I happen to work at a job where it is okay for me to use the internet while I am working. For those of you who don’t know, I work at the front desk of a hotel, like Mommie! One of the perks to working in a hotel is that I’m allowed to get online as long as it does not interfere with me getting my job done.

This is one of very few perks to this job. I do not get sick days, I do not get health insurance, no 401K, I don’t even get to take a scheduled break everyday. If we have down time, that is my break. So, amidst all of the things I don’t get, the internet is something I consider a perk. But, like a lot of other perks, or benefits of jobs, I feel like I have to earn them. Nothing is free. I was taught that you are entitled to nothing you haven’t earned. So, if my work gets done, I can play online. Not a hard concept to understand.

I’m sure you’re all wondering where I’m going with this, and I assure you I have a destination in mind.

Even though I knew I was allowed to get online at work, I didn’t for about the first 6 weeks I worked at the hotel. There were a few reasons why. Number one, I didn’t want my new co-workers thinking I was lazy or not doing my job. Number two, I didn’t want my boss to think that I was lazy or not doing my job. And number three, I wanted to make sure that I knew what I was doing and that I was familiar enough with my job to do it well.

That being said,

We’ve been training a few new people here at the hotel. The New Guy is smart and capable, but he’s never had a job like this before. He has said that he’s worked in every store at the mall and he’s my age. That makes me a little nervous, but what the heck. Anyway, he’s trained now for longer than we’ve trained any other employee, and he still has a hard time doing his job. This wouldn’t be a big deal to me, some people require more training than others, if he wasn’t getting on the internet all the damn time.

He trained the other night with our boss and it did not go well. He got really nervous and blanked out half the stuff he had been shown how to do over the past two weeks. He told our boss that he was never shown some of these things in an attempt to save his own ass. This upsets me, but I understand.

I wont forget he did it,

But I’ll let it go for now.

Anyway, our new front desk manager cracked down on New Guy last night. She explained everything as if NG was a small child and she addressed the problem of him spending all his time online when he was supposed to be training.

So, he comes in today for a few hours of training on my shift and he’s doing his work and I’m thinking, good, maybe he’s learned a lesson and he’s ready to do his job.

I was sitting at the station with the internet while he was working, and I was going over some stuff for my transcription classes. I had a website pulled up where I could look up medical abbreviations. Well, I get up to go to the bathroom and what do I behold when I return?

Guess.
Yeah, go on, just guess.

NG is at that work station, he has closed my medical abbreviations website, moved my paperwork aside, and he’s on myspace.

I was pissed. If he cannot work a shift by himself by the end of the week, he’s out of a job. I’m not sure if he realizes this or not, but he has been warned. I’ll be really mad if he’s fired because that’s three weeks of my time that I just wasted on someone who couldn’t get his shit together because he’s worried about what’s going on on myspace.

So I left him to fend for himself at the front desk. I made a key, and I went to hang out in one of our rooms. If he is comfortable enough with his job that he thinks he can get online, then he can do it himself. I’m not going to baby him. He’s a grown man, he needs to figure it out for himself. I’ve already invested two weeks of my time.

While I’m hanging out in one of our rooms, I did receive a few phone calls from him about questions he had checking people in and whatnot. This is no big deal, this is what I’m being paid for the next few days, live support. But some of his questions are things he should have down by now. And, he calls me up to the front desk with a problem, and once we get it straightened out and I’m trying to explain it to him, he comes right over to the computer and gets back on myspace. I’m trying to talk to him and he’s looking at the computer screen the whole time.

Is it just me, or is that inappropriate behavior for a trainee?

You’re here to learn how to do a job! Learn your fricken job, then play all you want, I don’t care!

I just don’t understand what his problem is and it’s frustrating to me. How can you be told to your face that if you can’t do your job on your own in five days, you will be fired, and then come in and play on the computer while you’re supposed to be training?

Whatever

Other than that small enigma of stupidity, I feel pretty good. I’ve been resting a lot the past week or so and that was really nice. My house is a mess, but I’m rested and relaxed so I feel like it evens itself out.

I’m excited for Mommie to come this weekend! I miss her more and more everyday and I can’t wait to see her. My boss and front desk manager are amazing people and I will have four whole days off with Mommie without losing any time on my paycheck. The staff here, minus the NG (the jury is still out on him), is wonderful. We all kick ass and I love that about us. They have taken very good care of me here and I appreciate it more than I could say. I feel very lucky to work in an environment where I love my co-workers, at least most of them, where I am actually cared about as an employee. The only thing that would make me feel more appreciated at my job is health insurance. Other than that I’m really happy here.

I’ll miss the hotel when Muffin is born and I’m away from work, but right now I think I may come back, at least part time. Even if I am doing the transcription I’d like to work a few days outside the house, if only to keep my sanity.

I never thought I’d say working in a hotel would help me keep my sanity, but stranger things have happened.

I think I’ve rambled on long enough tonight, that will teach me to go more than a day or two without posting. Heheheh

I get to go home in an hour, and eat something delicious, and then go to sleep. I can’t wait.