Tuesday, November 29, 2011

CONTEST ENTRY: Office Scrooges- Wilhemina R.

I guess my Scrooge would have to be two head secretaries that I have worked with before in two different locations. Scrooge had problems with being a penny pincher. Well these two secretaries are modern day office supply pinchers.
The first location was with the head secretary Zoey (name is not original). I was volunteering with her organization for about eight weeks during the spring/summer seasons. I needed some printer paper to make flyers to outreach for an event that the organization was having. Well if flyers are posted outside the colored paper would attract more people to reading it as well as the flyer being more visible in the night hours. The secretary explained to me in a few sentences basically that colored paper was to expensive, she did use the word expensive, to use for outreaching because the flyers would get damaged by the weather. That it would be a waste of money for the organization although she used nicer words than the ones I am using. I would think that if you would want people to attend your event you would use everything available to you to have high numbers of people at the event. This same secretary almost had a temper tantrum when I asked her for more envelopes to send out a letter for the organization for a mass mailing. She said that she had given me the exact amount of envelopes necessary to stuff with the 500 letters. She was so reluctant to give me more envelopes. The envelopes were not special envelopes just plain size ten business envelopes. Eventually, she gave me the extra envelopes I need to finish the task given to me at the volunteer site. I found it very hard to approach her to ask for office supplies to complete my duties as a volunteer in the office. I only volunteered during that eight week period and never returned there to volunteer except for their one day outdoor projects that they had available a few times a year. I had a marvelous time at the one day outdoor volunteer projects.
The second location the Head Secretary name was Olympia (name is not original). I think Zoey and Olympia went to the same secretary school because they were both office supply pinchers. Olympia would get extremely upset at any mistake that I made while working for her as a secretary. For example, if I was making photocopies and happen to make single sided rather than double sided and then I would have to make a second set of the needed single sided copies, she would tell me that her office does not have a huge supply of paper. Staff at this office had to ask for colored paper and she would only give out her colored paper if she felt the photocopies would be enhanced by using colored paper. Although, she perferred to give out only a limit amount of colored paper for each proposed photocopy packet. Usuallly when you deliver a packet that has been photocopied you would paper clip it so that the recipient would be able to distinguish the originals from the copies well; let just say I had to do without paperclips for a good three weeks. I did not have the basic necessities to perform my job in the office.
I guess what I would want everybody who works in an office is to be grateful for what is available to you. I had the mindset that when you go to a location to volunteer, visit or work that this location would have the supplies you need to complete your task. Boy was I wrong! I have learn that not all people are as organized and caring as I am.
I wonder if there are any laws that state that employment or volunteer locations should have the materials necessary at the location for the employee/volunteer to complete the assigned tasks that they are given. I know that they economy is not that great. That prices on everyday items are going up and our salaries are not increasing proprtionally to these higher prices. I don't think that the employee/volunteer should be required to bring the necessary materials need to the site location to complete assigned tasks. Business, Organizations and monopolies are all trying to save money where they can in their establishments. We the people who work in offices should unite to protest against this injustice that many of us have to face everyday; everyday causing us anguish and stress which compromises our health. Our Health.

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