Employees are like Snow Flakes, they are all "Original"

I have several employees I oversee where I work. As many of my co-workers would agree I have been "blessed" with the least charming group of employees this side of the Mississippi. While I know that is not uncommon for an employee to complain about their boss, lord knows I do, I think it is distinctly uncommon to have the bunch of whiny, temper tantrum throwing babies that I have to babysit on a daily basis.

They complain that I am too attentive to what they are doing, they complain that they do not get enough one on one time with me, they complain that they do not have enough support or assistance, they complain when help is given because they do not need it, they complain when they don't have enough cases, they complain when they have a new case. . .anyone else seeing the "not happy no matter what" trend here? It is often said that those who cannot do teach, can it also be said that those who are crazy social work? Lord knows for every normal social worker I see there are are two that are not normal. I have spent a good deal of time in reflection, is it them or is it something I am doing? Perhaps a combination of both? After several years however I am coming to the conclusion that while I may have some ownership in their pissyness, after all one does adopt the I don't care attitude after awhile of being submitted to endless temper tantrums; the majority of the problem is that they need to grow up. They are big boys and girls who are supposed to be professional. If you can't do the work quit the job.

That is all I have to say about that!

Raise the Standards Cut the Funding

I live and work in a state where the dreaded "class action lawsuit" against the foster care system has been completed. As a result there are new foster care rules for place, homes, and foster care workers. In theory this is a very good thing, as often times workers had more children than they could over see and homes were not properly monitored for safety. However it is not a good thing when at the same time your state keeps axing the budget making it impossible to hire the workers needed to meet the new guidelines!

Some of the new guidelines:
1. A child can only be placed in two different foster homes. This means if a child is placed in one, and is them transfered to another they cannot be moved to a third foster care home, it doesn't matter WHY the move is requested.

2. Children must returned home after one year or placed for adoption.

3. Of children returned home only 4% can be placed back into foster care.

Now looking at this, they are not bad ideas, but I am sure just as I have you can all come up with "what if" situations. I know I did. For example "what if a child has sever behavioral problems and the foster parents cannot keep them safe?" Does this mean that after a short placement and a refusal on the foster care parent's part to keep the children that they are returned home and may not be elligable to return to the foster care system if the reason they were removed from the home is not resolved? Do we leave that child in an unsafe enviroment because of the numbers?

You can utilize additional programs to help keep the children in the home, but those programs are dwindling and are also on the chopping block. It cannot be both ways, more stringent guidelines and no way to enforce them realistically!

Love the Job, Hate the employees

So I LOVE my job. I love working with the families I work with, I love helping them, I love teaching them new ideas and concepts to better their life. I even love the flexable schedule I work with. What I hate are the other employees.

I am of the "get'er done" school of thought. If something isn't working then lets fix it. I don't like to sugar coat things, and I don't give our compliments when they are not due. When someone does something I know was hard for them I like to tell them they did a good job. What I am not of is the "drama queen" school of thought where I am not happy unless I am making other people miserable and complaining about how my genius is not recognized. My personal view is that there is enough misery to go around, I don't need to make more. It appears I am in the minority. The people I work with are not happy unless they are unhappy and they are always unhappy if there are any expectations on their performance or they do not get their way.

What I find unfortunate is that the people I work with are making me want to quit my job and sling pizzas for a living. At least if I did that I would not have to deal with the most narcasistic ass hats I have ever had the misfortune to work with.

Has anyone else had to deal with this? Any suggestions?

Introduction

Hello Everyone,
I am starting this blog as I need a place to vent my spleen against all the crap I encounter on a daily basis. Some of it has to do with the clients I see, some as to do with the agencies I contract with, some has to do with my employees. Regardless it all leaves me saying FML.

I work in the "Human" Services field, I say this because very rarely do I come across people I think should be qualified as human. Most often they are so cranially rectally impacted they should be labeled as "sub-human".

Some of my pet peeves that I come across on a regular basis:
1. "Make You Squirm" - This is the individual who seems to take sadistic pleasure in insulting, demeaning, and just generally being mean to those they come into contact with in their client base.

2. "Temper Tantrum" - This is the individual who has a complete melt down when they are told "no" or do not get their way.

3. "Gonna Getcha" - often accompanies and leads Temper Tantrum . They will traditionally forget all typical channels of communication and go straight to the top to scream their fool heads off about how someone was mean to them and didn't give them what they wanted. They will also typically hold a grudge and will try to undermine their target regardless of the detriment to their own selves.

4. "Jelly Fish" - this is the person who is nice to your face but when you are out of sight will sting your reputation and attempt to undermine you at all turns.

I have been in my current "human" services position for quite some time now and have found that the people I manage are almost as bad as our clients when it comes to interpersonal skills. I sometimes feel like I am running a day care with the whining, complaining, and temper tantrums I come across on a daily basis. I am exeriencing burn out to the 10th degree and am hanging on by my fingernails!