Lazy County Workers

[Nottawayfer]

I work in County government, and I have to say it is true that they are the laziest people who walk around with the hands out waiting to get more. I work in an office of 57 people. I work in the administrative area of a department, and I keep track of PTO time used and anything related to Human Resources aspects of our department.

Most have been there 10+ years, and they have less PTO time on the books than I do. I've worked there for 1 1/2 years. By the way, we do get 5.25 weeks of PTO time to start. After 1 year, it goes up to 6 weeks, and up again after 5 and 10 years. We have people who have taken over 30 days off in the past year. The management has no accountability for the time people take off. They just think evil instead of enforcing the policies already in tact. There's no write-ups or any privileges taken away for using too much time.

We are told by HR that we are given the time to save for a rainy day. For example, we have had several who have had to utilize FMLA (which allows a person to take 12 weeks off for family or personal emergencies but does not pay them) for family injuries. There are several who were in these situaitons who had this happen didn't have enough PTO on the books to keep their paychecks coming during the family crisis. They have to pay for benefits and have no paycheck and complain. Yet when they want to take off a week every other month and call in sick at least 4 times a month, they can't understand why they get "screwed" when they have a family emergency.

Then there are those who believe that working for the county for 13 years gives them privileges that us newbies shouldn't have. They fail to remember the newbie got a higher position because of their experience and abilities, which the 13 year veteran doesn't have.

They try to shove their work off on the newbie and when the newbie brings it to their attention, they are called "lazy." The 13 year veteran was the one who wanted to sit on her big fat arse and make the newbie do her work.

I just don't get it. What the hell is going on with this picture??? It's so frustrating. My dad taught me to do my work. I do it. I get my job done. I don't push my job off on other people. We all have a job which needs to get done, and each person doing their part is what accomplishes TEAMWORK (which most county workers have no idea what that is). Why do some think they are above that if they put in so many years? I thought it was the work you do, not the time you put in that means something.

Let them have the lazy 13 year veteran. The newbie will move on to bigger and better things while the 13 year veteran still complains they don't make enough money........

[Kevlar2000]

Hi Wayfer,

What is "PTO"? Personal Time Off, or something like that?

I work in state government, and am boggled by the amount of leave you all receive. We accrue 1 week of vacation leave, 15 days of sick leave and 7 days of personal leave when we start. After 5 years, we accrue 2 weeks of annual leave, up to 5 weeks after 20 years. The sick leave and personal leave accruals remain the same. We can accumulate as much sick leave as we can. 50 Vacation leave can be carried over into the next year, and the 7 personal days have to be used by the end of the year or they are lost.

All leave must be approved by that person's manager, and is generally granted unless there is evidence of abuse or it negatively impacts work.

It certainly sounds like it's being abused where you work.

Being a newbie really has it's disadvantages, and it's harder when supervisory staff don't support the people who actually do the work.

Some of the things I've found to help me is:

Do the best job you can do (which I know you're already doing);

Which should make your boss look as good as possible (not always the easiest task in the world);

Which may get your work noticed by others higher in the government food chain. If they're at all cognizant of what goes on in your office, they may reason, "I'm noticing an improvement, and I'm pretty sure it's not coming from Supervisor X, so what's different? And who's this Wayfer Not person, anyway?"

If you get the opportunity, talk to others outside of your immediate sphere of responsibility - make yourself, your hard work and your goals known. Somebody will notice.

"The newbie will move on to bigger and better things while the 13 year veteran still complains they don't make enough money"

Remember - living well is the best revenge. :)

[moony3424]

Working for a non-profit, I start with nothing and accrue 9 hrs of PTO every 2 weeks (includes everything, including if we want to get paid for sick or any holidays). There are only 3 holidays we get off unless they fall on a weekend: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Guess what?

[Zshot]

I work for the federal government. Due to my "time in service", I earn 8 Hours annunal leave and 4 hours sick leave every pay period. With annunal leave, you can not "carry over more than 240 hours from the leave ending period (usually in early January). However, sick leave can still accrue from year to year.

From what I have noticed, the civillians that work for the Department of Defence are very hard working.

[Nottawayfer]

Kevlar,

Thanks for the advice. However, my supervisor is the department head. I work directly under the county assessor. He's so busy being political that he has no idea of the stuff going on in his office. He barely has time to go over travel arrangements with me. I have to force his plans out of him so I can do it appropriately.

Yes, we acccumulate a lot of PTO (personal time off). Yes it is abused A LOT! Yes they are required to get their supervisor's OK to take it off. Most of the spinless supervisors complain about deadlines not being met and the time their people take off, yet they never say "no".

Please don't accept this as a broad statement. I am just venting about my office. The 13 year veteran is a situation I have to take care of myself. I have to get nasty and put her in her place so that she doesn't take advantage of me. She believes the new people should start at the bottom and work their way up. It grates on her that I came in fresh and have a higher position than her. That's the way it will be. However, mr. assessor does know how she is and has not allowed her to be in a position to move up.

It's all a vicious circle.

[Belle]

Awwwww, WN! It sucks, doesn't it? Especially when we're the "new kid on the block" and can't really say or do anything about it. It's amazing to me how organizations can allow so much laziness and still stay afloat.

I worked for a company that was so unethical it wasn't even funny. The losers, lazy folks and idiots kept getting promoted over the people who really worked and knew what they were doing. We would just laugh and say that we were in business by "sheer luck". The company culture was abusive and with that on top of the TWIt abuse I was going through, it was just too unhealthy for me to stay there no matter how good the pay was (and the pay was good!).

I soooo understand and empathize with you. :) Vent away!

[Kevlar2000]

That does suck. My sympathies, Wayfer Not.

I would keep your boss informed of the conflicts you're having, and make sure you are doing what your boss wants you to do, not what your co-worker wants you to do.

And, if all else fails, keep your resume up to date.

Good luck (ha, I said "luck"!)

[ex70sHouston]

What are ya'll complaining about. Try working for yourself. Yes be self employed. The following are my benefits

No sick pay

No vacation pay

No holiday pay

No matching pay for SS. Yes an emplyer matches you SS they take from your check.

I once went on a vacation. It took three hours after I left for an employee to cost me $40,000 in work. I just take whatever I think a vacation will cost me and double it.

Also as those emplyees cheat on their time I get to pay it. No I'm not bitter. I have been voted most likly to go postal.

[Nottawayfer]

Sorry about your dilemma Ex70s. That does suck that your employee cost you that much. It also sucks they cheat on their time. That is just plain wrong.

Can I come work for you? I'd like to telecommute though. I don't want to live in Texas again.

[Ron G.]

Ironic, isn't it.

Ex70'sHouston MUST turn a profit unlike city, county, state, municipal and fed entities who are funded by the taxes paid in by Ex70'sHouston and those like him.

I could turn this into a PSA for how the free market system could better serve everyone concerned, but I won't.