Working for CSAT, Getting Nothing but DISSAT

Tonight I start work in a new site - same company, different location. I should be excited. Its a new building, a bigger monitor, a new room, new equipment, and the site is only two kilometers away from home. But guess what? I am not excited at all.

I was thrilled to learn of the transfer months back. However, a lot of changes had to happen which created a impact on me that made me lose interest in this move. There were things that I had to give up, things that made me happy at work, things that helped me provide for my family's needs.

First, we were "ordered" to go on a graveyard shift. Fine. I have no issues with that. Its just a matter of tweaking my sleeping schedules and household routines. However, here's the thing - moving to a graveyard shift will cut down my transportation incentive to half. That means, I will be losing two thousand pesos a month. Management said that despite the cut, we would be earning a whole lot more for the night differential pay. Really???!!! The night differential pay is only 15% of the hourly rate and it is taxable income. I guess these people did not do well in grade school mathematics.

Second, we were not informed of their plan to change our work schedules. We were not even asked how such change would affect us. Let me give some clarification. I provide quality assurance support to businesses based in the United States, therefore, I do not have agents taking calls locally. My US counterparts do not have any issue with me working the 2pm-11pm Eastern Standard Time shift. So why the change? We asked management for the reason. The answer we got? "I will be working midshift, 4pm-1am Manila time. I want to see you guys." Lame lame lame. Another response we got - "I can't tell you."  There goes transparency and visibility. Sure, great job! Keep secrets from your front-liners! 

Third, we are not allowed to have anything on our desks other than the computer monitor, the mouse and the keyboard. I have never, as in NEVER, worked in such an environment that we are not allowed to "personalize" our work space. It is hell enough to work nights, but to work in an environment that controls everything is not just right. Show me a person who can stare at a computer monitor for 8 hours straight and I will recommend that person to be given an award for being a seaweed. It is those little bits and pieces of home away from home that takes away the stress. I guess there are just some people (I am not even sure if they are even worth being called that) who find gratification in power-tripping.

Fourth, I loved working in Eastwood City. It is maybe three and a half kilometers from home, still close and accessible. Eastwood City used to be General Textile Mills, Inc. It is where my parents used to work. My dad was the company physician, my mom worked in the Finance Department, and we were a canteen concessionaire in the textile mill. I practically grew up spending after school hours in that place. I could still remember where the company clinic was, where the motor pool and boiler room was located. Working in Eastwood made me feel like I was back in that time, that happy time where my parents were still young and healthy. The only original structure within the General Textiles compound that was not demolished was the church. It was originally called "Holy Family Church," and has now been renamed "St. John Paul II Parish." Spending a few minutes in that church everyday made me remember the masses we attended there as a family. With the transfer to the new site, I would be missing my daily quiet time inside a church. I will be missing watching the sunrise. I will be missing the occasional breakfast breaks with my eldest son who is now working in Eastwood.

Now, I would probably be getting reactions like - "just resign if you don't like to comply with the changes." This is not about an issue with compliance. This is an issue about honesty, about being sensitive to the feelings of others. It is about being a true leader. 

What do I plan to do now? I plan to blog like crazy, to grab every opportunity that comes my way. To "sell myself" to advertisers, to be more active in social media sharing - anything to earn back what I will be losing in my bi-monthly paycheck. I will pray harder. I will do it and I will succeed.

And for those who have impacted me and my workmates in such a negative, deceitful manner, I pray that they won't experience having to deal with a boss just like themselves. If they do, maybe that will be the time that we will be vindicated.