My very last workshop I placed my tools at was a ‘hell-hole’ of
2nd-hand smoke! both the ‘boss’ and his chain smoking assistant were
doing two packs a day, EACH! I used to get home and change my
clothes, after 3 months of this, I packed up my tools and am now
breathing better…oh, by the way, I’m allergic to smoke and gagging
is not my way of setting stones! They both now smoke their cigs in
the casting room!!! In this city of ours…Toronto, its now against
the law to smoke in any closed environment or in any building. You
now gotta drag youself outside of any office bldg. or restaurant and
ruin your lungs, but not at someone elses risk…
I have been on somewhat of hiatus over the last year.
At the end of last year, I felt that some things about our industry
are in flux and when I was offered a job with straight hours and a
fair pay structure, I decided to check it out.
My new workplace is decidedy different from almost all of my
previous shops. Today, I work in a very well lighted shop with four
benches. The polishing room is next door. The walls are a white
plastic that is easily cleaned and a maid service comes in daily to
clean up. As it happens, my only workmate speaks very little English.
I bring in my Ipod with books on tape and a lot of podcasts. A lot of
Spanish tutorial podcasts as well. I don’t do well learning a second
language, but given conditions and enough time, I may do pretty well
here, too. I have a second workstation where I do design work at a
computer. This is outside of the workshop and is in a more white
collar location. For about forty hours a week, I am able to focus
pretty well on jewelry production.
Bruce D. Holmgrain
JA Certified Master Benchjeweler
I think it's far better to have a somewhat isolated condition to
work in, and take 10 minute breaks every 1-2 hours (outside or
wherever)
I agree that a lot of coming and going is distracting, but just
because there is a window doesn’t mean always staring out of it!
Personally, I need to be able to see out, and in a windowless room
I am always antsy to get out of it. I cannot long tolerate the
feeling that the world could be coming to an end outside, for all I
know, and I won’t have a clue until I emerge, like a bear from
hybernation, at the end of the day.
An unhappy worker will not be a productive worker. Not everyone can
stand to work in a confined, isolated space without natural light.
For those who can-- great. But it is short-sighted to think that
such amenities as windows will cut productivity.
An unhappy worker will not be a productive worker. Not everyone
can stand to work in a confined, isolated space without natural
light. For those who can-- great. But it is short-sighted to think
that such amenities as windows will cut productivity.
Absolutely.
Directly in front of my workbench is a large double bay window that
looks out across the lawn, bordered by woods and a small brook. I am
visited constantly by songbirds galore, woodchucks, and the
occasional deer, wild turkey and owl. Hardly distracting, but the
natural light is an absolute must for me.
I could not work in a windowless box, reminds me of a prison. But it
took a while to get to this.
A man owned a small jewelry store in Ohio. The Ohio State Wage & Hour
Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and
sent an agent out to interview him.
"I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,"
demanded the agent.
“Well,” replied the jeweler, "there’s my waxhead who’s been with me
for 3 years. I pay him $1000 a week plus free room and board. The
polisher has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $550 per week
plus free room and board.
Then there’s the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and
does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per
week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon
every Saturday night. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally."
“That’s the guy I want to talk to — the half-wit,” says the agent.
“That would be me,” replied the jeweler.