Any advice for the following situation? I just feel so stuck…
I work for unionized state government.
The amount of work I do doesn’t matter. At all. Just so long as I’m not too much of an outlier on the bottom side of productivity.
Every 2 weeks I get an updated list of how many work units I did and how many hours I worked the last 2 weeks. I also get to see how everybody else did. I run towards the top third, purposely. I could be number 1 or 2 or 3 on a consistent basis if I wanted to. I’ve mastered the job that much, but I receive nothing for that extra work. The most productive worker receives the same raise at the end of the year as the worst. I have 10 years until retirement (pension) and in the 20 years I’ve been working for government I have never seen anybody terminated for lack of productivity, and some have really tested the system. I’m also in one of the highest paying state jobs, at least for not being in a management position, which I don’t want.
I purposed to my management the possibility of an incentives based productivity reward system to help give people a reason to be productive and to help reward those who are. I was eaten alive with “why should we reward anybody for doing their job” and “you should work as hard as you can every day because we pay you” and on and on, for 40 minutes. I realized I’m up against too big a machine and too stubborn a mindset to ever see anything change.
I do have a question for those government workers who have come before me: How did you get through the last few years? How did you ever come to terms with the realization that just showing up to work and going through the motions is enough, and that there will never be more (promotions in my state government are rare, and managers are treated so bad the extra pay isn’t worth it, especially since I make extra money outside of work that I do have full control of).
Thanks for your ideas.
I work for unionized state government.
The amount of work I do doesn’t matter. At all. Just so long as I’m not too much of an outlier on the bottom side of productivity.
Every 2 weeks I get an updated list of how many work units I did and how many hours I worked the last 2 weeks. I also get to see how everybody else did. I run towards the top third, purposely. I could be number 1 or 2 or 3 on a consistent basis if I wanted to. I’ve mastered the job that much, but I receive nothing for that extra work. The most productive worker receives the same raise at the end of the year as the worst. I have 10 years until retirement (pension) and in the 20 years I’ve been working for government I have never seen anybody terminated for lack of productivity, and some have really tested the system. I’m also in one of the highest paying state jobs, at least for not being in a management position, which I don’t want.
I purposed to my management the possibility of an incentives based productivity reward system to help give people a reason to be productive and to help reward those who are. I was eaten alive with “why should we reward anybody for doing their job” and “you should work as hard as you can every day because we pay you” and on and on, for 40 minutes. I realized I’m up against too big a machine and too stubborn a mindset to ever see anything change.
I do have a question for those government workers who have come before me: How did you get through the last few years? How did you ever come to terms with the realization that just showing up to work and going through the motions is enough, and that there will never be more (promotions in my state government are rare, and managers are treated so bad the extra pay isn’t worth it, especially since I make extra money outside of work that I do have full control of).
Thanks for your ideas.