Diary of an engineer: "Thank you for all your hard work"

Submitted by AWL on 2 September, 2020 - 7:50 Author: Emma Rickman
Engineering plant

For this entry, I’m going to quote the letter I received this week — I hope you find it as entertaining as I did. A caveat: compared to millions of people my working conditions and pay during the pandemic have been extremely good. I consider myself very lucky not be self-employed, unemployed, shielding, or forced to work while sick, among many other abuses and insults that have been inflicted on our class. This corporate letter is absurd, but it is at least a pretence at courtesy and recognition.

***

Dear…

In recent months the teamwork and commitment you have shown towards Veolia’s mission of resourcing the world has made me incredibly proud... Now, we want to say thank you.

Extra Half Day Leave

The Executive Committee and I would like to provide you with an extra half day’s leave to use by the end of December this year. Depending on the government guidance where you live, you may want to spend this time with family and friends, or doing those jobs around the house you’ve put off [ha!] You may even fancy a well-deserved trip out — it’s entirely up to you! [Well, thank you so much…]

To keep things simple, we’re not adding this half day to your annual leave quota. All you need to do is agree a suitable half day with your line manager that works best for you in your business area. [We have to take the leave when our line manager tells us to, and there is no record of it in the HR system.]

Flu Jab

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted everyone’s awareness of staying healthy [????!!!!] Although it doesn’t yet fight coronavirus, an annual flu jab can help maintain your immune system. So, if you want the flu jab, and you are not eligible for it through the NHS, you can reclaim your annual cost (up to £15)… It is important to note that the flu jab might not be appropriate for everyone…

Veolia Share Scheme

In addition, any employee who joined us on or before August 2020 will be eligible to buy Veolia shares this September [i.e. please give us back as much of your wages as you can afford].

We’ve been through a lot over the past few months, but I am confident that with your commitment, we will continue to be successful in the UK, Ireland and globally too.

Yours Sincerely,

Executive Vice-President, Veolia UK and Ireland

• Emma Rickman is an engineering apprentice at a Combined Heat and Power Plant.


Other entries in the “My Life At Work” series, and other workers' diaries

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