Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Something happened in the office today and I just want to share.
I work in a technology consulting firm, we have clients all over the city working different hours. One of our client had an issue and needed a technician to stay after hour to resolve an issue, so the project manager assigned the ticket to the new kid. The new kid got the assignment, walked over to the project manager and told him that he could not do it because "It's over my hours!". At first the manager thought he was kidding, but the kid added, "You're asking me to work overtime and I don't want to." Needless to say, the project manager blew up. I am wondering what will happen next.
What do you guys think?
(When a tech is hired, he/she is required to read & sign an employee's handbook. It states that overtime may be required from time to time based on client's needs.)
To me, it's particularly curious because most younger people are dying to work extra hours because they need the money.
It's secondarily curious because it's like the kid has no social sense, no sense of how one talks to the boss. Anyone with any sense wouldn't say "I don't want to" but instead "Unfortunately, I can't because I have a doctor's appointment."
I'd be really interested to know how old the kid is, whether he went to college, and where he's from.
well, on the other hand we work all day long and anything else we make a plan for after working hours, (doctors, crafts, gym, dinners, whatever) thats right after working hours, so he was entitled to say no, I don't want to.
so what if the kid had another plan, he is entitled to it, it wasn't within working hours.
I say good him him, I wouldnt have wanted to work overtime either. We are in offices for 8 hours a day, thats more than sdufficient, anything other than that can wait till tomorrow, because there will always be a tomorrow.
people here in American seem to think their only purpose in life is to work. I don't.
well, on the other hand we work all day long and anything else we make a plan for after working hours, (doctors, crafts, gym, dinners, whatever) thats right after working hours, so he was entitled to say no, I don't want to.
so what if the kid had another plan, he is entitled to it, it wasn't within working hours.
I say good him him, I wouldnt have wanted to work overtime either. We are in offices for 8 hours a day, thats more than sdufficient, anything other than that can wait till tomorrow, because there will always be a tomorrow.
people here in American seem to think their only purpose in life is to work. I don't.
Ordinarily under other circumstances, I would agree with this. Many companies do exploit their employees and try to squeeze blood from a stone, getting them to work longer hours, and hire 2 people to cover the workload of 1 person.
HOWEVER, this person was the "new kid". He clearly understood the parameters of the job description. If you are new, you must make a good first impression. Part of that process is to appear eager to take on projects, even if they spill over into non-working hours. If this kid had any smarts, he would work hard for the first 3 months to prove he can handle the job, and do a good job. Clearly, his priorities are elsewhere and it sends a clear message to his boss and his co-workers that his personal/social life is more important than his job (especially if his only excuse was "I dont want to work overtime" - really??!). If he cant even handle this task as a new employee, who wants to assign him a more challenging assignment that requires more commitment later down the road??? or even think of him as the "go to" guy if he is up for a promotion? Employers dont want lazy employees, they want someone who rises to the challenge from day one. If he cant handle that, show him the door!
No way, I would still fire his lazy butt.
Last edited by LegalDiva; 02-20-2013 at 01:41 PM..
I couldn't disagree more with nightcrawler on this one.
1) the kid knew (from the employees handbook) that OT 'might' be required.
2) being the new kid, he needs to show that he's reliable and willing to make an extra effort in order to make the company (and himself) look good
3) the kid apparently did not have any good excuse other than 'I don't want to stay'... If the kid had a family emergency, or had serious plans after his regular work hrs, I could see him getting away by saying 'I really would stay if I could but...'
4)There's no shortage of tech kids (I'm in the IT industry myself so I know first hand) wanting to do some OT to get more money at the end of week/month. So he's not being smart about keeping his job intact.
I could go on, but from what's presented in the OP, I see this kid getting the boot sooner than later.... and rightly so, IMO.
If I may add, IT consulting is an overtime-intensive career just like public accounting, law, investment banking, management consulting etc. The consultant is supposed to work however long it takes to get the project milestone done on time.
If he does not like working overtime because he "makes plans for after working hours" that he cannot put aside, then he should not have taken a job in IT consulting. He should try getting a job in payroll, tech support or some other position where overtime is not routine.
I agree with the suggestion that he should be let go. It is not fair for him to cling on to a position that he cannot fulfill while others who are willing and able to do the job remain jobless or underemployed. Give the job to someone else.
Difference in work ethic between generations is a myth and a stereotype. It all depends on the individual. Plus if anything most young people these days sacrifice their own rights too much because they want to move up quicker and make money.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
