Do you ever clock off?

April 10, 2014
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

clocks

It seems the days of clocking on and clocking off have given way to a generation that never clocks off. People may be physically present at their work place for set hours each week but that’s not the full story.

Today’s technology is amazing but with all the advantages it brings, there’s a down side. Being available 24 hours a day now means that the lines between ‘work time’ and ‘personal time’ have been blurred. It’s great to be able to occasionally shoot off a work email after hours when needed but the ‘occasionally’ has become ‘regularly’ and in many cases expected and required.

Now, from the country that adopted the 35 hour week back in 1999, comes a new way to ensure that the free time of its citizens is not eroded by their smart phones or computers. The Australian has reported that a new labour agreement in France is ensuring that workers switch off when they clock off.

The legally binding deal, signed by employers’ federations and unions representing almost one million workers in the digital and consultancy sectors, stipulates that employees should be left alone when they are out of the office.

Staff will be ordered to switch off their professional phones and avoid looking at work-related emails or documents on their tablets and computers.

Businesses will be required to ensure that workers are under no pressure to check their messages. – The Australian

So how about you? Do you ever clock off completely or are you constantly connected? Is the expectation to be on call at all times robbing you of being totally present with the ones you love?

A study suggested that 39 per cent of workers and 77 per cent of managers used their smartphones, tablets and computers for professional purposes in the evenings, during weekends and on holidays. – The Australian

When we combine the call of constant availability for work with the ‘demands’ of social media, is there ever a time when we disconnect fully? Are we destined to become more and more immersed in our electronic worlds and become less and less connected to those around us? I know it’s an issue that has been raised before but I think we need to keep looking at it until we find a suitable balance. Maybe the legislation in France is part of that answer.

Have you put anything into place that guards your time against the invasion of technology? Have you managed to find a way to use technology without technology using you?



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The Hardest and Easiest of Times

December 22, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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compassion

Wednesday the 27th of November, 2013. It was the beginning of something new. It was the beginning of a difficult journey that has been one of the easiest upon which I’ve ever embarked.

I’ve worked in radio for a long time. Over 25 years in all. My most recent time in radio lasted nine and a half years so when I started telling people that I was leaving radio to work for Compassion Australia I had quite a variety of responses. Many talked about it being a huge change and about how courageous it was.

Big change? Courageous? I suppose they were thinking about how big a step it is for a 50 year old man to be changing careers. I have to admit that until friends started drawing my attention to it I hadn’t really considered it to be such a major change. I always knew there’d be a steep learning curve and that I would have to master a range of new skills but it all just seemed so natural and logical to me.

My passion to help those in poverty has been growing over many years so the opportunity to be more closely involved with an organisation that is recognised as being a world leader in poverty relief was an easy step to take. It just makes perfect sense.

Compassion works to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. The photo above is one I took while visiting some of the children Compassion was releasing from poverty in Dominican Republic back in 2008.

Over the last few weeks my brain has been spinning with everything I’ve been learning. My new job is indeed very different to my last job but as someone who has simply wanted to be where I believe God wants me, it’s just another step on the pathway.

So … in some ways this change has been the hardest of times, and there is still plenty of learning and adjustments to come, but it’s also been one of the most natural and easy things I’ve ever done.



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What do you really own?

April 8, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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work tools

My old soldering iron died a few days ago so on Saturday I dropped into a major hardware chain to grab a new one. I got a great lesson in how not to do retail.

Once I had chosen a soldering iron I headed to the tool counter where there were three staff members chatting. The assistant on the customer side of the counter moved slightly, just enough to allow me to put my item on the counter, but continued chatting with the other two.

They kept their conversation going while the female assistant scanned my item without even acknowledging me. The only time she spoke to me was when I handed over my plastic card and she asked which account I wanted to use.

I can’t speak for everyone at the company concerned, and I’m sure they have plenty of dedicated staff members who provide excellent assistance, but for those three staff members it seemed more about going through the motions while waiting for pay day.

When a friend heard about my experience she told me about a similar experience at the same store which caused her to go across the road to a smaller retailer where prices where slightly higher. The other retailer couldn’t compete on price but they cared enough to give good advice and great customer service. It’s not hard to understand why they made the sale that day.

What’s going on?

These incidents got me thinking. I reckon the small retailer in my friend’s story did the right thing because they owned the business. They weren’t just waiting for pay day. In fact, if they didn’t do the right thing, there would be no pay day. Owning a business means that you rise and fall with the successes and failures of the business. If the customers stop walking through the door you can’t just go get another job.

Also, if you own a business you usually work in an area of interest or even passion. Someone with a love for food is unlikely to buy a gardening business. They’re more likely to start a restaurant or buy a cafe. It follows that the business is less likely to feel like a drudgery to the owner because they’re doing something that creates a real spark for them.

Ownership changes everything.

Obviously it’s not practical to have every business only staffed by business owners but it is possible to build a sense of ownership amongst employees. It might be a different kind of ownership but ownership does change everything.

I don’t own the radio station where I work but I have a strong sense of ownership. I own the vision and the values of my workplace. I truly believe in what we’re doing and I believe that I’m playing a vital part in furthering our purposes as a radio station.

That ownership extends to a wide range of areas. It means that I’m constantly aware of the fact that I represent the station at all times, not just when I’m at work. I don’t want the radio station’s reputation to suffer, therefore, if it’s under my control, I won’t do anything that would see that happen.

If the time ever comes to move on to a new job you can be sure that it’ll be to something that I can feel passionate about; something that gives me that sense of ownership.

What do you own?

Ownership isn’t just restricted to work. I have a sense of ownership for a range of things in which I’m involved.

How about you? Do you own your job or is it just a way to fund your life? Do you have other interests and involvements that create a sense of ownership for you?

Post Script: I was asked to forward details of the hardware store incident to the chain which I did yesterday. The manager of the hardware store concerned has phoned me to say that she is investigating what went on over the weekend. She has reviewed CCTV footage which backs up my explanation of events and she is not happy. She has promised to get back in touch with me once her investigation is complete and she has spoken to all involved.



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Social Media Catching Workers

January 25, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

social-media

I was reading an article at News.com.au this morning titled Bosses catching employees out through Facebook and Twitter posts. It’s about employees getting caught out by their bosses when using social media.

There have been cases of people taking a sick day and then tweeting about it or saying something about what they’re doing on Facebook. Not a clever thing to do.

In 2010 a Port Macquarie barman who took two sick days around New Year’s Eve was sacked after his boss discovered a Facebook photo of him celebrating the occasion.

In 2008, 21-year-old Sydney call centre worker Kyle Doyle made headlines after his boss caught him bragging on Facebook about chucking a sickie, with an email exchange between the two going viral.

Social media has advanced so quickly that many people are still catching up with the full effects of sharing their life with the world.

“Back three or four years ago when social media wasn’t as prolific as it is now you’d likely be slapped on the wrist for an indiscretion, but people now don’t have the excuse to make mistakes because we’ve seen so many fails of people doing it, and companies are so much more aware of policies are being in place and training,” she said.

I’m wondering if you’ve ever been caught out with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or other social media. Has a boss read something you’d rather they hadn’t or maybe a friend or family member discovered something about you through social media?

If you’re game, I’d love to hear your experiences. Maybe you’ve declined an invite from a friend only to have them find out the reason you gave them wasn’t quite true. Let me know if social media has brought you undone. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.



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Shut Down Turn Off

November 21, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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While many people can afford to be a little more conscientious at work, there’s a growing number of employees who are putting a little too much effort into their work at the expense of family, friends and relaxation.

Today is officially the day to start getting a little balance back into life. It’s Go Home on Time Day. While it’s an Australian event there’s probably a lot of relevance for people around the world, especially at this busy time of year.

Go Home on Time Day is an initiative of The Australia Institute and their research gives us some very clear warnings about agreeing to last minute meetings and unpaid overtime. While they’ve focussed on the situation in Australia, it should be a wake up call for workers around the world.

Today is national Go Home On Time Day. As new research by The Australia Institute has found, 6.8 million Australians’ personal time is interrupted by work phone calls or emails, 2.2 million don’t know what time they will be heading home from work when they leave the house in the morning and 4.8 million find it hard to take their annual leave at a time that suits them.

This is creating an unhealthy obsession. Work hours and workplace culture is impacting the health of Australians.

If you need it, you can head to the Go Home on Time Day website to get a ‘Leave Pass’ so that you can officially head out the door at the right time today.

Are you finding that you’re giving more time and effort to your job and less to those areas of your life that really matter? Have you found yourself becoming more loyal to your boss than your family? Do you feel trapped into working longer hours without reward?



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