Monkey Smart

At my previous healthcare organization, we were unionized and that truly is a good thing. However, the downside is, that the pay was divied out based on how many years of experience a nurse had worked. 0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20 and beyond. That was the basis; not talent, motivation, effort, productivity, or even showing up. Regarding that last feature, I probably averaged 3 sick days per year and took a short vacation once a year. Bobby-Joe would call in sick three days a month, take four vacations, beg to be sent home when the daily hours dipped, refuse to keep up with medical knowledge and skills.........and still, if his years of service matched mine (and like me, hadn't killed anybody) then our evaluations were equal. Essentially, even a monkey could do this job.


Today I spent an hour
Shredding old papers,
Those yearly evaluations
The most worthless of capers,
Where the best of employees
Just get a pat on the back,
"Keep up the good work, Bob
You got everything on track".

The stupidity of it all
Is that even the flunkies,
Get paid the same level
Like we're a gaggle of monkey's,
Vying for sweet treats
Plush toys and balls,
Yep, every year is the same
As we bounce off the walls.