Ergonomic Nightmare

I started my new temp job today, and it is easy to see why one of the previous temps quit. It is very tiring on the lower back! (After I eat dinner I plan to lie on my back in Savasana for a while to uncrimp it.)

Beyond that, it is relatively low-key -- most of the employees wear jeans and t-shirts -- and not conceptually difficult. Basically, you sort files into different categories, organize them within categories by account number and then file them.

Practically speaking, it offered a fine example of things that desperately need improving but which aren't because there is no time to do so without shutting down the whole system. The file cabinets are old and erratic. They are poorly labeled on the outside, necessitating repeated peeking to see if the drawer is one you need to open or not. The hanging file folders are inconsistently labeled; some sections are very well flagged while others require a lot of digging around to find the right section. The files themselves are badly and inconsistently labeled, requiring extra time to find the account number. Moreover, large sections of the main files are missing at any given moment in order for the data entry people to work with them; while there is a daily list of who has what, I quickly discovered that it is not entirely accurate. Even when it is, having a file that is "out" means hunting down the person's cubicle (there is a map for that, at least) and doing your filing while trying not to get in their way -- awkward to say the least.

Oh, and did I mention that we're also supposed to time how long it takes to do each stage and record the number of files processed at each stage? (Needless to say, most people are stunningly casual about this.) Ironically, the idea is to enable the supervisor to improve efficiency!

So, all around, it was an experience in navigating chaos that I lack the authority -- not the ability nor the will -- to make more efficient. By the end of the day I was getting rather zen about it -- watch the chaos and don't think too much about it.

Back for more tomorrow...