Thanks for Staying Cake

Where is that emo Alanis Morrisette when you need her? Because I got some shit that’s pretty ironic she should sing about.

We do a silly thing at work called “Thanks for Staying” cake. Probably close to 7 years ago now, there was a bitch session with some of the folks at my work after we’d had cake to celebrate someone’s departure. “Hey! Why do we have cake when people leave? Shouldn’t we have cake when people stay?”

And thus a tradition was born.

It’s a silly gesture that in no way makes up for what folks at my job give up to be there. But it’s an effort on the part of the leadership team to show that people who stay on are appreciated “We can’t change your work, we can’t change your pay, but here’s some sugar that says you’re important.”

It’s mock worthy if someone’s so inclined, but it really comes from a pure place. The entire leadership team contributes and hopes everyone knows that they are valued. We seem to really key in to the need for this event in times like we’re in right now. Times when there’s been a mini exodus of workers and those left behind are feeling more and more pressure.

My cake ordering has been dialed in for a few years. It’s always been smooth. I followed my same protocol this time. My Alanis moment came when the store called me 2 days before cake to advise of the following: “We’re sorry. We’re not going to be able to fill your order. We are too short staffed to do custom cakes.”

My “thanks for staying cakes”?! A little too ironic, don’t you think?

Never fear, there’s a solution. Cake day will still happen, but it just sheds a little light on the big picture of employment right now.

I went to Oregon a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of seat time. I was stunned about all the places that had giant signs up looking for workers. My ass is old enough that I’ve cruised through a couple recessions. Times when people were begging for work and it just wasn’t there. And now, Child Welfare, cake bakers, mechanics, and more just can’t fill spots. It’s wild.

I expect the world will get back to some version of normal. I’m not sure when or what the long term implications will be, but pendulum swings are inevitable.

In the meantime, it makes me even more appreciative of those at my work. Every single person that works there is capable of making money some easier way. They are all bright strong individuals.

That being said, it’s clearly not the money that makes them stay. There’s a lot of reasons people are drawn to the work that we do; personal experience, attempts at altruism, a need to be constantly challenged, to name a few.

The reasons they stay are just as varied; sense of family with coworkers, personal sense of responsibility, mortgages, whatever.

Sometimes whatever drew them to the work is no longer enough. And that’s okay too. Child welfare is not something that just anyone can do or sustain. There’s no shame in that.

But those of us who can’t imagine what it would be like to have a normal job stay on. And in times like these, it’s really easy to get toxic about the situation. Negativity takes less work. Remaining positive requires us to look at what we can control, maintain our physical health, set boundaries with those who just can’t seem to stop bitching. That’s a lot of work at a time when everyone already has a lot of work.

These times suck, but it will get better. It always does. One of the things about the machine that is child welfare is that it will go on regardless of barriers in it’s way. There’s no new crop of cyborg county workers headed our way, but pendulum swings are inevitable.

So in the meantime, buckle up, check on your friends, eat your cake and know none of it can stop you from choosing every day to do great things.

Thanks for reading!