Sad times in Antarctica - Corporate Culture v/s Mad Science
A really sad thing to read about. Science at outposts has always been scrupulously accurate but the scientific culture there has always been a bit crazy. I am sitting here tonight wearing a sweatshirt from
WHOI where I took a bunch of classes while attending Boston University for Physical Oceanography. I had the good fortune to spend a lot of time on ships and two months (Jan and Feb) down on the island of Bimini. A lot of great science and a lot of wonderful fun. The Seacrest Bar and bonefishing after the bars closed. Great people, great fun.
I read this today from
Stuff.NZ:
Jelly-wrestling leader sacked
A weekend jelly-wrestling bout in the Antarctica has cost the organiser his job.
The evening of jelly wrestling at McMurdo Base was uncovered the following day by a high-powered delegation from the United States Office of the Inspector General, which audits the National Science Foundation - funder of the programme.
The organiser of last month's jelly wrestling, which was held in a vehicle maintenance facility and attended by New Zealanders from neighbouring Scott Base, was sacked the following week.
The incident also led to an urgent all-staff meeting where the US Antarctic Programme workers were read the riot act and given a stern lecture on their collective moral failure, with other activities involving nudity cited as further examples.
In an email sent to all the staff, the sacked jelly-wrestling organiser threatened to file a suit for wrongful termination as well as lamenting the way the US programme was now run by Raytheon Polar Services and the "fun nazis".
"I will just say that I was terminated for having harmless jello wrestling," he said in the email.
"No-one was injured (five medevacs from the company-sponsored softball game), no equipment was abused or damaged, no-one complained to HR, there was no inappropriate behaviour, clothing, or nudity (though the Polar Plunge just hours before the jello event had plenty of nudity but no-one got fired or reprimanded for doing that!)."
The incident has highlighted the culture clash between the Raytheon Polar managers, many of whom are ex-military, and the staff, who may have been working on the ice for many years and do it out of commitment to the programme.
Another staff member, who has done five stints at McMurdo, said all the fun was being sucked out of working in the Antarctic.
"Each time we go down, the place just seems more and more emotionally beat down," he said in a posting on a website.
"Every trip, there are more and more rules, restrictions and guidelines that seem designed to take all the life out of the place and make it more like a unionised auto factory.
"Yes, I know it is a workplace, but they are sucking all the fun out of the place."
This is downright Fsckd.
The people were fired for a game of jelly wrestling and not for failing to do their jobs. It is a workplace but it is not a workplace 24/7 and these people have time off and need to have recreation, eat, take time off and sleep.
Like the article said, no injuries, no complaints, no damage to company property.
Only a few visiting ninnies that got their knickers in a bunch and had to call their mommies...
Fscking corporate Pussies!@#$
Posted by DaveH at February 6, 2009 10:16 PM