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Well, the 2nd quarter is closed and behind us! We’re halfway through the year! I don’t know about ya’ll but I’m looking forward to this 3rd quarter. Q2 was a busy 13 weeks and I’ve gotta get back on track. I think I’m caught up on traveling, I’ve hit Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois and Nevada the last couple of months, I’ll need to make it up to Denver in the coming weeks but hey, I’m going to enjoy getting caught up while I can. We need to reach out and get a few guest’s back on the show too, I’ll see what I can do about that! If you’d like to be a guest on the show and share some of your true work life experiences with us all you need to do is send me an email to host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com along with a topic that you’d like to share and I’ll get it set up!
Through my recent travels I’ve ran across, what’d you call them, I guess we could say discrepancies, no not really discrepancies, misunderstanding’s regarding our job descriptions. I heard about 1 facility, they’d had a little water leak, nothing catastrophic, but enough water on the floor that selection had to stop over in that area and it needed to get mopped up and squeegeed out of the way before the shift could gear back up. Most everyone jumped in, an all hands-on deck mode, with the exception of two of the selectors. They’d gone over to the break room, sit down, and kind of kicked back for a bit. The team got everything cleaned up in about 30 minutes, they’d really done a great job and the safety manager gave the go ahead to start selection again. The Supervisor went over to the break room and asked why the 2 gentlemen hadn’t helped? He didn’t really receive an answer; said he got a couple of shoulder shrugged. He thanked them, explained there were only a few hours’ worth of work left, they could go on home for the day and he’d see them tomorrow. We’ll, that didn’t set well with the 2, I’m not sure why, well, I’m sure it was because they were being released early but after all they had been setting for 30 minutes while everyone else was working. Everyone else was making their same hourly wage, during their shift, just mopping a little instead of selecting. The next day one of the guys was feeling a little bad about not lending a hand, he’d said he just didn’t think about it and that he should have helped out and got back to selecting. The other young man came in but he was sticking to his I’m a selector mindset, he honestly did not understand what he’d done that others felt was wrong.
I think I’ve mentioned the time I was selecting back in our hi-rise department and a front dock supervisor came back there and ask me to stop what I was doing and go pick up the restrooms that they needed to look great and then darted on down the aisles. I grudgingly went ahead and swept the floor and carried out the two trash cans, probably took me about 10 minutes, I guess. I’d walked out and turned the corner almost bumping into our Vice President of Operations walking with an Inspector or auditor from one of our customers as it turned out. Later that evening the V.P came back and thanked me for straightening things up, he said we passed the inspection and received a great score. I could have said no, spent 10 minutes selecting, probably have gotten in trouble and recognized by the V.P. in a much different way!
Here’s another good one, so 2 gentlemen we’re starting to unload a container staged at the dock, the back pallets we’re pinwheeled or placed sideways and their pallet jack couldn’t get under them to pull them out. A forklift driver was driving by and they asked him to grab the first two for them so they could get started. The driver laughed a bit and told them they’d have to restack them; it wasn’t his responsibility to do it for them. Well as it turned out that was a pretty hot load and needed to be turned around in 2 hours, the dock supervisor grabbed two more men, put them in the trailer to help the original two, one of them being the forklift driver. He ended up helping to run the pallets out of the trailer and get assigned to jump in and help break down all the items.
I’m a bit puzzled every time I hear about an employee taking the low road, not helping out or saying or implying something like it’s not my job. If we’re being paid hourly, we’re making the same money for doing what ever we’re asked. Even if we’re on some type of production or activity-based pay there’s going to be a component to pay us from. Nobody ever lost money by following direction or lending a helping hand.
While recently traveling, I was out on the docks really early a.m., the 2nd shift had just wrapped up their selection and loading out that days routes, to say the least the docks we’re a mess, shrink wrap, pieces of wood and cardboard or slip sheets scattered everywhere. I found a 42-inch dust mop, I know I know, not the right tool but I took advantage of the dock being empty before the inbound loads were spotted and the unloaders started filling the dock with pallets. Wasn’t my job, and others seeing me sweeping joined in and we had the dock presentable in under 12 minutes!
When we’re hired the job is discussed with us, usually, or hopefully we’re given a Job Description of our task. Every Job Description I’ve ever seen or written will say something to the affect of Performs other duties as assigned or other tasks may be assigned. Now this isn’t a catch all and of course has to be something around our normal task or something we may see others doing within our facility. Job Descriptions aren’t required but most of us, in our industry will get one or at least our positions are going to be explained to us. 9 times out of 10 we’re going to be told something like or what ever needs to be done. I want to say again, we’ll be making the same monies for following directions, we should just do it. We’re helping our boss or team mates out, that’ll never turn out bad for us! We’re all about getting noticed and learning something new right?
Speaking of sweeping the floors, I’m reminded of a true story, a real experience of mine. I was selecting one night; the lights went out in the back of the warehouse and we had to stop selecting until Safety and the building maintenance gave us the go ahead. Our Supervisor told us all to go up front and work a bit at cleaning the loading docks. All of us, except one gentleman, went up and got started. We maybe cleaned for 20 minutes, the power came back on and we went back to work. I guess at some point that gentleman had told the Supervisor that cleaning the docks was not his job. He was dismissed and terminated that evening for failing to follow directions & HR supported the Supervisors decision the following morning.
It’s so easy to get settled into our day to day jobs, and normally that’s what our job is going to be but we need to remember we’re being paid from punch in to punch out. Occasionally we’re going to be asked to help out doing something else. As long as its legal, ethical, and not dangerous and we know how to perform the task, that’s our job for a while or for the shift. Of course, there’s exceptions, maybe a contract thing or something we’re uncomfortable doing for safety reasons but for the most part Ladies and Gentlemen it is our job, we’re employed to do our jobs and meet the companies needs. Saying something like Its not my job, even once, isn’t going to help us with our advancement or promotion plans.
I’m sure a few of us may think a little differently on a few of these points and I’d welcome to hear a few examples or your experiences with the It’s not my job comments. You can start a discussion on our Facebook or Twitter feeds using @whseandops 24/7 or send us an email to host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com. And as always let us know of any topics you’d like us to look into, or share your thoughts with the group! Thanks for listening in today, oh, I think I mentioned we’re halfway through the year already, how are we doing on our goals? Anyway, so until next week lets all be Safe, think Safe and work Safe!