A Busy Week at Greenfield: Jobs, People and the Workplace

Greenfield is a small start-up in the telecommunications industry. The proprietor, Mr. Chen, started the enterprise ten years ago with only three workers. Today it has grown into a well-known corporate firm with more than three hundred staff. Most employees say the workplace is friendly and safe.

Every worker has a clear duty and responsibility. The management and the managerial team meet every Thursday to check the weekly workload. The manager, Mrs. Lin, always gives a straight and smooth briefing. She never tolerates absenteeism, and she records every unplanned absence on a work sheet.

The company needs people in many kinds of occupations. The receptionist greets visitors at the front desk. The cashier handles small payments. The cleaner keeps the office tidy. The porter carries heavy boxes, and the courier delivers parcels. The driver drives the company vehicle to the warehouse.

Greenfield also employs a programmer, a marketer and a software tester. The programmer writes user-friendly code. The marketer plans the marketing for each new commercial. The tester checks every tool and instrument before the product is sold.

Because the firm is growing, the human resources team has many openings. Every applicant sends a resume and a short letter. The best candidate is invited for an appointment. Before a new recruit is hired, the committee checks the procedure and the process very carefully.

Greenfield offers a fair salary and a good wage. The payroll is paid on time every month. Hardworking employees can get a raise and overtime pay. The company also gives small perks, such as a free lunch and health insurance. A part-time worker is paid by the hour.

The firm has a union, and every member is a loyal supporter of it. The union protects the rights of the staff and all the personnel. If the company wants a lay-off or a dismissal, the union must be told first. No one wants redundancy, a sudden stoppage, or a strike.

Next door there is a big factory and a mill that process raw wheat into flour. There is also a cannery that packs fruit. This industrial area shows how an industrialized city makes things. Manufacturing and commerce keep the town busy all year.

Across the street there is a bank that handles everyday banking. The bank teller helps customers transact their business. A Swiss client came to open a new account last week. The bank also has a small non-commercial team that advises students and offers a free consultancy service.

Greenfield's law firm handles non-litigation work for the company, such as contracts and matters for the board of directors. A judge and a jury are not needed in these cases. The firm's creditor is patient, and the accounting team tracks every commission and fee.

Some employees have unusual careers outside the office. One coworker is an amateur actress who performs in a local theater. Another colleague is an athlete who plays football at the weekend, and a referee watches every game. A third workmate plays the violin and draws comic strips as a hobby.

The office manager once said, "I want to fill every open position with the right person." The recruitment team looks for a good fellow, a friendly companion and a strong peer. They also check each candidate's major and specialty at school.

In the town, a young man named Tom is an astronaut in training. His sister is a nurse. She works in nursing and is also a caregiver for the elderly. His uncle is a carpenter, and his aunt is a foreman at the mill. His neighbor is a firefighter, and another is a police officer.

Tom's grandfather worked as a sailor when he was young. He later became a bus conductor, and then a postman. Now he is retired. He says retirement is a splendid time, and he will never starve because his pension is paid on time.

The town council has a new member, a senator who once worked as an interpreter. She speaks at every workshop in the town. People like her diplomatic way of talking. A reporter from the local news station writes about her speeches.

Greenfield does not have overstaffing; in fact, it is sometimes understaffed. So it may outsource some operating tasks to a small agency. The operator of the big machine is an experienced worker, and the inspector checks the whole line every morning.

Last year the firm hired an attendant for the staff canteen, and every attendee at the big meeting got a free lunch. A clerk does all the clerical work. The manual of the machine sits on the work bench near the exit.

A temporary worker helps when the team is busy. The company also offers placement to students from the vocational school. Many young people learn a profession and become professional workers who do their job professionally.

One day the accountant noticed a small theft of office supplies. The police came, and the case went before a judge. The judge said the firm should undo the harm and tighten its rules. A new security officer now patrols the site every night.

There is a big agricultural fair in the town every autumn. Farmers bring wheat and man-made tools. A merchant sells Swiss cheese, and a transporter brings goods from the mill. The tourism office says the fair attracts many visitors. The council hopes it will bring more trade next year.

The founder will inaugurate a new office next month. He plans to promote the hardworking foreman to a higher managerial rank. This raise will please his whole family. He will also announce a new opening, because the firm is starting a small desk for insurance and everyday banking.

The boss also remembers his own past. His father was a pilot who flew a transporter plane. His mother was a zoo keeper. As a boy, Chen liked to ride his skateboard to school. Soon he learned that steady work could stop a family from being unemployed.

Now the town's employment rate is high, so unemployment is low. Every year the firm records its staff turnover. The owner runs a sole proprietorship, and he plans a new venture with a design studio of medium size next year.

Every employee has an obligation to be honest. A new worker must practice the safety procedure again and again. One clerk runs a daily errand to post the letters at the post office, and she notes the outside job on her sheet. A substitute worker fills in when someone is ill.

Greenfield jobs are well-paid, so workers can afford a car and a weekly wash for their vehicle. The staff room has artificial flowers on the desk. After work, some staff join extracurricular clubs. In a calm moment, an old worker's hand twitches from years of hard labor. Next door, a nurse gives advice on family planning and abortion care. She is a quiet supporter of health education.

Some people ask why a story about the workplace talks about so many things. The answer is simple: a job touches every part of life. A cleaner, an actress, an athlete, an astronaut, a senator and a sailor all share one thing: they work. Work is a major part of who we are, and a good job is a splendid undertaking.