Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Layoffs and Loyalty

Our organization has been hit with some layoffs -- not the pharmacy department, but the health care organization/clinics where we are located have cut some support staff, including some pretty senior people. I know it's going on all over the country, but it sure sucks. One of the people I know who is laid off has a terminally ill family member. At Christmas, no less. The organization warned us it might be coming, but it's still kind of shocking. Even if you're not affected, you almost have a 'survivor's guilt.' You don't really know how to act.

I think of myself as a conscientious employee. I come to work to work -- not to stand around and chat, not to avoid the jobs I don't like, not to do the bare minimum until I can go home. I get angry at other people for doing those things. I try to be as helpful as possible to my customers and co-workers, whom I value and generally like very much. I have to be at death's door to call in sick. But when it comes to the 'company' or the 'organization' I have always kept them at arm's length, because I know when push comes to shove it's all about the bottom line. They won't go to bat for me. We get the philosophy lectures, the mission statements, the caring & sharing pamphlets -- all that stuff. I've seen it many times and I know it's just window dressing.
When I'm at work I do a good job not as a representative of the company, but of myself. I don't feel good about saying it, but you won't find me wearing a sweatshirt with my company's logo or volunteering at some company-run 'ask your pharmacist' event. I don't feel that kind of loyalty and unfortunately I know it's reciprocal.

I've always been able to get a lot of job satisfaction from pharmacy work. I don't need to work for the World's Best Company to get it. I'm glad to have job security and I truly wish everyone did.

4 comments:

Shalom said...

I wouldn't mind working at a company-sponsored "ask your pharmacist" event; in fact I have done, when I was an intern.

Just pay me my hours, though.

What's that? "Volunteer"? Um, no. I think I'm going to be busy that day. Even if I have to go find something to be busy at.

Anonymous said...

I don't mind volunteering at company-sponsored events in this small, county-hospital because we see a lot of our patients. Otherwise I try to avoid wearing anything with logos, just my name embroidered above the breast pocket.

Anonymous said...

I quiet like this post, I qualified a little under 2 years ago and this company have sucked all the life out of me. It is making me hate pharmacy, I think i need to start differentiating better my profession from my employers. They, after all care nothing for patients/employees, only about cashflow.

Anonymous said...

Any job in pharmacy SUCKS. The industry is so bastardized it's a wonder there aren't outright brawls between doctors' power tripped bimbo receptionists, the ESL pharmacists working for cheap, and the mistrustful, miserable almighty soccer moms that just have sooooo much to do in their busy schedule that you and your white coat are nothing more than pile of dung to step over. Get real people!