<HTML>In a message dated 4/23/02 12:51:41 AM !!!First Boot!!!, vem@email.byu.edu writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">But it is the administrator who is making the decision how often a > piano should be tuned. And if he/she says piano faculty pianos should be > tuned once a week, then that is how often we, as employees, need to do that, > even if we don't agree with that. Woa there Wim.  We are hired not to merely be employees, we are experts in our field and should not be told how to do our jobs.  This should be totally unacceptable to those who are salaried, full-time techs at any universities.</BLOCKQUOTE> Those who pay us are in control of what we do. I think, for the most part, all of us are in positions where the administrator have a great deal of respect for us, and probably won't tell us how to do our job. BUT, because we are employed, we should not loose track of the fact that they do have the right to do so. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"> > > Although having a total freedom in our job is something we all want, don't > forget, we do work for someone. And he/she/they do have the right to tell us > how often a piano should be tuned, and even how long we should take to tune > it. That is their way of maintaining control over the people who work for > them. If, in your opinion, a job should take longer, or if a piano should be > tuned more often, or less often, then as professionals, it is our > responsibility to educate the administrator. But I don't think we are in a > position to tell him/her what to do. I think we are precisely in a position to tell them what should and will be done on any piano.</BLOCKQUOTE> I have to reiterate again, that as long as we are employees, whether it is a university, or a store, the employer has the right to tell the employee what to do. Again, we hope it doesn't happen, but if an ignorant administrator tells us to tune a concert piano once every two weeks, and keep all the practice rooms tuned daily, if we want to keep our job, what choice do we have? <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">> > It is by knowing how often a piano should be tuned, and how long it should > take, an administrator will more closely be able to determine how much time, > and money, is needed to maintain the pianos. That is what they want to know. > It is also their right to find someone who can do that work in the prescribed > amount of time. If you are a contracted tuner, maybe.</BLOCKQUOTE> Even if you are salaried, or are paid by the hour. Unless you have a contract that has a beginning and ending date, all of us, salaried or hourly wage, are hired on what is referred to "at will" basis. The university has the right to terminate our employment, for cause, at any time. For the most part, the cause might be difficult to prove. But if there is an administrator who really wants to get rid of you, there are ways to do that. And if the administrator cannot find a "cause", he/she can make life difficult enough for you to want to quit. <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"> > > It is presumed that administrators are intelligent enough to know that not > every piano is the same, and that every situation is different. So while by > using the formula of how often a piano should tuned, how long it takes, > combined with what additional service is required, an administrator will have > a basic idea of how many hours are required to maintain the inventory, I > doubt seriously any one of them will around with a clip board looking over > our shoulder to make sure we do spend an hour tuning a piano once a week. Don't under estimate these types.</BLOCKQUOTE> </XMP>I guess these types are found about as often as those who will want to get you fired. I think both of realize neither case is going to happen very often. Wim </HTML>