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Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,474 posts, read 26,008,272 times
Reputation: 59853
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Saritaschihuahua
Since it became "capitalist?" You betcha. I agree. Prior to Russia becoming capitalist there was at least some form of job security. Now there isn't. Further, now there is child porn, child prostitution, extremely violent drug gangs, extremely violent gangs of all kinds, mega-mega-mega-rich and mega-mega-mega poor, no safety net, and it's a far more hellish place. That's capitalism for ya! Isn't it LOVELY?
By the way, I was in Russia with friends the year prior to Perestroika. Any questions you have, just fire away.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,474 posts, read 26,008,272 times
Reputation: 59853
Quote:
Originally Posted by munna21977
after reading this article carefully, I feel russians are worse off now. Even americans are worse off now as compared to 1991.
You have a point, but you need to back up this with more information. I know that some Americans are struggling, but hopefully it will get better with hard work and determination.
Now, lets get back on topic about chashiers sitting vs standing. At leas I hope so.
This article is not exactly promoting your belief in the wonderfulness of unbridled capitalism.
"Another recent survey showed that one in five Russians today lives below the poverty line, and is worse off now than they were under the Communist regime."
“Many people yearn for a bygone era, the symbols of which were vodka for 3.62 roubles (7p), sausages for 2.20 roubles (5p) and bread for 13 kopecks (less than 1p). Today, you cannot buy anything for a rouble. But has our existence worsened because of this?†asked Margarita Vodyanova in Obshchaya Gazeta .
The minimum monthly salary in 1991 was 548 roubles – then worth, at business exchange rates, around $395 (then around £200), according to Yevgeny Gavrilenkov, chief economist at Troika Dialog.
However, this was still enough to have a decent life, as the state provided housing, education, utilities, health, child care, holidays and retirement homes.
None of this was of particularly good quality, but it was universally available, and it was all free. Back in 1991, the minimum salary could buy 74 loaves of bread or 6.2kg (14lb) of meat or 3.5 litres of vodka. A recent survey, conducted by the Higher School of Economics and the magazine Ekspert, on changes in Russian living standards between 1990 and 2009 found that income per head had increased by 45pc, while the volume of consumption per head had more than doubled, according to GDP-based consumption figures.
If you measure quality of life in terms of possessions, Russians have much more now than they did 20 years ago. In 2008, you could buy 70 per cent more durable goods, 25pc more food, and two to three times more cigarettes, vodka, cars and clothing than in the Soviet era."
I'm a cashier and I'm not really bothered by the fact that I have to stand for such long periods of time. First off, you get used to it pretty quick. And other cashiers (even the older ones) never complain about not being able to sit. When we don't have any customers, we are told to clean, stock candy, and other easy tasks. Honestly, my biggest complaint about being a cashier is the unrealistic expectations that management sets upon us. I can't force people to purchase a warranty for their product nor can I force people to donate to charity (where I'm not even sure if 100% of the proceeds actually get to where there supposed to go). Anyways, my point is; making cashiers stand should not be described as "torture".
I'm a cashier as well and I have no problem standing all day. But then I spent over 30 years POUNDING the floor as a waitress so it's nothing new to me. I can't imagine sitting to do my job but I sure don't mind standing in one place as opposed to having be all over the place all the time. I would be up and down constantly, allllll the time. Ever try lifting a case of beer/coke/water or a large bag of dog food sitting down?? LOL Ideally people would leave those large items IN their shopping cart and let me use the hand scanner but they think they are helping me by putting them on the belt. No, they aren't.
I don't 'force' anything on anyone. I ask, they say yes/no and that's that. At least my employer makes SURE I get my breaks and an hour lunch. I LOVE my job, I like my customers and generally have fun with them. I don't have enough 'down time' to be doing 'make work' around my register and, in fact, I am hard pressed sometimes to even keep my scanner and belt cleaned up. It does make the day go by fast at least.
No, standing isn't "torture" and I simply cannot see doing my job sitting down. We also have thick rubber mats to stand on, although they do seem to move around a lot so have to keep toeing them back in place!
It's a very superficial and limited analysis. Russian retirees were hit the worst, especially with the economic crisis in 1998, when the pension fund went up in smoke. People struggle to pay for their children's college education, often going into debt (interest rates are usurious) or borrowing from friends. Only students with top grades get free educations, whereas before, everyone did. Salaries were cut significantly in 1998, and haven't really returned to former levels, as if even that were a livable wage. The average worker, and this includes university professors and administrators, can't afford to buy the consumer goods that are available now. People continue to live a spartan life, growing their own vegetables in their kitchen gardens, and canning them for the winter.
There is a safety net for the unemployed. Contrary to popular belief, though, health care is not universal. Some jobs don't provide health insurance.
Life has improved in some respects, due to infrastructure projects that were carried out when oil money was flush. There's more electricity generating capacity, so people can now have air conditioners in their apartments. Anyone able to make a go at a small business can buy a car (new), and cellphones are popular. Cell phones are hardly a measure of quality of life, though. The one thing Putin did that Yeltsin refused to do was change the tax structure so that small businesses would be viable. In the 90's, Russian "capitalism" was in some respects just the old socialism with a thin veneer of capitalism, and people still paid the same level of taxes as before. Small businesses and cooperatives paid 80-90% of income to taxes. Needless to say, they didn't last long.
I think I may be able to merge the topics of Russian jobs and workers sitting.
When I lived in Russia (I'm born and raised in the U.S.), I would often go to museums. The rooms in the museums did not leave the lights on. Instead they had people, generally babushkas (grandmotherly types) SITTING in a chair and waiting for someone to come into the room/gallery and they would flip on the light switch next to the chair where they were working. Once you left, they would flip off the switch.
It's a very superficial and limited analysis. Russian retirees were hit the worst, especially with the economic crisis in 1998, when the pension fund went up in smoke. People struggle to pay for their children's college education, often going into debt (interest rates are usurious) or borrowing from friends. Only students with top grades get free educations, whereas before, everyone did. Salaries were cut significantly in 1998, and haven't really returned to former levels, as if even that were a livable wage. The average worker, and this includes university professors and administrators, can't afford to buy the consumer goods that are available now. People continue to live a spartan life, growing their own vegetables in their kitchen gardens, and canning them for the winter.
There is a safety net for the unemployed. Contrary to popular belief, though, health care is not universal. Some jobs don't provide health insurance.
Life has improved in some respects, due to infrastructure projects that were carried out when oil money was flush. There's more electricity generating capacity, so people can now have air conditioners in their apartments. Anyone able to make a go at a small business can buy a car (new), and cellphones are popular. Cell phones are hardly a measure of quality of life, though. The one thing Putin did that Yeltsin refused to do was change the tax structure so that small businesses would be viable. In the 90's, Russian "capitalism" was in some respects just the old socialism with a thin veneer of capitalism, and people still paid the same level of taxes as before. Small businesses and cooperatives paid 80-90% of income to taxes. Needless to say, they didn't last long.
I was in Russia in the late 1990s and I remember when the government decided to just lop off 3 zeros from their money. A one-time 100,000 ruble note became a 100 ruble note. For a time, both types of notes were used. It was an interesting time, that's for sure.
I'm glad you love standing for hours so much. I can't imagine what your life would be like if you didn't, given that your job requires it. Unfortunately, standing for hours is harmful.
Resource Lines
]How does the body respond to prolonged standing? Joint compression
Each body part is compressed by all of the sections of the body above it. For example, the head, arms and torso compress the hips, but the feet are compressed by the weight of the entire body. Compressing a joint is like squeezing a sponge -- body fluids are squeezed out of the space in the joint. Without body fluids and circulation, joints become malnourished, and cannot continue to support the weight of the body. Wear and tear of body parts occurs. Insufficient blood return in the legs
Gravity pulls blood down into the feet. One way that blood returns to the heart is through cyclic muscle contractions. When muscles are engaged in one long contraction to keep a person standing, it hinders proper circulation of body fluids. This can result in blood pooling in the legs, which can eventually lead to varicose veins. Postural muscle fatigue
Postural joints and muscles keep the body from falling over while a person is standing or walking. These joints and muscles need nourishment, which they get from circulation. Muscles also need rest breaks to recoup from bouts of work. Standing or walking for a long time, forces muscles and joints to work nonstop without nourishment. Without rest muscles become exhausted, resulting in pain.
What are the health consequences?
Standing is a natural human posture and by itself poses no particular health hazard. In fact, when standing for short periods of time, the body is in one of its most comfortable positions. The lumbar curvature is naturally maintained, the spinal column is properly supported and the body's internal organs are in a relaxed, natural position. However, working in a standing position on a regular basis can cause the following:
Sore feet;
Swelling of the legs;
Varicose veins;
General muscular fatigue;
Low back pain; and
Stiffness in the neck and shoulders.
Keeping the body in an upright position over time requires considerable muscular effort that is particularly unhealthy even while standing motionless. When muscles are constricted, blood flow to the load-bearing muscles is reduced. These are the muscles used to maintain an upright position. This causes muscular strain in the legs, back and neck.
Insufficient blood flow accelerates the onset of fatigue and causes pain and even permanent damage to body tissue. This results in injuries such as varicose veins, arthritis in the knees and hips, plantar fasciitis (inflammation of a tough band of tissue on bottom of the foot), heel spurs, flat feet, high blood pressure and low back pain.
Prolonged and frequent standing, without some relief by walking, causes blood to pool in the legs and feet. When standing occurs over prolonged periods without some relief by walking, it can result in inflammation of the veins. This inflammation may progress to chronic and painful varicose veins. Excessive standing also causes the joints in the spine, hips, knees and feet to become temporarily immobilized or locked. This immobility can later lead to rheumatic diseases related to degenerative damage to the tendons and ligaments.
How are feet specially affected?
The foot has dozens of bones, joints, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, tendons and layers of fascia (connective tissue). When the body tissues are sufficiently stressed, they become swollen and/or inflamed. Chronic inflammation may create scar tissue and changes to bony structures. The bones of the foot form arches that are supported by ligaments and muscles. These arches contribute to the strength, stability, mobility, and resilience of the foot. During standing, walking, running or jumping, the arches serve as shock absorbers, spreading energy before it is transferred higher up the leg.
If arches are lost (for example through conditions of flat feet, overpronation [flattening of the arch and inward tilting of the ankle]), the shock-absorbing quality of the arches disappears. This affects the feet, knees, hips and spine. Losing the arch in the foot also changes the position of the knee and hip, which makes them more vulnerable to injury from working while standing for long period.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZDesertBrat
I'm a cashier as well and I have no problem standing all day. But then I spent over 30 years POUNDING the floor as a waitress so it's nothing new to me. I can't imagine sitting to do my job but I sure don't mind standing in one place as opposed to having be all over the place all the time. I would be up and down constantly, allllll the time. Ever try lifting a case of beer/coke/water or a large bag of dog food sitting down?? LOL Ideally people would leave those large items IN their shopping cart and let me use the hand scanner but they think they are helping me by putting them on the belt. No, they aren't.
I don't 'force' anything on anyone. I ask, they say yes/no and that's that. At least my employer makes SURE I get my breaks and an hour lunch. I LOVE my job, I like my customers and generally have fun with them. I don't have enough 'down time' to be doing 'make work' around my register and, in fact, I am hard pressed sometimes to even keep my scanner and belt cleaned up. It does make the day go by fast at least.
No, standing isn't "torture" and I simply cannot see doing my job sitting down. We also have thick rubber mats to stand on, although they do seem to move around a lot so have to keep toeing them back in place!
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