New and Unimproved Workplace Rants

The BBQ Pit
3862

TPTB have decided to submit an application for a grant. Which would be fine except it’s in an area we don’t usually work in, the amount of the grant would triple our annual budget, and it’s due in less than a week.

We aren’t going to get the grant because the people handing it out aren’t stupid and know it’s not in our wheelhouse. If we did get the grant we would have to triple our staff in less than a year, then layoff everyone when the grant ends in 3 years. And it takes up everyone’s time working on some BS that we aren’t going to get when we should be working on the grants that we actually have received.

Honestly, the boss should just buy lottery tickets. We would have as much chance of success and it wouldn’t take up everyones time.

3863

She sounds exhausting! I get that it’s frustrating that sometimes it’s very hard to make changes that really are needed, but sometimes making changes is not as easy as it should be. Also, I can’t stand people who keep harping on something when you’ve explained and offered solutions. It’s good that people with power are becoming aware that this is happening.

3864

God yeah. Had a boss that would always say “That will be easy”. Umm. No. You are not a programmer, you have no idea what you are talking about.

3865

I hate it when people try to tell me how to do my job. Also when people try to actually do my job. Like the nutritionist who wants to do a newsletter. Do I come in to your office and tell people how to eat? No! Then why do you try to do things that are very clearly my job? Now I have to figure out how to clean up this mess, and I’m quickly losing any motivation to clean up messes because it’s all a huge mess right now. I’ve shared some things, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg, and it doesn’t look like things are going to get better any time soon. My whole entire life has not been great this year and my patience is wearing thin.

3866

It’s looking like my new boss is one of these people. Everything is easy because she has no clue how it’s done and she doesn’t care! Yay!

3867

Oh gods, this is a nightmare! My new boss is determined to make me use Canva instead of the appropriate tools for a professional graphic designer. It’s not possible to do most of the things I do with Canva, but she is so convinced of her own right-ness that every word I say bounces off of her like she’s made of rubber. I’m so distressed that I don’t even feel like working this afternoon.

3868

We have a few people at our school that love Canva. It’s like a cult.

3869

My rant is I had to go back to work after three days off. I was finally feeling better after a month of cold and cough. Came into work and I am sneezing and coughing my head off. I am allergic to dust particulary dust that is in commercial heating systems. Blah!

3870

I have to go back Saturday morning after being off a month plus because of Hubster. Don’t feel too bad for me I only work 4:30 am to 9:00 am Saturdays. I want to be retired, but I can’t quite afford it yet. I don’t know if I’ll make another year though, I’m tired. Oh, and allergies. I have itchy, watery eyes. It flares up really bad at work. I have no idea why.

3871

4.5 hours a week is all it takes to provide financial stability?

Dang, either you live on a helluva shoestring budget, or make impressive hourly rates…

3872

Heh, shoestring and that is my car payment. We want to buy a car, but not until the leech…my daughter’s family move out. I hate to say anything but they might have been approved for a mortgage. I’m trying not to get my hopes up.

3873

Sylvanz, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you! You’ve been very generous and patient. I hope you get your new car very soon!

3874

Thank you. They are looking at a house tomorrow. It’s bit of an older house, but comes with appliances and some upgrades and it’s really large. It lists 2 bedrooms, but there are at least 3 rooms that could be legally and safely converted. This time they have a realty company and a decently rated loan guy, so inspections. I am going to tell them when/if they leave: “Make it work 'cause you are NOT coming back here.” I’ve had enough.

3875

I still have a job, which is good. Maybe not for much longer, though. My new boss, who wants us to be more collaborative, has asked other people on our team to do things that I would usually do. I knew this was going to happen, so I’m not surprised, but I didn’t expect it to be so egregiously bad. It’s shockingly bad. I don’t even know where to start with the feedback, because the best way to improve it would be to start again from scratch. I am the laughing/crying emoji right now.

3876

I was asked to fill in temporarily for someone who has just recently retired. It’s in an area that I worked in before, many years ago, so I agreed.

It’s a job-share position, with someone who has been in the position for only 4 months. The retiring person was supposed to be training him to take over (he’s very keen on transitioning to this new role).

Within the first day, it was apparent that the retiree did not do much in the way of training at all for the new part-time person. He’s smart, capable, but just does not know the processes and procedures. I work my other half time in a very similar office, with a different set of students and faculty. But each individual office has different ways of doing things.

There is no transition documentation, as is usual and expected. January is very busy, and usually the shit hits the fan in the first week.

I have no keys. No passwords. Apparently the retired person still has the keys. And her laptop.

And then… and then… The retired person starts emailing us and Teams messaging us with notes on what to do. She starts emailing the assistants with instructions on what to do that day. Bear in mind; SHE NO LONGER WORKS HERE. This does not seem to stop her.

I have gone to my manager to let her know that this is not what I signed up for, that I will not be responding to someone who does not work here anymore, and the process of getting her permissions removed from all emails, databases, Teams etc. must be done as soon as possible. I gather from the team here that the person who retired was a controlling personality, and they are not all that sad to see her go.

Quite astounding really. I have my work cut out to create a transition document from scratch for whoever takes over in April (they still don’t know), and to train the new guy so he at least has the basic knowledge of the job.

All in a half time roll of course.

3877

This really does sound awful.

At my academic institution people can retire, and then after 60 days, or something, they are allowed to come back part time for a percentage of their old salary. This can often work well when the person and department both benefit. To me, it sounds like your retiree might be trying to force this type of arrangement, when her superiors where not interested in it.

3878

If so, what she’s done is to ensure she’ll never set foot in here again…

3879

I’m wondering why she was allowed to keep possession of company property, especially items like keys. Why has management not forced her to return security-related company items?

3880

I wondered the same thing, out loud, at my 2nd meeting with my manager.

I think they didn’t want to confront them. Which explains a lot of what was going on around here.

I let them know last week that if they wanted her back, I’d be happy to relinquish this position at a moment’s notice (am am close to retirement, and have zero fucks left to give). Alternatively, I let them know I’d be happy to stay on and try to fix this shit-show, as long as they resolved this.

(back from a meeting now - apparently it’s resolved.)

3881

That’s amazing. When I was planning to retire, I knew that my administration was not likely to make a workable plan for a smooth transition. Furthermore, not only does the district administration not allow for any overlap of personnel for training purposes, schools aren’t even allowed to advertise a position until it’s empty.

My solution was to write a detailed manual laying out all the tasks that only I knew how to complete, along with a list of people at other schools and at the district office who can and will help when someone gets in a bind. The administrators still called or texted me with questions almost daily for the first couple of weeks of the new school year.

Luckily, my replacement is smart and practical, and she used the manual when she needed it. I can’t imagine actually volunteering to work for free, and our district helps by automatically cutting off all access and permissions on the day a person retires or quits.