What does one do when there is an urge to write and nothing appeals as a topic? It isn't that I don't have opinions about so much happening in our world, it's just that I'm tired of trying to be heard. The amount of appallingly ignorant information available online has overwhelmed my mind. If one can't count on accuracy, how does one proceed to inform oneself? I have been shouted down so many times I'm tired of trying.
All this leaves me with my daily life as a source of blog material. I'm boring. No doubt about it, just plain darn boring. I don't participate in marathons, don't kayak white water rapids. I've never had the urge to jump out of a plane wearing a parachute. I don't hobnob with billionaires or with the artsy fartsy.
I could, I suppose, completely disappear and come back as some sort of fantasy character who is filthy rich enough to rub elbows with celebrities whose exploits would provide us with hours of stupid entertainment all a figment of my fertile imagination. I'd be found out in a heartbeat since my interest and therefore my knowledge of pop culture is slim to none and reducing. If I have to hear about Lindsay Lohan one more time I just might puke.
I am so over listening to stupid people talk about politics online that I'm spending more time online playing Tetris and less time talking to people. Please, if you don't know the difference between a dictatorship, a monarchy and a democratic republic, shut up. Just. Shut. Up.
I, who actually hate housework, have arrived at a point where I'd rather do housework than surf the internet. If that doesn't tell you how much stupid is found online, nothing ever will. I've been exposed to so much of the stupid for so long that it actually has begun to burn. And I have discovered that I might quite possibly be insane. If insanity is doing the same damn thing the same damn way and expecting a different damn result, then I am literally a looney tune.
I keep logging onto the internet, going to the same places and hoping that everyone has finally grown a brain. And I find the same old bullshit happening. Same misinformation. Same people fighting with each other. Same number of trolls, bullies, spammers and sock puppets stirring the shit stew. They don't ever take a break, do they?
I started this blog back in 2008, and until a couple of months ago I would have maybe 25 page views a day. All comments were from online friends or others who found themselves here and possibly moved to say something. Not anymore. Now my page views are pushing 100 a day and my spam comments are equal to the number of page views I used to get before I became a spammer's haven. It's gotten so bad that Adsense has informed me I "seem to have a popular blog" and maybe I should consider monetizing. NO! Just NO!
Some of these spammers seem to feel that they need to describe the dog on woman action that is found in the pictures I'd see if I'd only click on the link they provide. Yeah, they leave me long and graphic comments at the rate of 20 to 25 a day. Plus the link back to their sites. At first I was asking myself why they do things like this. Then it dawns on me, they do it because it works. And right there is my entire problem with those who inhabit the internet. They're incapable of using their heads long enough to decide not to click the links. Then they complain about the amount of spam one finds on the internet. It's always someone else's responsibility to fix the problem. A problem that they most likely contributed to because they click every link they find. I bet they'd even click a link that said it actually was a computer virus that would kill your computer.
Internet link clickers, there is no excuse for you, leave. Unplug your power source and stay offline until you learn how not to encourage spammers, trolls and sock puppets. My life would be so much better if you did that.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Deleted Post
I published a post that changed it's formatting by magic or some other method I don't understand. Nothing I did would fix it, so this morning I decided to delete the post since it wasn't in easily readable condition. If I'm looking at something and thinking "What the HELL is THAT?" I'm not comfortable leaving it up for general consumption.
Some days I wish I could figure out if it was Blogger or me that needed the services of Captain Tune Up. Maybe both.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Tell The Scooter Store To Take A Hike
For the past few months I have noticed what appears to be an increase in the number of motorized wheelchairs being used in the city I work in. I have 2 clients that use them. One of my clients has a regular wheelchair as well as a motorized one, the other just the motorized wheelchair. The nephew of a third client has a motorized scooter provided to him by the VA. All of these motorized means of transportation are paid for by the taxpayer. Actually the scooters are the least expensive, but since very few of these chairs/scooters are in the possession of people who can't walk, why do they have them?
Those who sell these drains on the taxpayers pocketbook will tell you it's to prevent the owner from being a shut in which is bad for their emotional/mental health. These chairs give them the mobility needed to get out of the house and enjoy life. Except, once the chair has been delivered, they tell you the chair ISN'T supposed to be used outside. The VA told my client's nephew the same thing about his scooter. They use them outside anyway.
Which brings me to my next concern about these chairs. How many medications are these people on? People who may not be in a sober enough state to drive a car are zipping around the streets in these things. They have pain, and may be on a dose of Oxycontin or morphine that would put the rest of us to sleep for a day. And there they are rolling down the street at 15 or so miles per hour without a care in the world. Does a driver who sees one of these people have any idea which way they're going? Hell, the people in the chair have no idea which way they're going. Trust me, I see the damage they've done to their apartments using these babies indoors.
Under sink cabinets with deep grooves cut into the doors. Refrigerators less than 2 years old with dents and grooves cut into them. Walls with huge chips of paint and plaster knocked off. These are HUD buildings, guess who pays for the repairs? Why the taxpayers do. These apartments aren't big enough to use these chairs inside them. Yet, these people have become so reliant on them that they won't get up and walk two steps to keep from damaging something.
The amount of pressure on doctors to order these chairs is a nightmare to them. The Scooter Store and Hoveround has the application of that pressure down to a fine art. Patient sees the ads. Patient wants one. Patient calls the provider of chairs and it's ON! Tactics even include having the salesman go to the doctor WITH the patient. I'm even being bombarded by ads. I checked the prices of chairs versus the scooters online. I haven't cleaned my browser out since and EVERY ad I see on any site I go to is from both of these places. Even in my email box. I can clean my browser out to get rid of them, it's not so easy for a doctor. For them, it's not just one patient.
Doctors who refuse to provide the prescription for these chairs have lost patients. In a way, Medicare/Medicaid and other insurance companies are contributing to this rip off of themselves. They won't pay for long term programs to help these people become stronger unless there's been a hospitalization that resulted in short term nursing home residency for rehabilitation. They won't pay for nutrition programs for the seriously obese. If a bone is broken, they'll pay for a few short weeks of physical therapy, but won't pay for long term PT on chronic back problems. Pain management these days consists of nerve destroying shots backed up by large doses of the "good" stuff. None of which would be necessary if people would actually do what the doctor asks them to do.
Lose weight, exercise, take a walk. They'd feel so much better if they did. I need to go clean my browser cookies out and go to work. I will feel much better then.
Those who sell these drains on the taxpayers pocketbook will tell you it's to prevent the owner from being a shut in which is bad for their emotional/mental health. These chairs give them the mobility needed to get out of the house and enjoy life. Except, once the chair has been delivered, they tell you the chair ISN'T supposed to be used outside. The VA told my client's nephew the same thing about his scooter. They use them outside anyway.
Which brings me to my next concern about these chairs. How many medications are these people on? People who may not be in a sober enough state to drive a car are zipping around the streets in these things. They have pain, and may be on a dose of Oxycontin or morphine that would put the rest of us to sleep for a day. And there they are rolling down the street at 15 or so miles per hour without a care in the world. Does a driver who sees one of these people have any idea which way they're going? Hell, the people in the chair have no idea which way they're going. Trust me, I see the damage they've done to their apartments using these babies indoors.
Under sink cabinets with deep grooves cut into the doors. Refrigerators less than 2 years old with dents and grooves cut into them. Walls with huge chips of paint and plaster knocked off. These are HUD buildings, guess who pays for the repairs? Why the taxpayers do. These apartments aren't big enough to use these chairs inside them. Yet, these people have become so reliant on them that they won't get up and walk two steps to keep from damaging something.
The amount of pressure on doctors to order these chairs is a nightmare to them. The Scooter Store and Hoveround has the application of that pressure down to a fine art. Patient sees the ads. Patient wants one. Patient calls the provider of chairs and it's ON! Tactics even include having the salesman go to the doctor WITH the patient. I'm even being bombarded by ads. I checked the prices of chairs versus the scooters online. I haven't cleaned my browser out since and EVERY ad I see on any site I go to is from both of these places. Even in my email box. I can clean my browser out to get rid of them, it's not so easy for a doctor. For them, it's not just one patient.
Doctors who refuse to provide the prescription for these chairs have lost patients. In a way, Medicare/Medicaid and other insurance companies are contributing to this rip off of themselves. They won't pay for long term programs to help these people become stronger unless there's been a hospitalization that resulted in short term nursing home residency for rehabilitation. They won't pay for nutrition programs for the seriously obese. If a bone is broken, they'll pay for a few short weeks of physical therapy, but won't pay for long term PT on chronic back problems. Pain management these days consists of nerve destroying shots backed up by large doses of the "good" stuff. None of which would be necessary if people would actually do what the doctor asks them to do.
Lose weight, exercise, take a walk. They'd feel so much better if they did. I need to go clean my browser cookies out and go to work. I will feel much better then.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Walking Away From The Edge
Although my job is very rewarding there is a downside to it that requires a management strategy. I deal with people who are marking the time remaining to them before death knocks at their door. They suffer from various stages of dementia and most have health problems that prevent them from enjoying the time they have left to them. It's stressful in ways I hadn't thought about and ways that others who don't do what I do can't begin to imagine.
I deal with the same issues that are dealt with in nursing homes, including the abandonment issue. In many ways I think it's almost harder for the at home elderly to handle the lack of attention from the family or their friends. At least in an extended care facility there are others visibly dealing with these issues so the sufferer has ample evidence that they aren't alone. I become a surrogate for their family since I am there a few times a week. The other person of importance to them is the one that delivers the Meals On Wheels. For some, we are the only people they see for months on end.
In addition to doing what I can for my clients, Hubby has needed extra attention due to his health issue. He's not working at all so other than my pay and his Social Security, we have no additional income from the business. The boys are handling it so they are the ones being paid from it and not very well I might add. There's been the worry about the bills, a few family problems and over all, I'm dealing with those and not paying attention to myself.I'm getting through the really rough spots by sheer determination, using meditation when I think of it and sometimes just reminding myself to breathe.
I'm a pitcher and I'm pouring out for everyone without refilling myself. I think the reason I haven't bottomed out is because I know I'm loved by those who matter to me. I can draw on that when I need to but the refilling of me has to come from me. Life would be so simple if I was someone who could enjoy soaking in a hot bath, or spending a day at the spa. I need to find something I'd like to do for the fun of it and I can't find anything that really interests me except dance lessons and the doctor said no because of my hip and now my knees. Yoga is acceptable. So is Tai Chi, but I can't find night classes for either here.
I checked with the local Art and Community Center. Right now their "Winter Schedule" is for writers. I'd take a class except it's poetry and I am not interested in poetry. I don't like reading it, why should I learn to write it? Art classes don't begin until Spring. Watercolor painting to be specific. I might sign up for that. I'm always interested in learning new techniques and using new products.
The painting I did for Oldest and his wife was a big hit. First thing Oldest said when he opened it was "It's not signed". It is, but the signature ended up under the matting. Since it was my first attempt at something that could be framed, I learned from it. I learned not to sign so close to the edge. A lesson I believe I need to bring into my walking around life.
I deal with the same issues that are dealt with in nursing homes, including the abandonment issue. In many ways I think it's almost harder for the at home elderly to handle the lack of attention from the family or their friends. At least in an extended care facility there are others visibly dealing with these issues so the sufferer has ample evidence that they aren't alone. I become a surrogate for their family since I am there a few times a week. The other person of importance to them is the one that delivers the Meals On Wheels. For some, we are the only people they see for months on end.
In addition to doing what I can for my clients, Hubby has needed extra attention due to his health issue. He's not working at all so other than my pay and his Social Security, we have no additional income from the business. The boys are handling it so they are the ones being paid from it and not very well I might add. There's been the worry about the bills, a few family problems and over all, I'm dealing with those and not paying attention to myself.I'm getting through the really rough spots by sheer determination, using meditation when I think of it and sometimes just reminding myself to breathe.
I'm a pitcher and I'm pouring out for everyone without refilling myself. I think the reason I haven't bottomed out is because I know I'm loved by those who matter to me. I can draw on that when I need to but the refilling of me has to come from me. Life would be so simple if I was someone who could enjoy soaking in a hot bath, or spending a day at the spa. I need to find something I'd like to do for the fun of it and I can't find anything that really interests me except dance lessons and the doctor said no because of my hip and now my knees. Yoga is acceptable. So is Tai Chi, but I can't find night classes for either here.
I checked with the local Art and Community Center. Right now their "Winter Schedule" is for writers. I'd take a class except it's poetry and I am not interested in poetry. I don't like reading it, why should I learn to write it? Art classes don't begin until Spring. Watercolor painting to be specific. I might sign up for that. I'm always interested in learning new techniques and using new products.
The painting I did for Oldest and his wife was a big hit. First thing Oldest said when he opened it was "It's not signed". It is, but the signature ended up under the matting. Since it was my first attempt at something that could be framed, I learned from it. I learned not to sign so close to the edge. A lesson I believe I need to bring into my walking around life.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Happy Everything
This has to be the first year that I have zero interest in Christmas gift giving or receiving. It's not the lack of money, we never have enough money this time of the year. This year is no different in that regard and I have a lifetime of creative gift giving under my belt. I was brought up to believe it is the thought that counts when choosing a gift, not the price one pays for it. I suppose that makes me out of step with the times, but I have always been that. Why be different now?
I'm not buried in hospital or medical bills. We received financial assistance on those that amounts to 90% of what is owed. Payments are small to all parties concerned and not at all large enough to present any financial difficulty to us. Hubby, while still not released for work, is improving in leaps and bounds. Not even finding it necessary to take medications for his Crohn's Disease. I'm content with life and looking forward to the next chapter, but I simply don't care that it's Christmas.
My first thought was that I might be suffering from depression. I understand that depression interferes with ones ability to be interested in or enjoy anything. I'm not in that frame of mind, I'm interested in just about everything except giving and receiving gifts. When I really stop to think about it, I suppose it's more a matter of not being interested in the receiving part. I have what I need and can't think of anything else I want that money can buy. I also can't make people accept a gift that they don't believe they need.
I can't find anywhere a single person who says they need the gift of kindness, compassion, tolerance or respect towards others. Nor are they offering those gifts to whomever might need them to replenish their own supply so they may give more to others. It seems that giving to others that which they might wish to receive from others has been replaced with a need to own the latest expensive plaything.
There is no amount of money that can buy a gift for someone who is so full of rage that they erupt into violence. No Xbox, no Ipad, no Nook, no Smart Phone or whatever the current popular tech toy is won't make someone feel more loved if those who should be responsible for them are too busy acquiring the money to buy those things. Things can't replace the time, attention and nurturing that children need to grow into responsible, kind, compassionate adults.
I'd say stop giving the gift of greed this Christmas but no one listens to me, so have a merry whatever day you'd like. As for me, I've gone someplace other than the internet looking for my Christmas spirit. I'm sure it's in my heart somewhere.
I'm not buried in hospital or medical bills. We received financial assistance on those that amounts to 90% of what is owed. Payments are small to all parties concerned and not at all large enough to present any financial difficulty to us. Hubby, while still not released for work, is improving in leaps and bounds. Not even finding it necessary to take medications for his Crohn's Disease. I'm content with life and looking forward to the next chapter, but I simply don't care that it's Christmas.
My first thought was that I might be suffering from depression. I understand that depression interferes with ones ability to be interested in or enjoy anything. I'm not in that frame of mind, I'm interested in just about everything except giving and receiving gifts. When I really stop to think about it, I suppose it's more a matter of not being interested in the receiving part. I have what I need and can't think of anything else I want that money can buy. I also can't make people accept a gift that they don't believe they need.
I can't find anywhere a single person who says they need the gift of kindness, compassion, tolerance or respect towards others. Nor are they offering those gifts to whomever might need them to replenish their own supply so they may give more to others. It seems that giving to others that which they might wish to receive from others has been replaced with a need to own the latest expensive plaything.
There is no amount of money that can buy a gift for someone who is so full of rage that they erupt into violence. No Xbox, no Ipad, no Nook, no Smart Phone or whatever the current popular tech toy is won't make someone feel more loved if those who should be responsible for them are too busy acquiring the money to buy those things. Things can't replace the time, attention and nurturing that children need to grow into responsible, kind, compassionate adults.
I'd say stop giving the gift of greed this Christmas but no one listens to me, so have a merry whatever day you'd like. As for me, I've gone someplace other than the internet looking for my Christmas spirit. I'm sure it's in my heart somewhere.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Maybe We Could Try Learning Tolerance?
Progressive purists with "issue of the week" syndrome are upset with President Obama because at a Memorial Service for dead babies he didn't use the words "GUN CONTROL". What he actually said was "We must change". The reaction to that is pretty much in the same vein as "Yes WE can." He, I believe, isn't using a "royal we" when he says it. However, WE seem to hear he's gonna wave a magic wand and all by himself get things done. Am I oversimplifying the problem? In a society that believes they're making a difference by calling people morons when they don't agree with them? Oversimplifying? Yeah, because that's what we do. And that is part of the WE MUST CHANGE problem.
I don't believe guns belong in the home. I see little evidence that responsible gun ownership is possible. How can it be? We no longer teach respect for the person and property of others. We no longer hold any one accountable for their actions. If I had a penny for every time I've heard "My child wouldn't do that" even when faced with incontrovertible evidence, I'd be rich. We give our children everything they want and let them wait until they're adults to find out life won't do that for them. They have to contribute something in order to receive in return. That makes them unhappy. Which then turns to anger and frustration. THAT is when using a gun to fix the problem happens. I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT.
Psychiatrists advance the theory that we are too desensitized to violence. Well, yeah. In a nation of selfish, self centered people who believe they have the right to do whatever they please no matter who gets hurt, what in hell would you expect? The only way to stop these misfits from killing large groups of people simply because they can, is to stop their access to guns completely. That's not going to happen in my lifetime. Simply because it's applying a band aid to an open suppurating wound many times it's size.
We demand simple solutions to complex problems without ever accepting an iota of responsibility for the existence of said problem. We don't want to do the hard work involved in finding true solutions. Instead we want to sit on the internet and if we believe in the right to own any kind of gun we choose, we want to inform others that Liberals kill babies but want to take our guns away from us. If we believe in gun control and responsible ownership we spew hatred at a dead woman for owning 4 guns and teaching her son how to fire them. Did we know her? Of course not, we just know what her actions led to. At least, we like to think she's to blame. Can't be us, now can it?
Mob rule. Online mobs of people screaming at each other via the written word. Bullying. Using words and phrases like morons, whack jobs, right wing nut jobs, libtards, douchebags, douchecanoes, fucktards, sluts, and Cu*t. Oh yeah, we're gonna demonize gun ownership, treat them like outcasts, isolate and degrade them until they give up their guns. We have the First Amendment right to treat you as if you're something that crawled out from under an overturned rock. And in the midst of all this, POTUS said "We must change".
So. We take away gun owner's Second Amendment rights and we think this is the answer. Until someone else finds himself with a boatload of hate, enough money to buy what he needs from the corner gun dealer and another mass shooting takes place. Then what? Oh. Yeah. "We must change".
I don't believe guns belong in the home. I see little evidence that responsible gun ownership is possible. How can it be? We no longer teach respect for the person and property of others. We no longer hold any one accountable for their actions. If I had a penny for every time I've heard "My child wouldn't do that" even when faced with incontrovertible evidence, I'd be rich. We give our children everything they want and let them wait until they're adults to find out life won't do that for them. They have to contribute something in order to receive in return. That makes them unhappy. Which then turns to anger and frustration. THAT is when using a gun to fix the problem happens. I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT.
Psychiatrists advance the theory that we are too desensitized to violence. Well, yeah. In a nation of selfish, self centered people who believe they have the right to do whatever they please no matter who gets hurt, what in hell would you expect? The only way to stop these misfits from killing large groups of people simply because they can, is to stop their access to guns completely. That's not going to happen in my lifetime. Simply because it's applying a band aid to an open suppurating wound many times it's size.
We demand simple solutions to complex problems without ever accepting an iota of responsibility for the existence of said problem. We don't want to do the hard work involved in finding true solutions. Instead we want to sit on the internet and if we believe in the right to own any kind of gun we choose, we want to inform others that Liberals kill babies but want to take our guns away from us. If we believe in gun control and responsible ownership we spew hatred at a dead woman for owning 4 guns and teaching her son how to fire them. Did we know her? Of course not, we just know what her actions led to. At least, we like to think she's to blame. Can't be us, now can it?
Mob rule. Online mobs of people screaming at each other via the written word. Bullying. Using words and phrases like morons, whack jobs, right wing nut jobs, libtards, douchebags, douchecanoes, fucktards, sluts, and Cu*t. Oh yeah, we're gonna demonize gun ownership, treat them like outcasts, isolate and degrade them until they give up their guns. We have the First Amendment right to treat you as if you're something that crawled out from under an overturned rock. And in the midst of all this, POTUS said "We must change".
So. We take away gun owner's Second Amendment rights and we think this is the answer. Until someone else finds himself with a boatload of hate, enough money to buy what he needs from the corner gun dealer and another mass shooting takes place. Then what? Oh. Yeah. "We must change".
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Ethical Behavior and The American Dream.
The more time I spend thinking about terms like 'income inequality" the more I conclude that my fellow humans have ethics which are dependent upon their personal view of what constitutes the American Dream. For some, the American Dream is having enough for their needs and maybe a bit left over for a luxury or two. For others, it's having enough to fulfill their desire to own everything they want.
Here in the United States, and quite possibly other parts of the world, we've confused a person's worth as a human being with how much money they can spend to purchase the trappings of success. We don't ever look at how they earn that money, we simply idolize that person because they have it. It should matter to us that they might not have been entirely honest in their quest for success. We should see who they hurt while achieving their gold and ask ourselves if they're worthy of our loyalty because of it.
A case in point would be the owners of the company I work for. During conversations with all but one of them, they brag about what they own and never mention how they've amassed the money to buy it. They've done that by taking things away from their employees.
The company founder appreciated her employees. While she didn't do everything she should have done (more on that later), she paid half of the employees health insurance. She gave raises every year. Sometimes it was just a nickle per hour, but it was a raise and it was there every year. She gave a picnic at a local state park every summer and a Christmas party was held the Friday before Christmas at every office she had open around the state. She didn't give money at Christmas, but she bought gifts for every single employee. She also went to bat for every employee that ran afoul of a County case manager. If a client was unhappy with the employee, she'd change the employee on that case. If the County manager took a dislike to someone, they had to have proof or she'd tell them they couldn't interfere with the employees right to earn a living. If there was a death in the family of an employee, she'd send flowers and a sympathy card and the employee would get 3 days off with pay.
At the time we had long term employees. When I was hired in 1999 some of the employees had been working there right out of high school. In one case it was the only job she'd ever had. As the on-call at the time I could call any employee and ask them to cover a case and they would simply say "Where'm I going"? That became, "No, I'm sorry, I can't" and that was if you could get them to answer the phone at all.
She retired in 2001 and we have since lost every single bit of that evidence that we are appreciated for our efforts on behalf of the company. They've taken away the annual raise, and actually cut our pay. We no longer get Christmas gifts or a party, no summer picnic has been held in 10 years. As a matter of fact, when an employee was killed while driving to her next case, they didn't offer anything to her family except words. Which is how we found out that the company founder had been doing something wrong.
The aide that died in a car crash left a husband to raise a young family alone. Like many young people they had no life insurance and there was a funeral bill to pay that he couldn't afford. He asked for assistance from the company because it occurred on company time and got told no. It seems that the company felt that their time was only the time an employee is actually with a client and not while we were traveling between clients. The husband knew enough labor law to understand that his wife should have been paid travel time between clients because from the time you begin with the first client until the time you leave the last one, you are on company time. So, he got mad and reported it to the Labor Department.
The Labor Department agreed. Which was when "travel time" became something we were paid for. What we didn't know was that in addition to the new pay, the state slapped the company with a stiff fine. Said fine kicked in last year which is why we lost our Christmas party and gifts. In addition to the loss of party and gifts, they have cut our hourly wage and also closed our offices an hour early to cut the coordinators pay by that 5 hours. The time was added to the on-call's duties at no extra pay, of course. Then the owners complain that they can't find good help these days.
Long term employees are few with far too many of them lasting a mere 3 or 4 months. And according to the owners, it's laziness not a lack of appreciation that is the problem. "Nobody wants to work anymore".
From where I sit it seems to me that it wasn't the employees that violated labor laws, it was the company owners. I'm thinking they should be the ones paying the fine out of their own pockets rather than on the backs of their minimum wage employees. However, their American Dream requires a new kitchen remodel in 1 home and the lease is up on the "company vehicle" and a new one was necessary.
The company founder drove a luxury Lexus. Paid for out of her pocketbook from money she made as a salary for shepherding a company to a point where profit was made. She made that profit by appreciating her hard working employees. As a result, her employees thought long and hard about the affect their actions might have on the company. It's called company loyalty and it's really, really hard to find in a company that regularly takes actions which lead those employees to believe they aren't appreciated.
Ah well, I get to retire in 2.5 more years, or sooner if the company goes under.
Here in the United States, and quite possibly other parts of the world, we've confused a person's worth as a human being with how much money they can spend to purchase the trappings of success. We don't ever look at how they earn that money, we simply idolize that person because they have it. It should matter to us that they might not have been entirely honest in their quest for success. We should see who they hurt while achieving their gold and ask ourselves if they're worthy of our loyalty because of it.
A case in point would be the owners of the company I work for. During conversations with all but one of them, they brag about what they own and never mention how they've amassed the money to buy it. They've done that by taking things away from their employees.
The company founder appreciated her employees. While she didn't do everything she should have done (more on that later), she paid half of the employees health insurance. She gave raises every year. Sometimes it was just a nickle per hour, but it was a raise and it was there every year. She gave a picnic at a local state park every summer and a Christmas party was held the Friday before Christmas at every office she had open around the state. She didn't give money at Christmas, but she bought gifts for every single employee. She also went to bat for every employee that ran afoul of a County case manager. If a client was unhappy with the employee, she'd change the employee on that case. If the County manager took a dislike to someone, they had to have proof or she'd tell them they couldn't interfere with the employees right to earn a living. If there was a death in the family of an employee, she'd send flowers and a sympathy card and the employee would get 3 days off with pay.
At the time we had long term employees. When I was hired in 1999 some of the employees had been working there right out of high school. In one case it was the only job she'd ever had. As the on-call at the time I could call any employee and ask them to cover a case and they would simply say "Where'm I going"? That became, "No, I'm sorry, I can't" and that was if you could get them to answer the phone at all.
She retired in 2001 and we have since lost every single bit of that evidence that we are appreciated for our efforts on behalf of the company. They've taken away the annual raise, and actually cut our pay. We no longer get Christmas gifts or a party, no summer picnic has been held in 10 years. As a matter of fact, when an employee was killed while driving to her next case, they didn't offer anything to her family except words. Which is how we found out that the company founder had been doing something wrong.
The aide that died in a car crash left a husband to raise a young family alone. Like many young people they had no life insurance and there was a funeral bill to pay that he couldn't afford. He asked for assistance from the company because it occurred on company time and got told no. It seems that the company felt that their time was only the time an employee is actually with a client and not while we were traveling between clients. The husband knew enough labor law to understand that his wife should have been paid travel time between clients because from the time you begin with the first client until the time you leave the last one, you are on company time. So, he got mad and reported it to the Labor Department.
The Labor Department agreed. Which was when "travel time" became something we were paid for. What we didn't know was that in addition to the new pay, the state slapped the company with a stiff fine. Said fine kicked in last year which is why we lost our Christmas party and gifts. In addition to the loss of party and gifts, they have cut our hourly wage and also closed our offices an hour early to cut the coordinators pay by that 5 hours. The time was added to the on-call's duties at no extra pay, of course. Then the owners complain that they can't find good help these days.
Long term employees are few with far too many of them lasting a mere 3 or 4 months. And according to the owners, it's laziness not a lack of appreciation that is the problem. "Nobody wants to work anymore".
From where I sit it seems to me that it wasn't the employees that violated labor laws, it was the company owners. I'm thinking they should be the ones paying the fine out of their own pockets rather than on the backs of their minimum wage employees. However, their American Dream requires a new kitchen remodel in 1 home and the lease is up on the "company vehicle" and a new one was necessary.
The company founder drove a luxury Lexus. Paid for out of her pocketbook from money she made as a salary for shepherding a company to a point where profit was made. She made that profit by appreciating her hard working employees. As a result, her employees thought long and hard about the affect their actions might have on the company. It's called company loyalty and it's really, really hard to find in a company that regularly takes actions which lead those employees to believe they aren't appreciated.
Ah well, I get to retire in 2.5 more years, or sooner if the company goes under.
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