the myth of self care

[meecie]

Someone I know posted this to facebook today (caution, some may find this hard to read if you've been in similar very difficult work conditions): http://tonotliveinvain.wordpress.com/2014/01/25/the-myth ( Read more... )

Comments

[nosemovie]

There's a pretty good story going here in Portland where the transit union and the actual agency are constantly bickering. The result of that lack of decent communication is really unsafe driving conditions. We had some drivers taking double/triple shifts and having less than FOUR hours off between 20 hour shifts. Amazing.
The reporter who broke it has stuck with the story and now the state has just completed an audit. And the number one thing they suggested is BETTER COMMUNICATION with drivers, front end workers, machinist, etc. No one listens to these people! NO ONE... (cept the reporter and apparently now the state's audit arm) and who would know better what is unsafe, overlooked and wrong? FRONT END PEOPLE! but yeah. There's just so little respect for the actual worker any more. It's so sad.

[meecie]

Yes! Good for that reporter, that's exactly why we still need that quality journalism. Exactly.

[nosemovie]

Yep. I RIDE those damn buses every day. I sure as crap don't want someone falling asleep at the wheel and getting us all killed. Plus, it's just not good for drivers, even if they're able to stay awake. Talk about burn out. I guess morale in that company is just rock bottom. And it certainly comes through in the attitude of the drivers. About 80% of them seem like simmering pots of resentment only needing a little spark to totally explode. The other 20% are crazy happy weirdos who actually make me more worried than the sullen ones. Sigh.

[stickywickey]

Not to hijack this thread, but...
How can they work that many hours without appropriate time off? Don't the bus drivers have CDL's and therefore subject to driver duty hours set by state and federal DOT regulations? (10 hrs drive time in a 15 hr shift and a 2:1 work:rest ratio)

[ripnpaws]

There is a woman here who goes out two nights a week and feeds hundreds from the back of trucks. She gets hotel rooms for them (often 15 in a room). She is constantly removing children who are up for sale or that the parent cannot care for them and getting them to fosters. Often, she goes out at night because someone she gave her card to has called and is in need. She cares for 5 or 6 of her own children - most adopted. She cares for her grandma who is in kidney failure. All the while managing to get volunteers to help with cooking food and feeding the needy twice a week. I cannot fathom how she manages and she is always smiling. I respect her more than anyone I know. On the other hand, I have an agility acquaintance who works in social work for the elderly. She helps them budget and shop. She is constantly complaining about how burned out she is and often makes statements about how stupid is the task she is doing for some elderly person. Is it the agency she works for, the government, or is it the wrong job for her? I don't

[meecie]

I think that's part of it, feeling the support. I also think that it's important to feel like your work is valuable, no matter what you're doing. It sounds like *someone* is de-valuing the second woman's work, whether it's her clients, her managers, or other people in her life (or maybe just she herself).

And I DO think that's one of the differences between men and women in the less desired jobs in our economy. More women end up in care-giving jobs (one that's seriously underpaid and not terribly valued, our society leans towards thinking that people should be grateful for the work of taking care of the elderly and children, and not "pawn" them off to institutions or hired help). It's not there aren't other "undesirable" jobs that have mostly men - labor, construction, janitorial work, but these jobs are more likely to be unionized, or have salaries designed to better compensate for the harder work. Not always, but a trend.

[penichops]

I love the point she makes about 'self-care' being a great way to blame employees for their own unhappiness. It is so true. If the culture doesn't support the self care (no regular breaks because the workload is so high, taking all your breaks is seen as weakness and is frowned upon) then how the f**k are people supposed to look after themselves? This really gets up my goat because I was told to do much more self-care at work BY MY BOSSES and when I did for 6 months I was instantly excluded and shunned. Could not believe it. grrrrrr

[meecie]

Argh, yeah. That would be awful.