Family, Faith, Friends……all take a back seat to corporate life

My work schedule is Tuesday through Saturday, off Sunday and Monday. It used to be Sunday through Thursday, off Friday and Saturday.

I preface with the first sentence because I volunteered to work today to make some extra money. Actually it wasn’t really for the money this week, it’s because I swapped my weekend around and I need all my hours. However, I check my email at 5:15 pm and what is in my inbox. I notice that we have a mandatory rental meeting Thursday after work.

Am I surprised at this notice? Not at all. But here are the problems I do have. First of all some people have Thursday as there final working day of the week. How rude is it to schedule a meeting on what is essentially another employees Friday. However, those that schedule the meeting work Friday so this is inconsequential to them.

Second, what about plans? What about the fact that most people will receive this email Tuesday morning and with a days notice need to drop everything they are doing and attend. Wouldn’t it be easier to have a set day every month to plan around? This is the category I fall in to. My friend Kendall is coming in from out of town to hang out Wednesday and Thursday because he’s off work. So him, Jen and myself had all planned to go out to eat Thursday as an early birthday dinner.

Will this dinner still happen? Yes – of course. At the cost of being called an abandoner and anti-social employee at work it will still happen. Unfortunately, I’ve had plans on the nights of almost every rental meeting we have ever had so I’m sure I’m seen as the weird guy who doesn’t go out to eat. But if plans keep me from having forced awkward conversations with certain people, then so be it. Because despite the fact that I’m knew to the state, does not mean I can’t attempt to have a life outside of the big yellow box.

The corporate attitude is that work comes before all. This is not specific to my work place, but it is true of many. I think work is important but I think being with my wife and maintaining a nice balance outside of work is equally important. A fun day off for me has nothing to do with work. When I leave this place, I don’t think about it, I don’t worry about it, I don’t tell people what I do unless they ask (with the exception of some blogs). Here I’m a rental associate, outside of work I’m Steven the person that is not obsessed with his job.