I Used to do That for a Living; Landing and Leaving 108 Jobs Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2 | Page 17

Roger Scott Jackson

company, I was handed an office-supply catalog
and told to take my pick of the desks, chairs, and
whatever else might speed my personal plow.
I felt like a million bucks. Of course, I still got
canned after two years. But in the interim I was
very comfortable. And felt . . . worthy. Right up
to when they threw me out.
A bad organization is one that fails to properly recognize and reward its employees, that fails
to address their concerns, that is poorly run, that
treats people like chattel; it’s a poor neighbor, a
poor corporate citizen; it skirts the law; it cannot
sustain itself; it plays fast and loose with the livelihood and well-being of its workers.
A bad boss? Now, there’s a whole ‘nuther
book. But I will say this: some people rise to the
top because scum floats.
Bad co-workers. Another book. Some people
remain at the bottom because shit sinks. All the
things that make any person unpleasant to be
around go double in the workplace: sullenness,
rudeness, stupidity, obstinacy, bigotry, contentiousness, strong odors, bossiness, the tendency
to pontificate, superiority, condescension . . .
As a rule, a co-worker’s laziness is more the
boss’s problem. More power to ‘em, right up
to where their indolence makes my job harder.
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