Have we become the land of bludgers…?

[Damn Youngen]

.... I hate my job, Do the absolute minium, for minamin wage. My theory is, if they wanted better quality work, thed pay me more. Did I mention I work For macca's?

 

[onetwothreefour]

this depends.

i don't, honestly, think i could i even say that i give ten percent at my current workplace. christ, the only thing that "motivates" me to do any work is the fear that my boss will come in checking on me (she does this often, 'cause she knows i don't work).

but i still spend a fair percentage of time just doing homework or reading. come on, i work for a servo, do i really give a fuck?

however, in the more general sense i wouldn't consider myself a bludger - i certainly don't intend to coast through life on welfare, but will instead hope to earn a living by working hard at what i love.

i don't understand people who just totally lack passion for anything

 

[MoeBro]

What exactly are you meant to be doing? waiting till someone else comes into the servo and gives you money?
mopping?
eating candy?

 

[papermate]

With regards to the foreiners (sp?), particularly asians, alot of them work in the industry i am in and i have found them to be the ones that don't put in the extra effort when it comes to overtime, working precisely to times etc etc. they tend to start dead on time, finish dead on time (dropping whatever they are doing) and don't work overtime

what industry is this?

I think that its maybe because that the asians as a general rule dont consider this industry to be one of worth so to speak. (Taking a punt here.)
For example they may studying accounting, or some other white collar topic at university and the time they are working now in a temporary work positiion at McDonalds, or any other general food or retail shop is something they think is mundane.
For that reason, they dont have pride, they dont appreciate the business and dont care about it.

That train of thought annoys me, because I think that they will have the same sort of work ethics and applications in their 'chosen' industry when they graduate. Unfortunately this does not mean the will be unsuccessful.

 

[UnSquare]

The 2 Cent Conundrum

Hey, when people from the US
give their 2 cents
is their opinion worth more than ours?

 

[Strawberry_lovemuffin]

I've been both kinds of workers.

When I first started my PR job (now going on 4 years), in the first year I was keen as mustard. I'd stay late, contribute ideas, go to all the extra-curricular meetings, even *shock horror* do work at home sometimes.

But the company never acknowleged any of it. I was pulled up for arriving 20 minutes late one morning, yet was never praised for staying late every day that week. When I'd come up with a new idea it was like "No, that's not the way we do things around here." They kind of crushed my spirit.

Not only that but there were no extras or rewards: no bonuses, not even a Christmas party.

So I went to the opposite extreme. For the next 2 years I pretty much did the minimum. Arrived at 9, left at 5pm on the dot. Took a full hour for lunch. Pinched toilet paper. Wrote freelance articles at work. Surfed the net. The lot. When I started going out with my boyfriend he was very negative towards the company too, and it just snowballed from there. We were partners in crime. Bitching about them, laughing at their penny-pinching ways and taking advantage where we could.

But I noticed something in those years. I was majorly unhappy. I was getting nothing out of my job - nothing. At least in that first year I was inspired. Now I was just mean and insular and defensive; and I wasn't getting results, I had no integrity and I just started to feel downright shitty.

In the last year I've just changed my attitude. I'm like: okay, I've got to accept this company isn't ever going to shower me with gifts and praise my ideas ... but do it for yourself, not them. I had to change for my own personal development. In the last year I"ve started to re-discover my passion for the job, not for them; but in spite of them. It works anyway.

And you know what, I'm 200% happier now.

I do think people can get into a "negative cycle" like I did quite easily. They get dissapointed by a percieved lack of appreciation; either verbal or monetary, on the part of the company, and their defensive reaction is "fuck you. I'll just do what I have to." It's addictive. But they don't realise that it drains your soul after a while.

 

[DECK1]

There is the attitude of doing only what needs to be done and extracting every last bit of benefit they are entitled to. Things such as working within the specified hours, using every last minute of breaks, making full use of benefits such as sick leave in fear of losing them, pacing yourself to make your work last etc etc.

I’ve had on many occasions, fork lift drivers stop loading trucks on the stroke of 5pm, only for me to finish the loads – their argument is that they aren’t paid past 5, so why should they work past it. Fair enough, neither am I, but I do it for the good of the business and the business has rewarded me many times for such. What amazes me is that when we are experiencing quite times, its ok for them to kick back in the lunch room on company time, or leave early. But ask them to stay back for 15 minutes to finish a load and it’s like the greatest injustice thrust upon them.

Have you ever thought that alot of people have alot more higher priorities than work and money. A 40 hour week was fought for years ago for a very good reason. Do you know what has happened to these people in previous employment that has caused them to think this way. I have worked in places where i've worked 15 mintues through my lunch break. But am told to return to work after 15 mintues of lunch. I have had employers who pay out sick leave to workers who don't take any, but people who take 1 or 2 loose all there sick leave entitlement. I have even worked a extra 1/2 hour only to be told you won't be paid as they only pay in hourly rates. They then told me i could be compinsated by going home 1/2 hour early one day. When i tried this a week later, they suddenly could not remember the 1/2 hour i stayed back.

For every business that rewards workers for hard work and the small favours you do for them. There is a business that treats a worker like complete shit. From reading your post, it seems you have been one of the lucky employees who has never had this problem. And yes there probably are employees who are just lazy, but maybe not as many as you think.

 

[haste]

Have you ever thought that alot of people have alot more higher priorities than work and money

yes I'm one of them - I don't see why this would hinder work ethic and the thirst to achieve.

From reading your post, it seems you have been one of the lucky employees who has never had this problem

that is correct

And yes there probably are employees who are just lazy, but maybe not as many as you think.

laziness was not my argument, the Australian attitude was - I believe there is a difference.

 

[onetwothreefour]

Originally posted by MoeBro
What exactly are you meant to be doing? waiting till someone else comes into the servo and gives you money?
mopping?
eating candy?

well, mopping is one of the many things, yeah. actually, we've got shitloads to do - cleaning the store generally, stocking shelves, "facing" and filling the fridge, sorting out orders, counting stock, etc etc. so there's a lot to do, i just tend not to do much of it

 

[UnFuZed]

what industry is this?

I think that its maybe because that the asians as a general rule dont consider this industry to be one of worth so to speak. (Taking a punt here.)
For example they may studying accounting, or some other white collar topic at university and the time they are working now in a temporary work positiion at McDonalds, or any other general food or retail shop is something they think is mundane.
For that reason, they dont have pride, they dont appreciate the business and dont care about it.

That train of thought annoys me, because I think that they will have the same sort of work ethics and applications in their 'chosen' industry when they graduate. Unfortunately this does not mean the will be unsuccessful.

dont get me wrong, by no way was i having a go at asians, they are very hard workers, i was mainly talking in terms of extra work, overtime etc etc.....
and no its not just a part-time thing while they are studying, these are graduates i am talking about, Electronics - I.T. - Communications industry.

but im definately not having a go at the way they work, in general they are very hard workers, sorry if i offended you or anyone, it was just an observation, no offence intended. :D :D

:D

 

[Urbanhog]

I have plenty to say, but its almost 3am here, and I am too tired to type a long reply based on my expereince... but in short my motto is "Just work to live, not live to work."

 

[killarava2day]

Australia has always been a "nation of bludgers", which is why we were the first country to introduce the 40 hour week (something that, sadly, seems to have been cast to the {shift+delete} of history over the last twenty-years). The term bludger is a highly loaded one, language of the power-class that claim to represent "mainstream Australia" and who use such language to disenfranchise groups who are already highly marginalised by fostering prejudice against them within the wider community.

If you feel resentful towards someone you don't think works as hard as you and it in no way interferes with your capacity to do your job then you need to ask yourself a few questions. Is the personal value derived from your work ethic variable according to the output of people who work around you? Are your feelings of satisfaction and self-worth dependent on the actions of others? Would your work ethic be altered in the opposite situation, would it be heightened if those around you worked harder? If you answered yes to any of these questions I would suggest that the problem lies with you, not the lazy co-worker, and that you should perhaps reflect on where this resentment stems from.

I think it is sad that this country has become so petty and mean, it is turning into a country of ruthlessly selfish misers. Take the unemployed for example, sure it comes out of your taxes but in all reality if it wasn't being spent there it would be being spent elsewhere. Let's face it, the ammount of your tax dollar spent on unemployment is considerably less than that spent on blowing people up in iraq, or doing stand over on East Timor for their gas-fields, or from the loss incurred by treasurer Costello's shady currency swaps, or the lifetime salary perks awarded to politicians after leaving office, or to pay tributes in the form of corporate welfare schemes in the hope that fickle and haughty corporations may be so gracious as to invest a small fraction of their vast profits into the country... I'd much prefer my tax dollar to be spent on supporting some misfortunate bum who, for whatever reason, has fallen through the cracks of society and needs support. If a society exists not for providing for those unable to provide for themselves then what is it for? Making more money?

 

[up all night]

Re: Re: Have we become the land of bludgers…?

Originally posted by DECK1
Have you ever thought that alot of people have alot more higher priorities than work and money.

Totally agree. In the company where I work the people who get promotions are the ones who stay behind and go that extra mile. On one hand I think that's fair enough, on the other there are some very good employees who are being passed over just because they leave at 5pm to get home to their families [which I think is far more important than staying until 9pm to suck up to the boss]. In my perfect world no-one would be able to work overtime so people wouldn't feel pressured into cutting down on their family or leisure time and the people who get promotions are the ones who do their job the best in the time allocated.

I hate work politics.

 

[haste]

To throw into the mix - would there be a distinction in attitude or effort based on whether one's employment was a "job" or a "career"?

I guess I see my employment as more than just a job and therefore I seem to justify the hours I put into it - I by no means stay back every night, far from it - but I do give my 100% in everything I do.

Perhaps I am a minority?

Excellent replies everyone

 

[DECK1]

Have you ever thought that alot of people have alot more higher priorities than work and money

yes I'm one of them - I don't see why this would hinder work ethic and the thirst to achieve.

My point was ment for why people don't do more than there 38 or 40 hours.

 

[haste]

ah ok, I missed that

 

[DECK1]

laziness was not my argument, the Australian attitude was - I believe there is a difference.

Yes but i think laziness is a high reason why people are bludgers. You will find a high percentage of so called bludgers are lazy no matter what the activity is they do.

 

[DECK1]

ah ok, I missed that

I probably should have made it more clear

 

[Killing_time]

I hate my job.
I get paid minimul wage, work in poor conditions, my boss continually tries to rip-me-off and I have no interest in being there any longer than I have to.
I am solely there for the money.
And I like to think I work hard for it.

I think if I was entitled to any type of assistance from the government and in turn didn't have to work there would be sweet-fuck-all chance of me being out there tryin' to get a job.
Then again... I am a uni student.

PEACE