Thursday has swung into view again and we are lining up the runway ready for our landing into the weekend.
Of course there are a few preliminaries to be afforded first, the last couple of workdays for the week but if life in the “misery box”, as one of my colleagues humorously described our workplace as yesterday, continues in a similar vein to the rest of the week so far, then we should proceed to the weekend in a very orderly fashion, full of good cheer and love and respect for our fellow man.
This isn’t to say I have enjoyed going to work this week, that would be a bridge too far and a note too high but it has proceeded in an orderly fashion for the most part and been quite easy on most of us “floor dwellers”.
The only sour moment has been the return of our prodigal manager from a three month hiatus, the reason for his absence for such a time being a myriad of problems including physical disorders, car crashes, overseas trips, family illness and other such complaints. We were hoping he wouldn’t return.
He is at us all the time, walking the floor, his intensely annoying personality grating on all and sundry, his bright orange safety vest standing out like a beacon of deranged propriety, a preacher in a oddball church trying to convert the infidel not realising his effort is in vein. One would think after three months off he would have plenty of paperwork to catch up on rather than needling his staff on the floor.
As he roamed through the small letter sorting area on his return he mentioned out loud to whoever was in earshot that there was a lot of work, a covert signal for anyone talking to cease and desist and get on with what they are supposed to be doing.
Of course his job is to make sure the place runs as well as it can but if he wants to oversee staff then he should give up his overpaid position and get down and dirty on the floor and be a supervisor. Otherwise he has no business annoying us as he does.
As he wandered about it was suggested to him by our union representative that he resembled a Commandant from the Gestapo and it was suggested by the same that he keep walking and leave the staff in peace to get on with it as best they can. It was an advisement which didn’t go down well but from all accounts he got the message and being a flash sod not wishing to be humiliated in front of his underlings due to engaging in a slanging match with an equally deranged unionist, common sense seized him by the throat and dragged him away from the section saving a very ugly scene.
Of course the other issue of note which confounded us simple workers was the decision by the managing director of the corporation to slash our Christmas bonus whilst pocketing a cool $800 000 benefit for the year himself on top of the $2.7 million a year he already earns!
The $500 cash in hand we were promised, of which after tax, $320 would be given has been halved and converted into what basically amounts to trinkets which can only be redeemed at our corporation’s retail outlets. Factoring in that many won’t even be bothered to do even that means a pretty cool saving for the corporation. They made $280 million last year! The working man takes another hit. And they wonder why morale is low.
The politically conservative among us seem to have philosophy that you only get out of life what you put in and handouts shouldn’t be a part of society, if you work hard you should get the benefit. So what happens if you work hard, improve productivity and “the man” decides to be “the Grinch who stole Christmas” and take away what has been promised for your hard work? I don’t think that is fair in anyone’s language.
So I have decided in response to such a provocative act to return it in kind and tone down my productivity to at least half of what the managing director feels is appropriate. Quid, Pro, Quo, I say!
Perhaps common sense will prevail and in order to sure up the discontented proletariat a sausage sizzle will be arranged albeit with all involved receiving only half a snag! That will improve the mood!
And so, swatting away these small grievances, our advance towards Christmas will continue and despite the regular grumblings one can only hope the good feeling pervading the place will continue.
Even our supervisor seems to be in a better place this week. It could be due to the the fact that the object of his unrequited love is doing morning shift and he only sees her as one would see a ship passing in the night. Much better for his emotional health. Alas, this situation will not last and she will return to the afternoon shift next week to continue to torment his mind and body, promising riches yet delivering only rags. Another man doomed to plumbing the depths of love yet left only with the detrius of his unbridled devotion to a woman who doesn’t want to return the same.
He doesn’t get it. She’s just not that into him!
One can only hope that one day he will stop living in the hope she will see the light and will come to his senses and turn onto a new course and find happiness elsewhere. But I doubt it.
And so as the dawn turns into a clear morning and the temperature rises towards it’s very warm maximum forecast for the day I will breakaway and find something more constructive with which to bide my time.
I hope, as we count down towards another weekend and the ultimate prize of Christmas, that you have a great day and find comfort and entertainment in any little thing you do today.
Have a good one.
Of course there are a few preliminaries to be afforded first, the last couple of workdays for the week but if life in the “misery box”, as one of my colleagues humorously described our workplace as yesterday, continues in a similar vein to the rest of the week so far, then we should proceed to the weekend in a very orderly fashion, full of good cheer and love and respect for our fellow man.
This isn’t to say I have enjoyed going to work this week, that would be a bridge too far and a note too high but it has proceeded in an orderly fashion for the most part and been quite easy on most of us “floor dwellers”.
The only sour moment has been the return of our prodigal manager from a three month hiatus, the reason for his absence for such a time being a myriad of problems including physical disorders, car crashes, overseas trips, family illness and other such complaints. We were hoping he wouldn’t return.
He is at us all the time, walking the floor, his intensely annoying personality grating on all and sundry, his bright orange safety vest standing out like a beacon of deranged propriety, a preacher in a oddball church trying to convert the infidel not realising his effort is in vein. One would think after three months off he would have plenty of paperwork to catch up on rather than needling his staff on the floor.
As he roamed through the small letter sorting area on his return he mentioned out loud to whoever was in earshot that there was a lot of work, a covert signal for anyone talking to cease and desist and get on with what they are supposed to be doing.
Of course his job is to make sure the place runs as well as it can but if he wants to oversee staff then he should give up his overpaid position and get down and dirty on the floor and be a supervisor. Otherwise he has no business annoying us as he does.
As he wandered about it was suggested to him by our union representative that he resembled a Commandant from the Gestapo and it was suggested by the same that he keep walking and leave the staff in peace to get on with it as best they can. It was an advisement which didn’t go down well but from all accounts he got the message and being a flash sod not wishing to be humiliated in front of his underlings due to engaging in a slanging match with an equally deranged unionist, common sense seized him by the throat and dragged him away from the section saving a very ugly scene.
Of course the other issue of note which confounded us simple workers was the decision by the managing director of the corporation to slash our Christmas bonus whilst pocketing a cool $800 000 benefit for the year himself on top of the $2.7 million a year he already earns!
The $500 cash in hand we were promised, of which after tax, $320 would be given has been halved and converted into what basically amounts to trinkets which can only be redeemed at our corporation’s retail outlets. Factoring in that many won’t even be bothered to do even that means a pretty cool saving for the corporation. They made $280 million last year! The working man takes another hit. And they wonder why morale is low.
The politically conservative among us seem to have philosophy that you only get out of life what you put in and handouts shouldn’t be a part of society, if you work hard you should get the benefit. So what happens if you work hard, improve productivity and “the man” decides to be “the Grinch who stole Christmas” and take away what has been promised for your hard work? I don’t think that is fair in anyone’s language.
So I have decided in response to such a provocative act to return it in kind and tone down my productivity to at least half of what the managing director feels is appropriate. Quid, Pro, Quo, I say!
Perhaps common sense will prevail and in order to sure up the discontented proletariat a sausage sizzle will be arranged albeit with all involved receiving only half a snag! That will improve the mood!
And so, swatting away these small grievances, our advance towards Christmas will continue and despite the regular grumblings one can only hope the good feeling pervading the place will continue.
Even our supervisor seems to be in a better place this week. It could be due to the the fact that the object of his unrequited love is doing morning shift and he only sees her as one would see a ship passing in the night. Much better for his emotional health. Alas, this situation will not last and she will return to the afternoon shift next week to continue to torment his mind and body, promising riches yet delivering only rags. Another man doomed to plumbing the depths of love yet left only with the detrius of his unbridled devotion to a woman who doesn’t want to return the same.
He doesn’t get it. She’s just not that into him!
One can only hope that one day he will stop living in the hope she will see the light and will come to his senses and turn onto a new course and find happiness elsewhere. But I doubt it.
And so as the dawn turns into a clear morning and the temperature rises towards it’s very warm maximum forecast for the day I will breakaway and find something more constructive with which to bide my time.
I hope, as we count down towards another weekend and the ultimate prize of Christmas, that you have a great day and find comfort and entertainment in any little thing you do today.
Have a good one.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 