Money Matters

The first rule I created for myself when I started looking for work right out of university was: NEVER THINK ABOUT THE MONEY.

Everyone needs money since it's the medium of exchange people use everyday. You can't eat, go to work, pay your bills, help out some people in dire financial need without money. However, having been bombarded with values and ideas on how money can be the root of evil, I have been warned against thinking only about getting more and more money. The practical me, as I have said in some interviews, know and would admit that money is important since it's difficult to help yourself and help others without any means. Money is important ONLY as a means to achieve a greater objective - which for me means helping others.

Just last week, something happened that reinforced this idea.

I went to work earlier as per my supervisor's request. I was happily doing my job for at least 3 hours when a colleague arrived for work. I have access to my supervisor's profile since we have almost same functions. I guess you could call me her protege - if I even deserve the title.

This other colleague of mine who had the same access went and sat informs of my supervisor's desk and started clicking away. All of a sudden, she got up and started throwing tantrums telling the whole group under our supervision how much she worked hard during the pay period only to find out that her overtime were not correctly counted. Since I am authorized to look at the payroll (I do it sometimes), I took a look at it and asked what the problem was.

She informed the whole group that she did 20 hours or so of overtime only to have less than 20 hours counted in her payroll. I tried to assure her that we could still have it fixed and we could inform our supervisor about it. I also informed her that it happened to me before and what was lacking was usually added to the next payroll. I had hoped that it would end at that. Clearly, she had other ideas.

She went to her desk, threw her stuff against the "wall" around her desk, slid the chair backwards and then started sobbing. Then she started blabbering about how she was working her a** off and how her mom was getting angry at her for going home late... et cetera, et cetera.

I told her that it must be a mistake since I was still chatting through MSN with our supervisor when she was making the payroll at around 3 AM. I told her she can dispute it. Another co-worker also told her that it will be credit to her next payroll.

She did not stop there, though. She went on to sobbing like it was the end of the world and continued blabbering about the whole deal.

By this time I was getting pissed. I told her that I was going to re-do the whole overtime Tracker we have in order to facilitate the payroll next pay period.

Judging by the way she continued acting, it was as if everyone was out to get her and she was some damsel in distress faced with an insurmountable obstacle. Come to think of it, damsels act more lady-like. She was downright childish, unprofessional and disrespectful. moreover, it was affecting the work place's morale. It wasn't that she was saying anything directly against our supervisor, but the way she was acting made it appear like our supervisor was either incompetent or else she was out to get her.

I was so freaking pissed that I wanted to tell her, "Would you please freaking stop?! Stop actong like a child! This is a freaking workplace d#$%?%! This can be fixed, you know!" I swear, God must have zipped up my lips to prevent me from muttering a sound. It wasn't as if it was done intentionally.

I understand the fact that she was upset about not getting paid as she rightfully should be. I understand that she needs the money. What I do not and will never understand is how she acted about the whole thing.

I mean, what the f%@#?! It wasn't just unprofessional. Someone said it correctly for me - Mukhang pera! To sacrifice friendship, professionalism for money?! It wasn't as if she needed it because her baby needs an operation like one of our other co-workers do. She needed it because she was going to goddang freaking Boracay! what-the-freaking-shit-up?!

She didn't say anything derogatory except for cuss words which were never explicitly directed towards one person. Her actions were derogatory and mean.

Oh and have I said that she didn't stop there? Oh no, sir! She sent an SMS message to our supervisor about how upset she was because of the payroll. My supervisor, who has had only one-hour of sleep at that time, called us at work and told her to resend a corrected payroll.

And when payday came, she went on to send an SMS message about how unsatisfied she was with the pay that she got.

It's money for crying out loud! It pays your bills, buys you things, but that's all it's for. At the end of the day, Money is JUST money. Nothing more, nothing less.