winkgirl4's Diaryland Diary

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So the dog ate your timecard???

Everyday I'm forced to be understanding of other people's situations. I have to understand why this person didn't make it to work or why that person lost this job or that position. I have to understand why people are unable to keep a job for longer than two months at a time and why they are all, repeatedly, fired unjustly . Most of all, I have to understand that most people are more than just the sum of their jobs- that they have lives and those lives (sometimes) effect those jobs but, honestly, there's really only so much understanding that I can muster.

For instance, I can understand falling down on the job and hurting your knee. I can understand that- for a time- that might need pain medication and that I, as an employer should pay for that. I do that. Not happily, mind you, but I do that. But what tests my understanding is when that person keeps his weekend bar-bouncer job but claims to be in too much pain to come into my office and staple and stamp papers at a desk in an effort to continue to make money until he's able to "work" again.

I'll give you another example (as that said example just walked out of my office about 5 minutes ago). I have a guy who came in one morning complaining of having a back ache. Okay. Did you get hurt on the job? "Well, I don't know. I think I hurt it while lifting one of those doors the other day. But, later that night, I was riding in a rodeo and I got thrown from a horse and now it really hurts."

"Oh. I see. So, you say that the doctor says you should be off of work for a week to recover? Okay. Fine. Take a week off. Take it easy so that we can get you back at work next week."

Now, a week later, I'm having to fire him. Why? Well because apparently I wasn't clear enough about what we meant by taking it easy. Apparently he didn't know that when the doctor told him not to lift over 20 pounds that that also meant not roping 300 pound steers in another rodeo four days later. A rodeo, mind you, that his supervisor was attending. A rodeo that was far more physically demanding than the job he was too hurt to do for a week.

Oh but then, after all is said and done, he wants me to understand how that company is doing him a disservice by letting him go- that they aren't being fair! What? You're kidding, right?

Come on, people. Let's use our heads for something other than a hat rack. Or do I just look that gullable? Oh, who are we kidding? Of course I do.

(Siiigh.)

3:53 p.m. - 2003-07-29

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