Employee engagement can take many shapes and forms, and in some instances may seem completely harmless. Management elects to offer enticing rewards for coming into work on days where staffing shortages apply. Most recently, there was an opportunity to win an Ipad just for coming into work on December 27, 2013. This is absurd! There are provisions in the Collective Agreement that allow for the usage of various types of leave for such occasions. The employer, who initially granted such leave, is now realizing the shortage, and rather than staff their offices correctly, they egregiously dangle a carrot in front of our faces in the attempt to lure us back to work. In addition to this, like a farmer struggling with a stubborn mule, Canada Post goes to every length to dangle such treats as gift cards and food. So what do you do if you see a visa gift card mysteriously jolting across your work floor by a string?
Many of us feel uncomfortable with and would like to refuse employee engagement; others may not be able to foresee the true nature of these programs. The first step is recognizing and understanding these schemes.
For the most part our hard work goes unnoticed and we only really receive feedback when we perceivably make a mistake or require more time to complete a task. This is known as “Management by Stress”. This tactic is applied to use ominous methods of motivation to get more production and efficiency out of you while ensuring you don’t question or push back. Management tends to parade around with a myriad of incentives for so called “recognition”. This scheme is meant to temporarily erase all the previous mistreatment and make it all better. By accepting theses advances, we only justify and further this behaviour.
Additionally, employee engagement is about increasing management’s power. We must take steps to reject these schemes. Now that you are familiar with architecture of employee engagement here are some steps to fight back:
- Educate your co-workers about employee engagement
- Refuse to participate in events sponsored or provided by management
- Challenge Canada Post propaganda and ask critical questions at floor meetings
- Talk to your shop stewards or the local office to see if they are aware of any current employee engagement schemes
Remember; don’t take employee engagement or management by stress for granted. Begin by taking a skeptical attitude toward anything that is perceived to be gratifying in the form of a conspicuous carrot on a string. We deserve to be treated with respect and dignity everyday of the year, not at the digression of management when they feel they need to massage their image or disguise their transgressions.
Workers should not be afraid of their employer. Rather, the employer should be afraid of its workers.
In Solidarity,
Chris Zukowsky
1st Vice President
ck/CUPE-3338