The Whinging Pom Header ? ?Let them know you care?
It?s difficult to escape the gloomy news these days as the phrase economic crisis is bandied about in the media and milked for all it is worth. However the prospect of unemployment and financial hardship, that few could have imagined just a few years ago, is very real. I have recently moved back to Wellington to work as senior journalist with Presstige Community Newspapers after a nine month sojourn as a journalist in sunny Levin. Sadly, The Daily Chronicle newspaper, a Levin icon ceased to be and with its closure came the inevitable redundancies, myself included. My overriding impression after two months unemployment is that as a nation we have become uncaring and lost compassion for our fellow beings. In spite of theoretical advances in employment law and human rights legislation plus giant steps forward in recruitment processes the ordinary person without a job is being dealt a raw deal. I?m not talking about unemployment benefits that are impossible to survive on, but rather, more mundane and slightly quaint concepts like courtesy and communication. Computerised job applications are convenient for all but come unstuck when the weeks turn into months with no contact from the employer. A week is a long time when you are unemployed. A month with no feedback is almost unendurable. Computers are no substitute for the personal touch and a phone call regarding progress with an application would not go amiss. The unemployed are not social pariahs that drop off the radar because they are temporarily without work. It is all too easy to forget the anguish of others in the daily hurly burly but if you know someone without a job keep in touch with them, meet them for lunch or give them a phone call. Let them know you care. And for all the employers and recruitment agencies out there remember that timely feedback and respect go a long way to maintaining human dignity, self esteem and the longer term viability of a business.
