Category: Work

Ah, work. That magical part of being an adult that we all cherish. TV and Facebook tell you that if you pursue your dreams, everything will work out. Totally realistic, right? It is if you have a trust fund. Or a unique talent. Or a clear vision of what you want. Those of us that don’t have to settle for a balance of paying bills and finding something tolerable to do every day. As such, the goal often becomes contentment, not fulfillment.

My career had a rocky start. After leaving grad school, I found myself in the unpleasant situation of being overeducated and without proper work experience. So, I had to take what I could get. Over the years, things progressed and I’ve ended in a place where I like what I do and am happy. However, those first few years were a kaleidoscope of wounded pride, monotony, and hopelessness. Hooray for being an adult!

Punctuality – Work

And we’re back at that first job. Like most youngsters there, I lived in the city even though the company was in the suburbs. On a good day, it took me 50 minutes to get there and an hour to get home. I accepted this. The commute was frustrating, but I wanted to live in the city, so it was ok. However, Chicago sometimes gets some nasty weather and these guys were sticklers for punctuality.

Don’t get me wrong, punctuality is very important to me. I hate being late and I expect others to be on time. However, there is a problem with some businesses. If you only see your employees as a tool (this place literally referred to me as a cog in a machine to my face a few times), then you lose your both humanity and their respect. Commuters died that day. I own that I should have left earlier, but there’s something wrong about a culture that is uncompromising when it comes to employees being human and living in a dangerous and unpredictable world. Sometimes a little understanding and sympathy are all you need to keep people loyal.

Did I care about that job? Not at all. It was like an abusive relationship. They treated me like crap, made me feel worthless, then tried to make me feel grateful that they were giving me a job.

Did I care about employment? Hell yes. I needed income and these were the days before Obamacare, so finding insurance with my pre-existing condition was difficult.

So, I just shrugged it off, took it as a lesson of how never to treat employees, and dreamed of a day when I could quit.

Diets – Work

This comic features the same characters from Impaired, so you’re seeing an exchange between the director of finance (the guy) and a low-level employee (the lady). You already know by now that the culture at that company was awful, so I won’t beat it to death. Frankly, it isn’t worth my time to even think about that place anymore. However, I learned a lot from it. I saw things like this on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. It taught me what to look for when assessing the health of a company culture. It taught me that title doesn’t always coincide with the ability or capacity to lead. I learned how to never treat people. I write these so I never forget and I never become that way.