I often wonder and ponder the why of things. Lately, it's why am I treated the way I am at work. I got hurt on the job. Twice in the span of months between October and January, to where I wasn't able to work, with the exception of two weeks, from the end of October until Late March. It wasn't intentional. It was just a 'shit happens' kind of thing. I wasn't happy, the company wasn't happy. Finally, I was cleared to return to full duty. I was lied to upon my return about available equipment. Blatantly so. I was then put in a part of the company doing essentially the same thing, but making less money. This had to come down from 'On High'. I say this because, as we all know, "Shit rolls down hill." My supervisor does what he can to make me $$, but he can only do so much, and I am grateful for that. He and another are the main reason I'm still there. That, and I still have some vacation to use.
So, I ponder why. I'm a hard worker. I show up on time, often early. I do my job, I don't wreck equipment, nor do I piss off the customer. In fact, I help the customer, when necessary, in ways that the company doesn't know about. Yes, as anyone, I can be a pain in the nether regions. A pest. So, because I was injured on the job, had two work comp claims, I am now of no use? I'm just to be cast off? Seems so. This happened at the last company I worked for, only it wasn't a work comp injury. I'd torn the sleeve of the Achilles Tendon going up my stairs at home. I worked with the injury for a couple of months before getting it checked out. When I found out, I was off two months. When I came back to work, the attitude towards me had changed. Nearly 12 years, a Million Mile safe driving award, and almost 100% on-time service and happy customers didn't mean squat. They set about to starve me out. Now, it would seem, it's happening again. The previous was a large company, the current, a small one. But, as Yoda says, "Size matters not!" Wisdom from a puppet.
American business sometimes wonders why there is little loyalty among employees. I would posit that the reason is that there is little to none from the companies. No matter how I feel mistreated, I will do my job the best I can until my last day. That's what I'm paid for, and that I shall do. That's my work ethic. The code I live my life by. I'm unhappy, somewhat, with the situation, but I love what I do. So, I am having fun and enjoying life. It's the old saying, "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." I love what I do, though, some days.. Well, we all have THOSE days, do we not?
Back to my pondering. What goes through the mind of someone who'll cast off a good and loyal employee over a couple of injuries, when there is no history of it in ones past that it's a habit, or recurring thing? I ask, as I can't wrap my mind around it. I've been told that I'm naive to expect any thing different. It's just the way the world is. To which I reply, "It doesn't HAVE to be!" WE, all of us, make choices on how we treat and act towards others. So, it's a choice to do this or that, no one is forced. So why choose to be that way? I don't know. Yet, the question tasks me.
