matt

DO THEY???

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by KF:
<B>I would question why my boss / sys admin can post on Scoobynet during the day, but I can't check my bank balance [/quote]

Ah.. but you're not in a position to question what the owner of your company does with his time..

You perhaps haven't see your boss work for months and months of 'til 4am getting the company off the ground.. living on a pittance, investing lots of his own money and time without any guarantee of it paying off.. I don't think his work schedule follows the same 9-5 rules as his employees.

.. and one would hope that you are capable of checking your bank balance in your own time, not your employers.

 

It works both ways, I used to have internet access at work during the day, I was happy, rather than 9-5:30 with an hour for lunch I was in before 8, during my lunch, and around to after 6. Since my access has been removed I start work at 9, take my lunch hour, and leave at 5:30.

If my employers don't provide me with control over what I do and when I do it, I don't see why I should use any of my time to benefit the company.

I admit I spent a couple of hours on Scoobynet each day, this was predominately while I was waiting for other things to happen: programs compiling, people to forward files, etc. during which time I now do nothing. I'd say I now do approximately 1 1/2 hours less work each day.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>
Ah.. but you're not in a position to question what the owner of your company does with his time..
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
You're right, I don't have a boss...

Sorry David, I obviously touched a nerve there.

When we met at MIRA you struck me as a totally cool guy, and it is your right to run your company whichever way you choose. I respect you for having the ***** to do it, and you are now reaping the rewards of your sacrifices.

I am stating a viewpoint, one that may be the same as some of your employees, and it displeases you. It garnered a "do as I say, not as I do" response, which is fair enough from a company owner (as opposed to the general scenario of a "boss"), but it would be very difficult to stomach from an IT Manager / Sys Admin / any other salaried employee.
You get my point?

Good luck, and continued success.
KF

p.s. I guess there is no chance of a job then

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by KF:
<B>Sorry David, I obviously touched a nerve there.
[/quote]

hehe.. sorry if I came down too hard on you .. I get kinda twitchy over that subject (given that I'm <B>still</B> at work.. at ~10pm)

<B> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR> but it would be very difficult to stomach from an IT Manager / Sys Admin / any other salaried employee.
You get my point?[/quote]

Definitely

<B> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>When we met at MIRA you struck me as a totally cool guy<HR></BLOCKQUOTE></B>

Can I quote you on that ?

[This message has been edited by DavidBrown (edited 30 July 2001).]

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Robertio:
<B>It works both ways, I used to have internet access at work during the day, I was happy, rather than 9-5:30 with an hour for lunch I was in before 8, during my lunch, and around to after 6. Since my access has been removed I start work at 9, take my lunch hour, and leave at 5:30.[/quote] Exactly. If a company stops perks for its employees, then the employees stop the perks to the company.

I'm happy to work stupid hours if necessary because my employer allows me a lot of freedom & flexibility. If all the perks were removed then I'd expect them to be replaced in terms of a pay rise, otherwise I'd be straight back to 9-5:30 and an hour for lunch too!

I think a lot of the "you must only do company work on company time" comes from the factory mentality. In other words, thinking that people's productivity directly correlates with the hours they put in and the amount of time they spend sat at their desk. This is true on a production line, but not in a job that requires a thinking & creativity.

 

Don't give the "perk" in the first place & you won't miss it

 

"Exactly. If a company stops perks for its employees, then the employees stop the perks to the company."

It's very much a chicken + egg situation..

But then by the same argument, if, in your words, the employees don't give perks to the company outside a clockwatching 9-5 then is the company right to stop the perks for the employees ?

As mentioned before, much of it comes down to mutual respect.

I worked for 4yrs for a once-whizz-bang American company called Silicon Graphics in Switzerland. <B>All</B> staff were given TAG Heuer watches, expensive mountain bikes, extreme-sport days-off and so on.. But that was while everyone was pulling together, if you went home before 7pm you felt like you were slacking.

Then the rot set in, people who had heard what a "cool place" SGI was came to work for them.. but they were work-to-rule 9-to-5 types who felt the company owed them a living.

Soon the offices were deserted by 5:30pm.. and the perks dried up.



[This message has been edited by DavidBrown (edited 31 July 2001).]