September 25, 2000
Sick Co-Workers
by yawetag
I love my job. My technical job title is "Systems Operations Technician." Most people know me as a "Helpdesk Operator." I sit in a comfortable chair and spend 8 hours, from 4pm to midnight, running jobs and helping users on an AS/400 System. The hardest calls I get are having to get Thin Clients reconnected to the system. I must say the hours suck, but overall I love the job.
With that said, I'd also like to say I love the people that work in here on my shift, which is no one else. Yes, I sit in here by myself for around 4 hours (the first hour of work is filled with Programmers and ITs running around; the other 3 are talking to a guy that works in the Supply Room).
Another plus of the job is that every 7 weeks I'm on call. I get to carry around an alphanumeric pager for 7 days. We never get called, but we get paid $25 for it. :) The bad part about being on call is that if anyone on an off-shift can't come in because they are sick, you must come in.
Granted, I had nothing planned for this weekend except to start working on my Mom's website, but I definitely didn't want to spend it at work. Nonetheless, the pager goes off around 9pm Saturday night. It says, "Lynn's(*) sick... call Helpdesk." I debated not calling and saying that I never received the page, but they get delivery notifications and by saying that, I wouldn't get the $25 because it would mean I didn't have it with me the whole time. I call work, and was told the awful truth that I would have to come in and work 4th shift, which is from midnight to noon.
The advantages to working these 12 hours is that I get 12 hours overtime. This coming only 2 days after my boss's boss told us that ALL overtime would have to be pre-approved from now on because of "budget issues."
The problem with the situation is that Lynn called in sick only 3 hours before she was to come in. I wouldn't have minded so much if she had called around 4pm, so I could have at least gotten some sleep beforehand. Now my sleep schedule is all screwed and I don't know if I'm going to be able to make it all 6 hours remaining for tonight.
I'm debating calling in sick the next time Lynn is on call and having her work for me.
PFFT! to Sick Co-Workers!
* NOTE: Names changed to protect the guilty.
Published: September 25, 2000
Editor: stacy