Am I engaged?

I work for a big corporation. There are good things and bad things about working for a corporation, and expecting wisdom/common sense from on high usually isn't a reasonable expectation.

Common sense isn't really inherent in any corporation, and most of the people in management have never actually done the work they're supervising. Every corporation I've ever been a part of pinches pennies and flushes dollars, there is no questioning the decisions made, and no one really cares what the little guys think.

None of that matters. If I had a problem with worrying over corporate stuff, I'd have been gone a long time ago.

My co-workers and I have been asked to participate in a 'totally anonymous' survey about our jobs. I use the quotes because anything that has numbers on it and a caution not to use anyone else's numbers to do our survey is NOT anonymous. It's a small matter to figure out whose surveys have been turned in, and quite easy for the person or persons who issued the numbers to look at your numbers and see if you're the one who sent it.

The survey purpose?
To find out if we're happy in our work.

Well, yeah. I am happy.

But my happiness level/job satisfaction has very little to do with my employer. I appreciate the paycheck. I appreciate the benefits. I like most of my co workers. I LOVE that 99% of the time I am left alone, running my little program the way I see fit and being provided with most of the supplies I need to do so.

I understand a corporation signs my paychecks*, but really... I work for children.

*I do not get a paycheck. I have direct deposit. Every other Friday morning, my earnings are deposited in my checking account and I spend it as fast as I get it.

I drag my (tired, old, crabby, tired and did I mention tired and crabby?) ass out of bed at 5 AM during the week, I go to work when I'm sick, I am constantly working at home, I work when I'm shopping at Goodwill, I work when I'm surfing the internet for new projects... I'm sure you get the idea.

I spend my own money on things for my program if I need to. I have easily contributed more than two thousand of my own dollars over the years.

If I were to be paid for all the hours I actually work, I'd be making a little more money, too.

I put in at least 3 hours a week on site that I'm not paid for, too, although that is my choice, I have not been asked to do so. I just clock out and end up staying a little longer to talk to school staff or to get packets ready for a craft project in the afternoon or to reorganize a shelf in my little back room. It's all good.

The survey is a fill in the bubble thing. There is no opportunity to actually say anything, it's 'how do you rate this on a scale of one to a million' (Is that vague enough? I'm really not trying to give away secrets here.)

When I questioned my manager regarding the fill in the bubble approach, I was told that I should talk to her about anything I'd like to see done differently or changed. Oh. Sure. Because that is totally anonymous.

I pointed that out. And it was suggested that we all get together and get someone to type it up on paper and hand it in. That way we could say what we think. Uh huh. Sure. And no one would have any idea which of us had those opinions.

So they're wasting my money with this survey. Since of course I help earn the money they're spending it's MY money, too. Sort of like the government and the taxes they take from me.

And there isn't anything I can do about it. No process to get them to understand my feelings/position on things. Again sort of like the government.

So I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to bother with the survey. I have some time to make up my mind.

Meanwhile, I have a couple things to print out (for work) a box of Seuss books to load into my car (for work), find the decoupage and sharpies I want to take in to work for a project, and get to bed early. Because I get up at 5. For work.

Am I engaged?