Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols

Chapter 310: Variety Show Tour (2)

It was a time when Manager Song was just about to complete her first year at the Hanpyeong Industry.

When I went to Manager Song, who was sitting at her desk, having skipped lunch, with a few things to eat, she was sighing deeply in front of a blank piece of paper.

‘Are you trying to write a resignation letter, Manager Song?’

‘What are you talking about, Assistant Manager!’

I asked in horror, but the document Manager Song had to write was even worse than a resignation letter.

‘A job description sheet?’

The gist was this. The Hanpyeong Industry, according to its internal regulations, was supposed to negotiate salaries every year after employment, but just as it was time for Manager Song to negotiate her salary, the company was hit with a lot of fines, and the management’s mood soured.

Naturally, the CS team and the management support division, which did not generate revenue, were treated as money-draining holes. For Management Support, tightening belts became the only job.

In this situation, Manager Nam took the lead in tightening the belt to ease the management’s worries. By making Manager Song the scapegoat.

‘He said there were not enough grounds to raise my salary… Rather, he said that unless I had worked for the full 8 hours, the company should be the one to make a claim, and told me to write down my work details in minute-by-minute units.’The HR team’s day was a bit special. There were days when there were interviewees and days when there weren’t, weeks when there were new employees and weeks when there weren’t, and months when there was a reorganization and months when there wasn’t.

Even if there were routine tasks, the area they covered was so broad that the fewer the personnel, the more unquantified tasks had to be handled together.

It was common to be on the phone for over 20 minutes. There were also days when I had to leave a missed call every 30 minutes over 8 hours because I couldn’t get through to a company I absolutely had to contact. In short, a stable work environment was hard to guarantee.

Manager Song, the youngest employee on the team, often did the tasks that I or Assistant Manager Hwang asked her to do on the spot. Of course, there were times when she had free time, but at those times, Manager Song didn’t waste her time, doing things like organizing the pantry that no one cared about or organizing the piled-up documents.

But if she wrote things like this, she would surely be told, ‘Is organizing the pantry Manager Song’s main job? If you spend 5 minutes on that every day, that’s 25 minutes a week and 100 minutes a month!’

I gave Manager Song the snacks I had bought and took the paper.

‘Our team’s job description is my responsibility, so I’ll write it for you. You can do other work, Manager Song.’

‘What?’

‘I’m the one who gives you work, so it’s right for me to write it. The senior evaluates the new employee and intern’s work, don’t they? You didn’t receive a separate self-evaluation form, did you?’

‘No…’

‘Things are not usually done this way, it seems something got messed up. I’ll talk to the team leader. Let’s talk again once it’s sorted out.’

And then I got into a huge fight with the team leader. I went at him without taking a breath, asking if it made sense for the HR team, of all teams, to handle things this way, if it wasn’t too much to have hired only one person after three had left, and how the team leader, of all people, who knew the internal situation, could pretend not to know so perfectly.

‘Do you think Manager Song is worth her money, Assistant Manager Kim?’

In the relationship between a company and an employee, money was inevitably involved.

But when I realized that there was really ‘nothing but money’ in that relationship, and when I learned that there was nothing a company wouldn’t say to devalue an employee—I still couldn’t forget the feeling I felt back then.

* * *

“Really… I’m at a loss for words at the dismal state of modern society.”

I managed to say. Everyone was busy laughing after seeing my distressed face.

“What do you think, Mr. Iwol?”

I was given the opportunity to speak. I recalled kindness, a smile, and a gentle tone, and said.

“I express my regret at the company’s narrow-mindedness. I’m worried they might lose a valuable talent over a few pennies.”

“Hyung!”

Jeong Seongbin grabbed my arm.

It’s okay, let go. I have a lot to say.

“I believe the biggest problem in this situation lies with the superior.”

“Are you saying that the superior should have stepped up and actively mediated?”

“Not really. A superior can’t directly decide on a subordinate’s salary, can they? What they can do is evaluate performance.”

I suppressed my boiling anger.

“Although there is a problem with the HR team’s base conduct, I believe it’s the superior who makes it possible for an employee to be recognized for their fair value. But since the company is said to be unable to even properly grasp the workload, it seems the superior is not fulfilling their role.”

“Mr. Iwol, you’re not cursing with your eyes, are you?”

“Haha, of course not!”

My head throbbed.

Take HR, for example. Do they really think adults can’t tell when they’re being tested? How much of a fool do they take us for? Isn’t it the HR manager’s role to properly coordinate the positions of the employee and the company?

In the studio, the discussion on what the sender should do continued.

“How about requesting a serious consultation with the superior? To raise an objection about whether the evaluation they received is reasonable.”

Not a good idea. That superior likely had no clue what the sender and their colleague were doing. If you tell such a person, ‘I’m working hard too,’ you’ll just end up writing a minute-by-minute work status report like Manager Song.

“Now that you know the company values tasks like reporting more highly, how about the sender works a little harder this year and aims for a salary increase next year?”

Change the already established work because of a performance evaluation? Will that work?

Besides, raises were based on last year’s performance. If last year’s achievements went unrewarded, your motivation’s already crushed. And now they want you to pin your hopes on next year and grind through again? I couldn’t do that.

After a long deliberation, I opened my mouth.

“If I were the sender… I know you must be very busy! But I’d like to recommend you try preparing for a new job.”

“A new job?”

“Whoa, that’s a bit extreme.”

The reaction to my opinion was split in two. With surprise and the response that I was overreacting. However, I did not bend my will.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to change jobs. I just want the sender to be aware that there are other paths besides their current company. From what I heard, it didn’t seem like there was anyone who could listen to the sender and solve the frustrating situation.”

“That’s true. The colleague must be feeling awkward too.”

One of the MCs agreed with my words. However, the worried Jeong Seongbin still had a face full of concern.

“Should the sender just endure HR’s probing until they resign?”

“The moment the sender requests a resignation consultation, the HR team will be the one at a disadvantage.”

At my words, everyone in the studio burst out laughing. Why is everyone laughing? Isn’t the most important role of the HR team to grab onto the pants of the person who is trying to leave?

“What really angered me was the fact that the company was trying to devalue the sender’s abilities even though they clearly acknowledged them. If the sender was really subject to a salary freeze because they lacked ability, the company wouldn’t have tried to persuade them. They must have done this because they need the sender but want to save money somehow.

I think it’s a very inconsiderate act, so rather than staying in a company that mistreats its employees, I hope the sender finds a new company that recognizes them more.”

Even though I’d seen countless companies on the job planet, yet couldn’t leave the Hanpyeong Industry myself—at least the sender should find a better place.

“Mr. Iwol, you’re so young, how do you empathize so well in so many different ways?”

“Because my MBTI is N. I think it’s because I get immersed in an instant!”

“If it’s N, then that’s understandable!”

After passing off the sharp question with the all-purpose problem-solver, MBTI, it was time to organize the final solution to be sent to the sender.

“How about Mr. Iwol gives the solution this time!”

“I will do my best with all my heart.”

I checked to see if my posture was upright and said, looking at the camera.

“To the sender, who must have gone through a lot of hardship! I am worried that your self-esteem might have been lowered due to the unfortunate incident. But I was also impressed—you calmly tried to express your position, even in a tough spot. The way you sought ways to grow despite the frustration taught me something, too.”

First, I hoped that the sender’s heart, which must have suffered from stress, would be comforted even a little.

“I would like to recommend quiet quitting or changing jobs. It’s the most ideal to work hard in a company that recognizes you, but I hope you don’t overwork yourself in a place that doesn’t recognize the value of your labor. Since you seem ambitious, I think moving on to a new job is better than just quietly stepping away.”

To this, I added a strategy I’d wanted to try myself but never could. Hoping that at least the sender would succeed in resigning.

“There’s a saying that the company goes on even without one person, right? I also think that’s right. But the company won’t go on ‘very well.’ As a gap is created, people will look for the person who has been silently and diligently doing their job, and the company will expect any new person who comes in to perform as well as the sender. I hope you get the unpaid salary at the new company, and the unrecognized recognition from the previous company after you’ve left.”

My words were long and rambling. But I had to say this too.

“Lastly, this is something I’ve even said on our livestream: If it really becomes unbearable, and your company is devaluing your labor while pushing for an unfair negotiation—contact the Ministry of Employment and Labor consultation center! Dial 1350, no area code needed! And don’t forget that the best revenge is to succeed after leaving the company!”

“Is Mr. Iwol originally this kind of character?”

Jeong Seongbin, who had seen the MCs’ flustered expressions, was diligently pulling on my arm. Regardless, I did not bend my argument until the end.