I’m so tired of the idea that workers have to “always look busy” even if there’s literally nothing to do.
“Find something to do! Just fake it!” Why should I have to perform “busy-ness” just because I’m efficient at my job and there’s a shortage of things to do during the slow hours? Who am I performing for? We get so little foot traffic. My managers are busy and have a lot of work, but none of it is anything I’m qualified (or paid enough!) to do. It feels like they’re just projecting their frustration but it’s not fair to take it out on us.
Sorry I’m too quick at filling orders correctly. Sorry the institution we’re partnered with didn’t tell us about a promotional event until way too late and we don’t have enough supplies to restock more than a couple items that people rarely buy. Sorry I can only tidy merchanise in our small store only so many times when they’re untouched for hours. Sorry I’m not helping the nonexistent customers that aren’t coming into our store.
Any time they say that we need to be “productive and doing something” and I ask what they would like us to do/what is there to do, they never have an answer. All the other departments you’re comparing us to, saying that all we do is stand around and talk (after we’ve finished our tasks)? They’re doing the exact same thing and you fucking know it.
I get paid $16/hr with no benefits in an area where a living wage is at least $30/hr. Only the managers qualify for benefits because none of us associates are given enough hours even if we wanted them. We’re good at our jobs and when it’s actually busy, we put in the work and get the job done well. I just don’t see the need to deprive people of downtime when they’ve put in the effort to create that time.