Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Of Unhappy Employees and Turnovers


Today I started my driving classes. I know, I know it’s way way long over due. You see when I was younger, I figured that since there was no vehicle to practice on, there was really no point in getting a DL. And up to some point I think I was right since I witnessed so many of my pals doing the classes over and over again as they kept forgetting for lack of practice. But now I most certainly wish I hadn’t had all that foresight. Where’s the time to spend in front of painted planks termed model towns playing with toy cars? Well I’ve been forced to create the time and study with guys who are whole decades younger than me.

Today was my first class and the thing that struck me most from it is that the school’s owner is a tough employer. It first became apparent during my theory class when my teacher, a guy who sounded very experienced in his field and with an easily understandable teaching approach, kept being called every so often to run strange errands for his boss including at one point something that had to do with a bucket and water. What went through my mind is why interrupt paying students’ classes to get errands done? Secondly I thought that the guy was either a very special cleaner or a misused trainer.

I then went off on my practical and, being day one, it involved a lot of talking. Somehow, the conversation managed to find itself maneuvered into territories of difficult employers and my instructor had a litany of tales to tell. Not wanting to interrupt him, we managed to get in some 20 minutes or so of relevant talk and 40 minutes of employer bashing.

This train of thought leads me to a lady I know who just cannot keep a house help. She had a good albeit woebegone one who stayed for quite a while. She left for unfortunate reasons and since then, the turnover has been much like that of the stock exchange (I’d really love to understand what exactly that is). New one come today and gone tomorrow. I think she follows them around bickering about all they do wrong (which to her is all they do) and then chases them away in anguish.

Well this being the month that begins with a worker’s holiday, let us try and be charitable to our employees.

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