26 June 2001
Last year: We ate hamburgers and hot dogs and had a fantastic water gun fight.
Just as I was thinking about getting ready to leave the office yesterday, an internal memo came down the e-mail pike. The next time we reboot our computers, a batch file is going to start up the installation program for some snoop software. We were reminded that we shouldn't be using our internet connections for anything that wasn't work-related, and told to uninstall any Instant Messaging programs.
The official reason for the snoop software is that Corporate wants to be able to push software updates to our machines and make sure everything on our machines is licensed. But if that was the only reason for it, they wouldn't be reminding us about browsing non-work sites or telling us to uninstall freeware.
It's about control, pure and simple. How dare we - lowly slaves that we are - attempt to do anything other than work when we're in the office, even off the clock?
For me, it's like this: I'm a salaried employee. That means that if I slack off and don't finish my work by the deadline, I have to work unpaid overtime in order to meet the deadline. I generally only get upset about this if the slack-time wasn't anything I had any control over.
But I feel the coin should have two sides. As long as I'm finishing my projects by deadline, I should be allowed to take whatever slack I want. I shouldn't be held accountable for the hours I work, as long as the work is done correctly and on time.
So if the company is going to insist on my actually being in the office for at least forty hours each week, then what's the point to restricting what I'm doing with those hours?
That's not even getting into wondering how they think limited internet access will make us work harder or be more productive. We'll just find non-internet activities to fill the slack time with.
It's not the loss of browsing and messaging that I'm really upset about. I've done without both before, and the things I've used IM before in the past can, for the most part, be duplicated via e-mail. What upsets me is the inherent lack of respect for its employees that such a policy demonstrates.
And given the personal lack of respect I've been shown in the last few weeks, this is really bad timing. I was already looking around for another job; this has just stepped it up a little.
So anyone who wants to send me phone messages or e-mail... - feel free.
Those last few paragraphs were interrupted by a call on my cell phone - the resume I sent out last night looks interesting to the person I sent it to. He'd like me to make some changes so it will hit the right flags in their H.R. database and send it back so they can start the process. He's already sending me some paperwork.
I don't know that I want the job - it's a contractor-to-hire job and I'd be an hourly employee without benefits for three to six months until I was hired permanently - if I was hired permanently. Also, given that my major complaint with this office is its environment I'd want to see the environment I'd be moving in to before accepting. But the money is good - nearly $10K a year more than what I'm making now. And it's an open door. I'm not actually stuck here.
My friend Jerry just wandered in to say good morning. "How's it going?" he asked.
"Good," I said. "I just got a call on a resume."
His eyebrows went up. "Some people here are going to be surprised if you leave."
"No one will be surprised if I leave," I countered.
"It will upset some folks," he said.
I nodded. "I know. But with the lack of respect I've been shown lately...? No one should be surprised."
It's not the money. If I wanted money, I'd be in D.C., or the Raleigh/Durham research triangle, or California, or Chicago, or another major metropolitan area. I do this work because I like this work. All I ask is a little basic respect from the company I work for. Is that so hard?
Apparently, it is.
Word of the Day:
schadenfreude - enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others
Currently Reading:
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Current Projects:
- drawing
- Hall stuff
- garden