Hard Work Is Dignified Work.

“We believe our industry to be a dignified one, entrusted with serving the interest of public health; therefore, we pledge that we should do our utmost to deserve this trust.” From the ISSA’s Member Code of Ethics

This is a quote from the ISSA’s Member Code of Ethics. The ISSA is an industry organization for those of us in the building services industry like myself.  I take what we do seriously, so the Code of Ethics is more than just an empty codex, it’s a set of values that I work hard to hold up day in and day out. I strive to not only live and work by these ideals, but to inspire my team to do the same.

There’s a particular part of this quote that always gets me and that’s the dignified part. Some people might suggest that the work of a cleaning and janitorial company is a long way from dignified and yet, I can think of nothing quite so dignified as an honest day’s hard work. Our team of employees, now over 450, come to work every day, they pick up after others and ready their work areas. They clean toilets and refill supplies, wipe dirty smudges off of glass windows and doors. They do work that almost no one notices, unless of course, it isn’t done.

Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs and champion of manufacturing and blue collar careers is actively trying to change people’s perception of manual labor. As he recently said,
”I just know that in the end, there's a list of jobs that are non-negotiable, absolutely essential. Who's keeping the lights on? Who's making indoor plumbing a reality? Who's keeping the roads smooth? Who's keeping the runways well-paved? Those jobs are no less important today than they were 50 years ago. They're just not celebrated in the same way. We've just shifted our focus a little bit and looked at a new type of career and said, 'Ok, that's aspirational. These other things -- let somebody else do it.”

That somebody else, that’s us and I am proud of the work my team does every day. Is it celebrated? No. Is it important? Absolutely.  My dad Mike Stathakis worked as a brick layer at a steel company most of his life. He was undeniably a very hard worker. He was dependable, he put in the work and he was always willing to do what needed to be done. For those of you doing work that doesn’t seem important in a way that maybe careers like doctors, lawyers and such do, think again. When you get up everyday, do honest work and care about the job you do, you are among the people that keep our country running. You are telling a story to future generations about responsibility, dedication and service--service to your family in the form of work and making a living and service to your community in keeping the lights on and everything running smoothly. You do dignified work and as the ISSA Code of Ethics reminds us, you serve the public health.