Why the fuck does Pete Puma have to walk into mine? After months of bouncing around from job to job, I finally manage to wind up back in a machine shop. Not just any shop, either. I’d briefly worked in this one 2 years ago, and it was a great place to work, but like an idiot I left there to go to a job that paid more money. A lot more. That job, however, sucked. (Important tip for all you folks entering the job market for the first time, if you get a job you like, stay there! Do not take a job that appears to be shitty, no matter how much it pays!) Somehow, though, I got lucky enough that the shop was willing to rehire me.
Today was my second day on the job and after I clocked in and was prepping my area, I happened to glance over at the time clock and spot Pete Puma punching out. He’s not management, thankfully, and not only does he work a different shift than me, but also a different department. Still, I’m going to be watching my back, since he’ll be more than happy to stick a knife in my back, I’m sure. Christ.
Get yourself settled in Tuckerfan and take a couple of weeks to see where things stand for you and for him, and between the two of you. How long has he been working there? What do people think of him? (That can be accomplished by merely listening to others without asking questions or saying anything on your end.)
If it looks like he’s got management thinking he’s WonderBoy, then you may be screwed, and going to them with past issues is going to make you look bad.
But hopefully they already know what kind of person he is.
If they know he’s a clown, then just wait for the eventual incident between the two of you. Then you have something to bring to your supervisor, and at that time you can bring up the past, playing the Big Heart card by saying that you were just hoping that all that shit was in the past, but PP is still an asshole.
Or like many workplace nightmares, sometimes all that has to happen is for good men to do nothing while evil/PP falls flat on its face, breaks its nose, and bleeds all over the bosses new $200 shoes.
The higher paying place was an entirely different job altogether, and there’s no way that I can go back to the job where I first encountered Pete. Seems they’re not too happy with me for reporting them to the Feds. . .
“I used to work with him in my last company, he was my manager, the place went bust”
“You should have seen the last place I worked at, it was run so bad it went down”
“I left the last place just before it went down, I could see it coming”
“They had some reall cool machines at the last place, pity they didn’t know how to use them, might not have gone down if they had”
Oh there are a million and one ways to do it, and you never need mention his name once.
If someone asks you about him, you say
“I really don’t want to comment, it would not be very proffessional”
“I think I should let you make your own mind up, I don’t want to look biased”
A guy like him will soon upset some of the long established staff, by ‘knowing it all’.
Anyway, you can’t live your life around him, get on with your own job and make that your own. If he makes good, then fine there isn’t much to be gained by hoping and watching him in the hope he screws up.
Yep. You can probably consider that bridge burned.
You think were’re going to let that comment pass? Give it up Tucker-boy, this can go down one of two ways. I’ll buy you a beer (or coffee) to wet yer whistle, or, I can tie you into the chair and put on the Best of Yoko Ono and Bjork CD and check on you in an hour or so.
casdave, thanks for the suggestions, but until I’m out of my 90 days, I intend to keep a very lowprofile. Pete doesn’t know I work there, and I hope to keep it that way for as long as possible. I make sure to park as far away from his truck as I can, and in such a spot that he won’t notice my car in the lot. (It’s the only one in town, so if he sees it, he’ll know exactly who it belongs to).
EJsGirl, ain’t it some shit? A buddy of mine from high school just emailed me and offered me a job making almost double what I’m making now, only problem is, if I took it, I’d have to move to Pennsylvania. He’d be a great boss, but I don’t like the thought of freezing my nuts off.
Projammer, is that all you got? I like music like that!
