Labor “etiquette” and labor-management issues

This post has been a while in developing.

Not too long after I relocated to my “not fully desired, not at all looked for” — on either job or city location side — current spot, about three months ago, I had already indicated I didn’t plan on pitching a tent here for too long.

My best friend talked about “job etiquette” and what was a “reasonable” time to stay. Of course, I’ve already had eyes and ears open, but I said, given the fact I was downsized out of my previous job through no fault of my own, I thought six months was plenty.

Well, let me add to that.

Given the fact that the job I interviewed for, the job posted on a job bank, is NOT the job I was offered, and that I’m not even sure the posted job was OPEN/AVAILABLE at the time (I never heard, within my current newspaper’s ownership group, or state press association, about it being filled), I think six months was too generous.

That said, obviously, unless I had taken that job at the Focus, nothing was likely to open up right around Dallas, in traditional newspaper journalism. (Of course, I’m more looking outside that than inside that now… environmental activism, for example, would be a prime target area.)

But, this has made me reflect. How much of “labor etiquette” is really dictates that came down from the management side, got blended with the Calvinist work ethic opiate of the masses, and sold as timeless social truth?

At least 50 percent, in my book.