That being said, when I first began working, women wore dresses to work, and men suits. Jeans were unheard of in the workplace, except for occasionally in the “factory,” and even then, gabardine was the material of choice. Personally I have overcome differences is dress code, simply by wearing what everyone else wears—sometimes before they wear it. I have worked in the laboratory since 1964. I probably invented the wearing of jeans in this environment, since most women (there were very few of us) wore lab coats over dresses back then. Because I was too poor to replace my good clothes, ruined despite the lab coat, I took to wearing jeans to work. My colleagues, both male and female, soon followed. Today, some women wear what I would consider to be “evening attire” to the office. Most do not, however. To date, I have yet to see the “ripped jeans” look in the office, even on “dress-down Fridays.”
Although the lines of propriety have blurred, I don’t feel that ethics have changed all that much; what was unethical in my day—still is. Individual relationships have changed to the extent that today one can have “friends” of the opposite sex, without there being innuendo that something is “going on” between them. Colleagues were colleagues—then and now—and bosses were bosses.
Regarding the influx of new technology, some older workers still don’t “get it,” but I have been among those to use and make use of new technology before many others, older and younger, in my workplace. Doing laboratory work may be the underlying cause, however. When working with analytical instruments where technology is dynamic and upgradable, one has to be on top of what’s new to survive in the workplace. I was among the first to dump my 8 track for a cassette deck, and the cassette deck for a CD, and later DVD and MP3 players. New software and programs have posed no real challenge, nor have new technologies in analytical instruments. I believe education is the key. “When all else fails, read the manual.” As a proponent of lifelong learning, I feel that continuing education should be mandated for all workers during their entire careers.
Teamwork is exciting and gratifying to me; two (or more) heads are better than one. The burdens of completing a task are divided relatively equally among team members, rather than loaded onto one person’s shoulders. This is an improvement in working methodology. It makes the organization as a whole more efficient, but I am still waiting for the day when teams are financially rewarded based on team performance.
As to safety, I believe safety is everyone’s responsibility. It is management’s job to train employees in safe handling of chemicals, equipment, and the like. It is employee’s responsibility to ensure they follow safety rules, for their own safety and those of their coworkers. How would someone aware of hazards in the workplace, unless they have been educated along these lines? Laboratorians in my workplace are required to take various classes in safety, handling, and hazard awareness each year. This is vital to maintaining a safe workplace. EH&S, although some of us resent its interference occasionally, is an important and necessary asset to every organization.
References
Anonymous. (n.d.). Born before 1945: A humorous look at the
http://crab.rutgers.edu/~deppen/born45.htm.,
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