Each day, I crawl out of a tunnel of blur. My little troll nibbles voraciously at my breast each moment he can get (no, I'm not talking about my baby's dad, you naughty readers). I work, I pump, I argue with my older child who just so happens to be uber energetic and uber smart (a very efficient mommy-energy zapping combination).
I really want to work at home. It's not that I don't like my job. I wholeheartedly do, despite some of my own grumblings about some things here and there, but that's only necessary-I mean, normal. I think the hours are inflexible, and I can't understand why, in our economy and in our modern day, more nonprofits can't be more creative with the whole "people first" strategy for their employees! In fact, even for profits can benefit.
We have strict office hours, however, we have scheduled appointments and other events. I have a one hour lunch with which I can opt either to have to blow more money in the local area on junk food, or sit in the un-becoming kitchen-ish area, in fear that people will bug me about phone calls and client inquiries. I can't go home has I have about a 25 minute commute to my job.
I would prefer a 30 minute break and the option of coming in 30 minutes late, or leaving 30 minutes early. I have a co-worker who would so be into working out a schedule like this one with me!
Not only is the pay low (the nonprofit can only pay what it has funding to pay), but the hours are very nonconducive to family life. I find that it would be most beneficial for my agency to strive to keep its specialists for long periods of time. We work with the community, and it would be best for us to become staples in the community and in our offices, but having a family can get in the way at times.
Our Executive Director has mentioned that he wishes he could compensate the staff better, and he concedes that they deserve higher pay; however, I feel there are non-monetary ways to do that. More flexible hours, better internal reward incetives, Etc.
Speaking of non-monetary rewards. We don't even have maternity pay, and I had to bargain to have the agency allow me to take more then 4 weeks after the birth of my son (I took 2 weeks Paid Time Off before my due date as I was sick, and I had the baby a week after the due date!).
Maternity leave, flexible hours, and other rewards would be great incentives for employees. I wonder if I'll see the shift any time soon!
Apparently many nonprofits believe that money is sinful or bad, and people should work for nonprofits out of the goodness of their hearts. That contributes to low pay and few or no benefits, which naturally makes the positions unattractive to many people.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for commenting on that Ysabet. You know, there's a break-point, I believe. To work full-time in any position, there's a need to "earn" an income for one's family and home. I can definately understand the notion that we aren't in the nonprofit business to get rich, but doing it as a full-time "volunteer," of sorts, under employment demands, is a bit too much to ask.
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