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Basically I got a job a few months ago, and I felt I was doing well at it. However, for the past three weeks, something strange has been happening.
Basically about 3 hours after each of my shifts, I would get moved to a different department, but then have nothing to do pretty much. The departed is a meat packing area of the building and it's freezing cold. But all I do is look for things to do like sweep the floors and things like that, and who wants to do that for five hours in the cold, especially when it is just looking for something to do, and there is already janitorial staff to do those things, and they probably think I am doing a good amount of their work for them.
But why is it that if there is work to be done in my department, which I thought I was doing well at, and actually contributing too, that after 3 hours of my shifts, I am then moved to sweep the floors, in a freezing cold meat packing area for five hours of the remaining 8 hour shifts?
I don't understand why. I even asked the supervisor of that area, and she says that she doesn't have anything for me to do but she wants me ready, just in case.
I asked my supervisor in the department I was in originally, where I work 3 hours a shift, and she says, that she keeps being told by the supervisor of the meat freezer that she needs me for that area for that part of the day.
Now it would be one thing, if they assigned a different employee to her for five hours a day, and we all rotated, but it's always me being moved there, to do nothing contributing, and just freeze there for five hours a day. I told her that she (the supervisor of the meat department), does not have anything for me to do when I am transferred there each day now. My supervisor told me that well, if she asks for me, and wants me to stay the rest of the shift, then I have to stay.
Why? What's so special about me, that I am pulled away from work, that is actually there to do and get done, that I have to be put on this duty, which is not doing anything but freezing and sweeping the same area, over and over, when there are already people to do that?
I was also told by my boss, when it came to my first performance review that I need to find more to do, and she sees me not doing much, and I knew she was referring to watching me sweep. I told her that I was told to do that cause the supervisor of that department said it herself, that she doesn't have anything for me to do. The boss kind of gave a look, like she didn't believe the supervisor would say that most likely.
I don't understand why I am needed for this above anyone else, to the point where they won't even rotate who gets to do nothing but freeze for the day, but they always pick me. Perhaps I am making too big a deal of it, and I shouldn't let it grind my gears? I guess I wouldn't so much if I felt I was doing something contributing in the cold, rather than nothing it seems, and feel like I am being wasted but also have to suffer, temperature wise as a result. But what do you think?
Because the goal of management is not to allow you to find a specific niche to which you are best suited: it is to grind you -- and everyone else -- down to interchangeable parts who will compete against each other for your share of a stagnant package of pay and benefits. If you're not satisfied and leave (either allowing somebody else to take your place at entry-level, or dividing your workload among other employees) so much the better for your employer.
Welcome to life in toothless, post-industrial America, In part, it can't be helped, because the dominant position of the United States and Canada after 1945 was purchased in blood -- mostly some other nation's blood. And it's really not that bad -- if you understand that on absolute, rather than relative terms, we're all better off than we were a few years ago. But the grass across the fence is always greener, and prosperity always takes time to trickle down -- and trickle down it will -- but at a slower rate than most of the world simply because we're already near the top of the heap.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 05-18-2018 at 12:40 AM..
Welcome to life in toothless, post-industrial America, In part, it can't be helped, because the dominant position of the United States and Canada after 1945 was purchased in blood -- mostly some other nation's blood. And it's really not that bad -- if you understand that on absolute, rather than relative terms, we're all better off than we were a few years ago. But the grass across the fence is always greener, and prosperity always takes time to trickle down -- and trickle down it will -- but at a slower rate than most of the world simply because we're already near the top of the heap.
You need to study a bit more economics, and labor economic in particular.
OK, once more; we all want glamorous, high-paying capital-intensive (many dollars invested per worker) jobs. But what we're more likely to get, with an aging population and not as many legal immigrants desperate enough to scrub floors and empty bedpans, isn't so attractive. If you want something better, be prepared to invest in a STEM degree (and likely, a big pile of student-loan debt) -- and to work in a more structured, disciplined and stressful environment.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 05-18-2018 at 12:41 AM..
You need to study a bit more economics, and labor economic in particular.
OK, once more; we all want glamorous, high-paying capital-intensive (many dollars invested per worker) jobs. But what we're more likely to get, with an aging population and not as many legal immigrants desperate enough to scrub floors and empty bedpans, isn't so attractive. If you want something better, be prepared to invest in a STEM degree (and likely, a big pile of student-loan debt) -- and to work in a more structured, disciplined and stressful environment.
People seem to forget that colleges accept cash for payment. No need for student loan debt. Get a job at a company that offers tuition reimbursement and no student loan debt. Work and attend community college in the evening. Save to pay for the final two years for a bachelors.
Bottom line is we all have choices and options to achieve our desired career.
Sounds like management has the problem, not you. Why hire someone for a job where there is nothing to do?
Perhaps the meat packing department area is trying to pad its employment numbers (maybe for some government grant, tax break), that is why they request your presence for 5 hours out of the day.
Perhaps the supervisor of the meat packing department area needs to pad the number of employees she supervises in order to justify her position, rate of pay, future promotion, and that is why they request your presence for 5 hours out of the day.
Or perhaps the company is so dysfunctional that it has no idea how to utilize its employees (human resources!). I have worked for a lot of companies like this, you can't change them by asking logical questions to your supervisors with regard to your work situation. The supervisors are clueless and don't want to hear any back talk from the lowly employees. Fun times!
I tell you one thing, if I was you, I would be bringing my winter coat, gloves, hat and scarf, and I would wear my full winter gear as I walked around sweeping floors and trying to look busy for the clueless, useless supervisors who for some illogical reason cannot find any work to give you. Of course I would probably be fired for wearing my winter gear, and not wanting to freeze while I did nothing for 5 hours. Gotta love the American workplace.
It's not your fault. It's theirs. Even high paying jobs and so-called "important workplaces" have the same problems of useless management having no idea how to properly use their "human resources."
Well the thing is, since it's a meat packing plant, I cannot wear outside winter gear cause of contamination purposes, and am forced to wear there's which is not as warm as it could be unfortunately.
They asked me to work a few yours of OT yesterday, and I politely asked if I would be in the meat freezer, and they said oh no, if they want you to work OT, they would have something more useful to do than be in there. So I said yes. And then once the shift ended, and the supervisors who asked me to work OT had went home, the supervisor in the meat department called me in to freeze again and do nothing, but find something to do such as sweep, once again.
So I guess I should say no to OT from now on, if I don't want to freeze for me even more hours.
The only solution is to LEAVE. Believe me, it won't get any better if management is poor and clueless or intimidated by your abilities. They become fearful of their own job
Well the thing is, since it's a meat packing plant, I cannot wear outside winter gear cause of contamination purposes, and am forced to wear there's which is not as warm as it could be unfortunately.
They asked me to work a few yours of OT yesterday, and I politely asked if I would be in the meat freezer, and they said oh no, if they want you to work OT, they would have something more useful to do than be in there. So I said yes. And then once the shift ended, and the supervisors who asked me to work OT had went home, the supervisor in the meat department called me in to freeze again and do nothing, but find something to do such as sweep, once again.
So I guess I should say no to OT from now on, if I don't want to freeze for me even more hours.
The only one to explain why this is going on with your position is your management. To me it just sounds like whining while collecting a paycheck. Can't you put on more layers under the company's approved outerwear? Maybe they are waiting for YOU to show some initiative instead of lounging around waiting for them to tell you what to do. Make something of the time. Create something. Learn something. OTOH you could certainly use all this to justify quitting to yourself, but then you wouldn't have a reason to whine about that.
But what can I do to make something of the time? They won't let me do anything more useful and I am suppose to do what they tell me do. There have been times where I would make suggestions, saying if I did this, then so and so I could get so and so done for you, but they say no, do this instead, etc.
So what can I do that they will actually allow me to do? As for more layers, I can't really put on more layers cause the contamination suits aren't big enough to wear more than one winter coat on the inside. I tried two, but two won't fit underneath the contamination suit.
What do you mean create something though? What would I be able to create that they would allow me to create? They're calling the shots. What initiative can I show when they do not have anything for me to do? I try to do other things, but they will tell me all the time, that I am not trained on that, so therefore I CANNOT do it. The only thing I am trained in is sweeping floors to them, so I feel that when I try to take initiative they always stop me.
The boss even said in my performance review that I need to learn to take more initiative. I told the boss that I have tried to take initiative several times, but the supervisors always stop me, and they prevent there from being any initiative to take really. Whether or not the boss took that into account, I'm not sure.
I would make suggestions to the supervisors sometimes, saying how I could get a lot more done for them, if they would put me on this duty instead, but they say no, and send me back to the meat department all the time. So what else can I do to take initiative, when taking iniative equals NO, to them?
Last edited by ironpony; 05-19-2018 at 07:48 PM..
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