I am not the ideal employee, but you should still say Hello | smebro's Blog

I will be the first to admit that I suck as an employee of Telec*m New Zealand. I’m late too often; I’ve used probably just over 3 times the allocated sick-leave, I ignore targets and have never ever been swayed by the productivity competitions. It would take a near miracle to make me actually care with passion for this role, there’s no other way to put it. I do not feel this ‘come together’ attitude (seriously, we’ve been using the come together song as the company theme for the last year or so). The rooms are lined with marketing material designed specifically for the employees; they market products and company ideals to us so that we will market them across the phone with a passion.
 
Anyway, as I was saying, I am not a good employee (Am I shooting myself in the foot? No, my real name is not sprayed across this website). I suppose the baseline reason would be that people earn respect from me by being themselves, not by having a job title that implies authority. I will not nod and smile just because it’s said; I do not jump without question. And most of all, I care about Numero Uno, I am my most important asset, not my Job… sure, I do need money, but I don’t need to stress myself out for the money, besides I am earning more then I need anyway.
Yesterday for example, I was feeling unwell when I woke. I called in sick and had a half-day off work. Lunch came and I was feeling better so I set out to work (Have been walking, a good long walk through the city) when I was near work, waiting for a crossing to change, I saw on the other side of the road the boss of my boss, and one of the other lesser bosses. These two men were talking and no doubt saw me standing on the other side of the road. Although I do not enjoy my job, and I do not particularly like the way they try to lay the companies goals over our own; I’m not a complete dickhead, so I nodded to them as they passed… and they completely ignored me.
Well okay, I did think about it, but didn’t dwell on it. Why bother?
 
Then today, I overslept. I believe my alarm probably went off, but I don’t recall it… The first thing I remember is my phone ringing and the time being a full 40 minutes after I should have gotten up. I sent a txt to my boss ‘Damn, on my way’, he sent a message back ‘Overslept?” I replied honestly ‘Yeah’. I got up and got ready, didn’t cut out any of the necessities like a shower and solid breakfast (Why should I sacrifice what makes me healthier just because I’m late?) and walked to work, enjoyed the walk… I’m enjoying walking.
 
So I walked into the foyer of my companies headquarters, and passed through the expensive company Café on my way to the elevator.  Who did I see but one of my Boss’s bosses having coffee with a lower ranking boss. I am not a dickhead, so I once again smiled and nodded, hellooooooo…. And what did I get?
 
That woman, she shot daggers at me. Her lips scrunched up as if the sight of me was enough to vomit, her eye brows lowered as if I was something other then Human, something animalistic…and her hand went to her wrist where she proceeded to tap, indicating that I am late.
Well thanks! I was completely unaware that I am late! What a surprise!
But really, why?
 Why go to the trouble of rejecting my genuine greeting gesture?
Why with the inane tapping of the wrist?
Why such a petty display of authority?
She’s not the only one, I can feel it around here. People are only worth other peoples time if they are good workers. People are only people if they are good workers, otherwise they are pariahs they are martyrs…they are filth.
 
The corporate world huh?
 
So as I said, I am not the ideal employee, but I made the request awhile back to work the hours that would suit me better. I am presently working from 8.30 to 5, there are plenty of people working from 11 till 8… I know that the latter hours would suit me best (wasn’t an option when I originally applied.) and I asked when I received my ‘letter of expectation’ if I could be shifted the those hours. I was told that I would need to prove myself. Obviously I never did well enough because it was never properly considered.
 
Grrrrrrr, I know I will not let this sit. One way or another I’ll do my smart-ass thing and point out this dehumanisation. I’m just not sure how I want to do this yet. Do I send her an email asking for a private meeting sometime? Use my mediation skills to do a bit of patronising dehumanisation on them, be all ‘Why do you feel you need to treat me this way?” and ‘What will you gain from doing this?’
But what will I gain from that? This whole business…no; probably all big business, are messed up…The bosses, the highest bosses (Because my boss is actually very cool, I feel bad because his bosses give him hell because of me, I do not think that’s fair either and wish they would speak to me directly.) the highest bosses think they are better then the rest of us. They only treat those that work hardest with respect, the rest are worth the occasional hello…and the bad workers like me? We are scorned.
 
Anyway, I hate my job, but hey! What’s new?