About the transition at the paper. My initial gut reaction was right. And I was suckered by our little meeting with the consolidation coordinators. The changeover is causing so very many problems that aren't addressed, except by us workers trying to put out a paper. We miss deadline nearly every night, and it is specifically due to complications of the changeover.
We are so totally overloaded, people are quitting (or actively job-seeking) all around. Leaving us short-handed at this awful time. The rest of us are rapidly getting sick. Literally. Something that looks suspiciously like a mild flu is going around. We have one pregnant lady who has worked overtime every single night that I have, God help her. My immediate superiors are drinking even more than usual. The salaried night people are working 60-hour weeks, 10- and 12- hour days.
None of these problems touch the day staff. Because they are not publishing. We are. The new systems make it impossible for them to find their errors. They only prevent publication, and we must correct them. And their disconnection protects them--and imperils us.
Personally, I expect to be disciplined shortly over an advertising error (a good-sized one). Policy dictates I could lose my job. And our publisher usually reacts to such advertising errors with "Off with whoever's head!" He wouldn't know me from Eve, literally. After the earlier problem, I sent him an email, detailing what we could do to prevent further problems, and he sent me the most condescending, clueless, return email, it made me think of the pointy-haired manager in Dilbert. This current error would not have happened with my suggestions in place. They are not "suggestions" at all: they are proven policies that have been discarded by our higher ups. They were policies that made us an award-winning paper for advertising accuracy and quality control. Not coincidentally, those policies allowed the dayside people to oversee and correct the very problem that occurred.
So why is this posted to the MSCompanion? Because my health is suffering. I am so sick, my feet feel squishy and wet, both hot and cold, with pinpricks, no less. The electrical charge feeling (I forget what it is called), is just plain all over my body. The numbness is in my face, my left ear is deafer, and the tremors! Are they the nerve damage? Or just nerves?
Guess that's the way of the world. I just emailed my coworker about another thing that didn't get done last night, while we were struggling with equipment and software failure. It involves the same advertising client as before, for all the same reasons. The same disaster, waiting to happen again. Can't wait to see the Sunday paper.
pb
Little Pond
4 comments:
hope you don't get sick and have a flare up. I hope things look up soon up there.
Nothing like a little stress to bring on an attack. Nice. And with that booming job market in the Upstate NY region ... urgh.
On the upside, another favorite punishment is a week off without pay. And with the LPGA Corning Classic coming up this week, I'd have to say it wouldn't be such a bad thing. No pay sucks, but no work would certainly help right now. I've know a few people who had it imposed (what a great place to work...) and none ever complained!
I know what you mean by your stress taking it's toll on your health. I'm sorry to hear of your struggles at work and would love to tell you to not let it get to you but I know that's not reality.
I wish I had some sage advice to give you but, all I can say is, just try to take care of yourself.
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