Job Creation
France has interesting and creative ways of dealing with unemployment. The 35-hour work week is one method they use. Instead of creating more jobs, this practice just means that stores are closed more often than they should be. Another thing they do is create superfluous jobs. I came face to face with someone given such a job the other day.
I am a teacher. Teachers need lots of copies of things so they can teach. When I began my job here, I was given a card so I could make copies in the teachers' room. This card only allowed me to make 250 copies, however, which is not nearly enough for someone who teaches 10 classes a week. I looked around at the teachers I worked with and noticed that they had seemingly endless mountains of copies and wondered where they came from. Finally, one of the other assistants clued me in.
"There's a guy on the first floor. It's his job to make the copies. Just give him your document and he'll copy it for you."
This sounded strange to me, so I held out until my card ran out and I needed more copies for a class to go see him.
Last Monday morning, I approached the door to his office. There was a sign posted on the door with his picture and the hours he worked. I timidly knocked on the door and then entered.
"Hey, um, I heard you made photocopies here," I stammered.
"Well, that depends," he replied. "I don't make copies for students."
"Um, actually, I'm not a student," I said defensively. "I'm the English language assistant."
"Well in that case, you need to fill out the sheet over there." Great. There's even bureaucracy involved in getting copies made. I got a sheet and began filling it out. I needed 30 copies of an article. At the bottom, there was a place for me to put when I would pick them up. I didn't write anything, since I was hoping for my request to be fulfilled immediately. I handed him the form.
"You didn't put when you would pick them up. You must allow 72 hours, so you can pick them up Thursday morning."
Speechless does not begin to cover it. THREE DAYS? FOR 30 COPIES? I didn't have a choice however. I was late to class, and this man did not seem like he was in the mood to be argued with. And besides, with zero copies left on my card, he was my only hope. I couldn't afford to piss him off. Without saying a word, I wrote the date at the bottom. Then I thanked him and left. After all, he may have been the one with a completely useless job, but I was the one
dependent on someone with a completely useless job.
I am a teacher. Teachers need lots of copies of things so they can teach. When I began my job here, I was given a card so I could make copies in the teachers' room. This card only allowed me to make 250 copies, however, which is not nearly enough for someone who teaches 10 classes a week. I looked around at the teachers I worked with and noticed that they had seemingly endless mountains of copies and wondered where they came from. Finally, one of the other assistants clued me in.
"There's a guy on the first floor. It's his job to make the copies. Just give him your document and he'll copy it for you."
This sounded strange to me, so I held out until my card ran out and I needed more copies for a class to go see him.
Last Monday morning, I approached the door to his office. There was a sign posted on the door with his picture and the hours he worked. I timidly knocked on the door and then entered.
"Hey, um, I heard you made photocopies here," I stammered.
"Well, that depends," he replied. "I don't make copies for students."
"Um, actually, I'm not a student," I said defensively. "I'm the English language assistant."
"Well in that case, you need to fill out the sheet over there." Great. There's even bureaucracy involved in getting copies made. I got a sheet and began filling it out. I needed 30 copies of an article. At the bottom, there was a place for me to put when I would pick them up. I didn't write anything, since I was hoping for my request to be fulfilled immediately. I handed him the form.
"You didn't put when you would pick them up. You must allow 72 hours, so you can pick them up Thursday morning."
Speechless does not begin to cover it. THREE DAYS? FOR 30 COPIES? I didn't have a choice however. I was late to class, and this man did not seem like he was in the mood to be argued with. And besides, with zero copies left on my card, he was my only hope. I couldn't afford to piss him off. Without saying a word, I wrote the date at the bottom. Then I thanked him and left. After all, he may have been the one with a completely useless job, but I was the one
dependent on someone with a completely useless job.
posted by MatchaMonkey at
1/17/2007 04:29:00 AM
1 Comments:
When I was in San Fran, I looked high and low for lockers to lock up my suitcase. I was told by the guy at the tourist office that that since September 11th, they got rid of all lockers. So I was supprised that here in France they still have them, but it seems that to the French, at the fear of terrorist, the do not say, "ah well, no more lockers" they say instead, "alright, there is another job we can add. Post security guards at the lockers and have them look at people's bag with x-rays" You are right, they never miss a chance to create another job.
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