Corporate America: Working Conditions

I've been with a company for nearly half a year now, and I've have enjoyed doing the job except for one thing: Co-Workers. I'm one of those, who do their job, do it beyond expectations, get it done, and move on home. However, there lingers a small problem here. I end up finding out Im carrying the department on my own shoulders and mine alone(yes the co-workers do work, but hardly up to standars). What I've noticed, (and yes this gets me really irritated), they work for an hour, then break for 15 mins, work for an hour, break 15 mins, half of the time they end up talking to one another about unrelated topics to the job, which decreases workers production (which again where I come in to finish the job), (according to the handbook you're only supposed to take 2 - 10 min breaks throughout the day, not on the hour every hour and not for 15 mins each). On top of this, I never stop hearing about the complaints from them about how much work they have to do. And dont even think about giving them extra work or theyll cry even louder. How can they get away with this you ask? One simple reason: they kiss up to the boss big time. Which frustrates me. On top of that, seeing since I see no reason whatsoever to kiss up to the boss, Im kinda 'tossed aside' as an outcast and not recognized. Even as bad as this sounds, it gets a LOT worse, I'm not the boss, and there's nothing I can do about it, or is there?

Let me ask this, is there something I can do about this kind of activity? And, is all of Corporate America like this?...

Stick Raw Eggs In their Lunch

Sorry, couldn't resist.


Umm, let's see... They take breaks often, they kiss up to the boss, you work the hardest, but no attention...

I guess you could just complain to the boss. Usually that never works though, worth a shot though.

Kiss up to the boss.

Er, not really. But DO make sure you get on friendly terms, make sure the boss sees what good work you're doing and that you are credited for the work. And yeah, it's pretty much like this all over the place. Being social with the right people ends up being almost as important as getting the job done sometimes.

If you can be social AND get the work done, you'll be way out ahead of the complainers.

OMG, I have been stressing about the SAME thing for the past few months... I never take breaks, but didn't get any recognition of any type for it from my superior.. so I take breaks now. Well not during the day, but ill come in like 10 minutes late and add another 10 minutes to my hour lunch. My old boss was mad that I would come in like 10 minutes late, and I started yelling at her because she yells at me for that but doesnt care someone goes outside and take a smoke break for 15 minutes every hour.. F##k her! Im glad she's gone. My new boss doesn't do anything to them either, but at least he doesnt say anything to me about coming in a few minutes late. I really want to flip my lid and yell at all these people, but I figure it'd probably make more problems than its worth.


To sum up my rant; no i dont think there really is anything you can do without being a snitch or the b##tch. If it bothers you alot, start taking breaks with these clowns.


Jimmylee Brodsky

I tend to be the one who shows up on time or a little early. I usually stick to work until I'm done, or someone comes crying with an emergency. If you operate that way for a few years, people become overly dependent on you. At this point, you can turn the tables. Occasionally show up late, take a few extra minutes at lunch, that sort of stuff. The trick is to not overdo it.

A few years ago, in a previous job, my boss pissed me off big time. I was given crapwork to do right while I was in the middle of something much more important. The worst part was that there were others who could have done the crapwork if they weren't too busy screwing around. It was one of those rare times when you just say "fuck it" out loud. I left a brief note, and walked out. It wasn't a note of resignation, but a note that briefly explained why I walked.

This was a retail job, BTW. I drove to another location of the chain, and offered to "defect". The managers were ex-coworkers. I got the feeling that they would take me on, but they were worried about pissing off my boss.

About a couple of hours later, I calmed down, and I went back to work. When I got back, the boss was annoyed, but I also sensed that she was a bit worried about me quitting.

In the end, I got to keep my job, and was taken a bit more seriously for the next couple of years. The only downside was that the rat bastard Operations Manager (I still hate that asshole, 9 years after the company folded) used the incident as an excuse for blocking my getting a raise on a couple of occasions.

Eins,

And I'm speaking as "Mother Maggie" now:

1- You can't spend your time worrying about the shoddy work of others. It will drive you crazy.

2- If you have a chip on your shoulder toward your boss for not "noticing" their work ethics, it will affect your relationship with your boss.

So you gotta let it go.

3- Continue to do your work and do it well.

4- Make time to speak to the boss. Think of it not as "kissing up," but as "checking in." Don't talk about the other employees, just about the work.

5- Remember that only unhappy people talk badly about others and complain their way through a day. You shouldn't resent them for that. You should, if anything, feel a little sad for them. Try to be kind to them (and I KNOW it's hard) because they are probably doing the best they can.

6- Remember it's just pretend work. The real work is the internal wrestling you're doing inside your head and heart. The fact that you're trying to figure out what you should do is a sign of a decent person trying to become an even better one.

Keep up the good fight, Eins.

Maggie

I've noticed the same thing, Einsman. Although my situation is a bit different.

Among other things, I'm a temp. Consequently, I see lots of offices and lots of people in those offices. And I'll agree with others when they say that being social is almost as important as doing your job.

And, like it seems it does to you, this notion always strikes me as a bit odd. Quite frankly, I'm not hired to sit and listen to the HR person come over and complain about her family life. But it's apparent to me that doing this sort of listening was key in getting some of my more posh temp jobs extended -- and in not doing so, in getting them ended.

It's part of why I don't mind the lack of security of temp work. You don't have the security of a permanent job, but you also don't have to play the stupid office political games. Sometimes it upsets my sense of justice to realize that these slackers are getting paid twice as much as me for no quantifiable difference in work provided... but that's why we have TV... to quell our sense of righteous indignation...

That's why I got rid of mine, incidentally, but that's another thread.

Maggie's post is a good one, but I thought I might add a bit to this point.

Another of my masks is that of a classical musician. I don't know if you know anything about the field, but it's extremely small and tight -- I'm one of less than a dozen professional oboists in NE -- so that it becomes very important to develop and maintain quality connections with others in the field, because they might be able to help you get work.

I've not always been very good at keeping people happy with me -- I'm still not totally good at it, still learning. But my current roommate is a salesman, and not-too-shabby at it, either, so I've learned a bit from him about "checking in," as Maggie so delicately puts it.

1) GET THEM TO TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES. I have to disagree with Maggie when she suggests that you keep it to work. NO, you should not be dissing on your coworkers. But the first thing you should say is something along the lines of, "Hey, how are you doing?" And say it meaningfully, not like you're close friends, but also not like you're just making pleasant small talk.

It's amazing what a difference it seems to make when you open conversations like this with professional coworkers. Sure, you can be direct and say something like: "Hey. You got a minute? I just had some things I want to go over with you..." But then they're going to think you're an asshole. Of course, you're going to think, "I'm just being a professional and courteous of their many obligations," but trust me, if they're busy, they'll let you know.

Where it goes after that opening is anyone's guess. The first few times you ask you'll get, "Fine." But with time they might open up and tell you about their life.

Not like you actually care about their life. But still, picking up on those details and being able to ask about them later makes the person in question feel important, special, respected, cared for. Getting people to talk about themselves is the surest way to get them to like you. Everybody's just waiting to fill you in on their memoirs.

(And yes, the irony is apparent to me too.)

2) SMILE. It may hurt, but you know, sitting at your desk fuming about how much work you're doing is probably getting to your coworkers. They might not know what it is you're thinking, but the mere fact that you're not engaging in their social-hours-on-the-hour is probably conveying to them the simple message:

"I do not like you. I do not get along with others. I am dumb."

And that is, of course, completely unfounded and almost cosmically unjust, but that's what they tend to think. And they'll pretty much think you're dumb in any case, because we all do that, we all assume everyone else is about half as bright as we are, but if you at least talk to them and try to be mostly pleasant, they will figure you're at least a nice chap.

Not that you should be following them on their breaks. Just be approachable. It wouldn't hurt to re-cast the way you think about your predicament.

Of course... none of this actually solves the "problem," as you've stated it. I would contend there's really no way to solve it without you yourself having the power to deliver reprimands or to fire people. You also won't get that power, either, unless you play the game. It's a travesty, it really is. Our entire economic system is rotten from the inside out because of practices like this. And yes, it's everywhere. Deadlines everywhere are getting delayed, work everywhere is being re-done.

That's why I've mostly opted-out. *shrugs*

Great Advise.. I suppose the reason why its such a conflict, its a matter of self pride. I don't feel I need to do this in order to get ahead, (of course wishful thinking), sometimes I wish I could just be recognized for my work, (I'm not really a social butterfly). It's not the fact that Im really irked about the breaks and such, its just the fact of what they do they've been gotten away with it for such a long time the numbers are staggering. True, when Im spoken to I talk back naturally, but other than that, no, I concentrate on my work.
I realize that people need to talk and all that, but what gets me those is the constant complaining and nothing being done to correct whats being complained about.

Out of the jobs I've held previously, I've never, ever encountered such amount of complaints about actually working in my entire life. From what I've worked for, my co-workers enjoyed their job, what they were doing. (maybe a little complaint here and there but thats normal), but this excessiveness can drive someone completely up the wall. I usually just end up doing what theyre complaining about in a matter of minutes just to make them stop complaining about something that shouldn't be.

Also, yes theres a lot of dissing of co-workers going on in the workplace as well. They seemingly act sweet and innocent when you're talking in front of them, but as soon as you turn your back to them, all hell breaks loose, Thats why I tend to be distant. Anything said could mean trouble. Its a very hostile workplace that shouldn't be.

I know how it goes Eins. I've never been very social in the workplace and prefer to pretty much be left alone to do my work. That can make it hard to get ahead and advance because a reliable trouble-free worker doesn't attract the boss's attention as much as the water cooler chatters. I've always tried to make myself indispensible. Learn how to do other people's things to help them out, but especially find something that everyone depends on but no one is adept at... like keeping the copy machine going. Your coworker's laziness means it shouldn't be hard to eclipse them in skill... let them slack while you accumulate knowledge. Try not to be just a cog in the machinery... try to be the one who can make it come to a screeching halt.

Hm... got a point Chip. Perhaps I should take a day off from it, to gives them a feel of what its like when I'm not around. Perhaps that'll grab attention .

Phineas,

You disagreed with me and rightly so. Your suggestion about how to talk to the boss was waaay better than mine. You're right, of course, in that people usually need someone to listen to them and a kind ear goes a long way.

So, as an aside....when musicians aren't getting along, can they still make beautiful music?

Maggie

That's a really tough question for me to answer, Maggie. I guess I would say... it depends?

Musicians often don't get along, as you might have guessed, and they can be surprisingly petty about the music we end up playing, too (being a classical musician is about 50% crap work, 40% repeating the masterworks ad nauseam, and 10% real, invigorating performance), when you consider just how lucky we are to have work doing something we so love to do. I don't understand why they choose to put up those barriers, but they do.

And to the untrained ear, one's not likely to hear any difference. Indeed, some of the most famous squabbles in professional classical music have been between colleagues who had to sit next to each other in some of the most prestigious orchestras in the U.S. And when musicians dislike their conductor, they're likely to ignore him/her, but usually not without losing their sense of ensemble.

Music is a good part showmanship. We're just like actors on stage or screen in that, in order to present a certain musical experience, we have to suppress our natural human emotions and to play-act a different set of emotions. If we're doing our job right, you shouldn't be able to tell if we get along or not. It's great when the music is harmonious with what we feel... but this often is not the case, especially during rehearsals. But then, every musician is different. Someone else might have a totally different take than my own.

But, you know, sitting in the ensemble, you can definitely feel it when people don't get along. When you play with other musicians, you have to reach out and grab hold of whatever it is they're playing with a part of yourself I don't quite know how to describe. When you don't get along with someone, you're likely to feel cut off and isolated. This doesn't mean you can't play with them... but it does make it harder to connect on that metaphysical level. It makes music-making much less interesting or satisfying.

Phineas,

That was really interesting. Wow. I can just imagine it. What an intensely personal thing music is and then you have to add to that the fact that you work in such close physical proximity.

Your description was fascinating.

Sorry, Eins...didn't mean to hijack your thread, but it is kind of on the same theme. Co-workers getting along and all...

Maggie