Our office doesn't have a lunchroom per se. We have a conference table that doubles as the lunch table. The area has a sink and years ago someone brought in a small refrigerator which gets complained about regularly. Its maintenance is taken VERY seriously by everyone. If other things were taken that seriously, I would be happy and the office would work better. We can't replace the refrigerator with state money (it's against the rules), so that rule also gets discussed with some frequency. I'm usually blamed.
This morning, as happens more regularly than I'd like, one of my staff had a birthday. I suppose they're all allowed. Given that there aren't that many of them, though, it seems to me that the birthday thing happens more often than it should.
Some time ago, I dictated a new rule that we would no longer have the office fund (to which I contribute rather disproportionately) pay for lunch or breakfast AND a cake. Instead, I decreed (like Caesar) that the birthday celebrant could choose lunch or breakfast OR a cake and have it be paid for from the fund to which I contribute disproportionately.
Fairness aside: How disproportionately? Between 3 and 6 times more than anyone else. Why so disproportionately? I was told it was my obligation based on a precendent set by my predecessor who makes at least $30K more a year than I do. How do I know what she makes? Because as state employees, all our salaries are published in a book every year which is kept in the library and consulted often by many.
Anyway, my Caesar-like proclamation (I wish I had one of those dudes to go announce what I had decided in the forum like Caesar's dudes did), was met with some resistance and some negotiation. I capitulated to our newest employee having a lunch/cake combo for her birthday because it was her FIRST birthday with us. It wasn't her first birthday, mind you. Though her clerical skills would be really notable had it been.
Anyway, this morning, one of my employees was celebrating her birthday and had chosen breakfast as her celebratory meal. Office Manager showed up with the breakfast we had each ordered. This was a change from the last birthday, where two of us didn't get our food and OM spent a good portion of her meal trying to get me to eat fried chicken livers despite my attempts to avoid said food. This morning, I ate the small thing I had ordered and then got up to walk into my office. I wasn't being anti-social, I wanted to check the currently ongoing woot-off for stupid stuff that I shouldn't buy. Why is the woot-off so compelling? Same reason I think garage sales and thrift stores can be. As Honey's mother says, "you never know."
As soon as I left, the loudness and mirth level at the table rose. People were talking and laughing as they hadn't been a few minutes before. After a while, our one year old clerical wonder brought me my water cup, assuming (hoping?) that I was not coming back. I pointed out that breakfast would be followed by staff meeting and that's why I had left my cup there. She seemed a little deflated by the idea of staff meeting. It happens every Thursday morning. It may be deflating every Thursday morning. I don't know. I know I don't exactly go to bed Wednesday night with joyful anticipation in my heart.
As I began this entry, I was waiting for a pod of staff to finish at the lunch table. When they did, I got up and went eat. I eat with them sometimes. After the mirth increase this morning though, I didn't want to today. When I first started here I remember sitting in my office and listening to them having lunch. It seemed really nice then.
I found salt packets and plastic spoons in my predecessor's desk. It's possible that she felt as I did. I've pictured her salting her food at her desk.
I'm trying to resist talking about the lunch table in school and the day I asked if I could sit down with a group of kids and was told no. Didn't resist it very well, did I?
Tomorrow is our annual staff retreat. I've designed team-building activities. I hope they help.
I wonder if I could design one called "talk to sporks like a human even though she's the boss." Probably not.
Now, who do I see about one the Caesar announcement guys?
8 comments:
That lunch table bears a remarkable resemblance to the one where I ate my elementary school lunches, circa 1966-1971. If it is kept in a gym and rolled out only for the lunch hour, it may be the very same one.
Do they make lunch tables in kids and adult sizes?
We had a sedate, unobtrusive (considering the alternatives) practice of a treat (coffee cake, donuts or an actual bd cake) and a card that everyone signed.
One of the 8 guys on staff, threatened to sue me for invading his privacy. He didn't want the others to know it was his birthday (he lives with one of the other 7 guys)3 years after we'd begun the practice. Fine with me, no birthdays-no problem.
Maybe Caesar could decree that there shall be no celebrations on staff meeting day.
There's got to be an announcement guy on Monster or Craigslist.
get 'em drunk at your retreat. nothing makes people bond like booze.
LOL at Weese.
Over the past several years my work friendships have altered as my former peers became my subordinates. It's not fun, but it's necessary... or at least that's what Suzanne keeps telling me.
I hope the team-building was beneficial, my friend.
We have an informal lunch-or-cake policy at my place of employ. The first couple of years, I went along with the departmental tradition of going out to lunch with my coworkers en masse, which was weird since several of us really have nothing to say to one another. There's no animosity; it's just that we're pretty socially retarded as a group. But I was new and trying to fit in, which isn't easy with a bunch of social retards.
Then one year, perhaps empowered by therapy, I decided that it was my goddamn birthday and I shouldn't spend it being uncomfortable with people. I instead suggested lunch with only my supervisor and one good friend of ours. By the time my birthday rolled around this year that good friend of ours was no longer with the company, and he really was the catalyst that made my supervisor and I less awkward with each other and more able to enjoy lunch together. I instead ate lunch at my desk and shopped for CDs on eBay, which may seem sad but I rather enjoyed myself, because I'm a social retard.
Your staff = freaky
Our office gathers for a group lunch every Wednesday. We all order out from the same restaurant and eat together in the conference room.
I like Wednesdays.
Birthdays absolutely require a card and a cake. Sometimes pizza for lunch too. The office pays for such things. I adore working for small business.
Why is it every time Weese posts a comment someplace, or on her blog, there's usually alcohol involved??? LOL
As for the lunch thing, I think it's an unfortunate, but necessary, reality that those in the role of supervisors don't hang with those under them, or at least it should be in a limited capacity. It's awkward to then have to be boss-ish with your friends. It does make for some lonely lunches, though.
We need to trade team-building exercises. I need some for the next retreat.
I haven't yet realized how unwelcome I probably am at the lunch table -- I'm still too new to this leadership thing to realize how yucky they think me, though I am old enough at the teaching thing to feel sad that my favorite students can't bring themselves to call me by my first name.
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