HR Managin',  Sixteen Tons

Better

I deleted yesterday’s grumpy entry.  Yesterday’s issue is an ongoing problem, though.  People are still mad, and will make a point of not enjoying the fun day I’ve arranged.  It’s illegal to make every person salaried, so sometimes I wish we could make every person hourly so there wouldn’t be this divide.  Human beings love to divide and exclude, to measure and compare, so simple on-paper business decisions become wretched complicated minefields in the psychology of the workplace.  A psychologist, I am not.  I’ll just try to be nice, and have a meeting with the hourly folks, and explain that the day is not an expression of appreciation for salaried people’s hard work, just a way of paying them for overtime.  Everybody works hard.  I love you all.  You make us who we are.  La di da.  It’s sort of trite, and I don’t think I impress anybody when I say these platitudes, but then they sure miss it when I don’t.  And I mean them all.  I’m not lying.  I just sometimes feel like I’m in Office Space when I trot them out.
I have had a much better day today.  I interviewed somebody who is sort of my age today.  She’s 4 years younger, but still, she is a college educated woman who is in a similar place in life to me.  I am sooooo excited about possibly bringing her on.  A friend for me!!  Awesome!!  I am starting to like my job a little more, but it is still seriously lacking in coworkers with girlfriend potential.  I have one friend at the end of the hall – also 24, however she has a baby who is always sick and is also going through a divorce.  Our lives are very different.  We’re friends at work but we haven’t made the leap to friends outside work, and we may never be able to since she always has to run home to relieve the babysitter at the end of the day.  It’s hard to jump straight from – hey how was your weekend?  to – hey, want to come to the ER with me while I have the baby’s lungs re-inflated?  or whatever medical emergency is happening.  We’re not quite sure how to do it.
But anyway, the new candidate is exciting for me.  I really hope she accepts our offer.  Maybe she and the other girl down the hall and I will become best buds.  Or maybe not.  Maybe I’ll never make a friend in this lonely outpost in the middle of rural America.  Who knows.
This was supposed to be a post in a better mood, but I guess I’m being worn down by the continued angry stares today.  I don’t like feeling like a villain.  Boo.

2 Comments

  • Nora

    I am sorry that you work with some un fun people.  Oh vey! My "workers" are not cooperating with nap time today.  I needed a break and catching up with your blog has changed my mood tremendously.  Although I realize some of it is on fun for you, like the steak wielding preschooler, the retunr flight home, or the awesomely bad resumes.  Saul sounds like a jewel, or maybe it is just your wiriting, I love it. 

  • NJaney

    I missed the griping entry of yesterday…but I can deduce what happened. People blow.
     
    I\’ll hope the cool girl takes the offer, work sucks unless you can clique up with someone. It\’s also funny getting the relationship going…does she lunch like you? shop like you? chat like you? It\’s tense.
     
    Am I reading too much into it?
     
    On another note – I can\’t believe how fast I fell from your peeps list. What is up with that?
     
    🙂