THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF UNEMPLOYMENT

I spoke to a company recently about the difficulty they are having finding entry level manufacturing help. Much has been said about the lack of qualified candidates having the requisite job skills to perform specialized positions available within our region – but it seems strange that no- to low- skilled positions are difficult to fill, also. Another testament to our times would be the employer heard on the radio saying that a job fair to hire 25 employees for $10.00 per hour (as long as they tested negative for drugs) resulted in 10 applicants.

While it is difficult to find work during these economic times, and there are individuals looking long and hard to find jobs that would utilize their abilities, it seems our unemployment system might be de-motivating some in terms of a job search by paying too much for too long. When the last unemployment extension passed Congress, the temporary service that this organization uses could not find qualified employees to fill their entry-level positions (someone actually told the firm that their unemployment benefit had been extended so they no longer needed to work!).

Michigan has a high level of unemployment (which understandably causes a high level of frustration to those legitimately seeking work) but it is very disconcerting when one hears that it is more economically advantageous to access the government system than to accept a position that does not pay very much money. Our country built upon the concept of free enterprise – the belief that a consumer-driven system whose ability to supply should meet or exceed its demands.

When did our country become so adept at giving to individuals according to their needs (or wants) while taking from individuals based on their ability to pay? We tread upon a dangerous path when we choose the one offering no resistance. Do not allow a third party (the Government, in this case) to remove your desire to taste the feast of success by filling you with cheese and crackers before the main course. While snacks are always welcome, they often cause us to lose sight of the meal to which we are entitled.

It is a slippery slope upon which we tread when we embrace the concept of getting something for nothing – for often nothing ventured truly does result in nothing gained!

WHAT RIGHTS DO WE HAVE TO WORKPLACE PRIVACY?

While our Constitution grants us certain freedoms and unalienable rights, do these freedoms extend into the workplace? There was once an understanding that individuals are accountable for what they do and say – has this accountability been lost over time? What ownership does an individual have (or expect to have) over personal materials found on his or her company computer – or does use of a workplace computer for personal reasons constitute a misuse of corporate resources? Does an organization have (and expect to retain) ownership to all thoughts, ideas, communications or activities that are generated “at or as a result of work”?

Our world is changing. Where once we worried about “unauthorized removal of company property” we must now concern ourselves with “e-communicated” thoughts, ideas, trade secrets OR the inappropriate use of company time due to potential misuse of the tools that we use to make us more efficient.

Does a worker have a “right to privacy” when at work? What is reasonable “personal use” of a computer (if any), of a copy machine (what is too much), or of the company phone system (is a personal conversation ever acceptable)? Conversely, if an Organization allows “limited use of company time and equipment” (as many do), does the Company retain the right to monitor any personal communications or examine any files marked “personal” if they stored on the individual’s assigned terminal or system?

We tend to create onerous rules and laws that are difficult to enforce as we attempt to protect worker privacy, workplace sanctity, and insure that employment discrimination has not occurred. Perhaps we should put as much time and effort into accomplishing the core objective of the workplace – to produce exceptional goods or services – as we do to insure that individual freedoms are retained. A return to the tenant that each individual should receive “an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work” might go a long way into eliminating the need for workplace privacy issues. What do YOU think?