Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Just Say No

Just another rant...
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Our free time is getting shorter and shorter
So why do many folks still think it's a perk
When their boss gives them a PDA
Or a Blackberry
Or worse, a laptop
They just gave you the ability to
Check your messages at home
And to answer them
Take a company laptop home
And you start working without pay
Unless your boss also gave you a raise
I thought not
So when your boss or company offers you
A phone, PDA, or a laptop
They want to use and abuse you
Just say no...

Or is it just me?


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29 comments:

  1. Very true! When your Boss gives you a lap-top, he is meaning you to work over-time from home!
    Been there....fell into that trap before!

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  2. I regret the day I told Funny Man that if his work was going to be using up all his personal cell phone minutes, they either had to pay the cell phone bill, or pay for a new phone for him. Well, now he has two phones. The personal one and the work one, which he feels obligated to answer all the time because work is paying for it. Grrrrr! - G

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  3. My Dad has one, but now refuses to check work email and only uses it for emergency after hours calls.

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  4. You are TOTALLY right ON, Pat!! I see so many of my friends now being "on call" 24/7 because of these "conveniences" and not getting paid for it.....
    My daughter works for a major company and even when she is on vacation, someone will call her or text her or email her for "a favor" (work task!) when she is there...therefore she gets no emotional, intellectual, spiritual or physical rest even when she IS supposed to be on vacation. I say, workers need to be strong and say NO if you can, and NOT bring these "tools" with you on vacation, especially.

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  5. My boss has never abused me in that manner. Damn!

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  6. I cringed when my boss assigned me a cell phone. It felt like her leash just got tighter...

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  7. Alice - I've been there also. They expect even more if you are on salary. Not all bosses, but some...

    Georgina - I refused to carry two phones, so until recently I've only had a company phone. I carried it for many years. But I used it as my personal phone and usually didn't answer work calls on it. I learned not to...

    Brian - That's they way to go. Unless you really love your job.

    Joan - Thanks Joan! I was on 24/7 call for about the last 20 years. I eventually learned that 99% of what people thought was so important, wasn't....so I stopped answering...I've been retired now for about 18 months and I STILL get calls from work, looking for help...

    Alex - Of course what I said is a general statement. Not all bosses expect extra work, they just want to be able to get ahold of you in an emergency. But most of them expect something in exchange...

    Brenda - About 15 years ago I was issued a pager with texting capabilities. My boss was such an jerk that he literally texted us 24hours a day. I started totally ignoring it and he told me I wasn't a "team player" and that I needed to "step up to the plate."
    I remember laughing at him for that (of course he didn't like that either). Long story short, I outlasted him....

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  8. Pat, tell me what's worse. Instead of giving you this asking you to use your personal BlackBerry for work and work NOT paying for it! :(

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  9. Alas we are living in the 24/7 access all areas even your w/ends society. Everyone is instant. I wish I wish...I'm working on a plan where I can say no. ;))

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  10. Very True Pat, I have no problem with doing a good job but hate it when they take advantage of you, giving you something like this may seem cool but like you I feel they are getting more out of you for less pay.

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  11. Oooh....been there and done that. So true, so true.

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  12. Good post, I have a company laptop but I never take it home with me. I don't want to make it a habbit to do work at home. I have to admit sometimes I do it, but that's only when I have time constraints to reach my deadline. But again, that's higly unusual for me to do work at home..

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  13. Ally - That is not only worse, it's totally illegal...

    Talei - Keep working at it Talei! It's to actually ever feel alone now.

    Jimmy - I feel the same way. That's why being on salary instead of hourly, can be a bad thing...

    Marlene - Me too....

    Biana - That's not too bad. I've done it both ways. It's when it's expected of you, that it's not good.

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  14. Yikes, I am so glad that I don't need to keep in touch with work like that! A blackberry is too big and cumberson for me to use, my normal cell phone does all I need. Hardly talk on it, just mainly use to keep track of The Daughter and to text messages to my bride to see if she needs anything.
    I don't need nor want to know about work when I am not AT work!

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  15. My hubs has a laptop from work we watched Jersey Shore- um I mean he checked important thing...Last night.

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  16. Or take the lap top and just turn it off at the end of the work day.

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  17. Sometimes I think HOB might spend more time with his Blackberry than with me. What's the deal?

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  18. My hubby did NOT say no. He has a Blackberry AND a work laptop, and the amount of time he spends logging into the damn work server alone is about half an hour of overtime!! Not to mention that every single date night/family outing/birthday party we've had over the last year since he got them has been interrupted with work crap. I think I'm owed a little separation pay! LOL

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  19. That's a freaking brilliant rant (I wish I had some of those :P) And you're completely right!

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  20. One job I had in AK required me to be on call 24/7 so I carried a pager. My last job with General Mills they gave me a laptop, oh no! But at that time the sales reps for the company worked out of their homes so there was no escaping work. Can we say overworked and underpaid!

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  21. Just goes to show ya...nothing is free (except your labor).

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  22. Way to capture the 2010 American dream!

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  23. I love to be hooked up to my writing community but I wouldn't want to always be attached to my boss and his needs.

    CD

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  24. Too cheap here to give anything
    to an employee... they might
    give you a slight discount, but
    you pay for it one way or another.

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  25. Since i have no boss I have never been given this "perk." But i would probably fall right into it if I were given the chance. Just staying away from my blog and the computer was kind of hard the last few months. Oh..and by the way...I am back. If you have time check out my new post.

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  26. Joe - I had to do it until I started refusing to. It was very liberating... I have a cell, a big one, but I do what I want to do with it. No texting for sure...

    Ren - that's funny! At least his priorities are in order....

    Warren - I agree, but some employers don't make it that easy.

    Bossy Betty - I don't know, can his blackberry cook?

    passionofthemom - I think you are owed a lot more than a little! My company expected that out of a lot of us, I just refused, so after a while they stopped expecting it. I'm happy to say that they needed me more than I needed them..

    Sarah - Why thanks! I have a lot of them...I started another blog called "in my effing opinion" but I decided to not go forward with it. so it's gonna come here...

    SQ - Yes, we can saw overwoked and underpaid. We can also say that it never evens up either...

    Chuck - That's right! it just goes to show ya...

    Jesse - The times they are a changin'

    Clarissa - Oh yeah! I understand that. That's what I use my phone for mostly. My step daughter pretty much runs her blog from her phone. http://ashleydking.blogspot.com/

    DrSoosie - Yay!!!
    I noticed that you were back and I've already been there. I'm so happy to see you!

    Costea - Yes! A big huge NO!

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  27. The job insisted I have the ability to securely tether my laptop to something that could not be easily stolen when take it home. I went home and determined the only item that qualified was my bed.....no more laptop at home. It was liberating...

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  28. Emma - I agree! that is why I never one home...

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