Why do some people hate their job?

FROM MY FRONT PORCH 

Why do some people hate their job? 

SAM HOUSTON 

Sam Houston is a syndicated columnist and newspaper executive. He is also an author, actor, playwright, and entertainment producer/promoter. 

Occasionally folks like to recite the adage that “work” is a four-letter word. Seems like some people hate their job and spend hours upon hours finding something wrong with every task they undertake. They are dissatisfied with the pay, or the work conditions, their boss, or their coworkers. They find a thousand reasons why their job is unfulfilling or dissatisfying. 

In my nearly 50 years in the workforce there have been a wide variety of occupations I have experienced, from being a ranch hand to a fry cook. I have driven trucks, hauled hay, cleaned horse stalls, mopped floors, waited tables, stocked inventory, operated equipment, been part of an assembly line, and cleaned toilets. Admittedly there were some of those jobs I enjoyed more than others, but I do not ever recall “hating” any of them. No matter how I was employed, it was an opportunity for me to learn and experience life, and to prove to myself and my employer I would do my part and earn my pay. 

I was raised and surrounded by hard-working men who showed me by their actions and words, work was to be respected and there was a duty to make the company successful so they could continue to afford to pay me. In my youth, unemployment rates were very high and getting a job was difficult. You had to be committed to doing your best because if you quit a job, there was not another one to go to; they were few and far between. I have heard too many stories from my grandfather of working six days a week, 10 hours a day, for low wages. But during the Depression, when jobs were so scarce, if a man complained or whined about what the job required, there were 10 men in line to take your place. 

Some resumes I receive from applicants show people have been through six jobs in 18 months, “looking for something which fits them.” I am all for people finding their “niche” but sometimes I wonder if it is more of a case of trying to find a job that pays the most, with the least demand to perform. I feel sorry for people who never know the feeling of being part of a work team and feeling gratified about what they accomplish in their work. 

People sometimes comment that the young people of today “do not know how to work” like the previous generation. Not sure I agree with that blanket statement. We have some young people who work at the paper who have a stellar attitude about their job and bust their behinds trying to improve the products we create and the jobs they do. Not sure age is the problem. 

I think a key is being given direction from parents or mentors to take pride in whatever task you undertake and to earn an honest day’s pay for the work you perform. Evidently that message did not get delivered to everyone. 

On the other side of the coin, employers need to treat staff with respect, be fair and evenhanded. If the CEO is making 1,000 times an hour what the average staff member is making, there is little reason for staff to feel like they are part of a team and will share in the progress a company makes. Why should employees be loyal if they are not rewarded when they excel? 

I love the story of Milton Hershey, the candy bar maker from Pennsylvania who at the turn of the 19th century built the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania as a place for his employees to work, live and thrive. The story is told that when the town was being built Mr. Hershey came upon a construction site where a steam shovel was digging sewer line trenches. The foreman proudly announced to his boss, “This hoe does the work of 10 men.” Mr. Hershey, knowing the desperate plight of many unemployed, told the foreman to get rid of the equipment and hire the 10 men. Hershey Chocolate became a lasting figure in American business and a lot of the success can be attributed to the relationship of Mr. Hershey and his employees and his commitment to their wellbeing. 

Work is surely a two-way street, where employers and employees need to be respected, appreciated and served. The more mutual respect and caring, the better the relationship. The better the end product. The better the business. 

Thought for the day: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison 

Until next time..I will keep ridin’ the storm out! 

sam@hcnews.com