Right sorry but I don't understand why some people, even people that seem otherwise reasonable, seem to have absolutely internalised corporate capitalism talk to the extent that it completely subsumes their own personality and (class) interests???
At work today we had what's supposed to be an evaluation where as a department we, about 40 people, talked about things that have been difficult this year and what we'd hope will improve next year.
So I talked about how this year I have worked a lot of cover, including for managers (2 pay bands above me) and for multiple colleagues at once who have been off, essentially doubling and at some times even tripling my workload - for extra stress and no extra money. I said (using corporate language to hint) that I wasn't always good at asking for help, meaning, undertone, none of you offered to help me out and just expected me to sit and take it because I need my existing salary.
So this was in small groups, in which the focus was firstly giving feedback, and secondly remembering to praise each other for our achievements.
Well the nominated speaker for our group comes on and immediately my story of struggling to do a large amount of extra tasks that are essentially literally taking advantage of someone in a position of little power, actively causing stress to myself at work, for no extra money or any kind of reward but 'helping out the team' is told to the group as "sometimes we had to take on extra responsibilities but that was good because it let us learn about our inner strength and learn more about the business, increasing our skills for the future".
Excuse me! That was not AT ALL what I was talking about!
I already work a valuable job in healthcare. I ALREADY have skills - HENCE I was able to cover for senior team members and keep everything running and going literally at the cost of my social life, mental and physical health. And you aren't even going to say thanks or well done?! In the meeting where that is meant to be the focus?? In fact you're actually going to remove my agency and reframe the story of my own struggle and sacrifice to help out that I told you into some kind of heartwarming Disney ending where the servant felt that the work was its own reward?!
No sorry, get to fuck with that.
Ironically as a result of the teambuilding, feedback, evaluation and celebrating success meeting, I've come out feeling absolutely disheartened. They were like robots. I wasn't the only one that's made sacrifices like this this year, but I was the only one who didn't try and reframe it into a positive, with a neat learning experience and lesson for the group at the end of it.
This is the same workplace that asked us what we would like to add to the workplace to improve our own wellbeing (I reiterate, working in a stressful healthcare provider) and then shot down everything we suggested, even those things that wouldn't involve paying us more or giving us more time off. We were told that we could work longer hours in order to be able to 'earn' a team 'lunch out' during the work day (that of course we would also pay for), or that we could do a 'wellbeing walk' while also having a meeting, so... not exactly an opportunity to de-stress during the work day!
Honestly, I don't understand why these people don't pick up that they are becoming the architects of their own misery, constructing cages of their own making around themselves - and me! We don't have to play the game and turn everything into a positive. That isn't good for mental health OR morale overall either - it's just, ironically for the health background, putting a sticking plaster over a bigger wound. We need to grow up and actually address the issues we have as adults otherwise experienced and valuable staff are just going to end up burning out - which then increases the workload on everyone else and risks bringing the whole system back to square 1.
