for one minute they will be held accountable,it will be the production workers who continue to make the sacrifices.When things are good management takes the credit with the raises,when things are bad management points the finger even though they know darn well it was their own bad decisions that got them in their predicament to begin with.If I am held accountable for my mistakes it is high time these elite managements start getting held accountable as well.
We have a boss that makes a lot of empty promises. The lies he tells are obviously translucent and seemingly pathological. Forthcoming raises are never given after being told they will go through and corporate agenda is blamed. More responsibilities are piled on an already overworked schedule and I am ready for a change in our system that provides fair and humane treatment for all working persons-especially the working poor.
My store manager stopped talking to me after my hiring. I took it a bit personal but apparently he doesn’t say hi or bye to most of us. After asking about a possible schedule change, he cut one of my days and treated me badly with sarcasm, insults and writing up a phony letter about which was put into my employee file. He sits in his office for half a day making personal phone calls except when he knows his review is coming. He rarely works, talks to customers or employees. He has had numerous complaints from staff yet, the owners keep him on. To add insult to injury while this guy earns money doing almost nothing, the company has capped our raises and its been nearly six months since I was supposed to have my last yearly review. This is a “good” job in my city.
The sad thing is, it is their (owners) company and they are going to do what they want.
The ownership only cares about profits and they never have enough. They do not care
what they have to do or who they hurt as long as doing so increases their profits.
You and I can always be replaced or the job position eleminated, especially if doing so increases profits. We are still living in the dark ages of humanity. There is a long way to go
in raising the standards of respect care, compassion, concern, and love for each other on the job and world wide. There always seems to be a need for leaders. Its a shame that
to few people know how to lead. Instead they become addicted to the power of their position.
To protect their power and gain more power and control, they choose to be “The Boss”.
The Boss only cares about himself and pleasing the power bosses above him. Its all about
power and money for those who already have. You and I are expendable.
Well I have a winner! He is one for the books. In fact I sit right next to him and he is the owner of the company. One day, he yelled at someone so loudly I walked into his office right after the fact and said, “Was there a death in here? he said like a little boy would say well you do not know what he did. I said I don’t care what he did no one has the right to speak to anyone like that!!! Seeing that I sit right next to him his office is always soo cold I told him it is because of the evil spirits he has in his office. YES HE IS A REAL GEM!!!
We can never do enough for our boss. After working 60 hours (5-12′s) we have to look at the weekend list to see which day we must put in another 12 hrs. Of course if we don’t like it there’s always “the door”, their favorite responce to our complaints. Of course the “boss” is at home evenings and weekends with his family. This current place I work is the only warehouse I have worked at that isn’t union and the working conditions and the relationship between employee and employer is the worst of any place I have worked…hmmm?
Last year a man who complained about not getting his proper pay rate, was sent to the clinic for a drug and alcohol test. He tested positive. After a suspension and a signed agreement he was sent back to work was harassed to the point of having arm and chest pains eventually he died in his sleep. I strongly feel with no evidence whatsoever that he went through living hell while at work. I lived the same treatment, I know.
I work part time for a unit of the City University of NY; which had free tuition many years ago. Free tuition is long gone. In addition, I had to pay $86.00 to get fingerprinted and will have to pay an additional $10.00 “filing fee” just to stay on the job.
Where to start? Paying for unnecessary workshops when I don’t make enough to pay the bills now? Or how about parents who think their children should get an A for showing up to school? And then there’s the boss who buys expensive equipment for the young, pretty, female employees and leaves veteran teachers with crap. I can’t even get necessary equipment for my students. And of course, there are the upcoming layoffs – half the staff. The fun part is continuing to work not knowing if your name or your friend’s name will be chosen (we know it won’t be the young, pretty women, however, don’t we?) The bestpart of teaching is not being able to change jobs without taking a $25,000 pay cut once you’ve been teaching long enough. We are indentured servants to our districts. Oh – forgot to mention the health insurance I am forced to buy even though it doesn’t cover anything, even office visits. Think what I could do with that $80,000 that the insurance industry has stolen from me while it has never shelled out a penny.
I work for Fed Ex Home Delivery. My bosses always tells us to work faster and harder. My boss says that we are “behind schedule” and are under a tight budget. We are already busting our backs and can’t take it anymore. The managers don’t fully cooperate with one another. They are like rivals competing one another. They don’t listen to me when I see another employee throwing boxes and not to mention the drivers who also throw customers boxes. It has to stop. They don’t listen to me. I keep telling them. The Fed Ex Home Delivery that I work for is in Sun Valley, CA.
I was never “politically” correct in my thinking. Being completely honest is something I was called down on. Fortunately I now work for myself and love it, no more answering to stupid bosses who always want to pick your work apart and then go forward with an idea that was yours like it was their own. In today’s work world you no longer work 40 hrs but until the job is done and overtime well that is unheard of as all office workers seem to now be on salary which means you can work 90 hrs a week for the same pay and if you take off to go to the doctor you get docked! I am so disappointed in the lack of loyalty from employers always treating workers like they can be replaced in a nano second. Then you hear after you are gone that it took 3 new people to do your job probably because they were not trained and will cost less or they are temps so no insurance and benefits have to be paid out. It is so unfair.
My company has us on a rate system. The rate they have us at and the potential of getting hurt is high. But, if we do get hurt, its our fault. They company makes sure of it. They are responsible for nothing. They give occurances, enough of these and they will fire you. Also, a friend was hurt on the job, he took short or long term disablity. They fired him and he had to pay back all the disablilty he had gotten. Which shows what kind of benefits we have. I won’t go on, but their is more.
Just this week I have retired after 33 years, as a Social Worker/Therapist. Over the years I have had to change positions in my line of work because of social service cuts. I did work mostly in the Chicago Suburbs after graduating from U Of I @ Chicago. My first job offer was $12,000. after getting a Masters degree, I did turn it down and finally found a job as a School Social Worker making $14,500.a year. The next year they laid me off. I then found a job in managing cases on the phone, sitting in a little cubicle, typing telephone calls, I hated that job, and I lasted for only one year, but pay was good, $31,000. I eventually went into my own Private Practice and I finally made more money and really enjoyed my work.So good being my own boss. It has been a long struggle for me but I have always been proud of my Profession.
It is too bad that the Helping Professions do not pay well enough to support a family!!
Long story short, very short. At the casino I work at, they took our tips from us and put them into a pool. Now I make less than what I bring in in tips. We tried to form a union and they hired Labor Information Services to come in and persuade persuade persuade the dealers.
Our Casino got in trouble for Violating the National Labor Relations ACT! case # 26-RC-8594, 26-CA-23510, 26-CA-23517, 26-RC-08513. All they had to do was post a letter that said they were sorry and that they would not do it again.
12 WE WILL NOT’s, they already did. If I were to do something like that do you think I would have kept my job? Would they let me post a letter saying I was sorry and I wouldn’t do it again? don’t think so, I would be fired!
There’s NO WAY we could ever win an election under these conditions. Going to work now is like going to a “Psychological Minefield” !! Workers are so stressed, some have had strokes, others are having Anxiety and panic attacks.
I have lived the very reason we need EFCA!
I’m on disability now, but it’s been a long, strange road from when I was hurt on-the-job. Then I worked for a private agency, hurt my back while lifting a patient. Got fired because I went offsite to recuperate from the injury and came back to be fired. Within a year, I went to work for state gov. and about 4 years later, I finally received a back surgery, but hadn’t sufficient enough time to recuperate from the surgery and lost my house to foreclosure and went on disability for PTSD, since the foreclosure was one of a half a dozen major, catastrophic life event that occurred between a 30-month span of time-frame.
The long and the short of it is that there was a lot of “buck-passing” and my back is still screwed up.
I’m single Mom trying to provide for my family and all the while the LTD insurance carrier’s been on my back (all pun intended) to get back to work (in this economy, no less – haha) and/or find a doctor (with no insurance since it became cost-prohibitive long, long ago) to write that I’ll be disabled until the day I die. I eventually got SSDI, but that system is rigged from the word “go” as well. Nobody gets their benefits unless they involve a lawyer. In my case they couldn’t even remember my name, because in their follow-up call they called me “Linda”.
It just makes me sick (again – all pun intended) that more and more, we’re just a number or a statistic and I know I’m just one of millions if not billions that has to toe this same old line.