Category Archives: Community
Time changes everything
Lesson: Remember leaders are human too.
Over the years I have seen many things come and go. Many people come and go. Many ideologies come and go.
People in leadership whom I have held with great respect in the past I now see, not with bitterness, as fallen, fallible or in some cases fake.
I have learned that all leaders are human and not entirely pure in motive, while some are, without a doubt, wolves in sheep’s clothing and dangerous.
Yes, have respect for the office that people hold, but do not hold the people in those positions as something other than an ordinary person with a job to do.
I have also learned not to be swayed or manipulated by the fame or popularity of any individual, the glitterati are human too.
Paul S Allen
singer/songwriter, acoustic guitarist, performer, photographer, and poet.
Facebook Page Paul S Allen Singer/Songwriter & Photographer
Listen to music Paul S Allen on Spotify
Website: www.thewaterside.co.nz
Twitter: twitter.com/paulusthebrit
Payment required
If you are expected to be at work you should expect to be paid.
This not paying workers for staff training etc is not new.
However, this practice needs to be stopped and workers need to be paid where there is an expectation (stated or implied) to attend training or other activities that are in anyway work related.
My experience
Back in the early 90’s I worked for Dick Smith (an electronics retail store) part time on Saturday mornings (maximum of 4 hours per week) and I still had to attend compulsory staff training on Monday evenings in my own time and unpaid. these training sessions were basically a staff meeting which lasted sometimes over an hour.
I should say I was good at my job, I was making good sales and I liked my work even though the wages were low.
At the time I was on a training course as I had been out of work for about a year and this job was just to help get by. (yes it was declared income to Work and Income).
After a few months of questioning why I should attend the compulsory training and asking why I was not being paid for it, feeling completely undervalued I walked out.
The complete frustration and cost involved to get to the meetings lead me to the point when I just handed back my uniform at the end of a Saturday and walked off.
Paying staff appropriately for the work they do is vital for the whole of the community. This also means paying a living wage (not just minimum wage).
By asking workers to do work related things unpaid diminishes them financially, personally and morally.
If you find you are in this situation where your employer is not paying you appropriately please talk to your Union (if you are not a member let me encourage you to join) or at least talk to your local Community Law Centre for advice, or contact The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
If you are an employer doing this practice, stop it now and pay your staff. Perhaps reorganise your schedule to allow training to happen during normal operating hours (not lunch breaks or tea breaks). Be creative and ask your staff what would work for them.
Something for us all to think about!
Think about this before you start condemning others due to their religious (or non religious) belief systems.
Is there a single religion anywhere in the world that has not been tainted by extremism, violence and other abuses? I am struggling to think of any at all. (I am including atheism in this also)
The answer to peace lies within acceptance and tolerance of the differences we have. To embrace that we can each have a belief system (or not) that is different from others.
By alienating, hating and dehumanising anyone because of their belief system is itself a path to destruction and provides the necessary environment for extremism to exist.
Get to know the people around you, accept them for who they are, do not try to forcibly convert them to your ideologies or belief system. Let there be a meeting of minds and hearts.
Have a good open conversation not just about what someone believes, but why they believe. It is a fantastic thing and sometimes you find you have similar experiences even though the outward expression may be different.
Perhaps you will find out more about other people and even more about yourself.
Think about it.
Dunedin Music in Black and White (2016 retrospective)
Photos from various music events from across Dunedin, NZ in 2016.
The two songs were written and performed by myself this year (2016)
It has been a pleasure to be able to capture great events in Dunedin this year and love working with local musicians.
If you have an event in Dunedin and would like it captured in images please contact me .
Songs
Don’t Bring Me Down ©Paul S Allen 2016
And He Flies © Paul S Allen 2016
Images
©Paul S Allen 2016 All right reserved.
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