Oh, You have GOT to be Kidding Me…

While eating at a potluck Christmas Holiday Luncheon with some co-workers at a table in the break room, I nearly choked as the discussion turned to time off around the holidays. First of all, let me paint you a picture… there are about 16 people in my unit, and about 50 or more on my floor. When it came time for us to request holiday time-off, we were instructed as to the rules of these requests. It would go by seniority, of which I have none. You could not request the days before AND the day after Christmas off unless you have the time and you have to use it, and then it would go by seniority only. Keep in mind, of course, that month end is coming up and the unit usually works about 20 hours overtime over the last week of each month to make sure all accounts are posted and all money is accounted for before the books close. There HAS to be someone here to DO all of that work, so they needed to balance the requests with the needs of the unit. There will only be half of our unit working the day after Christmas and about 1/3 of the unit will be off on Christmas Eve.

Needless to say, I didn’t even bother filling out a request form. There was no point. At the bottom of the heap, I will pay my dues and work Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, as well as New Years Eve and the 2nd of January… not leaving early or any of that crap, either.

So, when someone told me the University was thinking of buying lunch for those working the day after Christmas as a “thank you”, some of my co-workers were actually upset. “I don’t think it’s fair… I am working the 23rd and they’re not buying ME lunch… what they should do for one person they should do for everyone…”

Am I seriously in a parallel universe here?!?!! Are you seriously complaining because you GOT the time off you requested and would rather have lunch??

Look here, Sparky, you get to take off most of the next two weeks, spend it with your family and friends, while I am here on Christmas Eve AND the day after Christmas without complaint. It’s a sandwich and a soda, fer-fuks-sake, I think it’s nice they were even considering thanking those who have to come in, because, without us, you WOULDN’T be allowed the time off you requested. So, shut the hell up, or drag YOUR asses into work and do YOUR freakin’ job so I can go home and be with MY family! Until then, I don’t want to hear about what’s fair and what’s not fair… There are plenty of people lined up to take your place if you don’t like it… Jeesh…