Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time

Slacker Manager has an interesting article on phrases not allowed in the workplace in a Siberian office. (Link)

I think it is wrong for management to ban phrases and punish people for their use. Some of the phrases on the banned list should be perfectly acceptable:

“It’s not my job.” If someone is asking you to do something that is not your job you should tell them that and then direct them to the proper person or office. “Helping out” by doing something that is not your job can cause major problems for both the end-user making the request and for the department that should have done the work to begin with since chances are you are not familiar with the proper procedures and are not doing the job properly. Just because you know how something can be done does not mean that you know how it is done at your workplace. Various policies and procedures are in place for a reason and bypassing them just causes problems.

“It’s/That’s Impossible” Sometimes things are truly impossible. However, saying that on initial contact is probably not a good idea. A better way to handle that would be to let the client know you will need to check on that and get back to them. However, after looking into it if something is actually not possible you should not lie to the client and tell them otherwise.

“I don’t know/I can’t” There is nothing wrong with not knowing something or not being able to do something. The client should understand that and as long as you follow up with a referral to someone who can help them there should be no problem. No being allowed to admit ignorance will only lead to the employee to make something up, which will only hurt the client and the business.

“I’m having lunch” Workers should be allowed to take an uninterrupted lunch break. If alternate coverage can not be provided then the office should be closed for the duration of the lunch break.

“There is no money” This is a valid response if the request involves something that there is no budget for. By letting the client know that up front they can perhaps seek funding for their project earlier.

“I was away/sick/on vacation” Employees should be allowed to take sick/vacation leave without penalty. There is nothing wrong with that. There should then be follow up with a fellow employee to get up to date on the situation so the client can be called back.

“The work day is over” This is similar to the lunch break one. Once employees are done with their shift they should not be expected to work. If an office has posted hours and a client is demanding service past those hours, then it should be up to the client to return during normal business hours or make other arrangements. No one should be expected to work late with no notice.

All of the other ones fall into similar categories as the I was away or I don’t know phrases. Other employees and resources should be checked and the client contacted with pertinent information.

It would seem with most of the items on this list that they assume these phrases exist in a vacuum. There should always be follow up. So while I agree that it would be bad form to simply tell someone “That’s not my job” and then walk away, I think it should be perfectly acceptable to tell someone “That’s not my job. You need to contact *appropriate person*.” It is hard to tell if that is the intent of the manager or not. It doesn’t seem that way to me though.

Tonight we listed the first auction for the benefit of the Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County.

Today was Bella’s first day of kindergarten. Karen wrote about the first week plans on her blog. Homeschool is in session and off to a great start.

I’ve completed another web project for Dr. Lawson, this one is entitled B-29 Bomber Names in the Pacific. It is fascinating material, check it out.

This is absolutely fabulous. Someone stated (quite rightly) that people should seriously consider what they are doing before they switch to a Mac, since it might not be worth it. And he gets spammed to high hell by psychotic Mac-evangelists. (link via Slacker Manager)

I have several problems with Apple as a company, and as a disclaimer I enjoy my iPod and iTunes and I use a Mac Mini so I know what I am talking about. First and foremost Apple is a monopoly. Remember how everyone was up in arms about how evil Microsoft is because they are a monopoly? Pot I’d like to introduce you to the kettle. If you want to buy a Mac you will buy it how Apple wants you to buy it, and you can only buy it from Apple at the price they set. Second, Steve Jobs is anti-union. Third, Apple is selling an appalling elitist attitude along with their products. People are being brainwashed into believing that not only are Macs a great product but the people who use them are better. You are not just buying a computer you are buying into a lifestyle. WTF?!? Why the hell would I want my computer to be the basis of my lifestyle? A computer computes. It connects me to the internet so I can blog. It has shit to do with my real life. Personally I really don’t care what OS or platform you choose. But shut up about your choice and don’t try to convert me. It just goes to prove there is one thing PC users can do that Mac users can’t.

Just remember, Every OS Sucks!

It’s labor day. A day off from work. The “last day of summer.” But what else is it? For too many that is all it is. But where would we be without organized labor? I always find it distressing when I read articles or letters blaming unions for everything. If it weren’t for organized labor there would be no such thing as the weekend, or an eight hour workday, or so many things we take for granted about our working life. I heard a DJ on the radio talking about how Google was hiring and how great it would be to work there. They provide meals, childcare, laundry, haircuts, health clubs, and more. So much stuff that there is little incentive to leave work. So while the employee may be duped into believing they are getting a sweet deal, really the corporation is the winner, with employees who voluntarily work unpaid overtime. This push towards corporate dominance is scary. The corporations don’t care about the employees, they don’t even care about the product, they just care about the profit. We need to be strengthening our unions rather than weakening them. A decent salary, benefits, and a pension are not too much to ask. In every letter to the editor I read where someone is blaming unions for having these things it just seems like the person is jealous, and rather than fight for those things himself he would rather take them away from those that have them. We can’t assume that unions are an outdated relic from the past. We need to stay vigilant lest we find ourselves corporate slaves.

I found out last week that I was put in for a promotion at work, which was approved. This is great news! I went from an Instructional Support Associate, SL-2 to an Instructional Support Technician, SL-3. I took the opportunity to update my vitae.