Friday, March 8, 2013

Am I The Only One Who Worked, At Work?

Last winter it was Long Island Power Authority ( LIPA), yesterday it was Verizon, the internet, communication company.  Am I the only one who worked during work?  I read about the waste of time and productivity caused by workers spending too much time on the social networks, instead of doing their work.

What about those who work outdoors?  Yesterday Verizon came for a visit.  I am not a Verizon customer.  I noticed the Verizon truck because it parked in front of my drive way, servicing my neighbor.  The truck was still parked , after one half hour, had past.  There was no movement in the truck, I assumed the driver had gone indoors.  Wrong.  The driver had removed his coat, bundled it as a pillow, and was fast asleep.  I discovered this when I walked the dog.  Upon my return, the technician was on the telephone.  Life and work is difficult when you take naps and make calls compliments of your boss.

After 2 hours of this, I was perturbed.  I decided to call Verizon.  I tried to get a number from the internet but since I was not a customer I had no way to get on the sight.  What was the category of my complaint- lazy worker?  I did find a phone number for handicapped customers.  I finally reached an operator, apologizing for not being handicapped, and try to explain in great detail why I was calling.  It was a long tirade.  There was silence on the other end.   Finally the operator said, " what state do you wish to speak to"?  She said she could connect me- after another endless pause, I noticed the Verizon truck had left and I hung up.  Do you think he heard me?

Then there was  The Long Island Power Authority, LIPA.  Last winter we lost power, heat,  light, phone, computer... dead in the water.  Three Lipa trucks came into the development.  The men sat in their heated trucks.  They sat, sat, sat, sat, like in a Dr. Seuss book.  I am very glad their trucks were warm and they were relaxed, I was not.  I persuaded my calm husband to go talk to the workers.  They were waiting for direction from their office.  They waited all day.

I have never been a violent person, and I used to be able to control my temper.  I try to be calm and not judgemental. I no longer succeed.  Please do not waste my time and steal productivity by not providing the services I have paid for because you think nobody is watching.  I am watching, get back to work NOW!

2 comments:

  1. These are most likely situations where the workers feel protected, by their union, by the lack of conscientious supervisors who could catch them being lazy or supervisors who are so busy that they won't catch up to this crew for hours, by the lack of people who could replace them,...whatever, ...or instances where they have pulled a double shift and you are seeing them on the second shift, at the bottom of their energy level.

    I haven't witnessed exactly what you described but I have seen highway repair crews in similar situations: multiple trucks, crews in or around the trucks, obviously NOT working at that time, and nothing happening for hours. Within a few months, I see the same set-up in the SAME LOCATIONS, like a reunion! I also see crews busily working in nasty weather and late at night, etc. But there is no way for me to know whether the circumstances are misleading or the relaxed vs. hard-working crews are actually different people with different work ethics or with different supervisors (one very hands-off and the other very in the face of the workers and hands-on).

    The Verizon worker was VERY lucky that you are Old School: calling the company and then backing off. New School women shoot a video from their phone, with a close-up of the worker's face, while sleeping, post it on Twitter and Facebook, and then e-mail it to all of the news stations! B.





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    Am I The Only One Who Worked, At Work?

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  2. Thanks again, the last part of the comment made me laugh. It is easy to be old school when you think... old. It never occurred to me to video the men working. Getting the pictures on social media sights might be beyond my ability. These were not young workers either. A friend suggested I have too much free time, apparently these workers do too. This is a problem I do not think will go away, anytime soon. Judy

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