How are your co-workers?

[Incog Neato]

(I guess this really applies to those that work in a team-oriented environment.)

Do your colleagues work? Are you an actual team or do you do all of the damn work yourself?

My workplace is ODD. See -- we have 3 shifts: a morning, afternoon, and night shift.

The morning folks don't have much cohesion and everyone just sort of focuses on their own tasks only and no one really seems eager to expand on their skills and learn more.

The afternoon group, however, all cover for one another! If someone's busy, someone else will jump in and help out. I think almost everyone knows how to do everyone else's job (well, the basics).

And the night ... well, it's usually just one or two people so there's not much going on there. ^^ But they do everything because they have to. ^^;;;

Now there is a problem that comes from the morning because we also have weekend shifts that also the morning, afternoon, and night people!

Because the morning folks are "single-minded", there is a possibility that the person working may not have all the knowledge required to do the work! :(

The company doesn't really seem to be bothered by this! I guess they figure that people will learn on the fly ... which is sort of how it is in our business since it's very difficult to set aside time to properly train. Or something.

Well, whatever the reason, it's dumb.

[Raison D'etritus]

Currently I'm a 'malnourished writer,' so my only co-worker is a Compaq v6000..... correction: -WAS- a Compaq v6000 -until last week.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vIx6z04FXA


How many people would like to do this to their co-workers?


But yeah, from past experiences I've noticed a definite trend in shift to work ratio. Most people seem to prefer working morning shifts (God knows why), and so your early shift is usually made up of people with seniority, and thus, very often, seniors. Most often, first shifters, on the majority, seem to care less about the task than about getting home, though they're the most adamant that their way is the ONLY way to do something, and they know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING. They're usually the first to complain about night shift not doing it's job and yet the most likely to leave work undone for the next shift to pick up. (The only shift I've ever worked where my superiors flat out told me on a regular basis, "don't worry about it, So-and-So comes in at three. Let him do it.)

Depending on where you are, second shift could be anything from new blood who work hard to prove themselves in order to work their way up to lazy students (not to say they're lazy qua student, just student lazy qua employee) who only want a little cash on the side and couldn't care less about the job.

And most places treat night shift much like society does historically. Nosferatu. Prostitutes. Villains. Abominations and social outcasts who don't belong in the daylight. They do the work that nobody sees and exist in large part as scapegoats for first shift. Work ethic and ability are as varied here as second shift, but there -does- tend to be a large number of slackers who let (and expect) the relatively low number of ridiculously hard workers pick up the difference. Also night managers, in contrast to first shift, are typically far more rabid about getting EVERYTHING done before first shift arrives (I suspect this is learned, not inherently sociological).

[Incog Neato]

Mar 7, 2010 10:24:09 GMT -5 Raison D'etritus said:

But yeah, from past experiences I've noticed a definite trend in shift to work ratio. Most people seem to prefer working morning shifts (God knows why), and so your early shift is usually made up of people with seniority, and thus, very often, seniors. Most often, first shifters, on the majority, seem to care less about the task than about getting home, though they're the most adamant that their way is the ONLY way to do something, and they know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING. They're usually the first to complain about night shift not doing it's job and yet the most likely to leave work undone for the next shift to pick up. (The only shift I've ever worked where my superiors flat out told me on a regular basis, "don't worry about it, So-and-So comes in at three. Let him do it.)

Depending on where you are, second shift could be anything from new blood who work hard to prove themselves in order to work their way up to lazy students (not to say they're lazy qua student, just student lazy qua employee) who only want a little cash on the side and couldn't care less about the job.

HOLY SHIT.

That is nearly dead-on analysis of what goes on here! @_@;;;;;

Although I hope your night shift one isn't accurate~! TT~~~

[tancients]

I currently work at a restaurant which seems to be nothing more than a tax write off for someone too stupid to actually run a business.

All of last week, we had a total of 13 customers. At a food establishment. They lose far more money every day than they make.

As for the co-workers, well, other than the fact that it's very obvious I can't relate to any of them even though they're within my age group, they aren't horrible workers.

Can't wait for the IRS temp job next month though...

[Raison D'etritus]

Mar 7, 2010 11:03:40 GMT -5 Incog Neato said:

Mar 7, 2010 10:24:09 GMT -5 Raison D'etritus said:

But yeah, from past experiences I've noticed a definite trend in shift to work ratio. Most people seem to prefer working morning shifts (God knows why), and so your early shift is usually made up of people with seniority, and thus, very often, seniors. Most often, first shifters, on the majority, seem to care less about the task than about getting home, though they're the most adamant that their way is the ONLY way to do something, and they know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING. They're usually the first to complain about night shift not doing it's job and yet the most likely to leave work undone for the next shift to pick up. (The only shift I've ever worked where my superiors flat out told me on a regular basis, "don't worry about it, So-and-So comes in at three. Let him do it.)

Depending on where you are, second shift could be anything from new blood who work hard to prove themselves in order to work their way up to lazy students (not to say they're lazy qua student, just student lazy qua employee) who only want a little cash on the side and couldn't care less about the job.

HOLY SHIT.

That is nearly dead-on analysis of what goes on here! @_@;;;;;

Although I hope your night shift one isn't accurate~! TT~~~

Heh. You're not gonna want to hear this, but I actually PREFER night shift (I was usually one of the hard workers who was expected to carry all the slack), and most of the people I know work the same shift(and easily fall into one of the two categories). If you found my other insights insightful, then. . .

There are always variables of course, and no two workplaces --just like snowflakes and fingerprints-- are identical, but the trends ARE pretty apparent.

Sad thing 'bout night shift is, even the management, after taking note of which employees are the workhorses and which ones the slackers, tend to slack on the slackers and overwork the workhorses. The bar kinda sets itself and everybody just lives by it.

I could give you a whole essay on workplace social hierarchies and niches as well, but I won't bore you. (I worked at a pharmaceutical factory once which WAS a highschool. It wasn't LIKE highschool, it was IDENTICAL. We were even assigned to work posts by 'period' and the niches were more defined than anywhere else I've worked. )

[Incog Neato]

Mar 7, 2010 11:38:19 GMT -5 Raison D'etritus said:

Sad thing 'bout night shift is, even the management, after taking note of which employees are the workhorses and which ones the slackers, tend to slack on the slackers and overwork the workhorses. The bar kinda sets itself and everybody just lives by it.

Too much truth. .___.

I think one reason I was moved to the night was that I'm an easy target. I don't put up fights like other colleagues do when management tries to change something with their shifts and that I get stuff done.

Of course, I do wonder why another person wasn't chosen in my place as I have more seniority and technically should have stayed where I am now.

But, as I should have learned by now, seniority means shit in this place. For example, there's someone that's worked in the company for several years in another department and branch that's doing reception now. 9__9

[Ashurei]

The company I work for recently introduced an online communications policy where I basically can't badmouth the company. And while that sounds like I just can't say "THIS COMPANY BLOWS" (it doesn't, but it's an example), after an incident in which I was being fed rumors by a coworker/friend over MSN and went to management to get the facts straight (since they were related to me and my ambitions to move up in the company), I was told that what he did was gray area within the communications restrictions. So. Not gonna risk that.

I will say this much: I work in an office, and I like most of the people I work with. It's a small company and everyone's very nice, management included. Work ethic isn't an issue - those people get weeded out. One person annoys me, and that's about as detailed as I'm willing to go.

[AllenSmithee]

... Whew, I don't have a job...

[Incog Neato]

Mar 7, 2010 13:09:47 GMT -5 AllenSmithee said:

... Whew, I don't have a job...

But you will eventually. :3!

[AllenSmithee]

Yes! It shall be good, well partly. But still... money!

I'll get one during summer.

[Raison D'etritus]

Pup, I'm sorry to tell you that seniority is just something that higher ups' cite when they want to pass over somebody more qualified for somebody they prefer, and something they completely overlook when they want to pass over somebody more experienced for somebody they prefer. The bureaucracy of the workplace seldom follows and demonstrates the structure it ostentatiously presents.

If somebody's shipped off to nightshift against their will, I'd assume it's for the same reason a bureaucrat or officer would be sent to a far off post. Either for stepping on toes and thus being hidden out of sight, or because the area's in bad shape and someone special is needed to set things right. If you're not well liked by your superiors, the former. If you don't make any waves and somebody else could have been assigned/trained for the position, then I'd assume the latter --and take the post as a compliment.

And if you're not one of us night-folk, you can at least take consolation in the fact that your days will be free to schedule however you want, and you'll never have to blow off plans "because of work". Unless you have a lot of neighbors who compulsively mow the lawn. In that case, say goodbye to sleep. Forever.

[psybuster]

Mar 8, 2010 7:35:19 GMT -5 Wyrdwad said:

I'm looking forward to a newer, better job, though. Things have changed in my life recently, and now, instead of moving to Japan to teach English, I may be moving to southern California in a few weeks, to do video game translation professionally! If I get the job, I can't tell you how awesome it'll be. I just have to make sure I'm ready for their translation test, because it sounds like it could be quite a killer!

-Tom

And here I am thinking about moving from SoCal to the east coast...cost of living here is getting absurd (and I'm still another 4 months or so from getting my BS)

[Incog Neato]

You seem to find all sorts of awesome jobs, wyrd. ^___^ Here's hoping you pass the test with flying colours since we need more spiffy translators in the world! :D!

[Nalacakes]

Wow, that's great news Tom! Good luck! Translating videogames for a living would be wonderful, and I have no doubts that you could do a much better job than plenty of people currently working in the field. That test does sound horribly scary (English to Japanese translation, in particular, is a total nightmare for me - I half killed myself over my translation of a film review for my portfolio this term, and that was with a dictionary), but I'm sure you'll do great. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

[AllenSmithee]

Yeah, totally! I wish you the best of luck, man.

[Raison D'etritus]

Good luck to you Wyrd. You seem like a great guy and you certainly deserve the position ( I say "seem" because, for all I know, you could be an axe murdering sex offender--not that any of us at ALoY would hold that against you. To us, you'll always be awesome).

Down side is, when you do get it (cause you will, and you really don't need our wishes. Or luck) you aren't going to want to spend all day doing a job and then come home to do the same thing as a hobby. While losing you as a free-lance fan translator will come as a hard blow to the gaming community, what we want and what you deserve are entirely different animals. I look forward to seeing your name in official game credits (or at least -a- name with -"Wyrdwad"- sandwiched in the middle of it).

[AllenSmithee]

Mar 11, 2010 20:38:27 GMT -5 Wyrdwad said:

I can be VERY persuasive sometimes.

Awwh, Wyrd, what have I told you about selling your body like that!

[tancients]

A lot of professional translators continue to do fan translations. Mother 3 is a good and recentish example.

[tancients]

Don't do it at work, and it isn't their property no matter how much they'd like to pretend it is. What you do during your unpaid time is entirely your ownership.

And Mother 3 was translated by just only two dudes. 6-9 months I think it took.

[Mutagene]

I played through the first 10 hours and loved the dialogue to bits, but I lost the drive to finish it.

Maybe I should pick it up again?