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Abuse can only happen when someone allows the abuse and if employers are going to pussyfoot around caving in to the demands or wants of their employees then they'll have to suffer the consequences. I'm an employer (just a small one!) but I'm a stickler for punctuality and everything else. Be here when you're supposed to be here, do the job you're supposed to do and I'll be one of the best bosses you ever had. Screw up and you're out of the door.
And those damned cellphones - my pet peeve I think of all time! Never had a problem until the last few months when I had a young man working for me who was so attached to the damned thing it was like an umbilical cord. Despite every attempt to get him to turn the damned thing off while he was working, every fifteen minutes he'd be furiously texting on it when he could/should have been taking care of MY business (and thought I couldn't see him!) He had to return to the mainland and left my employ right before I was about to confiscate it for the duration of his shift (or go on a rampage and smash it to bits!)
I know there's often a big and heated forum debate when somebody brings up the subject of cellphones and iPods, etc. in the workplace. Some of the younger generation who think it's OK to have them and use them in the office can rest assured that many of us don't and those of us who feel that way and who are paying your wages are just going to sorely disappoint you and ignore your temper tantrums!
Vent over!!
I'm with you about the cell phones. Enough is enough already! I have a cell and use it primarily for emergencies and not everyone knows the number. A co-worker who sits next to me is on the cell all day long. Everyone sees it, everyone hears it. Still, no reprimands. It IS up to management to put their foot down and make people work. Unfortunately, I see management attached to their cells as well...
The cell phone has done NOTHING good for the workplace. Not to mention the hazards cells present while operating vehicles!!!
I love where I work-- I don't have set times. Sure, the standard work day is 8-5pm, and sometimes I come in 9:30ish and sometimes by 7:15.
This week-- I have been getting in closer to 9am and staying to 8pm-9pm with no lunch break because of a huge issues we have uncovered.
Even when I get into work by 9:30am first thing I do is begin reading and responding to emails while getting ready so 9:30 is just the time you see me at work. In the years I have worked there no one has cared-- if I were to get to work after 9:30 people do want a heads up. Today I have to take my mother to work due to her car issues so I did let them know I will be in closer to 10 (however, my VP also knows I came home last night at 9pm and I was responding to emails until 10pm).
Sometimes I leave early even if I did come in at 9:30 (I may leave at 430 or 5pm). There are some days I am "just not feeling" it. What is the point of doing what others do and just sit and stare or surf the net until their quitting time (i have seen my fair share of nonproductive people at the end of the day or on fridays).
I am sure ALL of this would be different if I were in a customer service type of role where management had to manage call queues and call volume, but my role is more of a project role so it is just not the same. Everyone also knows that they can call me at whatever time and if there is some help required I will be the first one to sign in and go to task-- so I think that is where the lax in flex time comes in to play. I get my work done and more so-- this has never hurt me-- for my past 10 reviews (we have merit and bonus reviews) I have always made for the highest scores possible (less than 5% of the company makes the scores I have attained) and have been awarded additional merit rewards for my performance.
I am sure if I were the standard "just do my job and that is it" kind of employee, the attitude would not be so lax towards my "attendance."
I work at my highest in this situation-- I feel like my employer knows that I am a human being and sometimes I may very well had a long night the previous night.
Also-- it is NOT just the younger generation (I am a gen Xer). I have seen many in the 40-50s year range who expect to be able to get days off preferentially or be allowed to work from home more days or have earlier schedules if they so desire.
FWIW, where I work we have flexible hours, of course it depends if you are working as part of a dedicated team of course you have to be there when the work starts, but I am pretty much addicted to flexible hours, it would take a huge raise for me to consider a place with fixed working hours.
That said when there is a plane to catch or a meeting to attend, I make it a point to be early.
Bingo! If I HAVE to be there due to a meeting, plane, etc I am there before anyone.
Abuse can only happen when someone allows the abuse and if employers are going to pussyfoot around caving in to the demands or wants of their employees then they'll have to suffer the consequences. I'm an employer (just a small one!) but I'm a stickler for punctuality and everything else. Be here when you're supposed to be here, do the job you're supposed to do and I'll be one of the best bosses you ever had. Screw up and you're out of the door.
And those damned cellphones - my pet peeve I think of all time! Never had a problem until the last few months when I had a young man working for me who was so attached to the damned thing it was like an umbilical cord. Despite every attempt to get him to turn the damned thing off while he was working, every fifteen minutes he'd be furiously texting on it when he could/should have been taking care of MY business (and thought I couldn't see him!) He had to return to the mainland and left my employ right before I was about to confiscate it for the duration of his shift (or go on a rampage and smash it to bits!)
I know there's often a big and heated forum debate when somebody brings up the subject of cellphones and iPods, etc. in the workplace. Some of the younger generation who think it's OK to have them and use them in the office can rest assured that many of us don't and those of us who feel that way and who are paying your wages are just going to sorely disappoint you and ignore your temper tantrums!
Vent over!!
What is wrong with ipods in the workplace? I listen to mine all day long or listen online to Sirius.com. MY manager listens to Pandora or her Ipod. If I am doing deep analyst work, I don't want to hear the commotion of the workplace and get distracted. Obviously I will not be listening to an Ipod during a meeting or conference call.
I also keep my iPhone with me all day. It makes a handy calculator, clock, I do text with it (why call someone to confirm plans or answer a question when I can do it discreetly with a text message?), weather, etc. Of course I am not like some teenager and using it ALL DAY LONG, but I do use it several times a day.
I wouldn't work anywhere that doesn't give me a flexible schedule. I am 23 years old and one of those people you complain about. I also think the attitude that you are productive as long as you are sitting behind a desk is frankly, outdated. Tell me what needs to be done, what jobs I need to do and leave me alone. I will get the work done on time. Why does it matter if I am working from 8-5 or from 10-7? If I hit a brick wall and can't concentrate I should be able to go home/do something else and pick up again at 8:00pm. The real problem is the 40-50 year olds in the office who stand around talking every day and then leave exactly at 4:30 no matter what. There are many times I have skipped out early, only to log in from home that night and work more. I am most productive this way. I work with a woman who works the exact same hours every day, no matter how productive she is. It frustrates me to no end. I get more work done in my day than she ever does, because she thinks a workday is always the same 8 hour time period.
I am a smart guy and I am good at what I do. I will say it again, give me my work, leave me alone and I will deliver 110%. Overmanage me, take away my flexibility and I will give you the bare minimum to get by. I know some of you won't like this, but frankly there are other jobs out there. If the environment is poor, I don't mind spending my evenings looking for something else.
I agree that flexible schedules are a nice benefit, we have a 9/80 type schedule. I've had the flex 9 to 3 plan which sounded nice, but if all the managers are there by 7 and stay till 5, you wont be seeing much of a raise doing the 9-5 option.
As for the 40-50 yr old 'clockpuncher', I think you see that in many age groups but as folks have been in the corporate grind for 20 years it gets old. and every organization has its share of deadwood unfortunately. But if you are still good they are logging in at home or on the weekends as well. I know I do.
As for the talking-thats how communications used to be until 5-7 years ago. The advent of all the personal technology may have created a bit of a chasm between workers over/under 30 or so. I think the younger folks dont talk at the water cooler, they IM, Twitter and text from their computers. As a result I expect the general interpersonal communication skills of people will deteriorate somewhat over time.
It would probably relieve a lot of stress for everyone if they could 'just be told what to do, given a deadline and left alone' but sadly that is not the case in most positions at large companies.
Why always blame younger people for this? I have seen this "entitled to flex time" attitude at all ages. As a matter of fact, in my last job, it was middle aged women getting away with this. Example:
Most people worked 5 days a week, regular hours either 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 or 9:30 to 5 or 10 to 6 in my department. Now wouldn't you think that is enough flexibility? Well it wasn't for two women.
Woman #1: Demanded to work 5 days a week from 7:15 am to 3:15 pm because 7:15 is exactly when the train got her to work in the morning! (God forbid she arrive early and not get paid for it!)
Woman #2: Finagled a way to work 4 days a week, Monday to Thursday by not taking lunch and working extra long on one day. I don't know how she got away with it. Even kids weren't an excuse because her kids were older.
Was there some reason woman #2 needed to come in on Friday? I dont get this "You need to be here 8 hours a day, 5 days a week" BS.
More companies need to take a key from Best Buy corporate. Production based jobs are the most efficient by far. Punch clockers end up wasting hours a day doing absolutely nothing, simply because they are required to be a warm body in a chair.
And those damned cellphones - my pet peeve I think of all time! Never had a problem until the last few months when I had a young man working for me who was so attached to the damned thing it was like an umbilical cord. Despite every attempt to get him to turn the damned thing off while he was working, every fifteen minutes he'd be furiously texting on it when he could/should have been taking care of MY business (and thought I couldn't see him!) He had to return to the mainland and left my employ right before I was about to confiscate it for the duration of his shift (or go on a rampage and smash it to bits!)
Was he texting instead of taking care of your business, or was he texting instead of sitting there and twiddling his thumbs?
I think the only time an employer has room to ***** is if an employee is on the phone excessively, and work isnt getting done because of it. Simply because you are an old cranky fart and dont like technology, and need a reason to ***** about something, is not reason enough.
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