Big Brother is Watching

You know something bad is coming when your boss sends you an email with that as the subject line, especially when your boss's last name is Brothers. Apparently a lot of our contracts are getting sent back from the company we sell for because of errors. What kinds of errors? We aren't told that. But we are told that from now on we aren't allowed to watch movies or listen to headphones during our down time at work, and there is going to be a camera installed so that Bryan (Brothers) can watch us remotely from his home.

The really ironic thing is how he thinks that these two things are going to correlate to each other. Not watching movies will equal there being no errors, or us somehow working harder to abate them. When really it does not address the issue at all. He feels like we are taking advantage of the freedom he gives us, and we repay him by making all these errors, by not being careful or something.

But in reality the reason the accounts are being sent back is because we never see the contracts, and what we have is supposed to match the contract. Taking away all of our liberties is not going to change that fact, and so errors will continue to occur, and he will continue to feel hurt because he thinks it is happening because we don't care. The truth is: if we had something we are supposed to do, we would be doing it. We look at the accounts, put them in, check over them even, but if it isn't checked against the contract, it doesn't matter how much we check it. We get all of our information over the phone from sales reps who just want to hurry and get off the phone with us.

Today he called in, and a girl had been spinning in her chair. He said, "Emily stop spinning in your chair." He can be hurt and take away all the things he wants, but unless he will realize what the actual problem is, all he is going to take away is hard-working and dedicated employees. I've started looking for another job. I'm not set on getting another job. But I want to keep my options open.

The other thing is that he thinks it is obvious what is acceptable behavior and what is not. But he thinks that reading books, studying, playing solitaire are acceptable, but playing online games, watching movies, listening to movies, etc. is not. Of course what that "etc." encompasses? It is a difference between "wasting time" and "having free time". I joked this morning that having free time is anything where you are still bored, whereas wasting time is anything that is fun.

Really what it all comes down to is that none of us think that there is enough work to justify this ban on certain things. Certain times we are busy that phones are ringing one after the other. Other times, there can be a half hour to two hours with no calls. We are not complaining about having to work when we have work. It is just annoying that we are being told to not do certain things when there is nothing else to do.

It is inefficient. Big Brother is watching, but I'm not sure he knows what he should be looking for.