Stuff Really Does Flow Down Hill!

It’s been a really long time since I wrote anything in this blog. I can’t believe it has been so long. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything really good to write…but I am extremely frustrated about something and really need to vent.

First of all, there are two sayings that I have heard most of my life, and I’m finding out that they are both completely true! The first saying is “Stuff Flows Down Hill.” (Of course, I substituted the word “Stuff.”) There are two of us at the bottom of the hill in our office, and it seems like we are the two that have to put up with the most crap! It feels like when anyone needs to take out their frustrations, needs someone to blame for something, or has a job that they don’t want to do, these duties are always passed off to us. It doesn't seem to matter if we are qualified to do it or not.

For example, I was given my employee evaluation a short time ago. I was told that I have a tendency to “give people attitude” when they bring me work to complete. So, when I asked for an example, I was given one. Basically, what happened was someone asked me to train a new employee on a task that I do not regularly perform. I said that I would train the new employee, but that there was someone better qualified to train the new employee if they were willing to wait 15 to 20 minutes until she returned to the office. Waiting was, apparently, unacceptable, so I ended up trying to train the new employee. Over the course of my attempt to train, I screwed up three times and had to explain to her to “scratch that” and “do it this way instead.” Now, if they had just waited a few more minutes, the other person (who does this all the time) could have trained the new employee…and probably been far less confusing than I was!

However, because I simply suggested that someone else was better qualified to train a new employee, I was “giving attitude.” Well, if that is giving attitude, I guess I’m guilty.

What bothers me is that, apparently, it is okay for co-workers and associates to treat the peons (my one co-worker and me who share the bottom of the hill) with disrespect and give us attitude, but we are expected to just sit back and take it. I work in, what I consider, a rather hostile environment. Yet I am expected to deal with people using foul language (and I’m talking seriously offensive stuff), people insulting co-workers because they think it’s funny (really mean stuff about hair, weight, appearances), people slamming doors, people throwing things (telephone, staplers, etc.)…and that's only part of it! It doesn't seem to matter that we can be insulted or offended, and we have to deal with it, while if we inadvertently offend someone or don't react in a way that they deem appropriate, we have to pay the consequences (in our yearly evaluations).

Those of us at the bottom really do seem to catch all the "stuff!"

As for the second saying, that would be: “The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.” Now, I’m not saying that I’m poor, but we are definitely on the lower end of the income scale. Our company advised that corporately, no one would be given raises this year – which is totally understandable in this economy!

A few weeks later, we were advised that our division was awarded some extra money – due to our divisions exceptional performance in 2008 – and discretionary bonuses would be awarded to employees. After getting everyone all excited, we were then told that not everyone would get the bonuses and they would be based on our performance reviews.

After being told about the bonuses, my evaluation was reopened and adjusted to give me a 2.5 because of my attitude issues (see above). (Unfortunately, I don’t know what I was ranked before it was re-opened, since it had not yet been discussed with me.) I also found out that my co-worker who shares the bottom of the heap with me also scored “below 3” on her evaluation. Of course, bonuses were only awarded to those who scored 3 or higher on their evaluations…imagine that.

Now, I have been with this company for nearly five years and I have always scored 3 or higher on my evaluation (5 = superhero, 4 = hero, 3 = you do your job and do it well, 2 = you don’t do your job well, 1 = why are you even here?). Funny that it changed this year, huh?

I'm not angry or upset that I did not get a bonus or a raise. I am angry and upset that my evaluation was changed, which is now part of my permanent employment record. In addition, I am really upset because some of those in this office that deserved the bonuses did not get them - such as my co-worker who shares the bottom with me. If anyone deserves a bonus, she does!

Is corporate America screwed up, or is it just my perception looking up from the bottom?