Working for a Government Agency.....

gsxr1100 · Feb 24, 2005

AndyM- The gifts are a joke and you are their to do a job, not whine about a sevice award.

I had a 10 years award and it was a joke, but on the flip side I have a job and get paid. For the upcoming 18-year I told them to keep it. What do you get for 50 years? A coffin?

Again, I am there to do a job, not worry about some service award.

Is not “hard working” and government together a play on words?

AndyM · Feb 24, 2005

The gifts are a joke and you are their to do a job, not whine about a sevice award. 

I am understanding enough of today's business conditions to realize the need to be very appreciative of my job.

However, the management of many companies need to realize the need to motivate their employees, whether in the form of words, gifts, salary, or other means. Employees, on the other hand, need to be aware of how much is too much. Being ungrateful and expecting your employer to give and give until they are bled dry is not the way to go either. Each side needs to be aware of the needs of the other and a healthy balance needs to be maintained.

milkman · Feb 24, 2005

A friend in Canada sent me this, sounds pretty typical for government work.

"Once upon a time the Canadian Government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of nowhere with no real value. The Government said, 'Someone may steal from the scrap yard at night.' Hence they created a night watchman position and hired a person (bilingual, naturally) for the job.
"Then the Government said, 'How can the watchman do his job without instruction?' So they created a Planning Department and hired two people; one person to write the job description and one person to do time studies.
"Then the Government said, 'How will we know the night watchman is performing the tasks correctly? So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people; one to do the studies and one to write the reports.
"Then the Government said, 'How are these people going to get paid?' and they created the following positions; a Time Keeper and a Payroll Officer; then hired two more people to assist.
"Then the Government said, 'Who will be accountable for all of these people?' So they established an Administrative Section and hired three more people: an Administrative Officer and a Legal Secretary.
"Then the Government said, 'We have had this organization in operation for only one year and we are $1,180,000 over budget; we must cut back our overall costs.' So they laid off the night watchman."
"Only in Canada," you say?
Keep smiling.

beenthere · Feb 24, 2005

Such menial awards didn't motivate me in the job. The successful completion of a task and the challenge of taking on new tasks and doing them well was (were) the award(s).
I have the 5 year pins (up to 35), plus the certificates of recognition and superior service, along with the 'safety' awards (that were embarrassing to receive, as I was just doing the right thing to point out unsafe practices or conditions). So many award programs are de-incentives, IMO. The job is the reward.
Five year, ten year, etc. awards for great service (not given to all) might be an incentive. But always, everyone gets the same award (can't let anyone feel left out here, can we).
Same problems the unions get into, when protecting the non-worker. Probably saying too much and getting off on a tangent, so will bow out. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

slowrev · Feb 24, 2005

The best awards are for some of those elected government employees. Serve one term and retirement the rest of your life, with benefits.

gsxr1100 · Feb 25, 2005

( However, the management of many companies need to realize the need to motivate their employees, whether in the form of words, gifts, salary, or other means. Employees, on the other hand, need to be aware of how much is too much. Being ungrateful and expecting your employer to give and give until they are bled dry is not the way to go either. Each side needs to be aware of the needs of the other and a healthy balance needs to be maintained. )

What you say is true but will never happen. Will all the outsourcing on America, they (we) are lucky to have a job. Do you want a pen or a pink slip?

Healty Benefits now that is funny. Never happen with “the man” running the show.

It is more like put in free OT & come in under budget and maybe just maybe, you will get a piece of cake at the next meeting. Motivation is easy; do your job or you are fired.

Welcome to corporate America.

DaveNay · Feb 25, 2005

( It is more like put in free OT & come in under budget and maybe just maybe, you will get a piece of cake at the next meeting. Motivation is easy; do your job or you are fired.

Welcome to corporate America. )

<rant>

Normally, I stay out of this type of discussion, but in my opinioin, this kind of fatalistic, depressing attitude is bordering on being communistic, and is exactly what is wrong with the attitude of many (not all) corporations..

I personally refuse to work in this type of environment, and in fact I have changed jobs more than once due to situations similar than this. Listen up.....WE ARE NOT PIECES OF MEAT. Each of us is a living, breathing thinking loving caring human being, and we deserve more respect that jsut being treated like gamepieces on a chess board. If I commit my time and effort to working on a particular task, and I even go beyond "normal hours" by maybe staying late to not break my train of thought, or coming in early to take advantage of an hour of quiet time, then I should not be dismissed as just another warm body with a pulse.

Is my salary the only reward? Heck no. I will not be tagged with the label of mercenary. I work for personal satasfaction as well as public recognition in addition to cash.

I believe that persons who roll over and accept the abuse that some companies want to dish out are doing nothing at all to help correct the problem. Why do companies or specific managers behave like this? Because we let them! What we are seeing today is just a repeat of the situations that existed during the early years of the modern industrial revolution, where people worked for practically slave wages, for 12-14 hours per day, they were "glad to have a job", and they owed there soul to the company store.

I call B.S. Just because that is the way it is at some corporations, doesn't mean that it is right, and it absolutely doesn't mean that we should accept it as just another fact of existence.

</rant>

Dave

gsxr1100 · Feb 25, 2005

Dave- You can call it what you want. It is going on RIGHT NOW! I see it everyday. We outsource 10% last year and going for another 25%. People whine and complain about this and that, they are lucky to have a job!

Keep complaining and whining when your job is outsourced to India, Poland or China.

You commit your time on your time. If you go beyond your normal hours that is your problem, not the companies. I do not stay overtime since nothing is that important. You can work extra hours till you are dead, but you are still not doing anything. Company does not care.

I do not get person recognition since most is classified nor care. I do the best I can and that is my recognition. Again you are here to do a job. If you do not do it, we (company) will find someone who can. More then likely cheaper. You are a number. If you do not “hold your own” you are out of here. If is not fair to the people that really work that have to pull your weight since you can’t. Also get rid of supervisions and managers since they are high priced babysitters.

You can’t stop it since the little guy is powerless. It takes money and time and the average joe can’t do anything; but the directors or VP can. You are fighting the wrong thing and it will never change. It will and is getting worse.

We had over 13K people at our location. now down to 5K and closing another plant this year (to overseas). Also moved a section out of state. The complete corporation is over 180K people and going to outsource over 75% of it by 2007.

Again, people are lucky to have a job unless you like working at Burger King.

slowrev · Feb 25, 2005

Keep complaining and whining when your job is outsourced to India, Poland or China.
//
Yep I had a nice job with good benefits, was outsouced to India. Oh well after our pay drops enough so will the corporate income, after all we consumers are responsible for 66% of the economy in the USA. 30% pay cut in another job and paying $800 month for insurance... oh well no more rant from here...
Ben