Thursday, February 13, 2014

The "Perks" of Being Accommodated

Some companies are actually very good at accommodating their employees. Many of us need these accommodations just to make employment necessary let alone a career. Sometimes though, the most necessary things can backfire.

I get picked up by Paratransit every morning and driven to work. Finally, things are almost going as they should be (after two months at my job), but there is still something that has bugged me since before I even started working. I knew it would happen, too. "Can you stay late?" No, no I can't. I have to be in that vehicle 5 minutes after it gets here or I missed my ride home, and they'll charge me for it, too. Not only that, but I actually have to leave at least fifteen minutes early every day, just because that's when they're "available" to pick me up. They also take me to work in the morning. This creates a bit of a problem. Basically, I get to work when I get there, and I leave when I leave. It's not necessarily the best way to look when I want to move up, how does this look for me?

No matter how hard I work, this hangs over me. It's not legal for this to figure into any decisions on me getting raises or promotions, but it still looks pretty bad, to say the least. My employer also created a position for me. Sounds awesome, right? It did to me, too, but then I found out how they created it. On one hand, I need my job, I like my job and I thank them for accommodating me. On the other hand, these accommodations slap me in the face to remind me that I still depend on them to have a job at all.

I need to shut my laptop down so I can wake up in a few hours, roll out of bed, boot it back up and go to work.