# New and Unimproved Workplace Rants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 14, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638 "2015-10-14T15:44:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 87
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1721 "2018-06-14T20:59:43Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > I believe **flatlined** has experience with unsorted boxes. You should enlist her help searching for that info. Do you have a Rat King available? I wonder if Shredder Guy is still unemployed? ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1722 "2018-06-14T21:51:35Z")
I love when my supervisor buries something she wants me to do at the bottom of a string of forwarded emails, in an email that was originally sent to someone else. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1723 "2018-06-14T23:19:30Z")
Your supervisors directly communicate with you? XD Mine generates reports in our item tracking system; it’s up to us to download the report and look at our assignments. Sometimes there are assignments that are actually way more urgent than they look; we find out about these when someone in another department starts screaming about it. Speaking of communication, let’s not talk about the data package that arrived in someone’s inbox in purchasing during the first part of May, and wasn’t forwarded to me until just before my vacation. 😑 I finally had time to review the thing yesterday. > [@Projammer](#): > > I believe **flatlined** has experience with unsorted boxes. You should enlist her help searching for that info. Now would be a good time for me to update everyone on the status of the storage units behind the building! “Storage units” is a nice way to say “busted-ass shipping containers probably bought at auction.” One is used to store old files (still in their cabinets). I had to go in there a few months ago in search of some paperwork from a '70s-era job. I remembered to wear a mask, so I was able to take my time searching. I finally found the right cabinet – someone thought to label all of them by job number – but its contents had crumbled into a yellowed pile in the bottom of the drawer. ---
**Author:** ![Dunkelheit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dunkelheit/32/248_2.png) [@Dunkelheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunkelheit)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1724 "2018-06-15T18:35:24Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > My last such survey had a question, “Describe your work environment in three words.” I gave them **refulgent** , **sesquipedalian** , and **coadjuvant**. Each of which I can make a case for. Sesquipedalian? Your workplace is a foot and a half? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1725 "2018-06-15T20:42:37Z")
I posted this elsewhere already, but it needs another posting. My employer has been taxing my paychecks wrong because of a mixup regarding my 401(k) contributions. They’ve been treating my contributions to the Roth in my 401(k) as contributions to the regular 401(k). For the last year, my paycheck has been $200 more than it ought to have been. Going forward, we have to get used to $400 less per month in income, and the payroll company we use is going to try to “give me options” as to how to deal with the difference in tax I’ve paid. I’ve no idea what those options are going to be. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1726 "2018-06-15T21:25:27Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > and the payroll company we use is going to try to “give me options” as to how to deal with the difference in tax I’ve paid. I’ve no idea what those options are going to be. IME, there will be three options. [The company will make up the difference because it was their error](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DmULCs_UpNs/VYB3uPW_c6I/AAAAAAADfMg/1RZpjF1MSB0/s400/Silly%2BGIF%2B00033.gif) Stab yourself in the left ear with a fork. Stab yourself in the right ear with a fork. Basically, you’re forked. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1727 "2018-06-16T17:58:39Z")
Dear Department Head Eddie: I’m sure you’re a busy guy and all, but could you please take the time after peeing to WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS? This is an office, not preschool! Sincerely, Grossed-out Underling ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1728 "2018-06-17T01:44:42Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I posted this elsewhere already, but it needs another posting. > > My employer has been taxing my paychecks wrong because of a mixup regarding my 401(k) contributions. They’ve been treating my contributions to the Roth in my 401(k) as contributions to the regular 401(k). For the last year, my paycheck has been $200 more than it ought to have been. > > Going forward, we have to get used to $400 less per month in income, and the payroll company we use is going to try to “give me options” as to how to deal with the difference in tax I’ve paid. I’ve no idea what those options are going to be. As far as resolving the underpayment of taxes, is it possible to move those Roth contributions into your regular 401(k) (presuming that you have a regular 401(k))? ---
**Author:** ![SuperAbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@SuperAbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperAbe)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1729 "2018-06-17T04:05:54Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > My last such survey had a question, “Describe your work environment in three words.” I gave them **refulgent** , **sesquipedalian** , and **coadjuvant**. Each of which I can make a case for. > [@Dunkelheit](#): > > Sesquipedalian? Your workplace is a foot and a half? 😉 I’m more curious about in what way **Sailboat’s** working environment is _shiny_… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1730 "2018-06-21T16:42:35Z")
Government agency. Sesquipedalian: characterized by long words; long-winded. Refulgent: shining brightly; radiant; gleaming. (It’s fluourescent, but it’s bright.) Coadjuvant: one that helps or facilitates. We oversee/meddle in the work of another agency, in theory to improve it. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1731 "2018-06-21T22:21:48Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > IME, there will be three options. > > [The company will make up the difference because it was their error](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DmULCs_UpNs/VYB3uPW_c6I/AAAAAAADfMg/1RZpjF1MSB0/s400/Silly%2BGIF%2B00033.gif) > Stab yourself in the left ear with a fork. > Stab yourself in the right ear with a fork. > > Basically, you’re forked. Your summation is correct. My options are: (1) come up with shortfall now all at once; (2) come up with shortfall spread out over many paychecks; and (3) come up with shortfall on April 15 of next year. All because someone _else_ fucked up. My husband is seething and insists that if I just get tough with my employer, somehow someone else will pay up. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1732 "2018-06-22T05:24:29Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Your summation is correct. My options are: (1) come up with shortfall now all at once; (2) come up with shortfall spread out over many paychecks; and (3) come up with shortfall on April 15 of next year. > > All because someone _else_ fucked up. My husband is seething and insists that if I just get tough with my employer, somehow someone else will pay up. Talk to a lawyer who specializes in tax law. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1733 "2018-06-22T15:52:26Z")
Today I want to rant about people who take huge offense at the smallest comment. At the risk of doing it here (!), it seems to me that it’s always women who are like this. Not all women, but lots of them. I’ve never encountered men who do that. Found out today that something I said in a work email caused a lot of drama at work. I had no clue the drama was unfolding because one of the managers (female) involved (and fanned the flames in my opinion) told the participants not to speak a word of it. My one friend/coworker who is not a drama-llama told me about it in email to my personal email address (from her personal email address). Apparently my mention that the people on one scrum team are new, so I also wanted to ask the experienced people on the other scrum team for their feedback was taken as a huge insult. Oddly enough, it was one of the experienced people who started the shit by becoming offended (“I’m not on that team, why is she including me?”) and complaining to the first team’s manager, who then stirred the shit more by calling a team meeting (I wasn’t included or even knew about it). In that meeting, she told her team not to trust the complainer because she backstabs (strangely not me who accidentally started the whole thing), and then told them not to speak a word of it to anyone. :rolleyes::smack: ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1734 "2018-06-24T18:51:38Z")
She fanned the flames, but telling people to just drop the issue, hinting that you probably meant nothing by it? Obviously a wretched beastly person, just out to strip up trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1735 "2018-06-25T06:56:36Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > Today I want to rant about people who take huge offense at the smallest comment. At the risk of doing it here (!), it seems to me that it’s always women who are like this. Not all women, but lots of them. I’ve never encountered men who do that. You hang out with lots of engineers. Hye thee to the Theater Department instead. Oh wait. You want to _avoid_ drama queens, not _study_ them… ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1736 "2018-06-25T14:45:13Z")
Anti-rant! My current client is generally quite nice. There are a lot of things that could have been done better (hey, it’s not my design, I can criticize it!), communication could be better, there’s the occasional schmuck I’d like to schmack, but the people are human beings, there’s a general interest in improving and in getting the job done, etc. I’m hired by the factory that’s been the pilot for a Damn Big And Important Project, to assist them for the first six months. I like to say that I’m the kind of person who gets paid “1$ for hitting the machine, the rest for knowing where to hit”; this time, a big chunk of my job was teaching people where to hit as the need to do so came up. Not structured teaching, but being awake so when I heard someone say “I wish I had a way to do XYZ!”, a lot of the time I happened to know exactly how to do it, so I taught them. Last Thursday there was a general announcement that the start of summer hours was delayed from today till tomorrow; today there was going to be a Big Important Visit, speeches by the President and CEO, followed by people walking around with pretty food on trays. People were joking that the BIVs were going to bring envelopes with money, haha. Today people were fretting because “normally on the 25th I already have my salary in my account… :dubious:…” The payment has been done a few hours later than usual so the bonus wouldn’t be received before it was announced 🙂 (it’s already in people’s accounts). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1737 "2018-06-25T16:48:21Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > Today I want to rant about people who take huge offense at the smallest comment. At the risk of doing it here (!), it seems to me that it’s always women who are like this. Not all women, but lots of them. I’ve never encountered men who do that. > [@Nava](#): > > You hang out with lots of engineers. Hye thee to the Theater Department instead. > > Oh wait. You want to _avoid_ drama queens, not _study_ them… Ha! I know people who will complain that your very pigeonholing people into only ‘women’ and ‘men’ is an attack on non-binary people, and a bigoted, fascistic limiting of human diversity. And they’d be completely serious about this. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1738 "2018-06-25T18:10:05Z")
Got into work this morning and was greeted by a gaping hole in the ceiling, which was dripping condensate from the air conditioning system onto the (carpeted) floor. The soggy remains of the ceiling tile were mostly in a trash can someone had placed under the drip, which had turned into a steady stream by mid-morning. Just before lunch, someone apparently had the bright idea to fix the problem by shutting off the A/C. It’s currently 91° outside. \>.\< ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1739 "2018-06-25T23:48:10Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > Got into work this morning and was greeted by a gaping hole in the ceiling, which was dripping condensate from the air conditioning system onto the (carpeted) floor. The soggy remains of the ceiling tile were mostly in a trash can someone had placed under the drip, which had turned into a steady stream by mid-morning. Just before lunch, someone apparently had the bright idea to fix the problem by shutting off the A/C. > > It’s currently 91° outside. \>.\< When I was student teaching there was a drip like that in my classroom. The ceiling tile collapsed on a desk in the middle of class. Fortunately the student who sat there was absent that day. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638/1740 "2018-06-27T04:33:32Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > When I was student teaching there was a drip like that in my classroom. The ceiling tile collapsed on a desk in the middle of class. Fortunately the student who sat there was absent that day. Many, many, many years ago my first high school job was usher at a movie theater. I arrived to work one Friday night in a pouring rainstorm… to find the theater closed. And flooded. Waterfalls were pouring down the stairs from the projection booth (this was back when films were _on film_), where they were frantically trying to save the equipment. The theaters themselves were a couple feet deep water at the first row, because they were poured concrete with no drainage. The lobby had huge, vaulted ceilings, 30+ feet high, with a glass wall of windows out the front. While I was running around trying to salvage the concession inventory, the general manager was glaring out the windows at the unceasing rain. The high ceilings were lined with acoustic tiles. Which had, apparently been soaking up water the entire time. Manager got a concussion from the one that dropped off and clobbered him. We spent the rest of the night dashing through that area of the lobby while waterlogged acoustic tiles bombed down. Fun time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638.md?page=86) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-and-unimproved-workplace-rants/734638.md?page=88)