The casual crime at Christmas

The season has not been as insane as it used to be during past Christmases. Perhaps it has to do with economic difficulties, deference to recent calamities or people deciding to put their money to better use.

Very few of the major companies have gone out of their way to splurge or allow alcohol induced stupidity to once again bring putrid color to corporate life and socials.

Sadly in spite of all the annual efforts exerted at achieving corporate correctness, many organizations still overlook the annual mortal sin, the annual pain and injury, and strange loss of opportunity to even things out.

Just think about it. Many companies take time to donate to charity. Some spend thousands if not several hundred thousand pesos in food, beverage, entertainment and of course the much sought after RAFFLES!

We ourselves even make contributions to the barangay security party, give presents or cash gifts to the garbage collector, the newspaper boy, the mailman, even the people who only bring bad news in the form of electric bills, phone bills, etc.

What about the CASUALS?

YES, WHAT ABOUT THE CASUALS IN YOUR COMPANY, IN YOUR OFFICE, UNDER YOUR DEPARTMENT?

What about the people who don’t stand a chance in hell at becoming regular employees so they could at least have full medical and social security benefits. The driver, janitor, PA, fax attendant etc. who make do with the pittance they are paid with, always wondering if after the next five months and a half they might not even have a job?!

Yes, even in the glorified realm of television, the people you know as talents, personalities who don’t have real contracts as regular employees are treated as CASUALS.

Every year they go through 11 months of false hope, little recognition, and treated as necessary labor. And every Christmas we gift them with exclusion and discrimination.

Unlike many unappreciative regulars who impatiently expect their 13th month pay, the CASUALS and TALENTS get zip! They’re right beside you at work. Working with you or working for you.

This week they might just as well be in the hills of Bicol or Kabul helping people who would really appreciate them, because this week they know that once again they will not be part of those BLESSED children of management who will get a 13th month pay.

They would be very happy if they got even just a small cash gift while you get a 14th or 15th bonus. But they won’t because they’re casuals or Talents.

I’ve known times back when I used to be a TALENT, when I felt that calling us LEPERS around Christmas might at least put dramatic flair to the painful insult that companies mindlessly do to us.

For many years, I limited my time inside the company around this week because everyone talking about BONUS and 13th month pay was equivalent to listening to a chorus for 8 hours telling you, YOU’RE NOT FAMILY!

Just once a year, at Christmas time wouldn’t it be a lot better if we ALL went home ALL blessed?

If you’re a manager, could you at least reflect on this and ask everyone if they would rather eat like pigs, sing like frogs, and puke thousands of pesos in gross alcoholic indulgence while we send home the casuals and talents mortally wounded because they had been excluded for another year?!

You may have issues with rich people who are members of several country clubs, but I know that part of their membership fees cover Christmas parties and gifts to less fortunate employees. If they don’t CHUCK the card cause their not worth your spit.

Did it ever occur to you how many times we the CASUALS relived the story of Ebenezer Scrooge when officemates gleefully and greedily tossed the Christmas ham the company gave them? A ball of pork fat cheaply acquired yet being tossed around, a floating reminder that "we don’t belong."

Did you stop to think how many meals your sack of rice would feed the casual employees’ family, something you don’t have and won’t exchange for your career? You’ll ultimately share it with a mouse, a lizard, or a couple of cockroaches and of course your less fortunate maids. But not the kids of your "CASUAL" officemate or helper.

Until we really stop and think NONE AND NO ONE has the right to use slogans about having a heart or being family. Don’t talk about corporate social responsibility or being citizens of the world. Don’t even talk about fighting for animal rights if you haven’t done much about equality and sensitivity.

Ask yourselves: which one am I?

Am I the selfish, self absorbed kid thinking about all the goodies I’m going to have this Christmas? or can I stop to think of all the things the CASUALS AND TALENTS did for me, did for us, gave to us all the days of the year? What can I give back in return?

At the very least. Be kind.