No major outbursts today. But he is checking up on me. He’s looking at all the claims I’ve touched and asking “Why did you do this? What was the reason for that?”
He’s trying to play the Gotcha Game. A very popular game in my office.
You said other women in the office have had a problem with Pennywise.
I think its time for a girls lunch. And then a trip to HR - or Farnsworth or the Impaler or all the above. Where you explain that this is patterned behavior, and - while you think Pennywise is an important addition to the staff and very competent - a pattern that potentially creates problems with legal liability.
If he’s that important to your case, you may want to wait until the case cools. But I would do it eventually. Because sooner or later, he will cause enough of a problem to really throw a wrench in the works - and may not only take himself down, but Farnsworth for being ineffective, cause all sorts of department strife and make your office hell for a bit. And, worse yet, he may end up not taking himself down, but taking down whatever poor female decides to make a case and stand up alone against it - while he remains upright. Get it in his file in some form.
I was sexually harrassed. What I discovered later was that the man who harrassed me had a file of complaints against him. It was that which enabled me to keep my job when he lost his - because otherwise it was my word against his.
I don’t know Stephen King, either. I thought “Pennywise” was going to be contrasted with someone termed “Poundfoolish.”
I concur with other people – document the incident, and get it on file. You don’t need to pursue this as an official HR complaint – this time. From what you said in your latest post, Biggirl, it’s going to happen again. We’ll keep the Pit warm for when it does.
When you do call Farnsworth you should **TALK REALLY LOUD ** so Pennywise and everybody within a two continent radius can hear you.
Thanks, folks. I like Stephen King, but I’m prone to nightmares, which is why I tend not to read his books.
Biggirl, I know you came to vent, not rant, but one idea did occur to me. You might want to try something like this. Ask him, if you went to live in his country, would he expect you to live by the customs of his country, including the way men and women interact with each other, out of respect for the culture and traditions of his country. I assume he’ll say “Yes” to this. I can hardly picture him saying anything else. Then ask him if, since he is living in the United States, he would consider living by the customs of this country, including the way men and women interact with each other yet, or, if you prefer, ask him why he chooses not to. If you like, throw in something about him being unwilling to show the respect he asks of others. I suspect you may get some major spluttering and even, if things go badly, a “but your ways are wrong!” On the other hand, you may get through to him, especially if you can manage to act innocent and deferential long enough to get through the conversation. Even I can fake it for that long! 
Face it, if it works, it’s worth it and if it doesn’t, how much have you lost? You’re appealing to his pride and competence. I must admit, I give it less than a 50% chance of working, and you know him a lot better than I do, but I’d still say it’s worth a shot.
Good luck!
CJ
…continuing the hijack…
OMG! We must have that! That looks so cool!
(runs to show hubby the website and get the credit card)
FB
I hate to see thing escalate, but I am in favor of you notifying HR with this. It cannot be tolerated.
Damn, we need a gobsmacked smilie. Biggirl, I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this cretin. Nobody should have to put up with this kind of bullshit. Everyone else has made excellent suggestions. I hope you can resolve this soon.
Excellent! I’m going to remember that response in case I ever have a chance to use it.
The way to get what you want where I work is to have a big, giant hissy fit.
Today I asked Farnsworth when he and another co-worker (him we’ll call Hottie McHotness because he’s so cute) will be finished with the dup search so that I can do the discrepant and out of balance.
The discrepant and out of balance claims are done after ALL claims have been adjusted because that’s how we find any discrepant or out of balance claims. Needless to say, If I, Farnsworth and Hottie McHotness are still adjusting claims, doing discrpancies and out of balance now would be a bit premature. My conversation with Farnsworth went something like this:
Me: When will you be done? I’m ready to do the desc and oob.
Farns: Oh, um. Oh well, Pennywise is already doing it.
Me: Why?
Farns: He didn’t have anything to do.
Me: There’s Columbia (another case that Pennywise apparently doesn’t want to touch). Besides, I’m just going to have to do it all over again when you and Hottie are finished.
Farn: Please don’t start an argument with Pennywise! It’s not like he’s checking up on you or anything.
Me: It’s exactly like he’s checking up on me and you know it.
Farns: Nobody listens to him. . …
Me: That’s not the point! The point is if you whine and cry loud enough here, you can get your way. I want to do a lot of busy work that doesn’t mean anything too. And I don’t like Hottie, so why don’t I redo all of his claims? If I stamp my feet and pout and wave my hands and yell at random co-workers you think I can be assigned a worthless task just so I can see what Hottie is up to?
Farns: Just please don’t start an argument with him.
Me: AARRRGGGGHHHH!!!
No, I didn’t start an argument with Pennywise. I did call our Manhattan boss, The Impaler. He told me it doesn’t cost me anything for Pennywise to do the busy work and it keeps the peace.
So there you have it.
Some of you posters seem to be quite shocked at the behavior of Pennywise and believe it has something to do with his culture.
It may well, but know this. He is NOT alone and I dealt with this behavior for more than a year before the guy I was working with at my present place of employment was fired for basic incompetence. This guy was about 32, and from the United States…specifically he was from the Houston area.
He refused to take any “orders” from myself or his actual supervisor because we were both females. Our boss worked around it, refusing to directly tell him he had to do what either of us said.
In addition to that, some of our customers are frequently uneasy when the women who work here help them at the sales counter. It’s a “man’s” business and they think we can’t read a ruler or something. When I go out to help sometimes, I do get asked if there is a man available to help.
In short, Biggirl’s dilemma is not uncommon and the culprits cannot always blame culture. (Psst Biggirl, about that Hottie McHotterson…)
Might I point out that it is still a difference in culture that explains why a white man in Houston refuses to work with a woman and a man in San Francisco doesn’t give two shits about it. It’s just no longer about color or what country he is from.
Sam
It totally sucks that no one in a position of doing so thinks it necessary to explain to Pennywise that yes, he does have to work with his female colleagues as an equal and/or take orders from female superior officers.
Sooner or later he’s going to come across her redoing the work they let him do as busy work, or else find someone else doing it at her request, and he’s gonna go mouthfrothing again anyhow. (Or will they minimize the likelihood by making sure the doing of, or the authorizing of, any redoing of the uselessly-done prematurely done busywork is originated by somebody sporting boy parts?)
Things we’d like to think were wiped out in our parents’ prime (if not earlier than that) are disgustingly still factors in the workplace. My girlfriend had a drunk incompetent boss a decade and a half ago in a high-finance office, and essentially did his job for him for years before talking to HR about getting the pay and the job title to go with it, and was told flat out, verbatim, “The big boss is a Christian and he says if he has to pay someone what the job is actually worth, it’s going to be a man with a family, not a woman who should be at home having babies”.
So she waited until the company was in the middle of a huge merger and the other company needed extensive help from someone with in-depth knowledge of all their accounts, and then gave her two weeks’ notice and stepped out to a different company. Suddenly company honchos become aware that the official guy is a drunk incompetent who knows absolutely nothing about the accounts because she had been managing them instead, and had the HR guy run to her, “Wait! Uhh, umm, is there something we can work out, something we can do for you? Can we talk about this?”
She said: “Frankly, no. I went to you, I already tried to do something about this, and you told me I was never going to get commensurate pay and title here. Have fun.”
It wasn’t a “better job”, and the situation sucked, and she’s still rightfully pissed about it these many years later.
A decade and a half ago was 1989, folks, not 1964. This sucks.
I’m ususally all for cutting people a bit of slack, but given that both Farnsworth and the Impaler have essentially brushed this off, and ask YOU to try and avoid problems with Pennyworth (like it’s your fault!), I’d say RUN do not walk to HR and get this on the record as soon as possible.
What. The. Fuck. :smack:
I’m no lawyer, this ain’t legal advice, you know the drill…but this is practically screaming “lawsuit”. Talk to your attorney. Yesterday.
no, it isn’t.
biggirl is doing the exactly right thing at the moment. She is communicating levelheadedly with her superiors and the superiors’ superiors. She is still doing her job and is still able to do her job. Yes, the situation has to be dealt with, but that is a matter for her boss and HR, not the courts.
That just plain sucks! Is there any way Farnsworth can re-route him to a more “important” job and get him off your ass?
The Impaler was in our office yesterday. He called us into his office seperately. I don’t know what The Impaler told Pennywise, but he’s been nothing but sweetness and light since yesterday.
Me he told that they are aware that Pennywise has a “personality problem”, but he (The Impaler) thought that I-- with my easy-going ways-- would be able to handle him. So now I feel all stupid for causing a stink.
Nope, I lied. I really don’t feel all stupid.
Again, they have told you to deal with it rather than solving the problem. If in the future problems occur, this sets them up to claim it’s your fault for not dealing with it rather than his fault for having the problem in the first place.
Go to HR and get this on the record.
My first thought is, “What does Pennywise have on Farnsworth and The Impaler?” Did he catch them cheating on spouses, BBQ-ing kittens and puppies, playing “Kick the Baby?”
Especially since it’s clearly not just you, since you mentioned that other women in the office have had similar experiences with him.