We're taking a bit of a breather while the world rearranges its underpants. Meanwhile, the other blog is here.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Goodwill and that

It's that time of year again. Lola and Salome have spent the past few days trying to head off the usual Christmas Party Big Drama at Windscale Library and don't seem to be having any better luck this year than usual.

If the staff at the library could just confine themselves to buying in a few cakes and lots of fizzy pop and bedecking the library with bunting and paper chains then it would be a splendid occasion and a jewel in the library calendar.

Unfortunately, it always deteriorates into arguments about who's making the cakes and buns and how much time they can claim back for the doing thereof (which nearly always should be "none" as bought-in's quite adequate for the purpose and we're so short-staffed we can't afford to have people taking half a day off for baking). Of course it's never as easy as that and there's always some point in history where somebody agreed to something or other and this is taken as cast-iron and immoveable custom and practice (whereas doing something like taking the tatty old books off the shelves and replacing them with the new stock that's been boxed up in the staff room since it arrived six months ago is entirely optional).

The backwash from the event always lingers up to the summer holidays. We've only had a couple of weeks' worth of the overture and beginners and already there's talk round here of either having the place subjected to a food inspection or else praying for a power cut.

6 comments:

St Jude said...

Oh dear what a bun fight, have they at least set a date for the aforementioned bunfest?

Gadjo Dilo said...

Public sector staff here have been told they have'll to take some unpaid "holidays" next month as there's no money to pay them, maybe that could be an answer to Lola and Salome's problems.

Macy said...

Me, I'd get busy with the homebrew kit and claim back the days spent watching it ferment or whatever.
Feel free to adopt as plan A....

The Topiary Cow said...

Wow you can charge for baking time?

My oh my.

How about time to learn. As in, you need to spend lots of time learning new skills for a better job, and should be paid for those days...

:)

Barlinnie said...

See me? I'd quite happily work to a calender that ran fae November to January. Bah humbug!

Kevin Musgrove said...

St Jude: they have but I'm not asking, just in case...

Gadjo: most of our council's caretaking staff will be doing similar next March. Except they won't be coming back off holiday.

Macy: you are obviously communing with reference librarians. Stop it at once before it's too late!

Ms Cow: I know, it's crazy isn't it? We don't have time for training or teaching or actually getting important things done but... ack!

You and me both Jimmy!