My "Attitude" test in the workplace.

Last night I failed a test.

That test was to see how long before I would nearly blow a fuse while working with an assistant manager recently transferred to my part time job.
I briefly dealt with this person in the past and the first impression was not "good". Then there were some "conflicts" I heard about through the grapevine regarding this person. So I dreaded hearing that he was being transferred to the branch where I work.

I had hoped that my personal test to remain calm would have worked but there were so many factors that played into my not passing the test.

I cannot tolerate stupid people especially in the workplace, this is one of the primary reasons why I left my employer of 11 years last year. Stupid management decisions and stupid co-workers combined make for a workplace that is not a "team" and mistakes get made and the overall "customer" or service suffers. I have a problem with that. A combination of stupid decisions and LAZY inconsiderate co-workers created a problem for me last night.

I am sure that there are many who think that I am not a "team player". Truth is that I have standards. And I do set them higher than most, that is if they even understand the meaning. I want to strive for the best and that requires hard work, careful decision making and dedication. And when I am the only one working to achieve the best quality and environment, yes I do become difficult to deal with. I try to work out the differences and to bring us all to the same page for the greater good. In other words, I offer a solution to a problem rather than just bitch and complain. But when my concerns are not being heard I do get a little annoyed.

So last night, I was a little "annoyed" as we were extremely busy and LAZY ASS co-workers were not working as scheduled. We were down to just 4 people on duty, which is about a THIRD of the amount of people needed last night. Now we did have two quit this week, one because of his work schedule, the other is in the military and was deployed to Iraq. But there were at least two people originally scheduled to work and for whatever reason they were crossed off the schedule from working last night. I know one called in earlier in the day. She also whined her way out of working Sunday (today) because she forgot that she had "plans" for that day.

Funny how people always either get "sick" or something comes up when it is a holiday weekend like this weekend. Sorry, I'm not buying it.

NO, actually I am not sorry! If you were scheduled to work, short of your own death YOUR ASS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE JOB AS SCHEDULED. No excuses, no "emergencies", no "I'm not feeling well" or "my car broke down". 99% of the time it is bullshit and I just cannot tolerate broken schedules. This is why I may be difficult to work with. I know for sure I would be a real bitch to work for. Take that as a warning for anyone I may consider hiring as my daily business grows.

Am I being a bitch? I don't give a damn. I don't think it is all about me but I do think it is about honesty and respect for others. I give my respect and seldom get it in return. My schedule did not require my working 12 hours last night which I had to because of people not working their own schedule. The only person with a valid reason for not being there was the one who was deployed to Iraq. I wish him well and hope he returns home to his family safely and I honor him and all of our military personnel for their service. The other co-workers have NO excuse!

When you call in or don't work as scheduled, you screw the lives of other people. And I see this so often that I just don't have the patience for it anymore. And last night I "expressed" my opinion with my poor attitude and that's when the CONFLICT between me and the new ASSistant manager happened.

apparently, my "attitude" was not acceptable to the new assistant manager who has a history of "conflicts" with his staff. So in the middle of a mad rush, he decided it was time to send me home. And the way he presented it makes him feel as if he were punishing me for my "attitude". Oh boy is he mistaken!

"Punishing" me for sending me home after I worked all day and should not have been there? Punishing me for my "attitude"? Shit! Let me tell you for sure that it was no punishment. It was a relief from dealing with irate customers who were screwed by the actions of other people...NOT BY ME!. It was a relief from working with someone with his head stuck up his ass. And other co-workers nearing the same status. It was a mess last night and sadly when I arrive at work this morning I will probably have to deal with the aftermath.

My rant is based on this well established fact about where I live. Work ethics in this area are pathetic. Actually, the work ethic in America is bad at best, but it seems a lot more prouounced in Central Georgia. People are lazy asses who don't care about anyone but themselves. And most people with "titles" next to their name are often no more qualified for the position than a dead donkey.

Last night, I dealt with a jackass who thought he would flex his "authority" over an "attitude' he did not like while shooting himself in the foot by losing one of his hardest working people (ME) who was forced to remain on duty beyond his schedule because 3 out of the 4 missing people did not uphold THEIR responsibility to show up and do their damn job.

Yes I need the money, but I can do better than putting up with BS. And last night was another stone cold reminder of what I should have done earlier in life and what I need to do RIGHT NOW so that I could distance myself from situations and idiots like what happened last night. And then I shall have a better "attitude".

So, there is a strong possibility that I won't be as much of a workaholic in the near future. Or at the very least I will go in another direction.

And if my "attitude" of high expectations is a problem, get over it!