Community Cervix

[LetsGETickled]

Okay, before I get started, let me apologize in advance for what will no doubt be ranting and raving. It's hardly the appropriate introduction, but the upside is that none of you know me or have any preconceived notions.

That said, here I go.

I just started a new job recently. It's a great job involving today's cutting edge technology. The company is great. The people are the coolest. The management is awesome. The perks are quite attractive and the salary is more than I asked for.

So today, my manager is talking to me about goals. I'm sure most of you have been through this process just as I have with every company I've ever worked for. You know the drill. You set goals for the year and at the end of that year your performance is rated according to the degree to which you met those goals.

I was totally on board with my manager as she talked about the goals I need to set. They all pertained relevantly to the job...until we reached a certain point in the conversation...

"Now one thing I want is for everybody to have at least one community goal."

"Community?"

"Yes, community. For example, Jenny volunteers to aid the homeless. Frank is involved with CAMM (Connect A Million Minds). Judy does work for breast cancer awareness"

"Okay, sure...but..."

"But what?"

"Okay, don't get me wrong. I think it's great that people are willing to give up their time for this kind of thing. But I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around how community service pertains to employee performance."

"You don't think it's important to serve the community? To give a little back to the community that's given so much?"

"I'm not saying it is or it isn't. What I'm trying to say is that community service, however important it may be, is not relevant to an employee's job performance. I've been working for big companies for a while. They all encourage community service, and provide opportunities for it. And that's great. Because those who are inclined to participate are free to do so, and those who aren't don't have to."

"Well I think it's important for everybody to contribute something."

"But you're essentially placing a mandate for volunteer work, AND using it as a criteria for evaluating somebody's job performance. I'm sorry, but that just seems wrong and unfair. Judge me on how well I perform the job. Am I consistently on time? Do I take too many smoke breaks? Does the quality of my work meet and/or exceed your expectations? Those are the things that make a good employee, not how far I go to emulate Mother Theresa."

"Okay, fine. You don't have to do community service."

So now, I'm the only guy in the entire company (to my knowledge) who's not on board with the community service mandate.

But there was another point of contention. Somewhere, in my goals, I'm supposed to demonstrate "inclusion." In other words, document some effort on my part to reach out to other people groups. I'm thinking, "Jesus, who writes these HR policies? Doctor Fucking Phil??"

In my opinion, this community service mandate is outrageous. If I'm to volunteer for something, it's going to be of my own volition. That's what volunteering is, right? Community service mandate? Leave that in the realm of criminal penalty where it belongs, not as a criteria for evaluating employee performance.

I'm curious to know what others think of this. I welcome all honest opinions.

 

[Bugman]

I agree, 100 percent. What I do or don't do on my own time is none of my employer's business (or anyone's business) unless I choose to make it so.

By the way, welcome aboard. 🙂

 

[PiedPiper]

Various expectations of community involvement or volunteer service are becoming increasingly more commonplace in company HR policies and employee evaluation criteria. I've been in the corporate environment off and on since 1970, and I feel it's a fairly nice development,.... there ARE relevant things to be learned from this sort of approach to personnel. I think they're looking for independent signs of character... And it could be a hell of a lot worse - the SOB's used to expect you to be a regular churchgoer,..... so this is a vast improvement.

 

[kis123]

Wanna know what I think about it? Here it is in emoticon form.......

I think you're absolutely right that community service should not be mandated as job performance. If someone wants to serve, it should always be voluntary. I have no idea what goes on in the corporate workplace environment anymore and hope to never have to involve myself in it again.

I wish you great success on the new job and congrats! And I hope there is no backlash because you asked the question no one else had the guts to do.

And again, welcome to the TMF! I think you're going to be a great addition to our "family."

 

[paracarl44]

LetsGETickled.

There are numerous projects in your community that you can get involved in.

 

[LetsGETickled]

Okay, some new information is coming to light. I did some digging and I've discovered that as much as corporate would LIKE us to do community service, they can't mandate it. What I interpreted as a mandate was simply just an "earnest encouragement."

But I think it's very surreptitious to pitch this "encouragement" as part of the employ goal-setting process. It was presented to me more like an expectation than an encouragement. As for my participation, I've not yet decided which option to pursue, if any.

Thank you to those who welcomed me. This seems like quite a fine community.

Ooh, there's that word again. 😉

 

[BlackestLily]

At my job they call it "volun-told".

 

[PiedPiper]

Okay, some new information is coming to light. I did some digging and I've discovered that as much as corporate would LIKE us to do community service, they can't mandate it. What I interpreted as a mandate was simply just an "earnest encouragement."

But I think it's very surreptitious to pitch this "encouragement" as part of the employ goal-setting process. It was presented to me more like an expectation than an encouragement. As for my participation, I've not yet decided which option to pursue, if any.

Thank you to those who welcomed me. This seems like quite a fine community.

Ooh, there's that word again. 😉

______________________________________

LetsGETickled,...

Of course it wasn't a "mandate." That would be illegal. But look at it from the company's perspective (And I've been anything but a "company man") Community involvement by employees portrays the company in a good light,.... it tells your boss that you're settled, stable and committed to hanging around for a while. It says you're well-rounded and maybe even altruistic,...

Companies were not doing this sort of stuff when I hit the market in '70,.... but I was already doing it, anyway. Taught music for Headstart when I was 19,... wrote programs for public TV,... built homes with Habitat and provided free services to non-profit groups,.... taught disadvantaged kids,... arranged community gardens,.... all on the side, yet it's been a major gratification in my life. I suggest you try to get past the company's apparent desire to "compel" you to do something of this nature, and consider it purely on its own merits..... I mean,.. why not?

 

[LetsGETickled]

Pied Piper,

I understand the company's perspective, and I've always considered myself the quintessential "company man." Not counting this new position, I've worked for a grand total of two companies since 1980. Twenty-three years for the one, and nine years for the other. I didn't quit either, nor was I fired. In both cases I was let go as part of a workforce reduction. I'm extremely loyal and supportive of the companies I work for. I put in extra time each day and usually work at least one day over the weekend. I volunteer for the projects nobody else wants, and I work the shifts nobody else wants. All simply because I put the job first.

So I'm all about the company and the team. But this expectation of "voluntary" community service is an egregious overstep from any company, no different from requiring church membership. I am all about the individual, the team, and the company. I have neither the time nor the inclination for community activities beyond an occasional back yard barbeque with the neighbors. Quite frankly, the degree to which I participate in the community is my business and nobody else's.

Do you honestly believe that coercing and arm-twisting employees to "volunteer" puts any company in a good light? You've got people out there with scowls on their faces, serving soup to the homeless or working with autistic children, hating what they're doing. They're only there because it's expected of them.

But you're right about one thing, Mr. Piper. This obsession with community is going viral over Corporate America. I've been talking with many people, and most large companies are all drinking this communist Kool-Aid. I find it to be very disturbing, and I will exercise my right to decline participation.

Volunteering should be VOLUNTARY, not compulsory. I've been a company man all my life, but I draw the line with this crap. If and when I decide to volunteer for community service, it'll be my decision and nobody else's.

 

[kis123]

______________________________________

LetsGETickled,...

Of course it wasn't a "mandate." That would be illegal. But look at it from the company's perspective (And I've been anything but a "company man") Community involvement by employees portrays the company in a good light,.... it tells your boss that you're settled, stable and committed to hanging around for a while. It says you're well-rounded and maybe even altruistic,...

Companies were not doing this sort of stuff when I hit the market in '70,.... but I was already doing it, anyway. Taught music for Headstart when I was 19,... wrote programs for public TV,... built homes with Habitat and provided free services to non-profit groups,.... taught disadvantaged kids,... arranged community gardens,.... all on the side, yet it's been a major gratification in my life. I suggest you try to get past the company's apparent desire to "compel" you to do something of this nature, and consider it purely on its own merits..... I mean,.. why not?

Why not?

Because no one is going to force/coerce/blackmail me into doing anything but the job they hired me for, plain and simple.

If they want forced community service hire folks from jail because they're the only ones who owe an alleged debt to society. The only thing I owe an employer is 40 hrs of my time to do the job. Other than that, I determine how I spend my time, not them.

Ever since Obama got in office, it's this stupid community service stuff. I'm all about community and service, especially in underserved communities. But the work is grueling and mostly thankless and the people tend to act as if you owe them something. That shouldn't be forced on anyone. It should come from the heart and spirit because those are the only things that'll get someone through volunteer work.

So I'm glad you have the volunteer's heart and spirit but I'm with letsGETtickled on this one and I'm glad he stepped up. Maybe someone will realize that it's not a good thing to force volunteer work on anyone through a job. Forty hours is enough of my time to suck up thank you very much.

 

[LetsGETickled]

At my job they call it "volun-told".

ROFLMAO. That's hilarious. I'm going to see how much mileage I can get out of that one here!

 

[GEORGIATKLER]

My first job way back in 1983 asked for a "voluntary" donation to the United Way.....and the company ALWAYS HAD 100% "VOLUNTARY" participation....will that be check or payroll deduction??? As an accounting officer at three banks through the years since, community service was strongly recommended (for the Community Reinvestment Act folder, among other reasons). Once I was back working for banks near my hometown, I would have done some volunteer work anyway. I also put in some major off the clock OT (salaried officer) every month end and quarter end and the weeks before/afterward. You vil volunteer until da sneer is a smile!!

 

[DontAskJusTckle]

I too have fallen prey to this creepy corporate conspiracy of compulsory community collaboration. I've flat out refused to participate. I'm already doing volunteer work, but I can't claim it because it doesn't reflect in any way on the company. They want me to participate in one of their programs.

The whole concept of leveraging employees to volunteer seems entirely antithetical to the spirit of volunteer community service. And it isn't just corporations. Many school systems are requiring students complete blocks of community service in order to graduate. There's a word for this brand of obsessive oppressive over-emphasis on community.