The Beginning of The End

If you hadn't noticed by now, the economy is kind of in the crapper.

Until recently my small family had remained unscathed.

Rich people were still flying. Regular people were still having kids and needing child care for them.

I had a job that I really enjoyed.

J had a job with a respected company that provided great benefits for their employees.

The trip down the crapper began a few weeks ago when a bunch of folks at J's job were told their services were not needed. No longer could the company operate they way they were and survive. So folks got a few minutes to gather their belongings and turn in their badges to security and hit the road.

For the time being, J still has a position and hopefully that remains the case.

The very same day that people were turning in their badges, I was packing up my office. Not because I was told my services were no longer needed. But so that the new office furniture could be put in and the new paint color could be put up.

My bosses boss had requested that we pick out the color (crocodile tears). It was nice to be moving up in the world. Little did I know that the very next week, the new finance lady would be moving into my office and I would be moving back into a classroom, apparently being relieved of my administrative duties.

Enrollment was down, there were too many teachers. As bummed out as I was, I was thankful to still have a job - in some capacity.

So I spent last week with the knowledge that me moving into a classroom would ultimately be the catalyst for someone else losing their job. Hours got slashed in half for a few staff members. Lunch breaks became unpaid.

Today we had a very informative staff meeting in which my bosses boss told us that because our center was affiliated with a church, we needed to run with integrity. And that included taking breaks that complied with Federal Regulations. Lest the FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF LABOR come in and audit us.

If you are a reader of my lamesauce blog, you will recall that shit hasn't worked in months. Phones, fire panel, air conditioning, computers. In my somewhat simple mind, fixing those things would be a more pressing matter than fixing the unpaid breaks.

Apparently, however, the FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF LABOR is more concerned that full time employees clock out for their breaks than for the building in which they work to be safe.

So, the writing has been on the wall (or left on the copy machine for inquiring minds to read) for a while. That which does not bring profit will not continue. Even if it is a "ministry". Even if you tell your employees that you care about them.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you work in a child care center with less than 20 employees or if you work at a company that is run by the richest man in the world.

If you believe for a second that the people you are employed by care about you or your family; odds are you are wrong. Business people are business people for a reason, even if they are the leader of a church.