First World Problems

So, today I came in to a little bit of a surprise. Apparently, as of sometime this morning, my work has decided to start blocking Facebook. It should be noted that I work for a State agency, so this is not wholly unexpected. Heck, I’m surprised it took them this long to block it. I know that many of us enjoy filling our downtime with a bit of Social Networking (though I will admit that I probably have been doing it more than most).

I’ve seen this kind of thing before. Someone in HR reads an article or study that shows a correlation (however tenuous or circumstantial) between work productivity, and “time wasting” activities. They decide that Facebook qualifies as that sort of thing, so, in an effort to improve employee productivity, they cut it off.

Guess what? It’s a load of excrement.

People in jobs like mine often find that they have periods of time with little or nothing to actively do. In my case, much of my job entails sending emails and sometimes making phone calls, to which I am often forced to wait for replies, which invariably require more emails and calls. Some of my time is taken up producing reports, creating documents, and generally supporting those who do the actual work of our department. I am admin support.

Sure, it’s not glamorous, nor does it pay all that much. And frankly, if I was snobby about my education level, I would feel it beneath me. I’m certainly not using my degree for this job, and I won’t be using my Masters for it when I finish. But, it’s a stepping stone job, and everyone has taken them.

But some days, I feel like I am making a career out of Stepping Stones. I jump from one admin job to another, never really moving up any ladders. And I certainly don’t “enjoy” the work. It is often mind-numbingly boring, with little to no personal reward or fulfillment. Sure, I work in a department that does a lot of good for a lot of people in my state. But really, I’m just a cog in the machine. So, I don’t directly help anyone, usually.

Anyways, my point is, what am I supposed to do when there is nothing for me to do here? These “time wasting” activities keep my brain going, when work doesn’t. And since my Governor has decided that I am not worthy of the benefits I am supposed get in lieu of a comparable pay rate, I took this sort of thing as a “soft benefit.” And now it’s gone. So, the moral of this story is, don’t work for the Government unless they are going to keep you busy, I guess.

Ah, well. I suppose I will work on writing and homework. Which is what I should do anyways. So, really, I’m just bitching to hear myself bitch at this point.

And I’ll have to share this blog post on Facebook when I get home tonight.