tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40395472011-04-21T12:32:32.198-07:00Pride Before KronosIn ancient days, the Greeks and Romans feared Kronos, the cruel God of
Time who devoured his own children. In medieval Europe, he became known as the Grim Reaper. But in the 21st century, Kronos manifests himself as an automated timekeeping system, forsaking his scythe for telephones and computer terminals. My employer has fallen under his spell and forced us all to submit to diabolical will of Kronos. Yet one man stands proud and defiant before this tyrranical deity!
Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-1096581772204132662004-09-30T14:54:00.000-07:002004-09-30T15:02:52.203-07:00It's been over a year since my last post, and longer than that since I was freed from the tyrrany of Kronos.
I've had plenty of time to reflect on how the experience affected me. Kronos turned me into a clockwatcher. I never realized how many hours I was putting in. So I've cut back. I'm enjoying life more. Thank you, Kronos!
Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-1057673569363056142003-07-08T07:12:00.000-07:002003-07-08T07:12:49.320-07:00How pleasant it was to leave campus yesterday without having to untether myself from an electronic leash! How wonderful to arrive this morning and not be compelled to report the precise moment to a surveillance system!
The air itself smells sweeter.
I just sent the following note to our Director of Human Resources:
I received your memo yesterday regarding KRONOS usage for exempt employees. IEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-1057609016548098942003-07-07T13:16:00.000-07:002003-07-07T13:24:24.360-07:00Holy hell! A memo appeared in our mailboxes today, containing the following text:
An administrative decision has been made to exclude exempt staff and library faculty from recording time worked in KRONOS effective July 1, 2003.
As my co-worker Gayna pointed out, this would appear to mean that, although we clocked in this morning, we don't have to clock out this afternoon.
Or ever.
I am Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-955988462003-06-12T11:16:00.000-07:002003-06-12T11:16:06.033-07:00It turns out that Kronos docked me because my boss made an error. I went to the dentist and so he put me in for four hours under the "DOC" code. He thought "DOC" meant "doctor." But actually it means "dock," as in a punitive deduction from my paycheck. Yipe! He was might embarrassed, but the University is paying me back for the missed hours.Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-953286072003-06-05T07:45:00.000-07:002003-06-05T07:53:30.000-07:00Despite my best efforts to not think about Kronos over the past months, he keeps intruding into my thoughts. Now Kronos is messing with my paycheck, and I can't ignore that!
Last week I noticed that my paycheck was a little less than usual. So yesterday I paid a visit to the good folks at Human Resources. They informed me that Kronos had docked me for four hours! They gave me a printout thatEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-899204242003-02-28T12:52:00.000-08:002003-02-28T13:09:48.000-08:00At last, I have triumphed over Kronos!
This morning, I arrived on campus and parked my bike as usual. But before I entered my office, I realized that I was duty-bound to supply a king cake for my co-workers. (I got the baby from the king cake we had last week. It's a Carnival tradition, at least in New Orleans.)
I was very near a phone, so I could have clocked in with Kronos before making my Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-897783752003-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:002003-02-26T07:30:19.920-08:00Yesterday afternoon we were notified that Kronos was down and that we would not be able to clock out in the usual fashion.
I felt like I had been released from my electronic leash. Sweet freedom! I left the office with a song in my heart.
Today things are back to normal. But it's nice to know that even the God of Time can stumble on occasion.Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-897137922003-02-25T07:06:00.000-08:002003-02-26T05:47:07.000-08:00I thought I would quote John Holloway for today's entry:
The negation of doing is the homogenisation of time... The doing of today is subordinated to the doing of yesterday, the doing of tomorrow can only be conceived as a continuation of the doing of today. Time then becomes tick-tick time, clock time, like a length of railway track.
Tick-tick time measures duration, a being separated from Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-896453832003-02-24T07:03:00.000-08:002003-02-24T07:03:08.860-08:00Creativity comes in spurts, but Kronos does not.
As a creative worker, I am faced every day with the problem of inspiration. Where will I find the next idea for this project or that project? Some people speak of the Muse, but I believe that such inspiration comes from within.
But inspiration is not like a faucet. You don't just turn it on and pour it out. It comes in spurts. Sometimes it Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-895096462003-02-21T10:31:00.000-08:002003-02-21T10:37:19.000-08:00The accuracy of this journal has been impugned by a theologian here at the university.
He doesn't give any credence to my assertion that the image of the Grim Reaper was derived directly from Kronos.
I haven't found any scholarly evidence to back me up, just Web pages like this one. At the very least, there certainly seem to be a lot of similarities between Kronos, the Grim Reaper and Father Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-894396222003-02-20T08:30:00.000-08:002003-02-20T08:30:38.000-08:00Kronos has a voice, as anyone who's clocked in or out on the phone interface knows.
But the voice of Kronos is not what I expected. I thought he'd have a deep, gravelly growl.
No, the voice of Kronos is cool, synthetic -- and feminine. A surprising choice for the macho God of Time.
At the end of each transaction, Kronos chirps, "Thank you for using the system."
My co-worker P.J. Christie Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-893789292003-02-19T09:54:00.000-08:002003-02-19T09:54:11.006-08:00I've discoverred a deeper purpose to this journal.
Sure, I'd like to see a few policy changes regarding Kronos. But more importantly, I'd like my pride back.
As I've mentioned time and again, I find the daily ritual of clocking in and out with Kronos to be degrading, disappointing, aggravating and generally irksome. It deflates the sense of pride that I've had ever since I started working Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-893115982003-02-18T08:00:00.000-08:002003-02-18T08:00:27.183-08:00I recently invited the good folks in our Human Resources department to take a look at this journal. I hope that they find the thoughts recorded here useful.
The implementation of Kronos on campus has been a success. By that, I simply mean that the system seems to be working and that the transition from the old system has been seamless, as far as I can tell.
That's no small feat, and it didn'tEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-892465812003-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:002003-02-17T08:45:14.576-08:00Kronos encourages us to focus on hours rather than tasks.
Perhaps that's good for some folks, but it's not good for me. My work is task-oriented. What matters is getting the task done, not working a set number of hours.
That's a point of pride and satisfaction for me.
But every time I clock in or out with Kronos, I feel as though I'm simply filling in time.
Of course, my work is still Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-890946732003-02-14T07:25:00.000-08:002003-02-14T07:25:05.760-08:00My father was an accountant. Sometimes he would refer to himself disparagingly as a "bean-counter."
I've known for years that I could never follow in my father's footsteps. I took one accounting class in college, more to humor my father than for any other reason. I scored the lowest grade of my undergraduate career.
I have what you might call an "artistic temperament," which is a polite way Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-890528442003-02-13T13:28:00.000-08:002003-02-13T13:28:40.130-08:00I was just talking to a fellow staffer about a committee meeting at 4PM this afternoon.
"You should come," I said. "Your input would be valuable."
"No way," he said. Seems that his Kronos schedule has him ending his workday at 4:30. As an hourly employee, he can't stay later than 4:30 without going into overtime. All overtime must be approved in advance. Merely making the request is Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-890483902003-02-13T11:57:00.000-08:002003-02-13T11:58:28.000-08:00A faculty member in the Theology Department recommends taking a look at this painting by Goya, which depicts Kronos devouring his children.
I also found this picture, which shows Kronos devouring his gummy bears.
Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-890376062003-02-13T08:08:00.000-08:002003-02-13T08:13:03.000-08:00Kronos promotes a focus on attendance, not work.
This is simply a matter of policy. The Kronos manual tells us to clock in and out to record attendance. Work is not mentioned.
Maybe that makes sense for butt-in-seat jobs. But if you work with your head, and not your butt, where does that leave you?
I asked a co-worker that question this morning. Her reply was succinct: "Disgruntled."
Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-889855272003-02-12T10:48:00.000-08:002003-02-12T10:50:33.000-08:00Earlier today, a faculty member in the English Department thanked me for writing this journal. She said that it was "articulate and insightful" as well as "a legitimate addition to the Kronos argument on campus."
Just now, a staff member in the Library Resource Center stopped me as I walked through the lobby. She also praised Pride Before Kronos.
Then she hit me with the following: "Do you Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-889731412003-02-12T06:26:00.000-08:002003-02-12T06:26:21.436-08:00A lot of the work I do happens in my head, not in the office.
Yesterday evening I spent some time answering e-mails. A faculty member asked me to look at his new website and give him some critical feedback.
So I did. But because I was at home, Kronos didn't see me.
This morning when I woke up, the first thing I thought about was a programming problem I've been wrestling with for the past Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-889126312003-02-11T06:41:00.000-08:002003-02-11T06:41:39.933-08:00Little by little time slips away
First the hour and then the day
Small at soon the loss appears
But soon it will amount to yearsEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-888553932003-02-10T08:08:00.000-08:002003-02-10T08:10:11.000-08:00One faculty member told me that he can't get a good parking space now that Kronos has been implemented. Presumably this is because so many staff members are now arriving at work on time.
I suppose that's a good effect of Kronos. There are probably lots of other good things about Kronos too. I recognize that. I don't want anyone to think I'm some crazed, ranting lunatic who can't see two Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-887187872003-02-07T11:02:00.000-08:002003-02-07T12:17:54.000-08:00There's nothing so refreshing as a bicycle ride on a cold and rainy morning.
You might think I'm complaining, but I'm not. I ride my bike to work every day, and I relish confronting the elements. It does wonders for my mental health. I enjoy seeing my neighborhood, especially in the morning. Children are going to school; work crews are arriving to continue the never-ending project of fixing Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-886514032003-02-06T07:31:00.000-08:002003-02-06T07:34:10.000-08:00It's time to bring out the big guns, or at least one big gun.
Perhaps the most serious criticism I can make is that Kronos encourages a sharp mental demarcation between my time and the university's time.
That's not how I see my job. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
I will write more on this theme over the next few weeks.Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-886181072003-02-05T16:17:00.000-08:002003-02-05T16:19:17.000-08:00 A member of the faculty has recommended Pride Before Kronos to the Faculty Association Executive Committee, as "interesting and insightful" reading.
This reminds me of another gripe against Kronos. As it's currently implemented, it increases the divide between staff and faculty.
Faculty don't use Kronos; staff must. With one notable exception.
There are a number of non-teaching faculty who Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-884832452003-02-03T10:25:00.000-08:002003-02-03T10:25:49.140-08:00A co-worker from another office on campus just called me. I don't believe I'd ever spoken with her before. But she called because she's read this weblog. She just wanted to say "thank you." She was happy to know that she and her officemates were not alone.
So we see that "Pride Before Kronos" is providing a valuable morale-booster for employees who feel degraded by the Kronos system.
Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-883284832003-01-31T07:05:00.000-08:002003-01-31T07:05:22.683-08:00So now I've been keeping this unrelentingly negative journal for a month.
I'm not a negative person by nature. I am starting to find this journal a little bit depressing.
Nevertheless, I think it is serving a purpose. It provides a focal point for me to articulate and catalog my concerns about Kronos. Perhaps some day I will be able to take all of this information, condense and revise it, Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-882700042003-01-30T07:10:00.000-08:002003-01-30T07:11:15.000-08:00Kronos has many aspects. I have glimpsed but one. I only use the telephone interface to punch in and out.
There is also a Web interface to Kronos. I haven't seen it; I don't believe I have sufficient administrative privileges. But I've heard about it.
The Web interface is what my boss uses to approve my recorded punches.
What does he see, I wonder, when he gazes into this face of Kronos, aEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-882144002003-01-29T09:18:00.000-08:002003-01-29T09:18:14.556-08:00This morning I got to wirk extra early, in part because I wanted to return a piece of equipment to the Media Center, on the floor below my office.
So I stopped by the Media Center on my way up, dropped off the equipment, and talked shop with Melvin Claverie for ten or twenty minutes.
When I got up to my office, I clocked into Kronos, and then it hit me: I didn't get any credit for the time I Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-881584312003-01-28T07:19:00.000-08:002003-01-28T07:19:48.590-08:00My coworker Ed Huffman writes in to give another perspective on Kronos:
"Those of us that are hourly are continually reminded that we MUST take a full hour lunch regardless of workload or other circumstances."
Complaining about a longer lunch? Has Ed gone mad?
But Ed further explains that our employer "doesn’t like to pay overtime." All overtime must now be approved in advance, and often Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-880984742003-01-27T07:03:00.000-08:002003-01-27T07:03:41.796-08:00My friend Mike Davis says he doesn't mind using a timekeeping system at the naval base where he works. But his reason is very revealing...
"Since we get paid overtime or comptime, it's nice, actually. If I work a couple hours extra today, I don't have to worry about calling or e-mailing anyone. The system keeps track of it."
This is further evidence that Kronos is more appealing to people whoEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-879730172003-01-24T12:17:00.000-08:002003-01-24T12:17:22.133-08:00My coworker Elizabeth Rhodes reports that people are now using the name 'Kronos' as a verb.
"Hold on a second, I gotta kronos, and then I'll be right with you."
Yes, this is how important Kronos has become to everyday life around here. A new word has entered the vernacular. It has changed the very way we talk. It's changed the way we think and behave.
I've heard people say that I shouldn't Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-878994622003-01-23T06:31:00.000-08:002003-01-23T06:31:29.683-08:00My friend Mike Davis (not to be confused with the basketball coach of the same name) says that they use time clocks at the naval base where he works as a software engineer. "Everyone has to clock in/out. I think it has more to do with the blue collar union not wanting their folk to be treated differently than the engineers."
Interesting. Here at the university where I work, there is no union Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-878430822003-01-22T07:14:00.000-08:002003-01-22T07:14:12.906-08:00My friend Lynn Winebarger suggests that Kronos will not be used to measure underperformance. "it's to get a gauge on how long tasks take you so they can consistently give you more than 40 hours of work a week without specifically mandating it."
This could work. I don't believe that it's on anyone's agenda today, but who knows what tomorrow may bring, or next year, or the year after that?
Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-877835812003-01-21T06:44:00.000-08:002003-01-21T06:44:32.210-08:00More than once, I've heard people from Human Resources attempt to soothe the concerns of exempt employees. "Don't worry about Kronos," they say. "Nobody will be looking at this information."
Sure, that makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? They don't want to look at this information. They just want to collect it and store it and not look at it.
In all fairness to the good folks in HR, I think Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-875360312003-01-16T07:24:00.000-08:002003-01-16T07:24:21.816-08:00I suppose some people may wonder about the name Kronos and why they've chosen that name for an automated timekeeping system.
Kronos (sometimes spelled Khronos or Chronos) was a god of ancient Greece. And Kronos was no minor, second-rate diety. He was the God of Time.
But the real reason that they named this timekeeping system after him is that Kronos had a nasty habit of eating his own Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-873548892003-01-13T07:14:00.000-08:002003-01-13T07:14:47.440-08:00I came in to work for a few hours Saturday but didn't write an entry because I was too busy. But here's what I thought about:
Working late or coming in on the weekend has never bothered me before. It's a part of the job. I'm not counting hours, after all: I'm a professional; I'm going to do what it takes to get the task done.
But somehow clocking in changes the way I feel. Suddenly, someoneEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-872199242003-01-10T07:04:00.000-08:002003-01-10T07:04:08.520-08:00I work with computers every day, to the point that people will introduce me as a "computer guy." I hate that term, but it makes the point that I am no technophobe. In fact, I'm fascinated by new technologies.
But the rapid deployment of technology throughout every sector of our society has its downside. In particular, I think we're all aware of the potential dehumanizing effects of technologyEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-871681002003-01-09T07:25:00.000-08:002003-01-09T07:25:56.366-08:00On my very first day at this job, three and a half years ago, I asked my boss what time I should come in each morning.
His response was that the precise time didn't matter. "Just be responsible," he said.
I think that's an excellent approach.
But if my boss isn't counting the hours, why should Kronos?Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-871234212003-01-08T10:41:00.000-08:002003-01-08T10:41:02.636-08:00I guess I've neglected to mention one important fact:
I am not an hourly employee!
I'm classified as "exempt." Exempt from what, you may ask?
Overtime.
That's right. Even if I work 80 hours a week, I still get paid the same amount.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
But it's all the more crazy that I should be required to clock in and clock out. No matter how many hours I work, my Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-870611552003-01-07T06:52:00.000-08:002003-01-07T06:52:39.000-08:00Oops. I forgot to "clock out" when I left my office yesterday evening. On honest mistake, but it puts me in a quandry.
Official policy dictates that I should report this oversight to our departmental "timekeeper" (my boss) who can make a correction to the record. But why should I bother him with this information? It's just more busywork for him. He's got more important things to do, and so Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-870086482003-01-06T07:13:00.000-08:002003-01-06T07:13:24.806-08:00I'm proud to work here. I believe in the mission of this university. I've been told that I could make more money at other universities or in the commercial sector. That may be true, but I don't think I'd have the same sense of pride that I have working here.
It's not just the mission of the university that inspires me. Ever since I started here, everyone -- all the faculty, the Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-868778462003-01-03T07:05:00.000-08:002003-01-03T07:05:03.000-08:00I guess my number one objection to Kronos is that it's insulting.
Years ago I used to work in a factory. I punched a timeclock there. And with all due respect to my good fellow workers on the production line, I hated it.
That's why I went back to school and got my graduate degree: to better my lot in life. To me, one of the markers of my success is that I don't have to punch a timeclock.
InEditor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4039547.post-868288922003-01-02T06:33:00.000-08:002003-01-02T06:37:36.000-08:00A new year, and a new policy is in effect at my workplace.
In accordance with the new policy, and with much trepidation and many misgivings on my part, I have just logged in to the Kronos Timekeeping System for the first time.
It's kind of like a punch clock. I just pick up the phone, dial a few numbers, and *beep* I've just punched in. I'm supposed to punch out when I go home. And I'm Editor Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14286531645512666137noreply@blogger.com0