Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Workers = Crap
Our company never ceases to amaze me about just how little they value their workers. I mean, I do expect it, it's a big ol' corporation after all. But to see and hear it so bluntly put is rather amazing.
A couple of weeks ago we had a "town hall meeting" over a telephone conference with the CEO. One of the workers asked the CEO what the company was planning on doing for worker morale. The answer was, and no beating around the bush, that the company didn't concern itself with worker morale. That was just a local problem.
That they don't care was quite bluntly hammered in even further the last couple of weeks. First there was an email to the employees that henceforth they would be signing any email correspondence with customers with their first name and login number - Jim 3422 or THX1138 or Winston 1984. Nice and homey for the folks calling in. That was followed by the squelching of a bennie that has been going on for years. The casual Friday, where the kids could wear jeans, sneakers and t-shirts. We only deal with customers over the phone by the way. Actually the email stated we should only wear "denim and tennis shoes." I've not been able to find any denim underwear, so I don't quite know what to do with that.
Today we were treated to an all employee email from management that trumpeted the fact that our company has a really nifty temp hiring group they use. This by the way went to the same employee group that lost around 18% of their workforce over the last couple of months -- and who by the way gained about 25 temps to replace them.
There's been other crap that's been equally annoying as well. A few months ago they cancelled the free monthly birthday cake (they'd put out a few birthday cakes each month for all to partake off) now each birthday person gets their own personal cupcake!
I was warned (in a round about way, I'll admit) about the perils of taking too much sick leave. It's easy to see how I've taken advantage of that bit, after all, I've taken about 5 sick days in the last four years.
But then again, if it was supposed to fun they wouldn't call it work would they (and actually up until a year and a half ago or so it was fun).
2fers: THX 1138 and 1984
