Antiwork

So the title says it all. I am a salaried employee at a large facility. I always work my 40 hours, sometimes more, sometimes less. Last week on St. Patrick's day, I had plans with my coworker to go to lunch. I got frustrated with something and we left at 11:30 and we got back at 1. Someone called in an anonymous complaint on both of us. The conversation with HR wasn't intense, mainly just a reminder of “perception” to others. Most of the others in the office area are salaried as well, there's only a few hourly. We both told HR that we usually take 1 hour lunches, often shorter (or not at all). We pretty much never abuse the break. Really the conversation never needed to happen because we are salaried. We are both annoyed that someone cares so much about what other people work that they felt…

I'm sending this out as a public service announcement. I've been in the program for a little under a year now. I want to provide a transparent lens on how this program actually works. Last year, I decided I wanted to try out accounting and generally learn about general accounting practices. My first job in accounting was a bit of a joke; I was a processing monkey. Robert Half came to me with an opportunity to join their “consulting” arm. I use this term lightly, and I'll explain why in a bit. Essentially, you are full-time employed with Robert Half and they give you general benefits like medical/dental/vision/401k (no match). It's bare bones, but the opportunities to work in different orgs, industries, and roles was very appealing. Now, for anyone who's worked in consulting, you understand that it's a business partnership with the client. You are advising them on solutions…

…on one specific day. …we work 12 hour shifts on the ambulance. …we almost never get to hang out at our base outside of the start and end of the shift. …how much do you want to bet the company isn’t even paying for the food? I’m “lucky” enough that I actually work that day, but I’m off an hour after the truck leaves. I guarantee I’m not getting any tacos. And for that matter, what about people who don’t work that day? Do they expect people to come in on their day off for tacos? Do they expect people to pick up an extra shift for tacos that they probably can’t even get back to base to pick up anyways? This is the shittiest, most out-of-touch way of boosting morale among an ambulance service. Give people goodie bags that they can pick up whenever they’re at the base, rather…

(Long time lurker, first time poster here + TW description of medical trauma involving a baby) …when he missed two days of work when our baby had a serious medical emergency and was in the hospital. He continued to answer emails and calls when he could and his jobs (he’s a supervisor on two construction sites) did not slip at all while he was gone. When our baby first got sick I literally thought I was watching him die, my husband had to rush home from work having gotten a call from the 911 dispatcher to get his ass home RIGHT NOW (one and only time I’ve wished I had a landline, I was home alone with our three young kids). He walked into the house with the baby unconscious and the paramedics checking him. As it turns out he was not dying but it was still a serious medical…

Story from about 10 years ago. I remember I was working at a contract manufacturing firm and I was in charge of releasing products for the line. Unfortunately, the people who picked the products from inventory left at 2 because they started at 5, but everybody in my department was expected to stay until 7. So essentially, from 3 o’clock on I had absolutely nothing to do, so I should’ve left at 5 o’clock with the other wage slaves or even earlier. But we all had to stay until 7 o’clock. Fine with me, I have no problem getting paid time and a half to install a GameBoy advance emulator on my computer and download all of the great hits from the Gameboy, Gameboy color, and GameBoy advance era. $39 an hour to play Pokémon Yellow and Links awakening for 20 hours this week? Fuck my supervisor and Ganon.

The title really tells the whole story. I was 21 with my first office job. It was a small company and we took turns sending out some newsletters for clients on weekends. It only took about an hour and we could do it from home, so whatever. We had our own email platform and could not access our work email from our cell phones. On one of my Saturdays completely off, I went hiking. When I checked my work email on Sunday morning I saw an email a coworker one level above me had sent me the day before. She had been invited to a party last minute and wanted me to take over her weekend duty. Well shit, too late. Somehow the CEO decided it was MY fault the newsletters never went out and client was pissed. My punishment? Now ALL the weekend newsletters are assigned to me and…

I found out on March 1st that I lost my father in the middle of my shift. My manager informed me I had 3 days bereavement leave, which I used to lay in bed and sub like a messy baby. I took another 3 days(unpaid) to travel to my home state to bury him, and tried to return to work. Three emotional breakdowns later, my HR rep told me to call this hot line to apply for extended leave. They told me I didn't qualify, because I haven't been at my job for a full year yet. I sincerely hate capitalism.