Whiny Workers

Anyone who's held a job, has likely encountered a co-worker who complains incessantly, about one or more of the following subjects:
(a) salary;
(b) the tasks assigned to them;
(c) their work area;
(d) the company they work for.

Or maybe you're that complainer.  If you are, maybe you should read this.  Give you some food for thought.

Salary.
This is a major pet peeve of mine, people complaining about not getting paid enough, or deserving more.  Chances are, when you were being offered your job, you discussed salary.  This is the best time for you to ask for more, if there was more to be offered.  You never know.  But once you accept it, that's it. 
Seven years ago, I lost a job due to downsizing.  It was a rough summer; my mother passed away, and I was jobless.  It was a terrible time to look for a job, because it seemed a lot of other people were also unemployed, and I just wasn't in the mood to interview.  After a couple months, my severance was running out, and it was time for me to just make money.  And it was at that time that I was finally successful in my job hunt.  So I took an offer.  But that company was cheap.  When I tell the story to friends or coworkers, they are shocked at the salary I was earning.  After 9 months, I was digging myself into such debt, I simply couldn't work there anymore.  They told me they valued me a lot, but just weren't willing to loosen those strings.  So, I moved on.  My next job, I was earning $5,000 more a year right off the hop. 
Then, almost 4 years ago, I was offered my current job.  When discussing salary over the phone, I gave them my bottom line.  The guy said "Really?  Cuz we were gonna give you ($1000 more), but hey, we can go with what you want...." "NO!  I'll take it!"  And I took it.  And never once complained about my salary.  Because I would remember that first job, in the same industry,  My starting salary at my current job was $9000 more than that first one.  I did the math, and knew I could survive decently on my salary. 
My company has been very generous to me.  I've never asked for a raise.  Whatever raises I've gotten, were offered, never asked for.  And I accepted graciously.  (I'll give you a tip:  Employers love it when you are truly thankful for what they offer, and you don't complain about it, or them.  They remember this, and will remember it for the next time salary review comes up.  I've been told this once a year since I started.)

A few years back, a couple of coworkers started discussing their salaries.  I work in an industry where there's really no scale, so not everyone earns the same amount.  It's all based on experience, education, and work ethic and ability.  I've never told anyone I work with, or have worked with, what I earn.  The closest I came to talking, was when that first employer called me up and told me they were reconsidering the salary they were offering for my position.  I gave her an honest range for what I was earning, and what it was based on.  Anyways, back to these yappy yahoos.... My employers were pissed.  And they told us, keep talking, and you may lose your job.  I absolutely would not say what I was earning, because I suspected I was at the high end, simply because I saw the work I was doing, and what they were doing, and I knew I deserved higher than them. 

Bottom line is:  If you feel you should be getting more, you need to sit down and think of why.  And one of those "why's" can't be "because my coworkers earn that much."  If you can't come up with any reasons beyond that, then you need to find ways to improve your own bottom line.  Don't expect your employers to do that for you.  Take on more responsibility.  Improve your education.  Show up for work on time, and don't leave early.

Stay tuned for part 2:  "That's not my job."

Keep your kids safe, okay?

Someone I know on a social networking site, keeps posting pictures of other people's kids on their profile.  This is fine, as long as the parents of those children are okay with it.  But I wonder if these same parents know that this person has also posted pics of their kids on other SN'ing sites?  Like those free dating websites. 

Another person I know has posted nudie pics of their own baby.  Sure, the nether regions are covered up, but they're still nudie. 

I've read a lot about SN sites, about their safety & privacy limitations.  Something that people lose sight of, is the ability to access and share your own information.  While your own privacy settings may be sky high, chances are, not all your friends' settings are just as high.  Think of this:  You post pics of your kids, to share with your friends.  Your friends include the kids' grandparents.  The grandparents love the pics, and want to share them with their own (non-mutual) friends.  So, they copy a few and create their own album.  But they haven't figured out how to adjust their security status, so it's still the original, everyone-can-see setting.  Ack.  Suddenly, your babies are out there for the world to see.

Let's face it:  there are some real sickos out there.  The most disgusting bottom feeders in the universe, the child predators.  Until the laws are changed to allow for legal genital mutilation of these SOB's, please be overly protective of what you put out there for the world to see.  When you think about it, if your kids aren't old enough to protect themselves on these sites, then you need to be their protector, plain and simple.

You hear about these parents who take extra care with monitoring their kids' use of the computer, and they watch closely what websites they are accessing.  Awesome for you, keep up the good work.  BUT - what if it's you who's sharing too much?  Is your child old enough to say "Hey, Mom, take down that bath pic of me, would ya?"  If not, then you definitely need to be thinking from more than one point of view here.

If you need a refresher on the disgusting predators out there, then follow the Graham James case for a bit.  He was a hockey coach.  And he sexually abused boys.  The guy won awards as a coach, was held in very high regard, and trusted by these boys' parents.  My true hope is that these predators are few and far between, but we'll never know the exact stats, thanks to the internet.  Play it safe, and don't assume everyone on your friends list is as careful as you (but please, don't drive yourself crazy wondering if any of your friends is a sadist....but if there's anyone you're unsure of, just play it safe.). 

I don't have kids, but I'm more than happy and willing to play a role in keeping kids safe. It's the least we can do.