midwesternmoron

[midwesternmoron]

Comedian Don Rickles: Big Laughs

Don Rickles was a funny guy. In our misanthropic, over-sensitive online communities,  I read an intense, mean-spirited recant of his humor, around the time of his death -Sad. Rickles lived to make all people laugh at themselves, and the societal labels we use. Everyone in Rickles world was equal. Everyone without regard to race, creed, religion, size or shape became fair game for humorous ridicule. Not one group was singled out more than the next. I didn’t always laugh at his jokes;   sometimes I laughed watching others laugh at themselves. I’ve never heard Don Rickles use profanity, yet many seemed to feel he had, as I had read a description of him as, “a potty mouth.”  I never heard Rickles tell a joke that couldn’t be applied to anybody. If he told a joke about you, it was simply your turn, your group was up next, and not anything more. To laugh at Rickles comedy was like laughing at yourself as you accidentally trip over your own untied shoelaces. He made us laugh at seemingly unlaughable subjects. And ultimately, we as human beings are better off laughing at ourselves, as much as we possibly can.

[midwesternmoron]

Temporary jobs: Good for America?

Try a Google search for temp jobs and see posts from US NEWS, FORBES, and others discussing the hidden value of temporary labor.

Then try searching for "Why temp jobs suck" and you'll find some hardcore posts from Americans that, well, to put it mildly, do not see value in temporary work. I thought I would start with a homogenous title for this post. Perhaps my little post will journey its way in between all of those dry articles about how Americans are better off with temporary work. After working for 3 different temporary agencies here is my review of what you can expect should you venture into temporary work.

You'll live in fear.

Sounds ominous, doesn't it. Woo, live in fear. Hold on just a second. Do you live paycheck to paycheck, or have a strict payment schedule with little flexibility, or perhaps family members you are supporting? Temporary work comes with an  "out" for every employer. If an employer finds that a temp is objectionable in any way, employers can simply contact the temp agency and advise them that services provided by the temp are, "no longer required."  Your job is now "up in smoke" with little if any notice given.

Working as a temp, you'll be anxious while leveraging your great work ethic. You may ask yourself, "Good fortune has always come to those who work hard, hasn't it?" 

You'll be awaiting some positive feedback from management; some sign that they would be better off having you around. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a smile or a pat on the back after bringing your best: Nah, your agency will get credit for your winning performance.

Low wages, no raises.

$12 bucks per hour regardless of experience. Regardless. Do you remember that internship you bled out over in College? That independent study you busted your butt over? How about that work project that made you stand out to a previous employer? All those weekend study hours you put in as your classmates went for a social gathering just to reach your personal goals? How about that small business you started from the ground up? Perhaps during a previous job, you made a sale that no one else could? Most of us have some fantastic highlights in our work history.

Newsflash folks! It is a zero-sum-game if you end up with a temporary job. I can't stress this point enough. Your greatest asset to a good employer, your previous experience, adds up to a "hill of beans."Your previous experience counts for 0, nada, nothing. You will not be paid for your previous experience. Your pay will not reflect what previously made you shine as an employee. I have yet to talk to anyone who received a raise as a temp. If you have received a raise as a temp, please write in and tell us about how you achieved that!

Your skill set will rot.

The longer you are a temp, the quicker your other skills "rot on the vine."  Moreover, the longer you remain at the same temp assignment, the farther away you move from the pure knowledge, logic, and critical reasoning skills you acquired as a student. If you didn't go to college, chances are you have picked up some valuable skills in the workforce.   The skill set that made you a great employee will be lost in fruitless keystrokes, fielding customer inquiry, or pushing products that generally remain the same for years. No intellectual creativity, stimulation or expansion beyond repetitive and hauntingly similar workday tasks.

No benefits.

Some temp agencies may be selling benefits. In most cases, you'll not receive benefits from a business your assigned to. If your paying for any benefits provided by the temp agency while being paid $12 bucks and hour, you'll start wondering about affording your co-pay with what's left of your paycheck. Thanks to current health care laws, you are basically forced to maintain coverage or you'll pay a fee. Some have tried their local state health insurance program for underemployed workers. Benefits may be available to temps through medicare. Hmm, doubtful if medicare offers preventative health care coverage.

You'll be treated like a second class passenger.

The call center or assembly workplace environment won't be a pleasant place to work. Enjoy the many different office personalities, grievances, egos, and dramas that always come with lots of people in one place. Some social stratification will be an unwelcome experience as you start from the bottom. Working with company supervisors, temps that have already been hired, or just those that have been assigned to the workplace longer than you,  in some Darwinian hierarchical nonsense, you'll be last to take your lunch.

You'll be lied to.

Temp Agencies use 3 categories when acquiring new help. Temp, temp to hire, and permanent placement.  When I was offered my current placement,  I was enthusiastically told I would be a temp-to-hire. "This is a growing company," they will bring you on if you have a good work record after 4 months". 7 months later, no job. If you are a temp to hire, you might not get an invitation. In fact, after 6 months, the company I recently worked for posted a full-time job opening for the public that I had been brought in for. Out of dozens of temps who were already working in the same role none were hired. The job posting remained open for weeks.

Hurl a piece of meat into a pit and watch the hungry dogs fight for it.

No one was actually moved into a full-time job. In over 7 months since I was assigned as a temp, no one was hired. After 9 months on another assignment, only 2 temps were hired out of dozens of temps working beyond the 4-month temp-to-hire promise. Those that were hired were cherry-picked and not first in line. Nor were the temp-hirees particularly on-the-job strong performers. Who knows, some obtuse metric the company used determined their eligibility for hire.

You'll be told by some conventional wisdom that being a temp is your fault and your responsibility.

I don't know a temporary employee that is irresponsible. Most temps I worked with are doing what they have to do to make sure the people they love and support have the necessities of life. Many temps work two jobs, as the pay for one temp position is unsustainable.

If you are reading this and are of working age, I challenge you to hold your head up, if you are like most working American citizens, pay taxes and obey our laws, you ARE ENTITLED to a decent job at a substantial wage in order to support yourself or your family.

My dad fought in WWII. He and many of his contemporaries fought and died for this simple dignity and common sense ethic when it comes to liberty in America. Our soldiers have already fought and died for Americans to live a better life. There is no authority that can tell you this basic entitlement is not yours if you are willing to work and you abide by our laws. You are entitled to be paid a sustainable wage for your labor.

If you are reading this and are of working age, I challenge you to hold your head up, if you are like most working American citizens, pay taxes and obey our laws, you ARE ENTITLED to a decent job at a substantial wage in order to support yourself or your family. My dad fought in WWII. He and many of his contemporaries fought and died for this simple dignity and common sense ethic. Our soldiers have already fought and died for Americans to live a better life. There is no authority that can tell you this basic entitlement is not yours if you are willing to work and you abide by our laws. You are entitled to be paid a sustainable wage for your labor.

If you have conventional expenses and debts, you'll work two jobs.

Unless you have a second source of income such as child support, alimony, or your family helps out with expenses, you'll be picking up a second job to make ends meet. $1700 per month will give you a choice of living in a tent or a teepee depending on your taste and sense of style. Temp work is extremely difficult to get out of once your in it.

I work in a call center and drive for UBER at night, about 12-16 hours of work between both jobs per day, 6 days per week. I generate an income I feel is just appropriate for myself and my daughter. I would like to be at home as much as possible to cook meals and help my daughter with homework. To meet this goal, I thought I would build a home based travel business. In a nutshell, I have been working on it since 2014. I have very little time to reach my goals. I am lucky to have enough energy to get dinner on the table and clean up.

Workplace management is miserable.

Temp jobs are demanding. After all, nobody really desires to do temp work. That's one reason why companies need temps. Most likely, the job assignment sucks. It's hard labor, busy work, or it's mind numbingly repetitive. My supervisors are good people who have an impossible task. I like to think of them as underpaid teachers in a really bad school system. It just sucks so bad, they want to give up, but they're strapped for cash too. It's a trap. They must focus on those already employed. After all, most temps eventually leave. Never expect too much support from these folks....see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Temp agencies are making a big splash on the stock market.

Can you shift perspective and see how each aspect of temporary work might profit big business? As a business owner, If labor is my largest expense, I want it cheap and in large supply. If I can achieve lower costs, mitigate risk by not paying for benefits, and maintain a task oriented workforce by instantly weeding out undesirables, isn't that worth outsourcing part of my labor force to temp agencies?

The problem is this: Most executives cannot identify with the standard of living endured by you and your family when working for low wages with no benefits. Currently, no collective action is being taken by workers, on behalf of all American workers since the word "Union" was made to sound dirty. Most importantly there are no executive decision makers in the working class. Those involved in setting standards for American labor have nothing in common with people who work for a paycheck.  There is no ethics in it.

-midwesternmoron