I've held my job at the airport for five years this coming August; longer than any job I've had before, and it's an understatement to say I don't like it. I am not a loafer by trait, but when you consider the amount of labor & frustration the job entails, the urge to loaf or call in sick pops up more often than not.
Pure logic, coupled with adult thinking, keeps me there: where else will I go with no safety net? Decisions made on the spur of the moment have to be kept in check; knee-jerk reactions to unpleasant realities (overtime galore) can be costly. We had one today, and for a totally illogical reason.
What scratches the head even more is that this person did not display these frustrations at any time during his tenure; he was one of the easier people to get along with and definitely was well-liked. He was very flexible and often covered work shifts for those who could not come in. It's perplexing, to say the least.
A plane was due in three hours later than usual last night, and the supervisor placed the guy's name on the roster for that last flight. The disdain was uncharacteristically evident in his face. He had plans for last night, which he now had to cancel due to operational needs, and he was not taking it well. He stewed more when others went up and teased him about it. I can understand how upset you can be if others rub it into you, but his productivity went down from that point.
Long story short, he ended up placing someone else's name in his place on the duty roster without letting the supervisor know. Caught at his own game, his frustrations got the best of him, and he quit on the spot. Many questions were asked of the remaining workers (they may ask me later today), and everyone was wondering where this guy's logic was.
Every job requires a degree of responsibility, whether we like it or not. And in the airline business, overtime is common because we must service the planes that come in late. Sometimes the sacrifices to one's personal life seem overbearing, but they must be dealt with. These must have been plans to meet the queen or something, if work couldn't get in the way. What was wrong with reshuffling or rescheduling plans?
He shot himself in the foot, and truth be told, I don't know if I should feel sorry for him like others say they did. If he had communicated with his supervisor before scratching his name off the roster, they would have allowed the switch to take place. One positive talk away from actually getting his way - but it never entered the equation.
I always have to watch myself for mental lapses at work (the physical lapses are a daily occurrence and they know it). Taking a time-out is known to be beneficial and this would have helped the guy. Instead, he shut his mind and went with his gut, which ended up getting punched. Now he has no job to come to tomorrow... and no one dares approach a day knowing there's no money coming in.
It means we're another guy short, which means more work for me and more overtime. I roll my eyes, sigh, and punch the pillow at night, but if it's meant to be, so be it. It's a part of life that can't be shut out if you want to make a good name for yourself and your resume.
True friends understand the importance of working your job, and not your emotional reactions to it. If not, it may be time for new friends.
