Work Accident

I came to work today, and outside the front door was an ambulance and a gurney. That is not the scene I expected to walk in to. I experienced a bunch of mixed emotions and thoughts as I walked the twenty or so paces to the door, made my way around the gurney and into the foyer where my desk is. The emergency was nearly over by the time I got here. People were bustling around, and I sat at my desk, in the middle of the action, as one of my co-workers was carried out by two paramedics. They managed to make it through the narrow passage and around the corner, and all the upper management staff looked on as she was hoisted onto the gurney and into the ambulance.

I got the story later. She was going up a set of three stairs from the office into the shop and tripped somehow, falling hard on her shoulder. She dislocated it for sure, but any further damage would be detected by x-rays at the hospital. She tends to slump forward and shuffle as she walks, and has been quite accident prone in the past, so I don't think that anyone was surprised that this happened to her. We have painted things yellow in an attempt to make obstacles more visible, as well as implemented almost every other safety precaution known to man in order to keep our lost time accidents to a minimum. Short of removing the stairs and putting in a ramp, or padding every surface in the office and shop, I'm not sure that this instance could have been avoided, simply because her walk isn't very good.

I am sad that this happened. She is an older woman who has been with the company for a long time. She is a valued employee. But I don't know that we, as a company, could have done anything better to ensure her safety. And if she misses work due to injury, we will be penalized for it.

But I hope that as a company, we don't forget what is important here. She is alive and recovering when something much worse could have happened. I hope that amidst all of the investigating and questions we don't neglect to ensure her comfort and safety now and going forward, even if this was an unavoidable instance.

-SP

Undercover Boss

I prefer this kind of work...

I watched an episode of Undercover Boss last night with my husband. If you haven't seen it before, the premise is that a CEO of a large, sometimes international corporation with all the luxuries one could ask for goes undercover for a time to meet and work with lower level employees. He gets to know their triumphs, personal struggles, likes and dislikes all the while masking himself as a new employee. The entire thing is filmed under some ruse (this time, it was that he was competing with another girl for a position with the company), and we get to see how the CEO copes with the manual labour or mundane tasks that many of us would be easily good at and become accustomed to quickly.

I had seen portions of the show before, but hadn't watched a full episode until now. I was deeply moved.

The people that the show profiled are remarkable. They come from different backgrounds and social economic standings, but they all had amazing stories. It was impossible for me to not be sucked in to their stories of gain and loss as I listened and learned. As the show went on, I began to realize that I have it really good where I am. I don't like my job on the best of days, but not because it's bad. I think it's more because I know it's temporary. It's a stepping stone. If things go as we hope, I plan to be out of here in May of 2012. It's easy for me not pour my heart into what I do here because I am indifferent about it all. But I don't need to worry about what these employees do.

It was stated in my interview that my employers are more concerned about how I fit into the "family" than my skill set. They could see that I am a skilled worker from my resume. Furthermore, skills can be taught. But chemistry and belonging can't be. They also said that they want me to know that if myself or my family ever has some sort of crisis, I have the ability to come to my superiors and the company will do whatever it can to help. I was looking a the bulletin board in the lunchroom the other day, and there was a memo that said that if anyone in my household graduates from high school or a post secondary program, they are entitled to a bursary. Birthdays are posted in the lunchroom and celebrated. Career anniversaries are recognized. I'm sure that if I asked for a raise I would get one. There is a great culture in this business that I have never experienced anywhere else, but I am quick to gloss over it and forget about all the small benefits.

I am glad that I was reminded yesterday that I work for a company that cares about my own personal success as much as it cares about it's own success. I am glad to know the highest ranking individuals by name, and that there is always an open door policy. And I am thankful that, though this is a stepping stone, it is a good one; one that has added blessing to my life. I hope that I will not be so quick to complain, but that I will continue to be reminded of how good I really have it.

-SP