Conference 7.286::digital

    
    Karen,
    
    I think it's Albert Gauthier.
    
    VAXmail address SALEM::GAUTHIER_A
    Mailstop NIO/E14
    
    Let me know if this incorrect and I'll delete this note.
    
    
    
    Neil
    

Digital could accomplish so much more if everyone of us took the message in 
the base note to heart. And not just those of us that interface with 
customers. We all need to have the right attitude.

Thanks, Al, for your words of inspiration.


Regards,

Jim

    ...."the power of positive thinking"......

    Karen,
    
    I have this memo on my cube wall and am under the impression that it
    was written by Charles Swindoll.  I do not have a specific source but
    that is the name I have frequently seen attributed to the authorship.
    
    Carolyn...

    I realize the title to this topic isn't necessarily "attitude" but
    after reading that stuff in .0, I had to comment on attitudes within
    Digital, as they relate to my surroundings..

    First, I truly believe that attitude plays a great roll in how someone
    reacts to and responds to the work environment.

    BUT, I have found it real hard to practice this in my present position
    for several reasons.. The biggest reason however is the unnecessarily
    long hours my group is expected to work, at times. I'll explain..!

    You see, we are EXPECTED (they say not forced, but) to work a standard
    "prime shift" (daytime)... BUT approximately once every six weeks, we
    are EXPECTED to carry the standby pager. Now, it has been my experience
    that this pager falls outside what I would normally consider "standby"
    in that we have the potential of working calls all night, which will
    most often (then not) cause the "standby" person to end up working a 24
    hour per day shift, for a total of 7 days straight (including Saturday
    and Sunday).

    Again, they say this isn't MANDATORY, but on my last PA, it was
    mentioned that I was "less then a team player" cause I wasn't pulling
    my share of the pager.

    WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ATTITUDE.... Well, it is awful hard to
    keep a good/positive attitude, when things such as this occur.
    Management thinks so little of the people in this group, that they
    would rather work us 24 hours per day, then to attempt to hire the
    bodies to cover those hours.

    Anyway, the memo in .0 is very moving... AND I strive for that goal,
    and hope to some day be able to reach that goal..

    Thanks (whom ever it may be) for the ray of hope and the words of whit.

    Bob G.

 Bob,
 
 Did you get paid for your standby time ???   
 
 During a previous assignment (a PSS residency), I used to carry a
 beeper for a week every other 6 or 8 weeks just like you mentioned.  
 
 Did it for a year or more until one of the other fellows in the
 office discovered an obscure little passage in the policies and
 procedures manual about pay for standby time.    Something like 1
 hour of pay for every 8 hours on standby plus full pay if the beeper
 goes off.
 
 Made it a lot nicer to tolerate !!!
 
 Bob Hunt
 
 P.S.  All disclaimers apply.  This was close to 2 years ago for me so
 I claim no current expertise on policies and procedures as related
 to this issue.   
 
 If the above no longer applies, I'm sorry I brought it up.   If it
 does stil apply, I urge anyone who works standby time to look into
 it.   No one in our entire office knew about it at all.

Field Service knows the standby policies and typically abides by them- it
is a normal part of doing business. Other organizations may not be as
aware or as willing to abide by them.

An entire discussion of standby-related issues exists in the conference
in note 837.*- it would do well to read all of the replies and add to
that topic, if needed.

In my opinion, a single standby person should not be expected to work 24
hrs/7 days. If that is happening then additional standby or shift workers
are needed.

$ VTX ORANGEBOOK should get you to the US Policies & Procedures infobase.
You can mail yourself the relevant sections. See section 3.13 (Standby)
and section 3.15 (Call-in). There are some compensation differences
between exempt and non-exempt employees in call-in situations.

Lee

    I truly don't want to caue this topic to get off track, but YES we are
    given 1 hour for every 8 of standby... We are even given $100.00 call
    in for each xx # of hours physically worked..., BUT if one person is on
    standby for 7 days straight, and he/she physically works (most of the
    time) from 17:00 through 06:00 Mon-Fri and 17:00 Fri through 06:00 Mon,
    money doen't replace the lost sleep, personal time, family life.
    
    For example, I am on "standby" this week.. Last night (after working a
    full 8 hours on normal daytime shift (06:00 to 14:30), I began my pager
    duties at 17:00 through 06:00 this morning.... With the exception of
    about 1 hour, I worked the ENTIRE night (15 hours out of 16, standby
    hours). That is physically working calls... not just "standing-by"
    waiting for the pager to go off. It was physically going off the entire
    time... AND this is typical of most nights.
    
    Again, I apologize for this rambling, and I hope to see this topic go
    back on course.... AND I hope to make every attempt to get my positive
    "attitude" back. It is critical that I do, soon..!!! For my own health.
    
    Bob G.
    

837.* covers this 'overworked' aspect well... let's move the discussion
there.

Lee

I know that .5 was only using the beeper as an example of how an individual
may try to live up to the ideas in .0, others can effectively negate the
individual's effort.

However, as we all know, this could easily turn into a rat-hole.  Let's please
stick to the topic at hand, which is to find the author of the text in .0

I suggest creating a new topic if you wish to discuss attitudes at Digital,
or reference one of the other topics that discuss it indirectly.

Thanks,

Bob - co-moderator DIGITAL

    
    Thanks to the author of this memo. It really made me think. 
    All people have to do is just be a "little bit nice", a "little bit 
    friendly". It doesn't take much and it makes a world of difference. It
    makes you feel good and it makes other people feel good.
     
    A good attitude REALLY IS most important. 
    
    Bob  

    I guess the discussion of standby time illustrates, better than any
    theoretical arguement, that one's attitude is not entirely under one's
    own control, which is not exactly the implication of the memo in .0.
    It's good to try, but sh*t happens !
    
    David