Part Time Job

[Andrew Grathwohl]

I have been an employee of my university's technology consulting department, where I go to scheduled computer labs on campus and help students with odd jobs like printing, file conversion, etc. Though my knowledge of the subject matter involved is significantly above pretty much every other employee here (we have over 100 people working my very same job), I have had several problems with the higher staff regarding certain rules/regulations that are part of my job.

I won't get into the particular technicalities that were involved with my breaching of these so-called "regulations" but my own analysis has drawn me to the conclusion that the rules are convoluted and unnecessary. The computer labs are consistently cold because they are temperature-controlled, yet I am not allowed to wear a jacket over my work t-shirt in the labs, which typically go under 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The management claims I'm breaking dress code, but the specific rule in the rule book is: Shirts may be worn underneath the t-shirt, but jackets/coats cannot be worn over the t-shirts in the labs (jackets/coats may be worn when traveling to an appointment or destination lab that requires you to go outside). I've never worn a jacket or coat over my work shirt, though I almost always wear open flannel shirts which still allow the shirt to be seen, just so that my arms are covered. Either their written rules do not reflect their intended meaning, or the management is trying to find ways to criticize my performance.

So anyway, considering the amount of work I've actually put into my job, and the considerable knowledge and experience I provide, I don't find my presence getting appreciated by my employers. I'd like to quit, but I live in a college town, and work is very hard to find due to the competition I face amongst nearly 50,000 other students. It's a university job, so scheduling is very flexible - a good thing for a person who has classes going well past midnight and has to be ready to take odd-job calls at any time for my academic department. But at the same time, I'm growing ever-more frustrated at this job, and considering the measly $8.00 an hour they pay me for a job I was paid well over $20 an hour for back home, I feel used and unappreciated.

I do not need this job to live, but I do need it for a considerable amount of extended comfort. By no means would my life be in danger if I ended up quitting this job - particularly if I can find other work - but I am in the very likely position that I will not be able to find other work in even the most mundane of positions if I quit. My question boils down to this: should I do it? Would quitting be a self-destructive move, particularly in my situation - and this economy?

Edited January 25, 2010 by Andrew Grathwohl

[Robert J. Kolker]

I have been an employee of my university's technology consulting department, where I go to scheduled computer labs on campus and help students with odd jobs like printing, file conversion, etc. Though my knowledge of the subject matter involved is significantly above pretty much every other employee here (we have over 100 people working my very same job), I have had several problems with the higher staff regarding certain rules/regulations that are part of my job.

I won't get into the particular technicalities that were involved with my breaching of these so-called "regulations" but my own analysis has drawn me to the conclusion that the rules are convoluted and unnecessary. The computer labs are consistently cold because they are temperature-controlled, yet I am not allowed to wear a jacket over my work t-shirt in the labs, which typically go under 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The management claims I'm breaking dress code, but the specific rule in the rule book is: Shirts may be worn underneath the t-shirt, but jackets/coats cannot be worn over the t-shirts in the labs (jackets/coats may be worn when traveling to an appointment or destination lab that requires you to go outside). I've never worn a jacket or coat over my work shirt, though I almost always wear open flannel shirts which still allow the shirt to be seen, just so that my arms are covered. Either their written rules do not reflect their intended meaning, or the management is trying to find ways to criticize my performance.

So anyway, considering the amount of work I've actually put into my job, and the considerable knowledge and experience I provide, I don't find my presence getting appreciated by my employers. I'd like to quit, but I live in a college town, and work is very hard to find due to the competition I face amongst nearly 50,000 other students. It's a university job, so scheduling is very flexible - a good thing for a person who has classes going well past midnight and has to be ready to take odd-job calls at any time for my academic department. But at the same time, I'm growing ever-more frustrated at this job, and considering the measly $8.00 an hour they pay me for a job I was paid well over $20 an hour for back home, I feel used and unappreciated.

I do not need this job to live, but I do need it for a considerable amount of extended comfort. By no means would my life be in danger if I ended up quitting this job - particularly if I can find other work - but I am in the very likely position that I will not be able to find other work in even the most mundane of positions if I quit. My question boils down to this: should I do it? Would quitting be a self-destructive move, particularly in my situation - and this economy?

You are clearly dissatisfied. Look, you have only one lifetime. You should be using your time in the way that pleases you best. If the money is not an issue (or not a big issue) and you are annoyed by the conditions of your employment then either seek other employment (if you can) are do something that will enhance your life without the paycheck, like learning a new field, or learning a new language or improving your current skill set. Or even start a business of your own (wow!).

Your time is all you really have. A second wasted or lost is gone forever.

Bob Kolker

[khaight]

My question boils down to this: should I do it? Would quitting be a self-destructive move, particularly in my situation - and this economy?

First, a couple of points regarding how to approach employer policy with which one disagrees. The fundamental principle here is the golden rule: "Them what has the gold, makes the rules." A corollary of this is that them what has the gold also gets to interpret the rules. Employers with irrational job requirements, or vague and inconsistent interpretations of on-the-job regulations, are a fact of life. It remains the case that employment is voluntary on both sides, and each party gets to set their own terms. It is not your place to unilaterally change your employers policies, or to insist on your interpretation of their meaning -- even if their policies are irrational and their interpretation nonsensical or counterproductive. You can try to work within the system to get things changed, but in the end they set the terms. Your ultimate decision is a simple one: is it worth meeting their terms in exchange for what they're offering you?

The moral principle I see here is simply "sacrifice is wrong". As presented, your employer is offering you a value (money) in exchange for your labor carried out under a specified set of circumstances. It sounds as though you consider aspects of those circumstances to be disvalues, e.g. the discomfort of working in a cold environment without a jacket or overshirt. On the other hand, you also say that losing the money would impose other discomforts on you. The question boils down to your own value hierarchy -- which is more important to you, the money (and all the things it buys), or your dislike of your working environment? That's a question only you can answer.

Have you explored other options for dealing with the temperature, such as buying a long-sleeved shirt and wearing it underneath the t-shirt?

[softwareNerd]

It seems really odd to me that a university would be that picky about dress codes. It makes me wonder if there is some other source of tension between you and your boss (something you hint at in your post). What options does your boss offer when you explain that the place is cold?

If you're on the borderline of moving on, you could start by looking for other jobs without quitting this one. That way, the alternatives become more real.