Letters for Feb. 6, 2016 Strong work ethic in most millennials I do not think the editors should have published “The millennial work ethic” by Erin Heilman (TGI, Feb. 3). It struck me as “whiney” and mostly gives millennials a
Letters for Feb. 6, 2016
Strong work ethic in most millennials
I do not think the editors should have published “The millennial work ethic” by Erin Heilman (TGI, Feb. 3). It struck me as “whiney” and mostly gives millennials a bad image. The millennials have already accomplished great things, and that is to their credit. But these things were not achieved by those whose preferences supersede their company’s mission and its means and methods of success.
Americans like “things that work” — all the time, they prefer schedules and “deadlines that are met” — almost always, and workers and employees that “know how to work for a manager” — and will reliably perform their jobs. This will continue to be the real world for the millennials.
If you work for FedEx, and your job is to get the package on the scheduled plane, you may not be able to always leave at 5 p.m. to be with your family, if your boss is counting on you to “absolutely, positively” see to it that the package arrives on time for your part of the FedEx mission. Erin may not like that, but there will be so many Americans that say “hire me — try me — send me, and I will deliver!”
The same work ethic is required of the line maintenance person that meets the in-coming airliner and fixes the intermittent radio to be ready for an “on-time” departure for the next 2,000 mile flight leg. He does this for his supervisor (and those 350 passengers) relying on this plane. Fairness does not enter in.
It is the same for the Apple employees meeting Steve Jobs decision to bring out the new iPhone “by a date certain.” These are hard deadlines, and the workplace is full of them. Bad bosses are there too, but these are things that children need to learn to deal with gracefully and effectively as they are growing up, going through school, and entering the workplace. They should also learn that the millennial out there “shouting from the mountain” for fairness and other personal preferences will not get the job, will not meet the deadline, nor make things work and above all — does not represent America.
Lee Nunn
Anchorage
Where have all the boarders gone?
We visited Kauai for 25 years, and now only get to read The Garden Island newspaper and watch a very special web cam of Brennecke
Beach. This season we see very few boogie boarders and people in the water there. Curious if there is a reason.
Dottie Segerman
Yarmouth Port, SMass
