It's really funny when my Grandmother and me get together. Usually the first words that come out of her mouth are, "You should be so happy that you have a job..." Whatever Granny. It is statements like that which allow evil little ditties like McJobs to flourish in our society. McJobs, if you have no idea what that means, are minimum wage jobs with absolutely no advancement potential, requiring little or no mental ability.

So, let us get back to the original point now, shall we? I should be happy that I have a job. OK. I should be happy that, even working more than full time, my earnings fall way below the poverty line (so far, I can't even see the poverty line). I should be happy that the only advancement potential my job has is the ability to be exploited even more than I am now. I should be happy that I have the opportunity to engage in workplace antics that can endanger my safety (actually, it is called a job description). I should be happy, but I'm not.

It is at this point that my Grandmother would say, "Well Ryan, maybe you should get a new job..." Whatever Granny. Do you really think that one minimum wage job is different from any others. The fact is, I really like my job. The problem I have showing up everyday stems from the insanity of "office politics". First of all, I don't know who is my supervisor. I have a manager, and she is great. When we work together. you could not have a more productive team. My regional manager, on the other hand, constantly overrules my manager's decisions.

The point I am trying to make is that I am owed a living by my country. Now, give this idea a chance. Wait and read before you flip out. I can totally understand that when you start out on the job market, you have to earn a business' trust and you have to establish a steady job record. Well Grandma, I have. It is also true to say that employers look not at how many jobs you have had, but how long you have stayed at them. Therefore, if I am a hard worker, and follow the rules, and work towards the best interest of the company, the company has no right to degrade me or underestimate my value to the "TEAM".

What I am saying is that I have proved myself as a reliable, loyal employee. I do not ask for special treatment, just a good place to work. That is not too much to ask. That also is the evil of a lassie-faire economy. The government must have say in how an employer treats his/her employees. The emphasis has been taken away from productivity, and has been placed on maximizing profit. This profit maximization usually is at the cost of employee satisfaction and security. If there is no intervention, then it is only the nature of business to squeeze every ounce of contentment from its workers.

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