Perpetual Ruminations

Tuesday

Here again; this time, I'm on time. I slept in a bit this morning and it did me good. Even so, I am still very irritable about some things. Particularly, work!

I don't know quite how to describe it, so I am still struggling with it. It seems once I can break something down, describe it, then I understand it and can begin to overcome it. So far, this is just frustrating. I cannot get a schedule up and maintain it. It's not even the schedule so much as the side effects of the changes. Seems like I set the schedule, I struggle through to make everyone happy and content as possible, I go over any changes and it's all good. Then I post it and set my own schedule for my private life around it, and no more than do I make some plans... and Wham! It all changes.

So it is, again. I suppose I set myself up for it, but it's kind of hard not to. With Target, it was a constant. So now that we are done with that we can have a bit of consistency, right? Wrong. See, it works like this. One person is leaving, so I take his shift and Rhonda takes mine. We are aware that there will be some need to remain flexible to fill in for others, but all in all, we have a fixed schedule.

But then he decides he's not going, so we have to deal with the change. We do, and all is set and scheduled accordingly. We will have these days off together, we will work these days, and we can both fill in as needed. But, there is another person who is constantly needing time off. Fine, we will alter the schedule to make sure she has the time off she needs without disrupting the schedule. Of course, even as I did this, I knew she would still disrupt it some, but it should be less now.

Nope, now she is out and I don't know when she will be back. I talked to her daughters, and explained what I need for her to come back to work. I talked to her and explained it all again. That was yesterday. She is scheduled to work tomorrow. I never heard back from her at all. So today, I wait a bit to hear something back. I'm sure I won't, I seldom do.

But, I have to alter the schedule because she is unable to work until she gets a return to work form to me. I already know how this will go. I will not hear anything, change the schedule accordingly, and then go in and give a copy to Jason, fax one to corporate and then go to the guardhouse to work. Before I get the new schedule posted there, I will find the form sitting there waiting for me. Then, it will be a matter of redoing it all over again.

She was concerned she will lose her current shift, but I told her she was still on the schedule, I just needed to know that she was able to work. At least, that is what she is telling me. Will I find the form so I can put her back on? Or, will it be a while before she can return? If she comes right back, I will put her on her shift as it was. But, if she is going to be out for a while, I am going to have to schedule someone to fill that shift and we will all have to work to cover the double coverage.

Then what? This person is finally able to return to work, but will want her old position back. She has been unreliable at best, does not do a very good job, but manages to fool most of the people. Will I have to put her back on her regular schedule and move the other person back to the temporary position, or should I leave the schedule as is, and put the unreliable person into the temporary position?

I know what I would do, but unfortunately, it is not my call. I just supervise the site, my boss will have the final say. That is the other frustration i have, I never know from day to day what is going to transpire, and I have no means of controlling or restricting it. I know this is typical, we never have much control, but there should be some. I am right there and see every day what is going on. I should be able to call it impose some kind of restrictions so that each person will have to be accountable for their choices.

"Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free."