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Subject:RE: How many have this problem at work? From:Tom Eagles <teagles -at- DERIVION -dot- com> To:"Tech Writing List (E-mail)" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 17 Apr 2000 09:40:30 -0400
Lindsay Burrell said:
> it meant you couldn't listen to music or radio
> programs on RealAudio as you worked.
This I have no problem with, since it's a company resource and may be
critical to business operations. If, however, they expect me to not listen
to my Walkman, that's another story <read on>.
> (<This> may be unpopular...) I also think that
> perhaps using company time to peruse the list
> is not always called for or even fair. <snip>
> I think that I am being paid to sit at my desk and
> write. I can enhance my skills on my own time.
I don't know if this is "unpopular" or not, but I think it's misguided in
today's workplace, especially in companies that expect their salaried (as
opposed to hourly) staff to put in whatever effort is necessary to meet
demands and deadlines. I know that at the company I work for, if we have a
deadline, we work all day AND night to meet it, and there is no excuse for
failure. With that attitude, they have to expect that traditional hours of
work go out the window, and if you want to listen to your Walkman at 10:30
am while relaxing and reading the latest issue of Maxim, well, that's your
business. As long as the (sometimes unrealistic) deadlines are met, what
time you arrive and leave is entirely up to you (assuming you don't miss any
required meetings, etc). There has to be give and take if you are going to
demand that your staff put in the extra time (even weekends!) to get the
work done.
Otherwise, if my employer complained when I dragged my ass in at 9:30 am,
saying, "you're paid to be here a 8:30 am, not 9:30!" I'd say, "Fine, then
I'm also paid to leave at 5:00 pm, not 9:00 pm, so I'll be checking out at
EXACTLY that time, starting tomorrow."
See what I mean?
So if I read the mailing list, or a text book to improve my TW skills,
that's my business, because when you work the hours I work and you're on
salary (as opposed to hourly) wages, there is no longer any meaning to the
term "business hours." Just ask my family. ;-)
