Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & Dale: My son recently began working at a refrigeration company and did not ask appropriate questions because he assumed all offices paid for a 40-hour workweek and a minimum of two weeks vacation. The employer was not forthcoming with this information, either. Once he started, he discovered that the company pays for only one week of vacation after completing one full year of work! Further, his hours are now 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., with only one hour for lunch, and he receives no differential pay. Is there anything he can do? – Jocelyn
DALE: First, the problem isn’t your son’s failure to ask the right questions. If he had known the work conditions, what would he have done differently? Did he have other job possibilities lined up? Probably not, or he would have backed out of the offer the day he received the manual. So, the problem wasn’t him; it’s this: Many people reading your question were thinking, “At least he has a job.” And that is the essence of this New Economy, with its age-old exploitations.
J.T.: To answer your question, Jocelyn, if your son is an hourly employee, then you could look into eligibility for overtime pay. However, my gut tells me that if the company put these policies in writing, he’s a salaried, “at-will” employee, which means that the business can set its own hours and benefits. If so, all he can do is find other, better employment.
DALE: But here’s the lousy thing about that: The worse the job, the harder it is to leave. That’s true because your son has no time off to make calls or go on interviews; plus, the job is, no doubt, physically and psychologically draining. His way out is to become skilled at networking on the job. When, say, he’s out working on an installation, he’ll meet people who might know of jobs. And he may have to carry a personal cellphone to make inquiries and do screening interviews at lunch or between customer visits. The way he’ll find energy for job-searching is to remember that there are still great employers, ones who believe that taking care of employees is the best way to take care of customers.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I am a nurse practitioner in a community health center. We have new management, and I question some of the new business practices. For instance, in the past, when leaving alone after-hours, I would walk out with a medical assistant. Now, however, there is no overtime, period. So if I am running late with a patient, tough luck. I also inquired why the MDs no longer have to share working nights and Saturdays. I was reprimanded for being negative. Did I cross the line? – Aubrey
J.T.: Anytime you have new management, you should treat it as if it’s a new job. That means you need to learn the new culture. New leaders sometimes invite employees’ opinions and suggestions; however, candidly, that’s rare. New management comes in having assessed the business, and has clear ideas of changes they want to make. Often these are cost-cutting measures and are not open for negotiation.
DALE: Being called “negative” is serious. That means you are seen as an enemy of the new leadership. So if you want to stay, you’re going to need to reposition yourself as a “team player.” All you have to do is say to your managers, “I really want to contribute to the new team – how can I help?” However they respond, you implement their suggestions, and after a couple of weeks, go back to them and ask how you’re doing. They will start to think of you as someone who cooperates and who cares about their opinions – a team player.
J.T.: Meanwhile, you must figure out ways, on your own, to put safety first. Make sure you don’t have to leave late, or create a “buddy system” with another employee to wait for each other. If you solve your problems yourself, and help management solve some of their problems, you’ll be a star on the new team.
