Part time workers

  • Thread starter Thread starter JamesATyler
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I’m retired now and watched many different management strategies through the years. When I first started, we were staffed for the average workload and we sometimes had to really step up our game to get high workloads done and sometimes had time to relax and enjoy our jobs and each other. We had a manager but no supervisors.

Then we switched to supervisors who were pulled from our staff with no replacements. The supervisors (salaried) had to spend so much time doing the work that legally they had to be put back on wages as they were working a ridiculous amount of overtime to get the regular work plus their supervisory duties done.

We then went to minimal staffing and tried using outside staffing to fill in when needed. Since this job required an enormous amount of training time to be effective, that really didn’t work.

By the time I retired, we were still on minimal staffing yet expected to up our game for heavy workloads and we had several managers but no supervisors. Supervisors at least knew how to do the work. Managers did not. Everyone was experiencing burnout but we had a hiring freeze. Upper management had no idea what was involved in our jobs and put mor and more pressure on our managers, too. Add to this the fact that most of our workers were older and reaching retirement age, they are losing the most experienced workers and almost no one is going into the field anymore (laboratory Technologist).

Talked to some coworkers the other day and they 4 openings in a staff level of 25 with another retiring in December. There is no one to hire. They maybe get one applicant a month and many are not qualified. They even tried to change the qualifications until the Doctors spoke up. It’s a mess. They are trying to get by with temp workers signed to 6 month contracts and having no luck. Yes, they’ve raised wages as well. I got a $3.00 hr raise a few months before my retirement as they adjusted wages again so it isn’t really a money issue. It was an inability of upper management to understand our jobs, closing our training program (great source of new hires) and looking at the age demographics of our staff…all things we pointed out years ago. I asked my old coworkers, ”Are you surprised?” Nope, they just can’t wait to retire, too and leave this mess behind. Of course, this is our local hospital and we’re going to be patients there! All hospital laboratories are facing this dilemma.

Moral of the story: When upper management had no idea what their underlings are dealing with and do not listen to solutions from those underlings (because what do THEY know, they are peons) they they shouldn’t be surprised at the failures that result. Ya know, most people really do want to do a good job at whatever they are asked. If they aren’t living up to your expectations, look to yourselves first.
 
My parents never let me have an after school job/weekend. They said school was my job.

Summers in high school and college I usually spent volunteering and taking credit courses. I tried applying for jobs, but I didn’t have time to send out many applications on my school breaks.
 
Pattylt said:
most people really do want to do a good job at whatever they are asked.
Click to expand...
I think this is often true.

There is little pleasure to be gained from work if money is the only reward. Human relationships can be treasure troves and as Catholics also allow us an opportunity to live the gospels. We can’t get that without others and the often pseudo familial groups we form at work.
 
I agree! I once made a horrible mistake on a patients specimen. I was horrified and immediately set about calling the doctor, fixing the paperwork, etc. my manager later called me into her office and started berating me for it when I finally stopped her and asked if she thought I had intentionally done this! She stopped and thought a second and said no, she realized it was just a bad human error and apologized. If I had been known for making stupid errors it would have been different but I wasn’t. I think I made 2 critical errors over 27 years and she realized it. No one is perfect, including her.
 
LOL one of my side gigs is through a nurse agency. Basically, they send nurses to patients’ homes to care for them there.
The agency doesn’t offer benefits.
The agency doesn’t pay as well as other care settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes.
In the agency ‘s defense, they don’t force anyone to work holidays or weekends.
Subsequently, the nurses they hire tend to work for them as a side-gig, or they just work for pin-money while their husband’s job gets the benefits.

So one day, the patient’s mother is complaining to me how they can’t seem to get nurses at the exact hours they want.

It was on the tip of my tongue to say, “because other care settings pay much better than you, and with benefits.”
What I actually said was something a lot more vague, like “I can see where that would be a challenge.”

But yeah, it’s the eternal tension—getting the most work out of your employees for the least amount of remuneration.
 
There’s also the fact that people live down to expectations too. If you’re going to treat me like I’m lazy and stupid for the job I do, no matter how hard I try, why try so hard? I gain nothing except being more worn out at the end of the day. Many part time jobs don’t offer pay raises and don’t promote internally. Especially if the expectations for being a good employee are too high.
 
Last edited:
I have students (high school) who work a job, but the money goes to their family for food. The parents count on the wages of the children to survive.
 
I’ve found that’s increasingly becoming the case. Upper and middle class families don’t want their children to get jobs. Most kids working part-time jobs are those whose families need the money.
 
I doubt that upper level managers would fault a manager for lack of part-time worker engagement. They would fault him for missing a target goal if they save money by faulting him.

The simple fact is that these employees are disposable to the company. Many of them are not going to be great employees anyway because the job is not pleasant and anyone with potential would seek better work. The company will cut costs any way it can and automate these marginal jobs out of existence if it possibly can.

It’s good you are thinking about these things. Just remember that it is almost all money-driven and you will find the answers quickly.
 
Last edited:
Patient pays the agency, then the agency gives us some of the money and keeps the rest.

Some people direct-hire nurses, but it’s a heck of a lot of paperwork, and I’d rather the agency handle all that.
 
Upper and middle-class families like the kid to have a job, but one that contributes to his development and builds his resume.
Running his own small business or working for a nonprofit is awesome.
McDonald’s is not.
Besides, McD’s and supermarkets and big box stores all tend to hire adults these days.
 
I didn’t say it had to be work for pay. A lot of nonprofits offer unpaid internships.

I myself didn’t have a paid job till after college for a large number of reasons, but I had a ton of unpaid work experience, primarily in media.
 
Last edited:
Many companies in Colorado are learning the cost of treating employees as disposable, part or full time. Our unemployment numbers are very low and these employees will leave at the drop of a hat or a dime more because they now can. Management had everyone by the ermmm toes? for a long time. Not anymore.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Besides, McD’s and supermarkets and big box stores all tend to hire adults these days.
Click to expand...
And are automating much of the responsibilities of the work staff.

There is an adage in horse racing; “money makes the mare go.” Same with people. The better the pay, the more a company will get out of part time employees. Unfortunately most of upper management listens too much to the bean counters and tries to get away on the cheap. And they wonder why the turnover rate is so high.
 
I think that what people want is a bright future. A company that offers it will probably make itself very attractive to forward looking employees.
 
Any more tips on how to get your first job, I’m in my own situation as well and could use some advice. How do you get your foot in the door if you don’t have much in the way of experience?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top