I have a shooting pain in my right hand. It’s coming from the throbbing vein, the main one that connects to the index, middle and ring finger. It hurts when I type, when I use the mouse, when I drum my fingers in exasperation. And it’s precisely because I have been doing those things so much – typing, mousinng and drumming – that caused the hurt.
The ergonomics team came to my work area (glorified cube) over the weekend. Yes, the company has a team dedicated to ergonomics. They rearranged and adjusted all the implements of my modern serfdom so that I can maximize my output. The chair was lowered, the monitored scooted forward, the keyboard realigned, and now I have to learn how to use the mouse with my left hand. It’s a good thing for them. They don’t want me to have work-related injuries; by spending so much time (more than 70% of my days) applying repetitive and unnatural pressure on my joints, there is some risk of injury, and I think the lawyers have made it clear that lawsuits stemming from backaches, joint pains and carpal tunnel syndrome are not in the company’s best interest.
And it’s not only my hand that’s throbbing. The honeymoon is wearing off. Today, I forgoed the 7 am gym time to catch another hour of sleep. And while all the products have been great, the size of the organization has led to some typical frustrations. People are used to working in silos, and like little fiefdoms, they guard their domains like over-indulged barons. This had led to an excess of meetings with vague conclusions, and increasingly, I see my role as someone to cut through the bullshit. It’s not a role I cherish, but to get my job done, I’ll have to step on some toes. Perhaps that’s why they hired me.