I have previously written concerning twitter and how the medium is being relentlessly exploited by corporate bodies for the dissemination of 'good news' stories. It's now felt to be the perfect medium to use if you wish to engage with a young audience, and it seems probation is proving to be no exception in this regard. Full of relentlessly upbeat stuff, these corporate tweets could easily influence the young and impressionable.
Just by way of balance, I thought I might draw a little attention to the harsh reality as reported by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight branch of NAPO. They have recently conducted a staff survey on the issue of work-related stress and although I'm not at all surprised by the findings, others might be. Significant numbers of staff reported symptoms such as depression and sleeplessness due to work levels, deadlines and unsympathetic management. I strongly believe that similar results would flow if the exercise were repeated in other Trusts.
I'm trying to think what the response from management will be in this modern surreal world of newspeak? Surely not the standard 'ah, that survey was conducted some time ago - changes have been made and things have improved - much has been done, but there's a lot more to do'. It's about 140 characters, so just about tweetable.
Once more I seem to have slipped quietly back into deeply cynical, grumpy mode. Fortunately for me an antidote is at hand. It's a Bank Holiday and seeing as I'm a product of the Elizabethan Age, I'm off to London to celebrate. Cheers!
A friend who is a Police Officer of close to 40 years said the following..
ReplyDelete..the goal of the "higher ups" is to get as much work done, by as few people, for the least amount of money.
If you do not like it, get a new job. They will approve of this, why? Because it saves them money. They get to put someone with less if ANY experience, in your place, whose pay rate is lower even without considering pension.
Your work load increases, the accountability is heightened, support is non existent, unless you call being written up if you don't measure up to impossible expectations, some obscure form of positive reinforcement.
Sleep? Eat? That is your problem, it's done off duty.
Stress? Use what is available.
Double entendre?
Concern over functionality and co workers, well that is on you, not them. After all, your the one that cares about your co workers, and also the one who sees the things that happen good, or bad.
All they care about is, the bottom line, and getting everything they can out of people until they are so burned out or discouraged that they leave, then new people step in and start running on that age old hamster wheel called working in Law Enforcement or Corrections.
They don't worry about experience saving them in the long run, things that new people have yet to learn, the guidance and encouragement only found in good leaders and passed down to the next generation.
The public does not pay attention because right now, this minute it is NOT staring them in the face, it's someone else's problem.
Just like the screaming in the neighbours house, the alarm of the store being broken into or anything else that is happening right then.
Problem is, that particular group of someone else who look after all that stuff, can't do anything in a bubble, without support and at least a little positive reinforcement.
I don't see either happening any time soon and definitely do not see a private company being better, not in workplace environment, nor community safety.
However, I could be mistaken..I don't work in the environment, just care enough to listen to those that do.