It's Strange What Can Cause You a "Problem"

Before the pay raise I knew that I was being paid more than most folks I worked with. Because of that, I felt that I was also under the scrutiny of higher-ups to be worth what they paid me. Therefore, I just figured it fell my lot to do more than others.

Yesterday I went through a different sort of "temptation". Remember I have the largest orderable department--right now, that may change-- in the store. When my freight comes in I generally have a good bit more to get out than "the other half" of what my boss considers the craft department. (The actual craft department has fewer items to order and two full time people to get the job done.)

Most of the time I have no problem with the fact that I have more to do by myself that these two have to do together. When I tend to feel put upon is when we have a stock test coming up, I have a huge order to get out, and scheduling constraints make it seem "impossible" that I will get my freight out before the test. (I really like doing well on those tests.)

Yesterday just before I went to "lunch" (4PM), the person covering fabrics told me I'd be going over there when she left at 5:30. WHOP! That was like a slap in the face. I had looked at the written schedule for the day when I came in and it said at 4:30 I'd be assigned to a register at the front which a regular cashier would be operating until that time. I had breathed a sigh of relief, figuring I had all day to finish getting my freight out. I was sure I could do it.

Since I would not be going in on Friday until 2PM-- and by that time the test will be over-- I was reeling in my mind about how I was going to get it done if I had to cover fabrics. Of course, the idea is that the two craft people will help me. But I have found that other people just don't have the same sense of responsibility to get the job done as I do.

When, at 4:30 one of the craft people left, she announced cheerfully that they now had all their freight out. That left the other one to help me. But like I say, they just don't have that same sense that mine is as important to get out as theirs is. So here I'm sent off to fabrics at 5:30, leaving my freight in the hands of someone who really doesn't care as much as I do that it get out.

The "temptation" in my mind was: "Hey, I'm not getting paid anymore than anyone else around here. Why should I have to go to fabrics?" (Before I figured I had do anything anywhere that came up plus do my own too or I'd be eyed as not being worth what I was being paid.Now I'm thinking, Why can't they just train these two craft people to cover fabrics and let me do my own work?)

It's only an issue with me when we're having a stock test. Any other time I really don't mind having more to do. I really don't mind covering fabrics. I really don't mind doing anything I'm asked to do. One thing I like about my job is that there is lots and lots of work to do. But when I have to leave the area I'm responsible for to go cover somewhere else, when someone else who has their work done could do it.... then I begin to have grievances.