Sunday, June 6, 2010

I changed the last part of essay # 3

As we saw it in Mike’s case, the excess of “physical labor” if not perceived as a carrier, can induce some emotional state of being. It can make the worker feel some negative emotions about his work, himself and others.
For customer-service representatives what matter the most is the pressure exerted by the boss on workers to do the job in a very specific way, it is not the job itself. Because it make the workers swing between happy to very sad moods. But for the workers who see customer-service as a carrier, the performance of the job is like practicing one of their hobbies.
In any case, maybe workers should start choosing their carriers in function of what they are good at, and more what they enjoy doing. Because as mentioned by Burling in his article, the happiest workers he observed were the ones that weren’t forced to display an emotion that wasn’t theirs. These people have fun and enjoy their jobs whether physical or service. Because in Mike’s case all he’s asking for is some recognition of his work.
In sum, for both type of job maybe what can make a difference in the “emotional cost” of working is what the worker himself is looking for in a job. Some of us need to see a result of our work like a finished product for others, it might be just the sentiment of belonging to a certain type of group and the interactions they have with the people in the group; more some are looking for a good monetary compensation for their work while others it is the sentiment of creating happiness in others.
As for my friend Severine, she changed department. At the beginning of May, she went to the Cargo department where she will have a very different assignment and a nine to five fixed schedule with no risk of having to stay overtime. Her problem she said with the tickets sales department was her constant late night shifts; she had to find a babysitter who would stay late with her son until she’s back. This was always a struggle for her because no one wanted to work late babysitting her one year old son. Well, just as many low wage workers in the United States, one more who’s struggling with child care.

1 comment:

  1. A little stronger - see what other connections you might make . ..

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