From: pepke@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Eric Pepke)
Newsgroups: soc.men
Subject: Re: Companies can afford it, right?
Date: 14 Apr 92 06:05:39 GMT
Reply-To: pepke@ds1.scri.fsu.edu (Eric Pepke)
Distribution: na
Organization: Florida State University, but I don't speak for them

In article <KRANITZ.92Apr9112653@dspalley.mr.med.ge.com> kranitz@mr.med.ge.com (Wes Kranitz 4-6857 MRCE) writes:
>And one more thing. I really find the lack of compasion expressed by many of
>the people here in this group appalling. Especially when it comes to the
>health and welfare of employee's. <sarcasm> Is that why we have some companies
>making record profits and cutting employees bennefits at the same time???

Compassion?

What is the real purpose of this, anyway?  If it is to find a way for people
who have been screwed by companies to get together in some sort of BrotherAnd/
OrSistehoodOfVictims and become eligible for 7.5 units of compassion, then
maybe you have a point.

If, on the other hand, the purpose is to help people improve there situations
(I believe "empowerment" is this week's trendy neoism), then I assert that the
attitude espoused by those uncompassionate individuals is the more useful.  
Know your own worth.  Make sure you know what you're getting.  Be willing to
work a few extra hours for the big bucks.  Sell yourself.

Maybe this seems demeaning to some.  Sorry.  Whenever you trade your time
for money, you're making a deal.  If you can't face this, then you're
not going to be in much of a position to further your best interests.  You
can pretend that it's all one big happy family, and you can always find 
somebody to smile and hold the pinecone to shove up your ass.

> I suppose you all will be like
>the owner of one company I worked for: "The client is expecting you tomorrow for
>that week of discussion. Your father on his death bed is not important enought
>to cancel it. And neither would his funeral be. If you don't go, your fired".
>I only lived an hour away. He died and was cremated while I was away. And what
>did the owner say when I got back???? "I own this company and all I'm concerned
>about is you stay on schedule and be a team player. Your thanks for doing a good
>job is that you get to keep your job".

No joking or sarcasm now: I feel very sorry that this happened to you.  
However, since you feel yourself entitled to shove this in my face, I feel 
entitled to respond.

When my father was dying, a few weeks ago, I played fairly hard and fast with 
my work schedule.  I still am, as there is plenty more to do.  My employer
has been very tolerant.  This is great.  However, I made the decision when he
was dying that I was going to do whatever I needed to do.  Some of this 
involved working, because I felt I had to make myself into a success so that 
he could see it before he died.  Some of this involved going to see him.  I
made my choices.  I have no regrets.

It was and still is a very difficult period, as I balance priorities.  I make 
the decisions based on what I think is right, and I take upon myself the 
attitude that if my employer doesn't like it, then I choose my life rather
than what my employer wants me to do.  Maybe this means I have to eat ramen 
for a while and don't get USENET access.  Big fucking deal.  Of course, my
employer has been great.  Which way does the arrow of causality go?  The people
who decide that they are pawns never find out.  Pathetic weenies.

Interestingly, this has been the first period in my life where I have really
put in the hours.  I mean, I have put in 14-hour days before, but not 75-
hour weeks for a month.  I was motivated, and it didn't have jack shit to 
do with what my employer wanted this quarter.

Oh, and by the way, I lived *five time zones* away for most of the process.

> How many of you have the same feeling????
>A lot, I bet. Based on what I've heard here. Too bad. People are a companies
>greatest asset. Most businesses haven't learned that yet!

Yeah, Wes, we're all shit.  All except you.

-EMP