# I Swear I'm Cursed (Work Melodrama NEVER ends) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 5, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672 "2005-08-05T03:34:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/81 "2005-08-06T18:08:06Z")
> [@Waenara](#): > > You don’t need to do the progressively larger sections of copying. > > Just shade one row and not shade the row above or below it. Select both rows. Copy. Select the entire area you want to format. Paste Special - Format only. > > Voila! > Or, if you don’t even want to do a few extra mouseclicks: Shade one row. Select the row and the one below (unshaded). Click on the “Format Painter” button (looks like a paintbrush that’s mostly yellow and grey). It’s usually appears on the toolbar by default, but it’s available as an option for the Formatting toolbar. After clicking “format painter”, select the entire section you want to apply that formatting to. Done! Of course. I know both those tricks - it just never occurred to me to use them for alternating shading. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/82 "2005-08-07T01:11:48Z")
I’m staggered that slackers like this last so long. One of my friends started as a salesman. In his first year he worked 363 days (just Xmas day + one other off). He recently retired aged 55, having made a very senior post. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/83 "2005-08-07T02:03:53Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > This always amazes me. Gen X spanned 14 years but Gen Y always only goes to 1981 (which used to be the cutoff for Gen X) and then Gen i goes from 1982 all the way up to 1999 or 2000. > > How is my generation only five years? And I feel like I have a lot more in common with those born from 1982 to 1986 than I do with those born in the 70s. Yeah, I was born in '78, and always thought I was part of Gen X. Basically, if the death of Cobain was a big thing for you, I was told, you’re part of Gen X. Gen Y was all the boy bands and shit-Gen X was grunge and Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/84 "2005-08-07T15:11:37Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > For the record (which you already know), 23 lines barely even qualifies as a spreadsheet. And good for you guys if the new guy is getting the ol’ heave-ho. I was going to suggest he just do it by hand. 😉 Twenty-three lines, HA! I spit on his twenty-three lines! ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/85 "2005-08-08T11:52:59Z")
_Pours cup of nasty breakroom coffee, idly glances over the notices posted on the bulletin board, keeping an eye out for **Rebekah** , the boss, and Soon to be Fired Man…_ ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/86 "2005-08-08T13:20:51Z")
I’m right here with ya, **ivylass**. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/87 "2005-08-08T13:26:42Z")
Speaking of melodrama…don’t many places now, when firing…er, dispensing with someone’s services, have that someone escorted off the premises by uniformed security guards? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/88 "2005-08-08T13:51:29Z")
When my hubby got laid off last year, he was escorted off the premises by the uniformed head of security. Only one problem with that: Johnny is a good friend and thought my husband was being screwed. So when hubby went to clear out his things from his desk, Johnny insisted that he take everything that wasn’t nailed down. I mean _insisted_. To the point of physically removing the stuff from the desk and putting it in his box for him. Who’s going to argue with the head of security for Evil Corporation, after all? Not that I think Soon to be Fired Man would be so lucky; heck, he hasn’t even figured out how to steal his employer’s time successfully, given his imminent non-employment status. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/89 "2005-08-08T15:04:46Z")
No firing yet, that won’t happen till later this afternoon, but I do have a hi-larious update. I was looking forward to having my morning free because Newbie was supposed to be writing a licensing exam. He was told when he was hired that he had two weeks from the start date to write the exam. At the time of hiring, he told my boss he would likely have his license before he started. We hired him at the beginning of July for a start date of August 2. He had exactly a month and a week to study his manual. He apparently opened it up for the first time this weekend. Last night, he stopped studying because he was overwhelmed at all the stuff he needed to know. So, he came in this morning and said he wasn’t going to bother writing it today, he would try again next week. I’d be pissed if I didn’t know he was going. As it is, I’m merely amused. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/90 "2005-08-08T15:24:23Z")
> [@Rebekkah](#): > > No firing yet, that won’t happen till later this afternoon, but I do have a hi-larious update. I was looking forward to having my morning free because Newbie was supposed to be writing a licensing exam. Umm, this is where I think your boss is wrong. The letting go should have been scheduled for first thing this morning. Letting him take the test (if he had taken it) and then letting him go would not have been a nice thing to do, or so I think. I’ve been in a situation where everyone except me knew all day long that I was to be fired at the end of the day, and after it happened I spent some time feeling humiliated about that, and about the looks and comments I had gotten all day. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/91 "2005-08-08T15:31:52Z")
While I think there _is_ something a bit cruel about letting an employee work all day with everyone else knowing they’re being canned at the end of the day, in this case I think the numbnuts deserves it. Sounds like the boy needs a bit of humility and maybe this’ll knock him down a peg or two. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/92 "2005-08-08T16:54:50Z")
> [@Rebekkah](#): > > So, he came in this morning and said he wasn’t going to bother writing it today, he would try again next week. Let him know he’ll have plenty of time to study. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/93 "2005-08-08T17:33:42Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Umm, this is where I think your boss is wrong. The letting go should have been scheduled for first thing this morning. Letting him take the test (if he had taken it) and then letting him go would not have been a nice thing to do, or so I think. I’ve been in a situation where everyone except me knew all day long that I was to be fired at the end of the day, and after it happened I spent some time feeling humiliated about that, and about the looks and comments I had gotten all day. I do agree with you, but the boss had prior arrangements. However, the exam is required for all jobs in this industry and he has expressed a goal of owning a brokerage. No matter where he goes, he’ll need this, and I think that was what the boss was thinking. I, personally, would have dealt with it over the weekend and not had him come in at all on Monday. I’ve left him to read his manual for the exam all day. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/94 "2005-08-08T18:21:33Z")
The new guy does sound like a tool. However, the job that the OP describes sounds like a real hell hole. I’d refuse to give a shit about a job where they counted the seconds that you are on break too. As soon as I realized people with stopwatches were counting the time I’m out getting coffee, I’d be just coasting along and hoping that I can find a new job before getting fired. That may explain lots of his behavior. He sounds like he just doesn’t give a damn. Funny first day of work sick story: My first “real job” out of college was a good position in the industry that I wanted to be in. I was excited about it. The week before I started I got very sick. I was up all night puking from my illness. The next morning I look in the mirror and see that one of my eyes is bright red from ruptured blood vessels. I had to spend my whole first week at the office with a bright red eye. It was terribly embarrassing, but I was at least there on time! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/95 "2005-08-08T18:34:30Z")
> [@](#): > > As soon as I realized people with stopwatches were counting the time I’m out getting coffee, I’d be just coasting along and hoping that I can find a new job before getting fired. That may explain lots of his behavior. He sounds like he just doesn’t give a damn. I suspect his behavior on his first day (coming in late, etc.) was what caused people to start watching him so closely. It’s pretty clearly a case of he brought it on his own damn self. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/96 "2005-08-08T18:43:09Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > The new guy does sound like a tool. However, the job that the OP describes sounds like a real hell hole. I’d refuse to give a shit about a job where they counted the seconds that you are on break too. > > As soon as I realized people with stopwatches were counting the time I’m out getting coffee, I’d be just coasting along and hoping that I can find a new job before getting fired. That may explain lots of his behavior. He sounds like he just doesn’t give a damn. If you had read the entire thread, you would have caught this: [QUOTE] Rebekkah The funny part is that we don’t have scheduled breaks here. Most of us work through our lunches and dash off when we can. But after the first day where he took 1:40 minutes in break time, boss and I decided he might need some structure. He obviously does. [/ QUOTE] We are in a small office. We take breaks when we can. This does not automatically give someone the right to take advantage of our lax policy. After he spent the first day alternating between breaks and talking to the phone/cable/parking companies, we decided that either this kid had never worked before and had no idea how to conduct his time without a schedule, or he was a fucking tool who didn’t want his job. We told him that he had 1 hour total of break time, period, for personal time. He could take two 15’s and a half, or the full hour, or divide up how he wanted. The basic fact to remember was that he had 1 hour total. All four days, he took over 1 hour and half worth of breaks on a 7 1/2 hour shift. And you wonder why we watched his time? The job is NOT a hell hole, far from it. We just don’t like working with fucking idiots. Oh, and FYI to everyone. Apparently my idea for firing him on the weekend wouldn’t have worked because you have to fire someone on company time according to our rules, I was told. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/97 "2005-08-08T18:43:56Z")
**Debaser** , did you miss this part? > [@Rebekkah](#): > > He was told when he was hired that he had two weeks from the start date to write the exam. At the time of hiring, he told my boss he would likely have his license before he started. We hired him at the beginning of July for a start date of August 2. He had exactly a month and a week to study his manual. He apparently opened it up for the first time this weekend. Last night, he stopped studying because he was overwhelmed at all the stuff he needed to know. So, he came in this morning and said he wasn’t going to bother writing it today, he would try again next week. Sounds to me as if the slacking is habitual, not a reaction to supervision at whatever level. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/98 "2005-08-08T18:49:33Z")
> [@Rebekkah](#): > > Oh, and FYI to everyone. Apparently my idea for firing him on the weekend wouldn’t have worked because you have to fire someone on company time according to our rules, I was told. Should have asked him to come in and work and Saturday. For about five minutes. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/99 "2005-08-08T19:00:57Z")
I think once the decision has been made to fire someone, then you fire them. Unless your boss had previously scheduled appointments that couldn’t be broken (and I gather that that is the case here) he should have been met at the door with a box of his stuff, not allowed to take up space. Now, where do you stand on the headhunters? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672/100 "2005-08-08T19:44:26Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Of course. I know both those tricks - it just never occurred to me to use them for alternating shading. :smack: Or do this: Select all. Select “conditional Formatting” from the Format Menu. Change the dropdown to Formula. Insert this text: =IF(MOD(ROW(),2)=0,1,0) Select the shading you want from the patterns tab after clicking the Format button. Now, when you have to insert a row into the middle of your sheet (or you have to re-sort, you’re shading isn’t all fucked up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-swear-im-cursed-work-melodrama-never-ends/315672.md?page=6)