My girlfriend and I both received the calls today. Return to work next week. I knew it was coming, had to at some point. Despite knowing nothing remains static, the unease towards what this next phase towards the new normal brings does bring some anxiety with it. I had already suspected that not all of us at my place of employment would be brought back, confirmed by the manager who called me today. What had caught me by surprise was the big boss (who emailed us all not quite two weeks ago) is no longer with the company.
I suspect he decided to leave, not wishing to participate in what will be the new policies that will have a stronger flavor of authoritarian rigidness to them. He was a pretty decent guy, one I found would often work with me. Many of the managers I've had in my brief interludes back into the employ of another have found my candidness, my insistence I have needs as well to be not so palatable. In fact, my current manager also found my insistence on dignity and such not to his liking. Ever the one to take things higher if need be, the big boss always told him to cut me some slack. That my requests/observations were valid.
I'll miss the big boss, and will be curious to see how quickly my manager, using the new big boss/new rules from pandemic will seek to not only undo, but push me, in his desire to regain his pride from my trespass of demanding to be treated humanely. I have to imagine that when I go in for my training on Monday on the new normal, the new rigid guidelines will leave no doubt we are not to question or assert any demand that is contrary to management direction. No matter how petty some of those demands may be.
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Just shut your mouth and do as your told. We don't want to hear you have interests if they in any way conflict with the numbers we need for our reports.
To add some context, my job is extremely physical. And despite my age, I hold the record on lifting and sorting sometimes heavy product. One day I managed to shatter their quota by almost an additional 50%. The only people who have bested my record are managers who have leeway to make decisions beyond my pay grade to make when inspecting the product.
One of my main concerns regarding the new normal is the need to wear a mask, inhibiting my oxygen intake as it at the same time will force me to breathe in carbon dioxide. I also noticed the other day on my trial run of wearing a mask (yes, I haven't been wearing a mask) that when I bend over it slides up in my eyes enough to annoy the crap out of me.
Of one thing I'm certain, these new safety procedures will impede hitting their insane numbers, by a lot. I have a sneaking suspicion that the corporate answer to this will be quit whining, try harder. So I go back wondering how long it will be for. As I noted above, I don't do well in authoritarian settings where they forgot on their way in to work that all of us are human. One of my favorite saying that pisses off many managers is
I wish I could, but I'm bound by the laws of physics.
I've seen eyes twitch over that one, feel free to use it if you need it.
Of course, my worries might be for naught. There's a likely chance within a few weeks the numbers will go back up on the pandemic. Being facetious here, of course they're going to go back up, just as they acknowledged when they shut us all down to isolate. Between us all interacting more again, coupled with lower immunity from isolating it's a given. So we may all be told to go to our rooms again and isolate by daddy gubmint. Maybe in that scenario I make it long enough to get back in line for unemployment again. Seems likely this will happen when you consider the politicians keep talking about more stimulus with the excitement of an expectant mother building an Amazon wish list for the reveal party.
I guess I might have it easy though. My girlfriend is a beautician and they will be making her wear not only a mask, but gloves as well. Guessing there might be some jacked up hair for awhile as that industry tries to get a feel for using gloves. I saw some places were not only making the stylists wear a mask, but also a face guard. Yikes. Can't have any of that carbon escape from their breathing it back in.
Can only let so many in stores now of course, everyone masked and social distancing. It's times like these I wish I were in government or the media so I could be immune to the pandemic, like these folks covering the White House for their reputable agencies.
While there have been many blessings during this (whatever the hell you would call this), it has tipped the hands of many who believe they are dictators. I have no doubt we will see many more (employers, landlords etc) begin tipping their hands as well.
Stay safe, prepare for the worst and enjoy the best. We can't let them rob us of appreciation for the blessings. I wish all of you the best as they slowly give permission for you to enter the next chapter as well.