ALL EMPLOYERS WOULD LOVE their employees to have his attitude towards work.
Pine Hill Dairy forklift driver Wellington Greene says he loves work.
“Work is not hard; it is people’s attitude that makes it hard. You only have eight hours on the job . . . . Do what is required of you in that time and head home,” Greene said.
Greene’s attitude and his approach won him the Chief Executive Officer’s Award Of Excellence and Employee Of The Year 2011 for Banks Holdings Limited. In addition, he has won the Employee Of The Month award six times during his ten years with the company.
He said that years ago while working at a block-building company he had to do everything – drive the forklift, fix the machines and supervise the workers – and when he left that company and went to Banks Holdings Limited, he brought that mentality with him.
He said that there were some fellow workers who did not want to do any work – but he, at the end of the day, wanted his supervisor to know that whatever task he had given was complete.
“I always say where the other guy falls down, that is where I will pick up because we all came to work.
“I do not want it to stay until tomorrow; tomorrow is another task and I do not want it to overlap,” Greene said.
The 49-year-old who has worked for three companies within the Banks Holdings Group said that his attitude had rubbed off on his colleagues and they had been influenced by his rarely seen work ethic.
Greene, who was transferred to the Pine Hill Dairy at the beginning of 2012, said: “They like it because they know that they can depend on me to do the tasks if they lag. The guys down here who used to lag have picked up now, so the work has improved since my transfer to this branch.
“The guys are motivated by me and I feel proud to know that there is someone who looks up to me and I can keep driving them forward.”
Good and bad times
He recalled that he had some good times and bad, but they have been mostly good.
Greene said that what stands out in his mind was a supervisor called George Baggott whom he described as one of the people who motivated him to drive himself forward in his job.
“Every task he gave he would thank them for the good job they did and that made him feel proud of doing what he did. He would say, good job, well done, keep up the good work, so I felt good about being complemented for his work,” Greene said.
Greene said that when he was awarded Employee Of The Year 2011, he was shocked because he thought it would have been any of the other staff members but when he looked back at the years of service he has given to the company, in addition to congratulations from other staff members who agreed that he was a good choice, he is proud of his accomplishments.
The family man said he sometimes has to work overtime and having to spend that time away from family can be hard. The father of an adult daughter welcomed another daughter to his family three weeks ago which he said led to his not having a perfect attendance record this year because had to take a few days at home to help out.
“Work comes first, Whenever there is a call to duty at work, I am willing to assist,” and his family understands that when there is no work, there is no money, Greene said.
He said the same work ethic extends to the Lodge Road community where he lives.
“I like work; the fellas in my district call me one of the last slave men – not literally, but I like to assist anyone wherever I can.”
However he said although he is known to be very helpful and willing to assist anyone at any time day or night, he has warned people not to take his kindness for a weakness.
“I tell people that it is my strength, so do not abuse it. Do not feel that just because I am kind that you can misuse me. I just do it for goodwill and as a good gesture,” Greene said.