What is the point of showing up on time at work? So many of my coworkers don’t. Five minutes is usual for several. Fifteen is normal for one. Not even a “my car wouldn’t start” or “sorry”. Every day. Every week. Late is normal.

Why do I get upset about it? Maybe I should start showing up late, but I wasn’t raised that way. It seems like cheating. If we are paid to work 40 hours, I think we should at least be here 40 hours.

But then there are plenty of people who just show up for 40 hours and don’t actually do anything.

Government jobs aren’t like private sector jobs. It is hard to get fired. It is more likely that low performing people will get transferred rather than fired. They will get shuffled off another department or another division.

I had a coworker who was amazingly inept. I have never ever encountered someone who worked as slowly and as badly. He took twice as long to do half as much work, and he screwed that half up. I and others constantly had to fix his mistakes.

Because we are civil service, we would have to be taken to court to be fired. This is good in a way – it means we can’t lose our jobs the moment a new Mayor or Governor gets elected. Sometimes it is dangerous to root for the wrong political party.

But it also means that if you have an employee who is doing very badly, he gets to keep his job. It also means that if you have an employee who is doing very well, he won’t get a raise. It cuts both ways. Mediocrity is encouraged.

There is no incentive to do well. There is no incentive to train or learn more. There is no incentive to do anything more than the average. You’ll get paid the same as the slacker.