Surprise Tuesday Blog: RESPECT in the Workplace: June 18, 2013

A familiar theme: Respect.

Why do people feel the need to treat each other poorly in the workplace? 

The workplace: this is somewhere you spend much of your time. You spend more time at the workplace than you do at home. Think about it, your co-workers should become a second family. Maybe they do! Family feels very comfortable to treat each other poorly, we see it all the time. People's Court is a place where we see family suing each other all the time. So why am I surprised that co-workers and bosses have the audacity to treat others with less than RESPECT.

I am at my job for many years. I have always treated my co-workers and superiors with respect and expect the same in return. It does not happen.

What happened to The Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would expect them to do unto you. This is something we learn in kindergarten or before if you have parents that teach it. The practice of public humiliation is not expected in the workplace. Someone who chooses this approach as a way to manage their staff is severely lacking in ... oh so much!

When you have good people working for you, it is time to acknowledge and appreciate them. For over twenty years, I was treated with respect and then ... a change in management. How quickly things can change.

Which brings me to the next question ... Why does someone who gets power and control abuse it?

I am thinking this is an age-old question with many answers and yet, no answers. A study in human nature. What I do know is that we are all people who deserve respect from each other. We need to be at work. We need to feel appreciated on some level. I know, I know, we get a paycheck, we should not expect thanks. But ... we should not get treated poorly. What do you think?

Shout-out  to Megan!

Please share your thoughts in the comments. Maybe together we can figure this out. 

Thank you for joining me today.

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People's Court: 6-29-12: Resolutions

When we are spending our hard earned money, we expect to receive value for it. When the service or product is not satisfactory, we feel we should not have to pay for it. Sometimes, you need to pay for part of the service received and renegotiate the rest of the payment. When this is not a  possibility, court is available to resolve the issue.

A couple is being sued for the balance owed for the limo that was rented for their wedding day. The driver arrived late and upset the entire day's schedule.  The bride and her bridal party were almost 30 minutes late to the church and the rest of the day's events were not on schedule. They are not looking for a free ride (see what I did there!). They are willing to pay for the rental, but not give the driver a tip. They feel a tip is for good service and this was not received. When the driver was running late she did call a cell phone number for the bride but did not call the very prominent pick-up number on the contract. When she realized she was lost she should have done everything possible to minimize the problem. At the end of the day, when the balance was due, they did not want to give the driver the tip. The driver would not leave without the check and since the tip was part of the payment, they gave the entire amount. The next day, they called and tried to reason with the owner of the limo company. Getting nowhere, they cancelled payment on the check. The Judge finds they did not receive good service and should not have to pay the tip. What bothers me about this situation is the attitude of the owner of the company. This is the most important day of someone's life. So much planning is involved and his driver did not even know how to get to the bride's house or to the church. The owner did not seem to care, the driver was not available in court to answer questions. Even the most well planned events can have glitches. Sometimes, the mishaps define the day, other times they are just bumps along the way and the day is still enjoyed. For Maureen's wedding, the late limo was a glitch. Hopefully, the day itself will live on in everyone's memory without the late limo being the defining moment. 

Hector has a diningroom set that is very meaningful to him. He received it from his grandmother. It is very very old and he hires Barry to restore it. The work is substandard and Hector wants his money back. It does appear that this is not Barry's best work. There are actually two chairs to look at. It is obvious the chair restored by Barry is not done as well as the chair finished by Frankie. Having the chairs to compare was a great idea. The Judge is able to see details that may not be clear in a picture. Hector does not get all of the money back. Some of the work done did not have to be redone. He gets back part of the money. This is only right. When someone does work they should get paid for it. When you hire someone for a job, you should be satisfied with the work or services provided.

Would you drive two and a half hours one way with a coworker and work all day for free? This is what Domenic would like us to believe. He does not want to pay Michael for work done on his cabin. The problem here is that no one put anything in writing. Michael thought he was going to be paid and Domenic thought he was getting free labor. What did they talk about in the car on the way to the cabin? Why are we so hesitant to put agreements in writing when we are dealing with friends and co-workers? Why do situations escalate to cause a $5000.00 harassment countersuit? After both parties explain what occurred, Michael is awarded half of what he was suing for. Even though he calculated he was owed $1000.00 for his work, he will only get half. These two men work together and hopefully this resolution will make it less awkward for them.

Please let me know what you think.

 Thank you for joining me today!

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