Shame on me

So, for those of you in the know, I quit my job on Tuesday. It's been a long time coming.

The afternoon before I quit, I was hit with a brutal mixture of dread and enlightenment. I knew I was not meant to assist people with their eBay purchases for the rest of my life, I had something more to offer. I had something more to do.

Music Inspector at work.

Talking to the music inspector than day about my emotional state, I told him it wasn't because I haven't received a raise in 4 years, it wasn't because they were taking away our cell phones, MP3 players and drinking at our desks. It wasn't the lack of respect for things I had done, constantly giving and giving and receiving nothing but a paycheck in return. It was all of it combined.

As an employer, you don't have to do anything for your employees except pay them, just as your employees don't have to do anymore than the bare minimum to get the job done. Employees don't simply just work in your building, they also live there for 8 hours at a stretch. Take away a few creature comforts and there will be a difference, if not in productivity, then in retention.

Below is a letter to the owner. I'm probably not going to send it to him, but if by some random chance he stumbles upon this blog, I'll make sure it's something I won't regret him reading. In any case, he'll probably never see it.

Dear Seth,

You surprised me, you really did. When I mentioned that I hadn't had a raise since I started, you seemed stunned! Your facial expression, your tone of voice, your body language all told me this was a suprise. I believed that you might actually do something about this.

Shame on me for believing.

See, I've been believing for a few years now that things were different than they appeared. The idea that because you are a small business, that there would be some more of a human element to how things were run.

Shame on me.

In April of 2011, my daughter was hospitalized for dehydration. She had a stomach bug and couldn't keep anything down so I stayed home with her for two days, before the doctor told us she would need to be hospitalized. I stayed by her bedside for two more days. I returned to work with a doctors notes and recommendations left and right. months later, when my review came around I was told I took too many days off for illness, that I should be able to find a sitter for my sick child at the last minute in order to not miss work. I was told that everyone else finds a way to make it happen, even though only one other person on the payroll had a child in elementary school. This was my problem, I needed to find a solution. So my wife she would take all the sick days from then on. She's a elementary school teacher and her days off are far more valuable than mine, not just in dollars, but the education of her students and the time it takes to develop emergency lesson plans. She made that sacrifice for me, she's awesome like that. I thought the problem was solved.

Shame on me.

When all the new rules were coming down, I asked Michael (co-president) what was going to be done to help employee morale. I was told school teachers aren't allowed cell phones in their class rooms and how they have metal detectors in the Smithsonian for employees. These security measures are nothing new, they are implemented all over the place. When I countered that teachers make more than $12/hr and Smithsonian employees have a decent benefit package, I was told that I don't have to work there. When you take something away, it's polite to compensate in some way, shape or form. A businessman should understand that.

What gets me though, what really gets me? I don't think you want this. Seth, I've heard so much about what this company used to be and what kind of environment you wanted for your employees. How you want them to enjoy coming to work. Where is that vision now? You have taken the humanity out of the work environment. Don't think so? Try this: You and your wife follow ALL of the new rules: No food at your desk, no beverages, no cell phones, no MP3 players. Eat in the break room. 15 days off a year, including sick days. Working from home is not an option.

If you cannot do this, the very thing you ask of your employees, then you cannot ask it of them. It's that simple.

Good luck, Seth. Honestly. I think you'll find Best Buy a much harsher mistress than you bargained for. I hope you can make it work.