Hi Everyone,
Before I start today’s blog I would just like to say that I know some people who work at all levels of government, so if you are reading, this blog does not refer to you. It refers to people below you. This is what I mean.
While I was a temporary employee I did some office work at Social Services. The first time I worked there I filed and did some other office work. It was easy. The people seemed nice, friendly even. But as we all know people become unfriendly when a temporary employee plays by a different set of rules. Here’s an example.
On my first break all of us went to a restaurant conveniently located steps from the office. As it was explained to me by the agency, I would get two fifteen minute breaks and a half an hour for lunch. But my first fifteen minute break was fifteen minutes times three! If you think I am kidding, think again. I am serious!
About twenty-five minutes into my fifteen minute break I started clock-watching. Then I made the mistake of suggesting that we head back to the office. You know to work. Since I didn’t have access to the building without one of them I couldn’t go back to work even if I wanted to. And of course, only one person brought their access key. Not only was that person not moving, no one else was encouraging her to either. Everyone politely brushed me off.
When we were gone for forty minutes I started to get anxious. Files do not file themselves. I did not want to fall behind in my filing because the people I was stuck with had no intention of working. Plus I didn’t have access to the building without them. If I didn’t get my work done I wouldn’t get called back. I picked up my pace.
That half an hour for lunch was just over an hour. Again, I had the same dilemma. At the end of the day, there were still files to be filed. I got called back. I went back. Being a temporary employee at Social Services was the only gig. It paid well too.
After my being there a few times, filing and the other office things was a breeze. But because everything was easy, I found faster ways to get things done so I got a lot accomplished in shorter periods of time each day. Several times, I completed everything a couple of hours before my shift were over and the other employees had to create jobs for me. They couldn’t tell their superiors that they needed X number of hours of help in their department and have a temporary employee get it done in 65-75% of the time. They would look like idiots. And it would prove that they are wasting taxpayers’ money. Which they, from their chosen behaviour, were before I worked there to begin with. That’s why they needed help. Needless to say, I eventually wasn’t called back. But I did learn a lot. One thing about files at Social Services is that they contain a lot of personal information. It’s easy to scam the government when no one is paying attention. One of my neighbours was really good at that. A few others were learning fast.
Another job was at the LCBO warehouse. I was a receptionist there for months. One of the women working as a contract employee had a better job offer. She told me that she would put in a good word for me. She did, I got her position still as a temporary employee. But here’s the thing. My new position was there only because she was filling in for someone on stress leave. Since everyone believed that the woman on stress leave would never come back, I was treated as much of an employee as a temporary employee could.
I went for training in areas that did not apply to my position. If someone I knew wanted to work there as a temporary employee I put in a good word for them and they got hired. Before anyone thinks that the LCBO was like my experience at Social Services it wasn’t. Everyone who I worked with in the office actually worked all day. Not once do I remember anyone taking extra time for break or lunch. Most of the people I worked with arrived early to get a jump start on their day. This of course was unlike the woman on stress leave.
Anytime it got close to her losing her position, pay and benefits, she would show up. There would be a meeting with HR, her and at least one union representative. Some meetings had a lot of people and those meetings were long. My job was threatened all the time. The woman on stress leave was stressing me out! Other people I worked with were stressed out too. It was rumoured that she was coming back, but the union negotiated something so she didn’t. This went on for months. But all good things come to an end. She ended up back at work for a little while that is. Back on stress leave she went. That too, went on for months. It was beyond ridiculous.
While on stress leave she was getting her full pay, benefits and taking these great holidays. Still there was no way of getting rid of her! At some point I went back but things were different. For one, I had a better chair than my boss. And I was allowed to stop work every couple of hours to do stretching exercises if I wanted to. Apparently sitting in a chair, even as comfortable as that one, and entering data still caused that woman so much stress that the union insisted she have ten minute exercise breaks.
They even went as far as ensuring that her computer had an exercise program she could watch, enough room in her area to move and an alarm to remind her, just in case she forgot. I am serious. The first time the alarm went off I looked around. My boss reminded me of it.
The reason I’ve decided to blog about government employees is because one tried to pawn their job off on me. I am serious. Now not only am I not a government employee; I don’t want to be and I am not going to waste my time doing someone else’s job that they are presently getting paid good money to do. Their golden-handcuffs at retirement would be much more. Just for the record, I know I am communicating with an actual employee versus a contract employee because of their position.
Am I pissed off? You bet I am. I even let them know. In one paragraph I said, “It is not my job.” Now what that person decides to do with the information I sent them is up to them. One thing I’ve learned over the course of my life is this. Any and everyone will take advantage of you if you let them. The government is run by people and people come in all forms. Tomorrow’s blog is about government employees again.
Here are some links that relate to this blog,
http://arebelsrant.com/yea-thats-right-thats-stealing/
http://arebelsrant.com/dealing-with-governments/
http://arebelsrant.com/if-everyone-just-did-what-they-were-supposed-to/
http://arebelsrant.com/legal-aid-the-flic-office/ (This one has a lot of links)
Thank you for reading, A. Rebel’s Rant! ;D
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