"Can I Just Get Paid and Not Work?"

At just 27 years old, I am by no means an old windbag, but moving further and further away from being a "spring chicken". So how is it, in even the infancy stages of my career, have I noted such a horrific faceplant of work ethics in many of my peers? Perhaps I was raised old-school, where I was led to believe that work is for the greater good of society for the most part, and it is the only honest way to put food on your table and a roof over your head. I was also under the impression as a small child, that most people - while maybe not completely happy with their jobs - were at least grateful to have one. Today, it would seem as if people want to prove me wrong.

My boyfriend works at another branch of the same company I work for, and is currently dealing with a small fiasco concerning the schedules he makes. He has been running the biggest and busiest of all branches, at which I also used to work at. Having spent about a year and a half at that location, I know the nature of the beast as well as anyone there. Now when you WORK in the dive industry, it is automatically assumed that weekends will bring in the most traffic. Especially SUMMER weekends. Most 9-5ers (which we employees are not) can only go diving on the weekends. Common sense. We are there to serve the customers. We enable them to enjoy their weekend diving. Which means we are working. This concept, my dear reader, is as simple as grapes to wine.

Or so I thought.

Apparently, some employees (especially newer ones, but unfortunately the seasoned ones have become "afflicted" as well), assumed that even though our busiest time of the year happens to be weekends during the summer, they could have weekends off. They want to go diving. Together. Or they want to further their diving education. On the weekends. And oh, by the way, I need next Saturday off. Sorry for the late notice, I know you already made the schedule. I know we're really shorthanded, but I really want to go diving with so-and-so on a boat dive. Why can't I just get Saturdays off anyways? There are 4 other people to cover the store. And I'll need next Tuesday off too, because I'm taking the night diver course. Thanks.

Now when did it become protocol for employees to tell their employers when they're going to work and when they're not going to work? I don't know about most folks, but when I apply and interview for a job, I ask about what kind of hours I should expect if I get hired. If I have a problem with these hours, I DON'T ACCEPT THE JOB. What I also don't do, is if I indeed wind up accepting the position, is expect certain handouts to me - the newbie - and get incredibly upset if I don't get what I want. Is this completely crazy? Or is it, perhaps, common sense?

Somebody please tell me.

Until next time
:::J:::