Good Work for Good Pay

Dr. Linda Hancock

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Hancock has written a regular weekly column entitled “All Psyched Up” for newspapers in two Canadian provinces for more than a dozen years. Over the years, her readers and clients have said that they have benefited from her common-sense solutions, wisdom, and sense of humour. Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Medicine Hat. She can be reached at 403-529-6877 or through email office@drlindahancock.com

Published

January 6 2013

All Psyched Up. | | Good Work for Good Pay | by Dr. Linda Hancock | Published January 6 2013 | Revised June 26 2022

© 2022, Dr. Linda Hancock INC.

When your employer hired you, it was because the company had tasks or projects that needed to be done. These were deemed to be so important that management was prepared to offer you money in exchange for your commitment to complete them.

Now, even if you are put into a full-time position, you really don't have much time to do the job. Most employees are given at least two weeks of holidays a year. That means that considering you have a five-day work week you will only work 251 days a year. If there are 10 statutory holidays, you are left with 241 days to work. Any sick or professional development days will reduce this even further. From this, subtract any other special circumstances that might result in your being away from your job. These might include power outages, community events or family crises.

Lunch and coffee breaks shorten each workday. Staff meetings, office celebrations and training also cut into work time. The final result is that you don't have very many days to meet the goals laid out for you.

Pay isn't always in the form of money. Besides a salary, your employer usually offers you a variety of "perks" such as a pension, health plans, and parking or transportation benefits. Management also arranges for you to have the necessary equipment and office supplies to help you do your job.

If you are arriving late or leaving early, you are cheating the employer. Taking supplies for personal use is robbery. Texting, surfing the internet or taking telephone calls that are not job-related is stealing. Voicing opinions that are not asked for is disrespectful and bad-mouthing the organization or management is a form of mutiny.

You are hired to do the work that the employer defines using approved procedures within the required timeframes. If you cannot or will not do this, it is time to leave. Do not try to rewrite the job description, change the expectations to better suit your lifestyle or repeatedly complain about or to the supervisor.

Even if you are working hard, it doesn't mean that you are doing what the employer needs. Focus on the tasks that are assigned to you and learn to do them well.

When employees are in trouble at work it is usually because they are not doing what they were hired to do.

If you are in the wrong job, give yourself and your employer some dignity and resign - before you are fired. Trying to hang on can lead to relationship and health problems.

There are always choices before you and you do not have to feel trapped in a situation that is toxic or becoming that way.

Make sure that you look for a new job that is more suitable or consider doing some retraining so that you can move into another field that you may prefer.

It is important that you like your work and are happy in your career. But it is also important that your employers get their money's worth. Fair trade means good work in exchange for good pay. Anything less than this is a sham.

All Psyched Up. | The Eighth Year | Good Work for Good Pay | by Dr. Linda Hancock | Published January 6 2013 | Revised June 26 2022

© 2022, Dr. Linda Hancock INC.