Within the last 20 years, the world of work has evolved tremendously. It is now the norm for employers to contract persons rather than making full-time hires, who enter the workplace with the hope of collecting a gold watch at retirement.
Job descriptions have been rejigged as well. Case in point, Jamaica Urban Transit Company, cross-trained its conductors and drivers. Today, drivers drive and also collect fares, particularly on single-operated, high-tech 'yellow buses', which hit the road earlier this month. Conductors, too, have taken on other responsibilities such as driving or automechanics. Some jobs have simply become obsolete.
In my book, the following jobs should be added to that list as many of them are just a waste of time, space, effort and money.
randy.bowman@gleanerjm.com
1 The guys at supermarket doors who sign receipts on the pretext of stopping shoplifters. However, they don't really check your bags. Recently, I went shopping at a supermarket that employs this system and, unfortunately, I left an item I bought in the store. The 'check-off' guy ticked and signed my receipt. Upon unpacking my groceries in the car, my husband asked for the forgotten item. Enough said.
2 Windscreen wipers who squirt liquid dirt on your windscreen and cars at traffic lights. They find creative ways to sneak up and pour water (or whatever it is they use) on your windscreen. If motorists protest, they ignore rejection, hoping to bludgeon motorists into submission with persistence.
I wish somebody could sit them down and explain to them that cars come with a control lever to emit windshield wash that works with the wipers. Created decades ago.
3 Construction foremen who watch the work being done. Have you ever wondered what so many persons find to do on a construction site or why so many persons are needed to patch a pothole? More often than not, there are a bunch of men who sit and spectate, rather than get things done. When the job is done, half the building is missing steel and, oops, the windows are too small so they've got to smash down the walls again.
4 Beauty salon receptionists that are there to look pretty. Come on, what else can they do besides going to get your refreshment? They can't style, shampoo or even set your hair.
5 Cellphone unlockers are so early '90s. Buying cellphones overseas and searching for someone locally to unlock it is so passé. These days you can find websites with the codes to do it yourselves.
6 Beefed-up security and gate openers who do absolutely nothing. A few months ago, a friend of mine went to the bank and, of course, parked in the lot provided. After spending just a few minutes, he returned to see the security guard chasing a man while an alarm was blaring. He jokingly laughed at the sight but not for long as he soon realised it was his car alarm.
A man, under the 'watchful' eye of the parking lot security, broke into his car and stole his laptop. By the way, this was a very small lot, with one entry point.
7 Taxi/bus loaders who 'encourage' persons to take the 'robots'. With the 'a-me-fus-touch-it (whoever touches the automobile first gets to load it) mentality', they sure have a blast 'loading' vehicles that passengers would have boarded anyway. They have the most interesting 'pick-up' lines, like my favourite, "Mi have nice stand-up seat fi you, boss."
8Persons who stand in the hot sun to hand out flyers that persons take and dump immediately. Please stop wasting your time and find a more rewarding job because folks just don't read the flyers.
9 The governor general who performs a largely ceremonial role, yet gets millions of dollars a year. No offence, GG, but the prime minister can handle that. The responsibilities that Prime Minister Bruce Golding spoke of on Thursday were an obvious attempt to pad a job to make it important. There have got to be better things for him to do than smooching beauty queens.