RE: Loyalty cuts

[eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]

>>I agree with Peter on this.  It goes both ways...your loyalty to your
>>employer and the employers care of you.

But it starts with the agreement the employer puts in front of you when you're
hired. No need for you to put any more thought into what to do when a better
prospect comes around than what the employer has laid out as the process for
your termination.

>>I know of more than a few dozen technical writers who have changed jobs
>>almost every year.  Several I've seen get one job, and begin sending out
>>their resumes for the next one. They are only interested in finding one that
>>pays a few extra bucks or has some different benefit.

Now we're talking about something completely different.

>>Some of these folks, by the way, seem to put more effort into jobhunting
>>than they do into their jobs... I don't understand this mentality. ??   What
>>they do in 8 hours, I could do in about 2!  Their contribution is minimal,
>>and I imagine companies with many of these types struggle more than they
>>should have to due to these "lost resources" (those 6 hours of
>>"non-contribution of effort") This type of work attitude in bulk has led to
>>the "commodity" attitude.

You owe the company the work for which you are paid. Employees who behave in the
manner above should be shown the door immediately. It's incompetent management
that employs these people in the first place and then can't identify these free
loaders quickly enough to terminate them. I believe you're putting the chicken
before the egg thinking that employees started the commodity trend however. I'd
think it more accurately started when companies started downsizing and
eliminating perfectly loyal workers for cheaper outsourced labour.

Employees then correctly began looking for the better deal. If they'll get rid
of me quickly to make more money, I'll return the favour and get rid of them
quickly to make more money.

>>If a company hires you, they are paying you to work for them.  They are
>>investing in you.  You as an employee should invest in them, providing your
>>elbow grease along with your colleagues to ensure the company's success.
>>Everyone impacts the bottom line, because everyone is drawing out of the
>>company...and everyone needs to be returning via effort.

If the company shows no more commitment to the employee than paying the agreed
upon salary, then the employee owes no more than the agreed upon amount of work.
Certainly not the attitude to go into a new job with, but one that can quickly
be determined to be correct or not depending on the work environment. If the
only thing an employee takes out of a company is pay for 40hrs a week, the only
thing they need put in is 40hrs of work. If they can't expect the company to
reward any extra effort put in with extra benefits paid out, why give your life
away for free? Now if the company rewards an employee for extra time and effort,
it still shouldn't be REQUIRED from the employee. True loyalty and respect from
an employer would respect your acceptable completion of company duties and your
right to devote time and effort elsewhere in your life.

>>The company was loyal to employees, providing good
>>benefits and raises based on productivity... effort was (and is) rewarded.

In such a company it is worthwhile giving more because you are rewarded for it.
The loyalty started not with how the employees behaved, but with how the company
treated the employees. You'd also realise this very quickly after being hired by
such a company. Seeing the employee satisfaction and high moral, you'd know that
extra effort is valued and worthwhile. But, personally I'd still resent it and
refuse to stick around if employees were in any way shunned or punished for not
putting in extra.

>>By the way, that engineering company went even further in the idea of
>>loyalty.  They requested employees use products created by their clients!
>>If they did engineering work for a tissue company, for example, they advised
>>us and asked that we purchase that company's paper products.  That is
>>loyalty.

Umm. No. Now I have to think you're a little dealusional Loyalty/Pride of Work
is if the engineers/employees went out and bought the products without the
company asking. The company asking/coercing the employees to buy the clients
products is simply a good marketing ploy to make the client happy.

>>In the small company I'm with now, we expect the same give/take from our
>>consultants. We pay very well, and expect hired consultants to work hard for
>>that pay and to be loyal/respectful of us and our clients.  Those who have
>>not worked hard or have treated this as "just another gig" are not provided
>>with future work.  It is in our best interests to invest elsewhere, with
>>those who see the value we offer and give us value in return.  To do
>>anything less is disrespectful and shortsighted.

What exactly do you mean by requiring loyalty from a consultant? If they respect
you, the agreement you made, and treat all extra work and amendments fairly and
with due consideration that's just good business practices. Have to say it but
you provide absolutely no value whatsoever to your consultants other than a
revenue stream. If you demand more work/hassle than that revenue is worth then
there's really no other value you can provide the consultant.

If you claim there is more value to be found than that, then I think we're
drifting into WALMART La-La land where employees should be good subservient
beings that will willingly chant the cult anthems and abandon their outside
existence for their new all-loving 'family'. I served my time at Canadian Tire
and if I can help it that's one realm of regulated loyalty that I do not want to
return to.

Honestly. If you hire a painter to paint two rooms for a few hundred dollars and
they refuse to paint two more for pizza and beer, do you whine about their
disloyalty and disrespect? No. They are professionals. And to try to coerce
extra work from them for less than it's worth is unprofessional and
disrespectful on your part.

Eric L. Dunn



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