The Dinosaur

[DrFaroohk]

He's been working there since before you were born. He's a really good worker, he's dedicated, and he totally knows what he's doing. He could easily take the management position and run the whole place, but he doesn't want the headaches.

He also never works any of the nasty shifts, he has the perfect schedule, because those were the conditions he was hired under back in 1956. He'll never ever cover an extra shift, he takes whatever time off he damn well pleases, and he never, ever, under any circumstances, will work weekends, again because when he was hired in '56 he was told he would never have to. You're afraid to piss him off too much because, while this may be a pain in the ass, he's pretty much your best worker and if you lose him, well......it would suck.

Any of you have to work with this guy?

[draftermatt]

How about a few of them?

At my main job, it's kind my boss, who's been here 9-10 years, but has been doing the same type of job since 1966.

At my 2nd job there's 2 guys in parts, and 1 guy in service who they actually made the manager for a while, but he hated doing it.

And my Dad at his work, (1977-now!) but he's not a jerk about it, and will work extra. His co-worker Sam though, is this guy.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The lady working in jewelry has her schedule set that she works 8 am-4 pm, Monday through Friday. No early mornings, no nights, and especially no weekends.

Some time ago management wanted the softlines people to be more flexible with their shifts, and jewelry lady threatened to quit.

When other employees asked why jewelry lady got such a nice schedule all the time, management said "Because she's a star employee." Gee, who are these "star employees" of which you speak, and how do you become one? It used to be that the third-shift people never had to work weekends because they weren't really needed, or worked every third weekend or some such thing, but then that went away when management decided ad set was now third-shift's job. (Bet they go back to that when we go back to third shift for Christmas )

Jewelry lady is extremely competent and good with customers, but other employees hate her just because of what she was able to pull off. Oh, and I almost forgot, she's been with the store 30 years, since it opened.

[wagegoth]

Gee, who are these "star employees" of which you speak, and how do you become one?

I think it involves numerous photos taken at drunken holiday parties as well as copies of documents indicating personal and financial indiscretions. At least that's my guess.

[draftermatt]

Or despite being an asshole, their work is impeccible.

That and there is a clause in every new manager's contract that says they can't hire the dinosaur.

Really though, expeirence speaks volumes. The older you get, the more set in your ways you get. So many employers just ignore it since these people are close to retiring anyway.

[Gurndigarn]

Look at it from management's point of view. You have an employee who:
* Never NCNS
* Is rarely, if ever, late
* Does work competently and completly, and rarely needs checking up on
* Finds things to do when they don't have any direct orders
* Doesn't bother or distract coworkers
* Is unflappable in the face of all that work can throw at them, because they've seen it all before.

Do you have any idea how rare that is? You will occasionally get younger employees who meet most of the list above. But they're rare. And even when you find them, you're still at constant risk to lose them because of school/family/money/ennui. So bending to meet the dinosaur's schedule is worth it in the long run.

[DrFaroohk]

Yeah, I know...the one at our store is really awesome, she's like the backbone of the whole place and we'd hate to lose her...the time off thing just bugs me. I realize she has really good reasons for her excessive time off, but its like....I feel like I'm being punished because I don't have kids at home.

fine, you can only work sunday-thursday, 8-4. Fine, no problem. Can't ever cover any shifts, ok. But then she starts taking a week off for every little thing. She gets a week off for every thanksgiving and christmas, usually takes 2 seperate week vacations during the summer, she was just out for 3 weeks on surgery and she barely got back (light duty only) and now she wants to take ANOTHER week off coming up pretty quick for something else...

Sometimes we just gotta make sacrifices and I wish she would make a few. Sometimes you have to choose - do you want to go to your son's championship little league game, or go to that CCR concert? Do you want to take a week off to recover from the flu, or tough it out so you can take your dream vacation to mexico.

I'm getting sick of 20 hour shifts because no one else can ever show up.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Look at it from management's point of view. You have an employee who:
* Never NCNS
* Is rarely, if ever, late
* Does work competently and completly, and rarely needs checking up on
* Finds things to do when they don't have any direct orders
* Doesn't bother or distract coworkers
* Is unflappable in the face of all that work can throw at them, because they've seen it all before.

Problem is, that describes a lot of other people in the store, and yet they don't get to have the same great schedule or set their own hours.

[draftermatt]

Dr,

I can see how that can be frustrating. I wonder, is she taking these days without pay or does she have that much vacation time? Either way it's a tad excessive, but if it's vacation time, she has the right to take it, and probably has to per company policy.

[DrFaroohk]

She does use vacation time for some of it, but like, when she needed 3 weeks off for surgery, she opted NOT to use anything so she could save it for later whens he wanted a vacation....ah well. I'll just suck it up like I usually do.

[Moonlight]

So help me, I'm having flashbacks to my first job! It sounds like the old assistant manager of the shop has been given to you all...