hostile work environment at hand....

What I have always suspected, has actually now become a reality... When I moved to my new work position in the Los Angeles area, the type of people I work with has a different way of looking at life than I do.  I've blogged about this work location and the first comment from those where I came from to me being "watch your back" and how I didn't even know what that could mean.  The first supervisor I worked under here "B", he was basically a "get along" kind of guy who in order to have a happy workforce, let them run the show. He gave in to some ridiculous practices that allowed using more days off than you had coming in your benefits package, and the theory of "you just tell me what you need"... Well he was moved out of our building 2 months after I got there, I was glad. A new supervisor "K" was promoted was once a mechanic in this building, and he struggled with being management and no longer an hourly kind of friend/supervisor, at the beginning.  But since he transitioned he has now got a bullseye on him. What Bob left in the wake was a work force that "liked things the way they were done before" and so it has been a somewhat difficult period of time for change to be brought into play, and then to get them to understand that "the old way no longer exists" because it was wrong and "you either get on board or you will encounter discipline and/or lose your job"..  There behavior is very much like an honery child who doesn't fear the discipline or just waits till you hand it out and then they whine trying to get out of it.. ugh..

With consistent discipline foreighn to there sensibilities, they have become hopping mad, pointing fingers, trying to get away with the same practices and absolutely livid when they are disciplined.  Over and over again, the shop steward uses the phrase "we liked the way we used to do it" or "if you would just wipe every ones slate clean before you start the new way of doing things."  Huh, well that's not going to happen, just come to work unless you are absolutely vomiting, or bleeding severely.  One employee has 8 sick days a year, and this employee record has probably been off sick 50 times, it's almost uncountable.. it was along time before we finally convinced him to get F.M.L.A.  (family medical leave act) as he claims his diabetes pain in his feet are the reason he takes off so much. FMLA gives him two days a month to call in for two days (total of 4 days).. and trust me he uses them.  But for the entire year of 2011 when there was a holiday on a weekend, he would take one or two days prior and one to two days following the holiday.. Except for this past Friday before New Years. And why might that be, because he was written up for a 3 day suspension for just that reason early in the week, and his next occasion would be a written warning and than firing... So he as usual promised he'd do better, I'm trying, blah blah blah..   I met him in the hallway on Friday and shook his hand and thanked him for making the improvement so quickly and being a valuable part of the team.  He laughed and said, what is it Friday and I forgot what day it was... He's actually a funny guy who jokes around that he's the hardest working employee we have and so on and so on... Keeps him going I guess..

So anyway, there are 17 porters/housekeeping employees, and their are perhaps 4 that do not play these games listed above. (surprising huh?)  There are 8 mechanics and 1 of them lives with one of the porters, they share his hers and ours kids. They make progress, a disciplinary occasion will expire and then they add another one.  The two of them together are each our worst offenders always at the point of "suspension just before losing their jobs" for violations and considered the worst in the district.. Quite a dubious honor if that's what your after in life.  It's a frustrating part of the job that increases paperwork, and the constant difficulty in keeping the building clean  and operating for our dept without enough employees to cover the workload. 

So anyway, before Christmas we had a potluck where one of the mechanics smoked tri tip and we all contributed a dish, and we were invited and participated...
                                       

This week, they planned their own potluck on Friday for New Years perhaps or another excuse to not work, and didn't invite us, so we weren't aware they were having one.  The mechanics supervisor "K" called over the intercom for a specific mechanic "J" to come to the office, he needed him to do a specific job of posting a parking Circle of Honor sign in the employee parking lot.  The mechanic "J" comes into the office and as it's being explained what he needs to take care of, this mechanic asks the supervisor  "K" if he can talk to him in the managers office... Later after "J" had left the office, the supervisor "K" tells me that this mechanic "J" had gone to the potluck, and noticed neither the supervisor "K" or I were there.  And he asked them if we were coming, and a few of the porters  replied "pff, they aren't invited to our potlucks, they are the enemy and we don't like them".... so this mechanic "J" told them "well if you can't invite everyone who is a part of this dept team of porters and mechanics, than you don't have to invite me to anymore of these potlucks either", and he walked out..

Now I want to just say that this is not an easy thing to do in the midst of this rough crowd that he will work with, and it will most likely have some backlash for him.. When I heard this I got teary as it was hard to hear, but that I was very proud of him "J" for taking that stand on our behalf.  I also would hope that I too would take that stand when there is an exclusion of others who are part of a team on purpose.  This picture below has been on an elementary school marquis for months and I took it one day.. it certainly applies here for some adults..

I've done blogs on this work group before and the difficulty of working with them and around them can be.  They are back biters amongst each other, rumor starters of bizarre tales, and just alot of lack of character and bad decision making is evident. My interaction with them is that I input there payroll, schedule vacations and order there supplies and I deal with the backlash of there wrath on many levels, where they are antagonistic between each other, and "authority". I'm a pretty easy person to get along with and really have tried to be sympathetic, understanding, and helpful to them with computer searches when they have asked.. But if you attack me on baseless comments or try to hurt me with "so and so said this about you" yes I will stop you from continuing to talk, because I am no longer in high school and will not stoop to you acting like you are and dragging me into it... so some of these employees don't have my respect and I have withdrawn from much beyond coming in doing my job and laying low in contact.  But boy when they need something they come in and turn on the sweet talk.. ha and I just listen, take a note and tell them I will get back to them with an answer.. and smile pretty.. Apparantly they would like a hug as well and a pat on the back each and every time, and a cookie... whoops, that's not really necessary!

So now they have made the hostile atmosphere of a line in the sand and watch your back... and I will have NO PROBLEM with it.. they on the other hand have policy they need to adhere to in order to keep there job.. period.. I follow it, the supervisors follow it, and they have to follow it.. fair is fair.. no one gets preferential treatment in spite of there desire to receive it..

Today I saw "J" for the first time since Friday and I made sure he understood how much I appreciated his comment and gesture on our behalf.. No lengthy conversation, but just that I knew.  2012 at the office I work in will be an interesting place in light of how 2011 ended, but I will not compromise right decency for being run over to get along..