I have the chance to observe the working conditions and requirements of hundreds of companies and I am not so sure that it is not time to consider an IT Technician’s Union.
From what I have scene for the most part, IT technicians are treated deplorably by their employers and bosses.
Often, a short sited or tight fisted management decides to cut the IT budget. Upgrades are put on hold and the tech department is supposed to keep it held together with bailing wire and Band-Aids.
Techs end up working 9-12 hour days and then be on call for the rest of the night. Often they come in the next morning to a hostile crowd and or management. The smaller the company the worse this cycle seems to be.
Under paid and understaffed IT departments are not given time to update their skills in this reactionary environment.
Perhaps this isn’t how the IT shops are run at Microsoft, Oracle, IBM or Sun but at Average job USA this seems to be a growing norm.
Anthony Scarpelli, MBA
Scarpelli Consulting
www.tonyscarpellicompany.com