I have an interview for a role next week that’s paying about 25% more than my current role and would suit me way, way better.
Cancelled all weekend plans so I can prepare.
The recruiter reached out to me oddly enough. I didn’t even apply.
so today ended well 🤓 neato
The mood at work has really soured. I didn’t post last night because I wanted some time to think it though and not just to scream into the universe, but I might have a problem.
New KPIs went into effect this week, and they’re a big increase - what was, before, “a really solid day’s work, excellent effort, you’ve done a bit better than planned” is now considered “just about barely adequate, maybe”. Not good, just minimally adequate.
We’ve been busting our collective ass to keep churning through work as everything changed around us. The “new benchmarks” are based on productivity we were flogging ourselves for, with the understanding that we could breathe once things stopped going bananas. We’re undermanned, senior members of the team have been seconded out to back up other departments, the system we use is old and breaking regularly…
Nope. Now the “busting your ass” productivity is a permanent requirement. Everyone hates it.
Me personally, I type with one hand. My right hand won’t do much of anything, so it’s all with my left. I can’t realistically get much faster at processing than I am…and the new benchmarks are set so high I’m only just scraping past them. If I have a day with particularly complex work, or any technical issues at all, I won’t make it.
I like my job. I’d quite like to be competent at my job, and I’d like to feel there was a realistic way for me to improve at my job.
At the moment, it doesn’t feel that way. My absolute best is now barely good enough, and I can’t see a way for me to get any better than bare minimum (and permanently worrying about being pulled up for low productivity) while still “only really being able to process work with one hand”.
My problem with KPIs is that it’s so damn easy for a bean counter at HO to just routinely adjust them upwards even though they are unfamiliar with the conditions at the grass roots. It also appears in a lot of ‘how to run a company’ books that the staff are supposed to always be yearning to ‘improve’ their stats by continually getting more done with less. This is completely unrealistic imo. American hustle culture being imposed from the top down in the name of efficiency, but really to make the HO bean counter look good in comparison.
spoiler
As a person with a disability, who is essential if the org is going to meet it’s diversity and inclusion obligations, then I think you may be able to negotiate a more realistic KPI. Be warned though that this is a very risky move if you want promotions.
Also, having senior staff members seconded elsewhere is a major red flag for ‘sub-par’ KPI assessments. And something of a get out of jail free card too if played correctly.
I need to verbalise it, because it IS a problem…and realistically, I’m probably very well placed to mention the concerns of the whole team, given that “finding the KPIs unrealistic” would be down to an identifiable medical issue in my case and they supposedly can’t penalise me for that.
But lordy me, I hate to play the “please hold me to different standards than my colleagues, I can’t do it!” card. I was really, really proud of not being judged by different standards until now. I was genuinely proud and happy to know that I was “good enough” and deserved to be there off my own effort.
And now I have to swallow that.
Play the senior staff seconded elsewhere card as hard as you can.
That’s the problem with KPIs, people look at your output then just think you can do 10% more next year.
I hope things work out, either everyone just collectively agreeing the KPIs were ‘stretch goals’ all along, or you find somewhere else more chill to work.
I wish it was only 10%. It’s like…30
Given you’ve got CP, if they try to come at you for KPIs you can probably hit them with some disability protection stuff.
I’m probably very well placed to mention the concerns of the whole team, given that “finding the KPIs unrealistic” would be down to an identifiable medical issue in my case and they supposedly can’t penalise me for that.
But lordy me, I hate to play the “please hold me to different standards than my colleagues, I can’t do it!” card. I was really, really proud of not being judged by different standards until now. I was genuinely proud and happy to know that I was “good enough” and deserved to be there off my own effort.
I was genuinely proud and happy to know that I was “good enough” and deserved to be there off my own effort.
You are and you do. Fuck them if they justify their unrealistic flogging of employees with ableism
union , call the union
And get together a meeting of your colleagues to discuss it, or at least establish lines of communication among yourselves in some way
It sucks to hear that you’re feeling under so much pressure. If these KPIs are unrealistic though, it would make sense that the team across the board struggle. If that’s the case, what are management going to do? Fire everyone? or rethink their KPIs. I know what I’d choose. The KPIs don’t mean much if no one is meeting them
Never underestimate the hubris of senior leadership.
Been in bed all day with my recovery friend.
Feeling better. Must have been one of those days I didn’t get enough sleep fragments.
aw, feel better soon
To the tradie next door taking a circular saw vertically to a brick wall right now…
You might want to use some eye protection.
Just a suggestion.
I've finished the cross stich I've been working on.
After taking the photo I realised I’d missed a few stitches, but I’ve fixed that now. Miss Meow approves (assuming trying to walk and roll on top of it is approval). Now I just need to figure out what to do with it.
That’s so cute!!
That looks great
That’s adorable 😊
( tip on how to find missed stitches is to hold the work up to the light to find “holes” )
That looks absolutely beautiful :)
beach pic
the biggest bluest jellyfish I’ ve ever seen
🪼
I think it might be one of the few naturally blue animals
there are some birds, some insects, some reptiles, some amphibians
but not many
The new smoking while walking on the street is vaping while walking. Just as disgusting and vape clouds linger for longer, so you’re more likely to breathe in the second hand smoke. I made disgusted sounds and quickly walked past.
I much prefer walking through a cloud of Grape Ice over tobacco stank. 🤢
If someone is walking in front of me vaping I follow more closely behind 🐽
You fiend
Fun part is that it doesn’t even matter what they’re vaping!
Ughhh. I’m so tired and depressed it’s hard to do anything.
I wish I had energy to do things like drawing exercises. Maybe if I did them with music or a movie in the background but I am really struggling for motivation.
music is a must 😊
choose something melodic and calming
do your art at the same time everyday
Melbcat asked for the door to open and she’s staring out the screen door at the birds 👀
this is wonderful 😻
She was monkeytailing my cup and put her tail in the coffee… ☕️
nom nom …lol
I, too, like staring at birds.
Don’t we all 🦜🧐
Just finished up a 7am client call (involved someone in the US so it had to be an early one) which I was a little anxious about. Also too early for my brain to be fully operational but I think it went well.
I’ve had so many hats on this week. The fun party animal, the loving wife and the attentive mother who follows her sick only child back into her bedroom with a can of Glen 20 demanding she does not emerge back out here without a good reason. I even delivered a plate of food to her like a prison warden.
Atleast tomorrow will be a nice day.
Aw, poor YL. Hope she pulls through soon!
Me too cos the coughing spoils the serenity.
Any advice on finding a good panel beater? There’s heaps around but how do I tell dodgy bros from legit good quality peeps?
I just had a super frustrating run in with a concrete planter at the local shops (weird height, stupid pointy corner, completely in my blind spot, I stuffed the angle and dented the back door) 😭
What part of town.
Western suburbs.
Good luck, I know a guy in Springvale.
Thanks anyway
Not Sheen
I’m so flat today. Barely staying alert for work.
This weekend is yet another experiment adjusting the pill so I can get some sleep.
If this doesn’t work I honestly don’t know what else to do.
Edit: took day off.
I had a trick to help babies and little children sleep.
I would lay down with them , or hold in my arms, and mimic sleep breathing rhythms, it’s natural for humans to copy breathing rates, and pretty soon the kids were asleep. Often I was too as when we do something our brain acts as if it’s real.
So maybe actively do sleep breathing, maybe do it for Fluffybutt. ( this is not the same as meditation )
also hugs
If you’re desperate there’s an antidepressant called Valdoxan that is good for sleep. It may just make you sleepy for a few nights and then stop working but if you’re willing to take the risks involved it might help.
Otherwise this might be a sleep disorder and need a specialist
Forgot ADHD meds at home today. Sleep was yucky, hair is yucky, skin is yucky, mind is yucky. But I am here til 6 today. I shall survive. Somehow my resting heart rate stays around 100 even when I wake up and haven’t taken the meds yet.
I’m excited to complain to the psychiatrist next week.
After this happened to me a couple of times I bought a key ring/chain pill container from the chemist. I put one each of the various meds I’m on in it, attached to my house keys, so I’ve always got a backup on me if I forget to take one or need a dex top up.
Same.
Tis a chilly morning kids. Wrap up warrrrm.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Farting under the doona never felt so right
Greenhouse gases for local warming
