There is ‘no app’ for these situations

There is ‘no app’ for these situations

by Claire Warshaw, January 8th, 2021, 3:30 pm

This writing is not intended to scare persons from working for others. This writing is instead intended to “strike more” open public conversation and written dialogue, plus possibly remove perceptions that silence, obedience without debate and/or action is always an answer to difficult working situations. [Also, without stating, this writing, and nearly all of my writing, is not the product of any encouragement or opinion by other family, friends, acquaintances, and/or company interests. It is not written for legal purposes. I am not a lawyer. This writing might contain errors, not purposely, which later might be edited. This writing is not professionally reviewed. This writing is not made to hurt or blame others, including myself. This writing is instead more meant for positive introspection, insights and improvements.]

1.   While cleaning the Greater Sacramento Urban League (GSUL) building, as a custodial student, late in the afternoon, I went to empty a vacuum cleaner’s contents, as usual, into an outside trash can. I hesitated. This trash can was perhaps 2/3’s full of rainwater and soil from probably dirty diapers. A large bird wing stuck out. I sought the advice of the GSUL custodial teacher, stating at first, “Houston, we have a problem,” similar to past space explorers. My custodial teacher suggested he knew of this situation. He recommended leaving the foul trash can alone.

The outside trash can was in the ‘yard’ of an independently run nursery school, not managed by the GSUL staff. The nursery school teacher was blamed in this moment of discussion. From my perspective, realizing the trash can had been outside, accumulating this foul mess for days most probably, no matter whose fault it was, it seemed best to clean up the situation, especially as a custodial student and knowing small children played nearby this public health hazard. Procrastinating did not make sense as eventually the situation might cause further problem and need more/different care. I mentioned this in similar words. The GSUL custodial teacher allowed the clean-up process to begin.

There was no special protocol to follow. My custodial teacher, wearing professional casual white pants near the end of a working day, looked ready for a beach hotel environment and upper floor management concepts, not a foul cleanup situation. He said he would assist, but also indicated he not want to be physically involved. “As luck would have it,” I began the cleanup process and immediately needed physical assistance. The outside water tap near this trash can was not easily opened. Per my urging, he worked to unlock the jammed tap with a special tool and helped to engage the old mobile bent hose, spraying us in the process. He stomped off madly. I do not think I saw him again that day.

This first part of the process probably took 1-2 hours.

The filled trash can was heavy. Working solely, the toys and bird went into a large trash bag, with some of the foul water as well. Probably with a small cart meant more for moving light items, these heavy plastic trash bags, which could easily burst with their dangerous contents, were moved from this nursery school playground area to the large trash bin near the side of the GSUL building. I lifted them up and into the bin. (BTW: This is a design issue that might be easily solved to prevent injuries, with a good trash chute retrofit. This building had an elevator.) There was still remaining foul liquid in the can, but after this step it seemed like the situation could be more easily managed.

This second part of the process probably took 2 hours. It was probably past 5 pm by this time. I am guessing I was the only person left on the GSUL premises, but I did not know or wanted to search to find out.

The trash can with its remaining foul liquid was put on wheels to be brought into the building. The liquid was dumped into the custodial closet sewage system. The rinsed trash can likely next was put back outside. Little did I expect the next situation. Though fresh custodial closet water was run behind the dumped foul liquid, the entire bottom floor, including a large lobby of the GSUL building, now smelled like the dumped sewage. The foul aroma noticeably came out of nearby floor drains. One custodial closet chemical was often used for these sewage pipes. After reading a few minutes reading to affirm proper use, the chemical followed into the custodial closet drain. (BTW: It might amaze environmentalists and possibly sewage experts on what has and continues to go into sewage pipes, per professional protocol. There seems good reason to update community concepts on less dangerous custodial chemistry). The wafting aroma dissipated some. More water and more chemical followed in desperation.

Near perhaps 7-8 pm, still smelling a lighter version of the sewage pipe’s bad aroma, I gave up, cleaned up the tools/custodial closet, and went home for the night. I am guessing the whole process took 4-5 hours. Initially accessing the outside trash can’s situation, I might have accessed the process would only ensue one hour.

I came back first thing in the morning as usual, to notice the smell was LUCKILY gone. This was extremely fortunate, as this special building functioned as a career and learning center for many persons, including vulnerable, considered at-risk populations.

I did not regret attacking this foul trash can problem that night until noticing the sewage gases coming out of a nearby bathroom. Also, I was too tired and worn out to worry overnight, fortunately. I was extremely lucky the aroma was gone the next morning. Otherwise, I am guessing, I might have been more reprimanded for my actions.

The item that lingered and bothered my mind the most, was the large bird wing. This may have been a bird model for the nursery school. It also may have been a rare bird, which was put into this trash can inappropriately by an outside person. The entire trash can situation could have been a “setup” in place to cause bad work for the GSUL custodial student staff. Setups to cause work seemed to happen frequently in the GSUL building and its nearby premises. The situation also might have been an indication of how busy and badly impacted a nursery school teacher might have been. At the time, I was not sure I was environmentally correct in dumping the bird into the large trash bin. In summary the bird – model or real - might have been the most abused result. People might not of been able to see beyond blame issues. I questioned the GSUL management, in writing at this time, but did not get a response. No one seemed to want to talk to me about the situation afterwards at all.

Long afterwards, in a different situation, local county officials said it is acceptable to put roadkill into a trash bin. I am uncertain if a rare bird would be comparable to roadkill though. Knowing biologists count birds, the item’s issue still brings question.

2.   Three new pole replacement jobs arrived each with bad location data. The male Pole Replacement ‘Lead’ and a male coworker – who also worked pole replacement jobs – were engaged in thick non-work-related conversation. Because of their recreational talk, interrupting to ask what to do, to continue working, seemed acceptable. In asking, the non-Lead coworker jumped to answer. He suggested seeking advice from a newly placed female supervisor near the front desk workers who typically arrange the job packages. [BTW: Typically, it seems genders do not seem an issue, until one meets a coworker who believes that genders are an issue or knows others who might believe genders are an issue. I am indicating gender in this writing because there seemed definite gender opinion in this occupation by some.] 

This non-Lead male coworker often seemed to not care while advising. This may have been personal, as I may have been more seen as competition to his success. He was considered to be at an equal job classification level, though he was said to have many more years of working experience in our industry, including management years at a different much larger utility, considered by some as a rival. Normally, with an open mind and un-assumptive manner, I might progress to follow his advice to speak with the new female manager. However, I too, at this point, had several years of working experience. Some of my beginning years, involved seeking information in a similar manner.

What use to seem to happen, is that a new worker would be told to talk next to a specific and different coworker for the answer to a question. The new worker, in talking to the next coworker, would then possibly be told to seek the advice of a different worker. Generally, the new worker gained more understanding of answers as the new worker struggled to get an approved answer from several successive more senior coworkers. Eventually the new worker would probably be seen more as an annoyance and distraction from more relevant work. The phone at the desk would ring. The person dealing with the new worker would answer the call, then obviously speaking to another nearby coworker – who had felt sorry for the person dealing with the annoying new worker.

It seemed like a game. After a few rounds, a new worker learned to be careful not to entertain every advice. The situation seems to breed less questions, more silence, independent and possibly lengthy reading research, and sometimes absorbent amounts of time struggling to learn what is correct. This possibly is one reason apps, as in phone apps, may have become more prevalent education means in a workplace.

Here, after many years, was a male coworker suggesting that speaking to a new female manager would be the answer for a question that likely involved mischief created work by her new nearby front desk workers. We all had recently heard of her new job responsibilities and none of them included job package management. Going to her at this point, seemed like the perfect avenue for a bad introduction to her new department. Easily I imagined spending a half hour or more explaining the problem involved, and her not immediately knowing what to do without asking someone else. We both would be stuck talking to more people and possibly an hour or two would pass, seeking the proper solution. It amazed me that my male coworker suggested this. However, he had already stated negative ideas, and messing with certain people, including myself, had in the past seemed part of his strategies.

Though not considered (“my job”) billable work, I went back to my desk without hesitation and changed the different project customer SAP software location information without engaging more talk or anybody else.

In having this solution at this time, messing with job package information and a highly competitive, seemingly mischievous male coworker, who might have been competing for the better work and more favor, remained a problem.

3.   Has anyone else noticed? At home often certain people seem to call when one has gotten up from one’s desk to go outside or do something that is not ‘work-at-home’ related? Are we seen as people having too much fun because we are at home unpaid, as opposed to being working managers and/or authoritative persons who believe they lead with more superior and successful values? If we have been applying for paid work, and not attaining it, does it seem right to enforce an unpaid person to constantly apply for interests which others feel the person is more suited for? Does outside judgement make sense on others at home whom are not formally in their particular working structure or management system?

There is definitely no phone app for the solution to this problem. It seems easier to enhance conversation and collaboration than not.

To look at these situations with positive euphemisms, these contain astronaut-like issues.

#situational awareness #conflict #blame #friction #astronaut issues