If the company I work for has some kind of management style akin to politics, it has to be tyranny or dictatorship. I’ve realized that these past two weeks after I came back from vacation.
My work timings since I came to this office three years ago until end of October 2009 was: Saturday-Wednesday 8:30-13:00 & 14:00-18:00 and Thursday 8:30-13:30.
That means I can only sleep longer once a week, otherwise, I wake up at 5:30 am everyday.
Most of the companies in the UAE have full Fridays-Saturdays off. The unlucky ones (like me) have to deal with the semi-pointless half day of Thursday (it’s not even half considering I reach home at 3 pm already so it’s like an entire day is spent) and Friday off and gets heartbroken every time they leave their home watching their child/children sleep on Saturday mornings. Schools have Friday-Saturday off. Except for inner self debates, no one ever voiced out their opinion – too afraid to lose their jobs.
Then came end of October this year when we got the circular:
New timings effective November 1st 2009. Friday & Saturday Morning OFF (Saturday PM, Sun-Thu full day).
I was like woo hoo! Finally my longer sleeping time has been upgraded from once to twice a week! Last Saturday was the start of that new schedule. It was sooo nice to be with Pristine when she’s off from school and I get to sleep past 6 am.
I thought to myself: I would love lots of mornings like this!
But the dictators (sadists) must have heard me and burst my bubble. A new circular came early this week saying, the half day off which was originally Thursday afternoon, that changed to Saturday morning will now be changed to Saturday afternoon. Dizzy? Me too.
They changed the timings without notice, meetings or even asking the employees. Tyranny! Everyone is mad but won’t say a thing. No one ever says a thing. It’s like god damn slave behavior.
Now, I was so upset that I emailed my boss and told him my disappointment and that I want that Saturday AM off in exchange for no salary increase for three years. Anyway it’s pointless for me to come for 4 hours on Saturdays since I deal with Japan and Japan is off on Saturdays!
Boss says all he felt while reading the circular, I’ve put into words but what can we do? Follow.
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The rain poll is still active, which means, no there’s no rain here yet. I’ll be posting an update on Twitter everyday, before I sleep at night so if you are following me there you’ll know. If not, well, why not? 🙂
Finding Backroads 
How frustrating! I would not want my schedule changed so abruptly, no less twice like that.
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That’s just loony! I think you should start a petition in your office. If your boss says you wrote it succinctly… Does everyone you work with deal with Japan so it’s futile for all of you to be at work on a Saturday or is it just you?
So, can I enter a new guess for the 1st rain then? 🙂
.-= Krista´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Fall =-.
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I noticed that we both become more able to open up how we think and feel about the way things are run in our offices. I guess the system just sucks! Or is there? Some people just don’t use their minds and even if they are called to (i.e. by us expressing our thoughts, feelings and reasons), they still refused to. Some people, even if you speak up your mind, don’t seem to get your point, because they don’t want to listen right from the start. They are so absorbed with their own points. Follow. I hate that, if it doesn’t make sense.
As for the change/s that happen in your office, I bet it’s all because of one person (close to the admin) who only considers how he (and not the majority) can benefit from the change.
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That just bites.
It seems that companies just do whatever they damn well want and have no regard towards anyone they are stepping on.
Good for you sending that email! Hopefully they will honor your request 🙂
.-= Kayla´s last blog ..This is Where the Post Title Should Go =-.
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I just hate it when people wont listen when you speak your mind succinctly and even offer an alternative that really benefits them (no salary increase for 3 years????). They seem to want to just screw with everyone.
Hope they change the hours for you sometime soon.
.-= Lorie Shewbridge´s last blog ..Visit with my Son, Nikolaus =-.
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