Sentimental Sunday: Post #2091 - Other Duties As Assigned
I no longer work as the manager of the STARS store at my facility. I am okay with that fact. I ended up gaining more storage space and lots more time to work on other tasks than I had when the store was in my room. I also lost my Fridays without group treatment - that still rankles a bit, but you know - other duties as assigned...
That phrase is one that can get me into trouble. I am not an argumentative type, so if my boss asks me to do something outside of my usual job duties, I do it because of that phrase. There are some things, though, in my years at the facility, that I have refused to do due to ethical standards and professional expectations. I will not share those situations here, but suffice it to say that the administrators who asked for those tasks are no longer with the facility. (Turns out, they weren't being very ethical with others either...)
I have always been someone who goes above and beyond with my expectations of myself. I do not often need oversight or correction in my job roles and duties. I am very independent and prefer it that way, to be completely honest. I like having a boss who trusts me to do my job and stays out of my way. I am the expert on what music therapy is, so it is nice to work with someone who understands that I know what I can do with my education and training to further our facility mission. I try not to abuse that trust.
This summer, I will have to do things that I do not want to do. For example, we are having yet another field day type event on the first day of summer school. I was told that I had to participate. Now, I am on medications that make me prone to extreme sunburn. I have lungs that struggle in the humidity. I have to avoid airborne particulates of all sorts. So, heading outside to a modified color run is not something I can do without the increased risk of severe medical issues. So, I have offered alternatives for what I can do during that time. The person in charge is not someone who listens well, so I'm not sure what she is planning for me - she said something about medals, but I'm not sure what's happening with that.
We had a situation a couple of years back where the building leadership team (mainly extraverts who love a good party) decided that we were all going to go to the lake for a party at the end of the year. This was presented as a mandatory meeting. Due to my medical issues, I was unable to go. There were several attempts to guilt me into attending, but I could not, so I did not. I spent the time that they "met" at the lake in my office, working.
There are times when the well-being of an employee has to supercede the phrase, "other duties as assigned." In my case, I have documentation of my medical issues, and this upcoming color-type run hits all of my medical issues, so if I am forced to be outside in a dust-filled, sunny, hot field, I can sue the school if something happens to me.
As a music therapist, I have certain populations that I enjoy working with and others that I will never work with due to my life experiences and characteristics. This is the type of self-knowledge that allows me to be a music therapist all these years later. I know that hospice is not the place I can be as effective as in special education, and THAT'S OKAY. It is absolutely fine to be a person who has a clinical population that you do not want to work with. There is no reason why you have to work with everyone all the time.
If I worked for myself or for a music therapy business, I might not have the ability to select the contracts that I covered for that business. If I ever work for such a business, I hope that they will be able to understand that I have limits to the types of clients that I can assist as a therapist. If not, then I will have to find employment someplace else.
Currently, I need to get dressed to go do one of those "other duties as assigned" - that of Sunday School teacher - on the last week of my church job. I missed last week due to my illness. I'm not sure how much I will be able to sing without coughing today, but I am going to see. Happy Sunday, all.
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