Good morning lovely readers! There is a lot of heavy stuff going on in the world today. Initially I was going to give it a few days before I posted, but I figured somebody might look over here to dig up a ray of sunshine, so I will try to keep things light.
In response to yesterday’s post Cave says:
“Wow, that is quite the rollercoaster. Sorry you had to go through those hardships, but congratulations on making it through! Although I can’t imagine how difficult that decision was, thank you so much for answering my question.”
Thanks Cave. The decision to become a Mailgirl is never an easy one. Exposed, vulnerable, and on display, until you build up your mental armor it is incredibly difficult. Doing what we do is never easy, and for FREE was so much worse. But I needed the credits and it was only for two months, with the promise of a real job afterwards and the savings for a summer semester it made too much sense fiscally not to do.
But that is leadership. Business leaders have to make tough decisions and see them through. That’s one of the reasons you are starting to see former Mailgirls transition to corporate officers. After just one contract you are mentally tough, organized, efficient, and able to make sound decisions.
The only thing harder than starting is following through, then maybe deciding to sign up for the same thing all over again.
I hope that answers you question Cave. Keep reading!
Now that was not as light as I thought it would be (I dug up a few memories I would rather forget. Let’s move on to the next question.
Roobarbandcustard asks:
“…Why are sneakers (trainers in UK) not used in your profession? You state that it is the one item you miss. Surely it would increase efficiency, safety and productivity if they were worn.”
I agree with you Roobarbandcustard, efficiency and safety would definitely increase with a pair of trainers (I love that name), and my productivity would increase, but would the rest of the office?
The going theory is no. A Mailgirl uniform visually and immediately separates them from the rest of the staff. When you see a janitor or a security guard in the same setting you treat them appropriately to the uniform. Mailgirls are the same way. As a friend used to say “When on the clock we are not office workers, we are office equipment.” So the standard uniform without deviation is preferred.
In addition to that there is the aesthetic concern. Some people like bare feet. Like really, really like feet. Search the internet for feet and you will see some sights. LOL.
But just as a male or female coworker may be sexually aroused at the seeing a naked woman others just like the feet. I’ve had coworkers who liked to watch my feet as I knelt at rest, watch me wash them while in the shower, and watch me rub them when they started to hurt. And these piddies can get quite sore.
One guy I thought was incredibly shy. He never looked at my body, eyes always down. Until I followed his eyes and realized he was staring at my feet. I would make him smile by wiggling my toes. Always got good reviews from him after that.
The first company I worked at did allow ankle socks and sneakers while there was construction going on in a different part of the building, there were scared about someone stepping on a nail and suing. But once the construction was done it was back to bare feet (along with the rest of me).
I suppose if I pushed the matter, got a doctor’s note or something, they would probably allow it. I knew a Mailgirl who tried wearing contacts but they kept irritating her eyes, so they let her wear glasses with a strap on them like basketball players do. Maybe I could say I’m getting fallen arches or something…
…But I won’t. I’m a professional.
The Mailgirl aesthetic brings a certain element to any corporate office; This is a company that makes money, this company has a progressive social environment, this company is ahead of the curve, etc. My bare feet play a little part in that and I am happy to contribute to its success.
While shoes would increase my productivity it might reduce the performance of the rest of the office, which defeats the purpose (see what I did there?).
So yes, while I miss shoes I would stick with the standard uniform unless that changed.
I hope that answers your question Roobarbandcustard.
That’s it for today, kiddies! Be safe out there and remember, health and efficiency matters!
Thanks again for sharing Six. May I ask? What was your most unforgettable memory in the first and last year? If that is too personal, then what type of clothing do you like to wear when off duty and when you go outside?
A different perspective on this, from “Five Mailgirls”:
“What about shoes?” Mr. Yang said. He spoke with a Cantonese accent, being from the South. “These girls spend the whole day running. It would be good branding if visitors could see them wearing Zhe-lings.” Zhe-lings were a popular line of running shoes produced by a Hsa affiliate in Yang’s home town of Guangzhou.
“I am aware of that opportunity,” Ms. Ling said, “but bare feet is much better. We save on footwear, and studies have shown that there is actually more risk of sprains if sneakers are worn. Footwear tends to weaken the natural tendons. Running in bare feet restores them to their natural strength, critical when turning up stairs and dodging past people in hallways. Also the girls are trained to run on the balls of their feet, which reduces shock to the spine.”
“Toe stretching and other exercises are preliminaries to being accepted into the program,” Mr. Chen said. “Also in a short time the soles get toughened. I understand that in three years not a single Mailgirl has reported so much as a splinter, let alone any ankle sprains or stubbed toes.”
“I understand also that psychologically the girls have to realize that they are fully naked,” Ms. Ling continued. “And being shod one actually feels partly clothed. Further, though their soles get very tough — by a certain point they can walk on nails or broken glass — they also get very sensitive. There was one case where a Mailgirl reported a warm floor and it turned out the boiler below was overheating. Another time unusual vibrations, detectable through the floor only by a barefoot Mailgirl, alerted staff to an elevator issue.”