upworthy

Business

Education

Workers who do 'nothing' at the office share how they actually spend their time

"I don't know for how long I will be able to keep going, but I'm gonna exploit the situation the best I can"

Photo credit: Canva

People who do "nothing" at work break down what they do all day.

Most of us, at some point in our lives, have been guilty of twiddling our thumbs while on the clock. (Back in college, when I worked at a library, that was basically part of the job description.) But in a recent viral post, strangers are swapping stories about gigs where they did "literally nothing" work-related—and sharing how they actually spent their time.

The OP opens the conversation by detailing a typical "boring" day at their current (and first) job—an entry-level role they've held for seven months. "I get to work, I open my PC, and I stare at my screen for 8 hours straight," they write. "Most days I have absolutely nothing to do, and the days there’s some work it takes at most a couple [hours] of my time. I work in an open space, but nobody has noticed, so I guess I’m really good at [seeming] busy. My bosses respect me and even thank me for my work. I don’t know how long I will be able to keep going, but I’m gonna exploit the situation the best I can."

Bored Julia Louis Dreyfus GIFGiphy

From there, fellow Redditors weighed in with their own stories—from cruising through short-term jobs to milking the downtime at longterm employment. The range in tone varied wildly: Some people encouraged the OP savor every slow day, while others recommended staying busy in other ways.

"This has been my life since early last year," one user wrote. "Laterally moved within my company and now have significant downtime, like I’m in my office at 8 and I’m done with everything by 8:45. I decided to study for the LSAT and just got into law school a few weeks ago. My advice: don’t waste this opportunity."

Someone else said they were in a similar position for eight years, working as a designer at a small agency, where they "only needed to perform on one day each week." Most of the time, they "just needed to be there in case something happened." But instead of doing nothing, they "made great use" of their free time: reading books, learning to code, doing freelance work, and learning enough "to get much better jobs" in the future. "Don’t waste this time staring at the screen," they wrote. "There are plenty of things you can do with a computer, internet access, and free time. Use it. You won't regret it."

Bored Season 3 GIF by The OfficeGiphy

Another user wrote that, in the OP’s shoes, they’d "never be able to go home feeling accomplished." They recommended soaking in as much experience as possible and then seeking out a better job. "Don’t waste your time not expanding your knowledge," they wrote. Someone else said they had a low-work job for four years, and it sent them into a depression. "My advice[:] Ask for project work a few times a week," they wrote. "if you don't get anything, use the time to learn something [you’re] interested in and plan for the next job."

Also, you know someone in the thread had to quote Mike Judge’s 1999 black comedy Office Space, which takes a satirical look at office jobs of that era. “I’d say in a given week I probably only do about 15 minutes of real, actual work," one user wrote, quoting Ron Livingston’s disgruntled protagonist, Peter Gibbons.

i hate my job bored at work GIFGiphy

Anyway, if you find yourself bored at work and find productive ways to stay busy, check out Indeed’s list of 16 options, like listening to podcasts, creating a networking group, and mentoring a junior employee.

From Your Site Articles
office job
Business

Garbage man shares exactly how much he makes and now everyone wants to get their hands dirty

Now I see why sanitation jobs are so hard to come by.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

What did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor? Lawyer? Firefighter or brain surgeon? Maybe you achieved those dreams (congrats!) or maybe your idea of "success" changed radically as you got older. Reality is, if you can earn a living wage doing work you don't hate, with some decent benefits and time off, you're doing pretty dang well in life.

Not too many kids would say they want to grow up to become garbage collectors — and, in fact, there's a pretty strong stigma against the job — but they might rethink that if they knew how good of a career it actually is. One garbage collector was recently interviewed on TikTok where he was asked: "Can you make like six figures with overtime?" His response: "Oh, easily man."

The man who works for CR&R, an environmental services company in California, said "Starting pay is about $29 an hour, some drivers are making like $33." He says he and the other drivers routinely pull 12 hours days, working from 5am to 5pm, with overtime kicking in after 8 hours.

60 hours a week x $33 per hour puts him over $100k in pay before taxes and before factoring in the overtime pay. Now, those are long hours (very long), and hard work, but there are plenty of careers out there that demand the same hours and hard work and don't pay nearly as well. (Try working in an Amazon warehouse for about half the salary.)

The worker was then asked if he would recommend a career as a garbage collector to others. "Honestly, I would man just cause the pay is pretty competitive and the hours, there's a lot of work here. If you're into working overtime and everything like that..." you can do really well. Plus..."Really good benefits, I can't complain."

Watch the whole interview here.


@laneape.co

Spoke with @theonlymemoo, a CR&R driver making $28-$33/hr 🚛 He says the job has long hours, good benefits, and he recommends it. Crazy story? A coworker found a body in a trash enclosure right before the holidays. Could you handle this job? ⬇️ #TruckDriverLife #WasteManagement #CareerInsights #WorkLifeStories #garbagedisposal #sanitation #garbageman #garbagetruck #garbageart #dumpster #dumpsterdive #trashtalk #drivers #driverjobs #drivingjobs #wasteman #doublebubble #overtime #overtimehours #trades #tradesman #tradesmen #sixfigureincome #trucker #truckerlife #truckersoftiktok #truckers #truckertok #truckerslife #truckertiktok #truckerhat #truckergirl #truckerwife #trucking #truckinglife #truckin #truckinaround #truckingindustry #truckinglifestyle #truckingaround #truckingcompany #truckingfamily #cdl #cdllife #cdldriver #cdlschool #cdltruckdriver #classB

Other sanitation workers were quick to verify: Being a garbage collector is tough work, but it definitely doesn't stink.

Some commenters pointed out that making $100k per year in California isn't much, but the one nice thing about working in sanitation is that you can do it almost anywhere, and it's a solid career pretty much everywhere you turn.

"42$ an hour in Seattle I made 155k last year lots of over time," one user wrote.

Someone commented that he makes $50/hour as a garbage collector in San Francisco. A user from Houston claimed $30/hour. A man from Illinois quotes $43/hour.


garbage truck picking up trash on the street Photo by Ewoud Van den Branden on Unsplash

Garbage collectors who work for the city can also get government benefits and retirement, plus these workers can get union representation to protect their jobs, salaries, and benefits. There's also plentiful opportunity for overtime which can be worth 1.5x the usual hourly wage. But perhaps most importantly of all, what the job may lack in flash in sizzle, it more than makes up for in real-world impact.

Who wouldn't want to make our streets and communities cleaner!?

In a recent Reddit thread, a 24-year-old asked if he should be embarrassed about his job as a trash collector. The top response read: "Dude, I work for a health insurance company that makes it's profit by denying people life saving care. I'm ashamed of my job. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, you do honest work that benefits your community. I would love to tell people I worked in sanitation."

Blue-collar jobs where you get your hands dirty, so to speak, are widely viewed as less desirable than high-paying white collar jobs like computer programmer, consultant, or accountant. But that's starting to change.

Data shows more and more young people are going directly into the workforce or trade school and foregoing volatile technology-based careers.

Working for the postal service, driving for UPS, collecting garbage, or getting into a skilled trade like electrical or plumbing may not be glamorous, wealth-making careers; but if you're willing to work hard, they can provide you a really nice standard of living.

That's how jobs should work! If working 60 hours per week isn't for you, that's OK and understandable — but if you don't mind sacrificing for long hours, there should be a solid reward at the end, and at least in the case of garbage collectors, it sounds like there is. If you're looking for a career change and the ship has sailed on you becoming a world-renown rocket scientist, it's probably not too late to get your Class B driver's license and start picking up trash.

From Your Site Articles
garbage collector
Badge
PMI
PMI
Business

Meet the people using their project management skills to better the world

True

Many of us yearn for a career that not only provides a livelihood but also contributes to a better world. We seek a sense of purpose, a way to use our skills and talents to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and the health of our communities. But who orchestrates the initiatives that allow us to give back effectively? Behind the scenes of many successful initiatives advancing the common good are project managers.

Project managers, who are often equipped with certifications from organizations like the Project Management Institute (PMI), bring order and efficiency for complex projects. But project managers go beyond ensuring projects are executed on time and on budget – they make sure the project meets a higher need. Does it positively impact the community? Does it create ease or improve the lives of others? Their work is essential to maximizing the impact of initiatives that better our world.

To showcase the vital role project managers play in creating positive change, we spoke with two rising leaders who are going above and beyond to make a difference in their communities as project managers.

Zack Almer

Every day, 17 people in the U.S. die waiting for an organ transplant, with demand far outpacing supply. In the New York Metro area, Zachary Almer, MPA, PMP, is tackling this challenge head-on. As the Director of Strategic Project Management at LiveOnNY, an organ procurement organization for the greater New York City area, he helped execute a bold strategy that increased organ and tissue donations by 50% over the past two years—resulting in over 2,500 life-saving transplants and setting a new benchmark for what’s possible in healthcare.

“I really enjoy when someone says we need to get something done and there’s no one way to do it. That’s why I love project management, because it allows me to step into a situation where there’s a problem and I need to fix it.” Zack added, “I think if you’re in healthcare, most people have selfless aspirations by the nature of signing up for this work. As long as I have the experience to share, I want to give back.”

Prosperidade Sunguete

As project manager for Angola’s Ana Elisa Philanthropic Association, Prosperidade Sunguete drives initiatives focused on sustainable development and community advancement, encompassing support for children, widows, environmental preservation, health, and education.

In 2023, Prosperidade set about closing the digital divide for children and young adults in Luanda’s Maiombe community after witnessing how little technology and food access the community had. The initiative, Technological Education for All, offers tech education and nutritious meals to over 150 young people from underprivileged backgrounds, granting the recipients greater digital literacy, food security and future learning and career opportunities.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive in an increasingly digital world. Empowering kids through tech education, while also guaranteeing them a daily hot meal, helps give them a leg up to be qualified for future educational and professional opportunities that would not have been available to them otherwise,” Prosperidade emphasized.

Prosperidade added, “project management is not just about meeting deadlines, but about creating lasting value and positive impact on the lives of the people involved as well.” The initiative, nominated for the 2023 Tigra Nova Garra Award, empowers youth and reflects Prosperidade's belief in the transformative power of education.

Project managers, equipped with on-the-job experience and resources from PMI, are the driving force behind social impact campaigns like Zack’s and Prosperidade’s, skillfully navigating challenges and ensuring successful completion. PMI empowers project professionals with skill-building resources like online courses and networking opportunities, validates their expertise with professional certifications, and celebrates their global impact as a global community.

Project Management Institute recognized Zack and Prosperidade for their impactful work alongside other rising trailblazing leaders who are driving global impact through innovative project management. Aspiring project managers seeking to make a difference can begin their journey with the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification.

business
Education

'One-step-ahead' sneaker store owner found a genius way to stop thieves during a break-in

All they had to do was look in the window.

via Canva/Photos

Some thieves try to break into a store.

On Monday, December 30, a car driven by thieves plowed into the front window of DripOnDrip, an athletic shoe store in Fresno, California, and a team of robbers ran into the place. But after they entered through the busted window, they ran around the store confused for about 30 seconds and then returned to their cars. Why? They couldn’t find anything to steal. The store’s owner, Roman Gonzales, was a step ahead of the thieves by making sure there was very little in his store to take. All they made away with were a few backpacks and some shoes that Gonzales planned to donate to charity.

Evidently, the thieves weren't that bright. “If they would have looked through the window, they would have saved themselves some time and energy from even trying to break in,” Gonzales told KTSM. “They would have noticed that there is nothing here on the floor for them to take.” After having his store gutted by thieves about a year ago, Gonzales ensured it’d never happen again by using clever anti-burglar tactics.

When the store closes every night, he removes all visible merchandise, clears almost the entire floor, and takes every last dime out of the cash register. He even leaves the empty register drawer open by the front window so thieves know there’s nothing they can steal before they bother to break into the place.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

He also ensures that all of the shoes on display are right-footed because there’s not much you can do with just one shoe.

“There’s no value once you take this shoe. I mean, you can’t just buy a left-foot shoe online, either. So you’re not going to be able to use that item or even resell it. It’s just pointless,” Gonzales said. One of the only things left out was some shoes he planned to give to those in need. "They did take some donation shoes that I give away to the community here for teenagers that come in, and I want to make sure that they have some new kicks," Gonzales said.

Gonzales’ approach to preventing his store from being robbed is pretty simple: Don’t give them anything to take.



After the recent break-in, Gonzales spoke to the people who run the shopping center about having some large concrete blockades installed between the street and his store to prevent cars from smashing into the window. Ultimately, he hopes the people who broke into his shop will be deterred from doing it again. “Let’s hope they get caught and learn from this situation,” Gonzales said.

This story comes as California is dealing with a jump in property crime that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. This bucked a 40-year-trend in the state where crime had dropped for 40 years. Since 1993, the state's violent crime rate has decreased by 49% . To reduce the state’s prison population, the state passed Proposition 14 in 2014, reducing many property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. However, the state passed Proposition 36 in November, which returned many crimes to felony status to reverse the rise in property crime.

From Your Site Articles
crime
Trending Stories