I have come to realize that life can be very difficult and hard. When it comes to work, to relationships and marriage, to your own physical and mental health, these are the harsh truths I had to learn:
1. The world doesn't care about your freedom or independent thoughts. This can hit really hard when you think about the recent #MeToo movement. But outside of that, it most certainly applies to any job you work, any relationship you keep with people as well as what you may or may not do in your own private residence. In fact, you may not even own your own residence, therefore the rules may be dictated to you in what you can and cannot do in that environment. We also keep hearing stories about what your smartphones and devices can record when you don't think you are being recorded. In this regard, one can only hope that what they have to say in their own private conversations with eachother won't get them in trouble one day.
2. Your boss doesn't care for your questions and independent thinking. Your boss likely hired you to do a job. Part of that job will require you to do as asked and listen to the rules they make up as things go along. You may not be hired to think outside the job you were hired to do. The rules sure might not make sense and maybe the rules may restrict your freedoms in the workplace. Unfortunately for you, the boss isn't going to care what you think of the rules as they feels it is their right to manage the workplace as they sees fit. After all, they are in the business to make money, not argue with employees and babysit. Those who disagree can leave as far as they're concerned. How the employee chooses to leave or comply is up to the employee.
3. Your metabolism may eventually slow down for any reason. In my early 20s, I could exercise and workout and eat whatever I wanted. Albeit, I still ate a lot of healthy foods. I was also a smoker mind you, and I would binge drink just about every other weekend. Flash forward to my late 20's and early 30's and I literally have to eat less than the calories I expend throughout exercise to maintain a healthy weight. My metabolism slowed down. Part of it could be stress and anxiety that causes metabolism to slow down, or I just don't pay as much attention as I should to what I eat and when I eat. I don't smoke or drink like I did when I was younger either. The cigarettes did play a role in how much I ate from what I do remember.
4. Living with a partner and/or marrying them will increase financial spending and risks. I could save more when living alone. For some reason, it is becoming more and more difficult to do just that when you have a partner, married or not. The government will recognize you as common law if you are not married, but living together and your taxes will reflect that each February-April. I never had to owe taxes before being married, but I can sure as shit tell you that I did after. My wife doesn't make as much as I do, but also needs more money that she doesn't have for certain items. This puts plans for savings on hold more often than not. The most recent expenditure was an air conditioner and those aren't cheap.
5. Simply quitting your job is not an option when you have bills to pay. As much as you might want to quit your job because you hate your boss and think he is the biggest asshole, it is simply not an option. It shouldn't be an option even when you are single and have to pay bills or when married and have dependents relying on you. If your job doesn't require any marketable skills to move on to the next job, it will be up to you to upgrade your skills as necessary as your boss may not be interested in helping you out. For example, you may want a clerical job elsewhere after working forklift jobs for a few years. However, most jobs require the clerical experience and your boss doesn't want to give you clerical experience. At this point, leaving won't be an option until you have the requisite experience. one way or another, or you can get an entry level clerical job elsewhere.
6. There is no security in your job. Goes with number 5 and to a certain degree, number 1 on this list either. With employers wanting to pay cheaper and cheaper, the only option is to find a skill-set you can market yourself to succeed with. Failure to do so will end up resulting in your job being lost one day and being replaced by either automation or a cheaper and easier to pay employee.
7. There is no security in your relationships. Outside of God and a relationship with Jesus (I am a believer btw), or your family, you will find no security in a relationship with anyone. These people are only going to be around as long as it benefits them to do so. More often than not, people don't want to be around a person they see as being too negative, or being too miserable. It doesn't matter if you speak truth if the viewpoint is that you are being negative and toxic. Negativity and truth can correlate together often as some people just want to enjoy life as they know it.
8. You simply cannot allow anything to consume you/Learn to forgive. Didn't get that promotion? My previous entry will tell you I am in that same boat. Don't get too focused on it and angry about it or you may end up behaving in a less professional manner (even if you don't realize it). Partner cheated on you and you felt like you didn't deserve such treatment? I have been there too in the past and the only real option is to just let it all go. In my case, I let them go too as I knew I wouldn't be able to trust that person again.
Fact of the matter is that people who allow themselves to be consumed by all the shit that has happened to them have a hard time letting things go. In other words, they have a hard time forgiving the past. These people also wonder why the people in their lives don't want anything to do with them anymore. The fact is that people who are too caught up in the past sins that have been committed against them don't listen to other people. It's as if there is no voice of reason. Don't be that person.
9. Learning to forgive will relieve some of your stresses. This is one I know I have a hard time remembering, but you will feel a heavy burden lifted off you when you learn to forgive. It is better to learn this for yourself then to ask others. You can ask God, or family for forgiveness, but you can never truly ask others as they may be too hardened to forgive you. So do the forgiving for yourself and just let go. You will definitely feel better for it. I know it isn't always easy for me, but I know I can feel better when I do let something go.
Wednesday 4 July 2018
Sunday 1 July 2018
What is a disgruntled employee and how should I avoid becoming one?
I have been having my own problems at work recently, and considering this is my third entry on my work experience in the last year, it should come as no surprise to people who have been reading. I do work in a unionized environment and we do have a code of conduct policy that may restrict my ability to reveal certain information about my company. I also prefer to keep anonymous as much as possible to avoid be asked information. So I can tell you information about my workplace that has resulted in the departure of some employees. Some employees who have been fired eventually got their jobs back. However, we have a new provincial government and they may make it more difficult for me to get my job back in the event that I were to ever be fired (I work for a crown corporation, which means I am in the public sector). That being said, I cannot speak on behalf of my employer and this blog is simply my experience being shared and my opinion on what I think happens or will happen at work.
I look at my experience and I ultimately realize that people become disgruntled for the following reasons:
1. Denied promotion for no valid reason: This did happen to another employee who had to fight for 7 months to get their promotion through the grievance process. I filed a grievance more recently because I was denied a temporary job assignment with no valid reason given. In both of our cases, management couldn't give an explanation as to why.
2. No recognition for good work and improving performances: I have had good couple years at work. However, management wants to continue holding the past against me. They are making it clear to me that they are more than happy to me move the field goal posts further and further back.
3. No incentive to move forward: In connection with number 2 above, if improvement can't be acknowledged, then the small victories can't or won't be celebrated. What would be the point in doing a good job if there is no reward for it?
4. Grievance process is drawn out over long periods of time: This may ring true in a unionized environment with a Collective Bargaining Agreement. In this case, your being disgruntled may be directed at your union representatives as well as your management team. You just want your grievance to go along smoothly and as quickly as possible. However, when your grievance ends up taking 12-24 months to get to arbitration (and it doesn't get thrown out or union settles for less than what you are owed), you start getting pissed off even more. Personally, I have not gone to arbitration yet, so I can't say I have been screwed over by my union in that regard... yet. I have seen others take forever. The only advice that can be given is to just let the process sort things out. But if you are like me however:
5. You have too many grievances: You have been wronged enough times by your management team that you may be putting in a lot of grievances. Regardless of how wrong management might be, if you keep filing grievances instead of letting decisions go, they will have no problem letting arbitration sort out your mess. At this point, I have to understand that I might win a couple, but it will most certainly come at a cost to the relationship with the employer. You can't expect to win some grievances without your employer taking it personally. I myself will have to be prepared to live with that.
6. Management shows a total lack of respect to the employees: The most recent grievance I was referring to in number 1 is what I will be referring to here. I ended up finding out in a text message from a co-worker on another shift that the position I had applied for was given to someone else. Management felt it was necessary to not give me any notice ahead of time, or pull me aside to inform me of the decision. This was piss poor tact no matter how you look at it in a unionized environment, especially if you want that employee affected to be respectful and accepting of your decision making. The only reason management would want to do this however may have to do with the fact that they want to make it clear that they don't respect you or like you. In other words, they may not have cause to fire me, but want me to quit without having to offer a severance package.
To avoid becoming disgruntled: I have no real advice for you that would make me not look like a hypocrite. But I would imagine that you would have to pick your own battles and take the grievances that matter the most to you to arbitration and argue those grievances. You will have to understand that the arguments are out of your control once you go past the necessary stages that occur before arbitration (you have to argue to management that you were wronged and deserve what you are asking for). Also keep your arguments with management away from your fellow employees. The more you complain to other employees, the more likely you will receive complaints about being your attitude and it may affect the morale of the workplace. You will still have to maintain a high level of professionalism if you choose to stay around in the environment in which management has caused you to be disgruntled. Your attitude before arbitration will ultimately be considered. Be careful what you say and to who.
I don't know the management perspective of how they deal with a disgruntled employee. But I imagine they will have to nip any issues in the bud as they occur. If they don't, that will be the warning sign that they don't care and want you to leave despite having no cause to fire you. Now if management does want you gone, they will fire you if they see you making mistakes as a result of being disgruntled That is why I recommend being as professional as possible as it will help your argument. If management doesn't care that you are disgruntled and wants you gone, you will feel like you are walking on eggshells. The first excuse they can find to fire you with cause (meaning possibility of severance is significantly reduced), expect them to pull the trigger.
In my unionized environment, I have only heard the rumours that management does offer payouts to employees they don't want back. It appears that the payouts would have to be something substantial in order to get the employee to not come back. I have seen some employees return a couple years after being fired too since there had to be an underlying issue for that employee's dismissal.
I look at my experience and I ultimately realize that people become disgruntled for the following reasons:
1. Denied promotion for no valid reason: This did happen to another employee who had to fight for 7 months to get their promotion through the grievance process. I filed a grievance more recently because I was denied a temporary job assignment with no valid reason given. In both of our cases, management couldn't give an explanation as to why.
2. No recognition for good work and improving performances: I have had good couple years at work. However, management wants to continue holding the past against me. They are making it clear to me that they are more than happy to me move the field goal posts further and further back.
3. No incentive to move forward: In connection with number 2 above, if improvement can't be acknowledged, then the small victories can't or won't be celebrated. What would be the point in doing a good job if there is no reward for it?
4. Grievance process is drawn out over long periods of time: This may ring true in a unionized environment with a Collective Bargaining Agreement. In this case, your being disgruntled may be directed at your union representatives as well as your management team. You just want your grievance to go along smoothly and as quickly as possible. However, when your grievance ends up taking 12-24 months to get to arbitration (and it doesn't get thrown out or union settles for less than what you are owed), you start getting pissed off even more. Personally, I have not gone to arbitration yet, so I can't say I have been screwed over by my union in that regard... yet. I have seen others take forever. The only advice that can be given is to just let the process sort things out. But if you are like me however:
5. You have too many grievances: You have been wronged enough times by your management team that you may be putting in a lot of grievances. Regardless of how wrong management might be, if you keep filing grievances instead of letting decisions go, they will have no problem letting arbitration sort out your mess. At this point, I have to understand that I might win a couple, but it will most certainly come at a cost to the relationship with the employer. You can't expect to win some grievances without your employer taking it personally. I myself will have to be prepared to live with that.
6. Management shows a total lack of respect to the employees: The most recent grievance I was referring to in number 1 is what I will be referring to here. I ended up finding out in a text message from a co-worker on another shift that the position I had applied for was given to someone else. Management felt it was necessary to not give me any notice ahead of time, or pull me aside to inform me of the decision. This was piss poor tact no matter how you look at it in a unionized environment, especially if you want that employee affected to be respectful and accepting of your decision making. The only reason management would want to do this however may have to do with the fact that they want to make it clear that they don't respect you or like you. In other words, they may not have cause to fire me, but want me to quit without having to offer a severance package.
To avoid becoming disgruntled: I have no real advice for you that would make me not look like a hypocrite. But I would imagine that you would have to pick your own battles and take the grievances that matter the most to you to arbitration and argue those grievances. You will have to understand that the arguments are out of your control once you go past the necessary stages that occur before arbitration (you have to argue to management that you were wronged and deserve what you are asking for). Also keep your arguments with management away from your fellow employees. The more you complain to other employees, the more likely you will receive complaints about being your attitude and it may affect the morale of the workplace. You will still have to maintain a high level of professionalism if you choose to stay around in the environment in which management has caused you to be disgruntled. Your attitude before arbitration will ultimately be considered. Be careful what you say and to who.
I don't know the management perspective of how they deal with a disgruntled employee. But I imagine they will have to nip any issues in the bud as they occur. If they don't, that will be the warning sign that they don't care and want you to leave despite having no cause to fire you. Now if management does want you gone, they will fire you if they see you making mistakes as a result of being disgruntled That is why I recommend being as professional as possible as it will help your argument. If management doesn't care that you are disgruntled and wants you gone, you will feel like you are walking on eggshells. The first excuse they can find to fire you with cause (meaning possibility of severance is significantly reduced), expect them to pull the trigger.
In my unionized environment, I have only heard the rumours that management does offer payouts to employees they don't want back. It appears that the payouts would have to be something substantial in order to get the employee to not come back. I have seen some employees return a couple years after being fired too since there had to be an underlying issue for that employee's dismissal.
Notice of cookies and information collected.
Here is my notice. I don't have adsense set up for me to get paid. I never applied for adsense since I don't update this blog frequently enough to warrant setting up for one. Other than the information Google and blogger have left for you about what information they collect, I don't have a whole lot of information to tell you. I collect no money from this blog.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)