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Dammit! I WILL spend my free time doing whatever the hell I want. I can CHOOSE not to do this overtime crap if I decide I don't want to. I have a work ethic, and it dictates that as long as I do my work and do it well, then I am A-OK!
It's funny. When I interviewed for this job with my CEO, he said that he was more worried about the girls that were sent to China. Just because these girls don't know how to unwind. These girls won't go and get a massage, and relax. As a result, these girls can't adapt to the work life in China.
I told my boss that I know how to keep myself happy and that I can adapt to just about anything. I don't think he believed me. But dammit. People unwind by doing that which they enjoy. People relax by doing things that are fulfilling to them. People keep themselves happy by doing things that they want to do... you know?
When I was a kid (actually... i think all the way up till the end of highschool) I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher when I grew up. I worked with the Brewer tutoring program because I liked to teach. I worked at Columbia in Taiwan because I enjoyed being able to share something with people who would benefit from what I had to share. This is part of the reason I was so involved in community service. And now, I'm working in this Chinese factory. And I have a co-worker who wants to learn english. Certainly I'm going to teach him. Of course not on company time. But in my SPARE TIME (i.e. when I am not working), because this is what I enjoy. It is what I love.
I told my supervisor that I was getting off work early because I had finished everything that needed finishing today, minus the meeting at 8pm and I wouldn't punch in again, because it would just mess up the time card system. She asked me why. I said that I was going to teach my co-worker at 6pm and that I would return for the meeting. And then she got on my case. Conversation is as follows:
"Why are you teaching HIM? Don't you have anything BETTER to do? Things that are WORK-related?"
"Certainly, I could go and teach myself things. But I would rather not work overtime today because I promised him I'd teach him."
"Well, I'D rather you go to the factory and learn how they make wrapped boxes."
"So, you're saying I can't punch out when most of what I have to do today is done."
"You need to be able to put your job before these other things. It's a waste of your time."
"Oh... ok, fine, I'll tell him I can't help him today then."
"Good."
Inside I was SEETHING. I don't think that you can make me work overtime if I don't want to. I didn't even have to TELL her. But I thought I'd inform her because it's polite since she's my supervisor. It's not even like I have anything AGAINST working overtime. if I got stuff to do, I'll stay until 11 if necessary. But if I have my shit together, why is it wrong to do what I love during a period of time which is technically my own. SHIT. I get paid less than $2 an hour overtime here. Really, what incentive is there?
But hey, what can I say? it's my supervisor. Oh well. I decided that I'll teach him during out 1.5 hour long lunch hour. She can't tell me what to do during my LUNCH right? and if she gets on my case for teaching someone stuff during a time period SHE spends sleeping, then I will go on strike. Because it's completely and totally unreasonable. I can hear her now. "Well, if you DIDN'T teach him during your lunch hour, you could nap and then you could work longer at night without getting so tired."
I came here as an employee. Not as a slave thank you very much. I do my job and I will do it well by my standards. If YOUR standards say that I need to abuse my body and push it to unhealthy limits in order to be considered as doing a good job, then your standards can go to hell.
By the way, all that aside, did I mention that I was going to be starting a corporation in California come July? YEah... I am. Cool huh? I'll talk more on that later. It's 1:00. I need to go teach my student.
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