# Sometimes, My Job Sucks **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 19, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705 "2006-01-19T20:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/21 "2006-01-20T00:35:51Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Er…no. If we always just roll over and play dead whenever a company asks us to do more than necessary, pretty soon they’ll have us sleeping at the office. That’s why labor laws came in. Did you read the same OP that I did? He is getting free training, training that he wants, that is a one time thing for a one week duration. For christ’s sake, that isn’t really that much to ask and _he_ is benefitting from it. If most people think that that is an egregious imposition, then I weep for our future. This sense of entitlement thing is way out of hand. How on Earth is this asking him to “do more than necessary?” As far as the hijack goes, I can’t stand long commutes and I would never do one as part of my every day life. I live eight minutes from my job. If I had to drive a bit for one week of training every couple of years, I would be fine with it. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/22 "2006-01-20T00:35:58Z")
> [@Plynck](#): > > I did a 2 1/2 hour each way commute from north of Boston to Cape Cod for six weeks once. All on the beloved South East Expressway. Holy shit! And no combat pay? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/23 "2006-01-20T00:42:57Z")
> [@Plynck](#): > > I did a 2 1/2 hour each way commute from north of Boston to Cape Cod for six weeks once. All on the beloved South East Expressway. I hate to quibble, but a 2 1/2 hour commute on the Southeast Expressway would only take you from North Station to Chinatown 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/24 "2006-01-20T01:30:45Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > It wasn’t an argument. It was an observation. You’re a dick. Technically, it’s an insult. Not much of one, but that’s the way it’s intended. I’d say it’s normally good form to support your insults with a reason for giving them, but it’s too much to hope for. And to answer the curious: yeah, my job is satisfying. I choose to do it after all, no one forces me. I put in a few hours over the weekend, so Mika’s daily average is an over estimate, though some days it _does_ feel like 75. I also want to restate that in addition to choosing to do this particular job, I also choose to work more time than would be necessary at a minimum. I guess I’m just not happy doing the minimum, or getting the results that yields. I’m not asking anyone to do what I do, or saying it’s practical or appropriate for anyone else, but a few hours commute for free training? Hell yeah, I think that anyone upset over such a thing might want to think again. I’ve rarely had anyone jump on me to underachieve a bit more. I feel like I’m a character in Clerks. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/25 "2006-01-20T08:20:09Z")
Can’t you suggest to the company that they put you up in a hotel? ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/26 "2006-01-20T10:48:41Z")
They should at least be reimbursing you for your travel expenses, i.e., the mileage on your car. Whether it’s worth trying to get them to do it is another question. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/27 "2006-01-20T13:34:44Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > They should at least be reimbursing you for your travel expenses, i.e., the mileage on your car. Whether it’s worth trying to get them to do it is another question. Yeah, look into this, **Candid Gamera**. Whenever I have to go off-site, I don’t get paid for the extra driving time, but I do get mileage. 30-something cents a mile. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/28 "2006-01-20T14:04:01Z")
> [@Waverly](#): > > This actually made me giggle. Yes, of course, you are the brave and assertive worker who won’t stand for not getting paid to drive to company sponsored training. I, on the other hand, am the spineless weenie who offers up more time and effort than is strictly required to make myself, and those who work for me, successful. > > I feel small and worthless in your presence, and I wish I had the balls tell the ‘man’ where he can stick his commute. You will, of course, come back and regale us with tales of your bravery after you have this conversation with you boss, no? Hey, look, I’m sure when the boss asks for a blowjob, you go the extra mile and lick his balls without him even asking, cause that’s just the kind of guy you are, but some of us do have a shred of what is commonly known as “dignity.” You feel free to look that up on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com). But hey, keep doing what you’re doing. Pretty soon you’ll have a 1% raise, a shiny new set of kneepads, and a promotion to Executive Vice President in Charge of Oral Gratification. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/29 "2006-01-20T14:06:12Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > They should at least be reimbursing you for your travel expenses, i.e., the mileage on your car. Whether it’s worth trying to get them to do it is another question. As I said upthread, it probably isn’t considered a “travel” expense. It’s a “commute.” Commutes and travel are two different things. To give a strange example, my company pays for the plane tickets for our salespeople to fly all over the country. But we can’t pay for the car being driven to the airport. We can’t pay for an employee to get from his home to his place of business. That’s a commute. If the employee comes to work, then gets sent someplace else for the day, that’s travel. Essentially, the IRS wants you to move if your commute is too long. If the commute is temporary, the employee can often deduct the expense. If the commute isn’t temporary, no one can deduct the expense. The current mileage rate is 44.5 cents, so it’s worth it to keep track of the miles. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/30 "2006-01-20T14:11:09Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Yeah, look into this, **Candid Gamera**. Whenever I have to go off-site, I don’t get paid for the extra driving time, but I do get mileage. 30-something cents a mile. The travel expenses are reimbursed under certain conditions. Basically, they have a small fleet of vehicles - If I want reimbursement, I have to request one of them - if one is available, they’re covering the gas and wear and tear; if not, I can use my own vehicle and be reimbursed. It’s a fair policy, but I have such a strong preference for my own vehicle, I may forego the mileage money. As for the hotel idea - It’s possible. I’ve sent an email requesting clarification on the reasoning behind the denial of the request; depending on the response I may check into the possibility of a hotel. Of course, that would elevate the matter quite a bit - then they’d be paying perdiem and such, I’d expect. And if the training were in, say, Philly rather than Pittsburgh, that would be what happens - and I’d get to count the driving time to get there in the first place as time worked, to boot! That’s how it worked when I took some training on Baltimore two years back. And honestly, I don’t mind an occasional, exceptional burden on my personal time. I just refuse to let them ease into the mindset that allows them to think ‘we can use this guy for 25% more time than we’re paying him for, and he won’t make a peep!’. Most of the time, this sort of thing doesn’t happen. It just happens to be happening now, which kinda sucks. But Waverly’s the expert on that. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/31 "2006-01-20T14:13:47Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > And honestly, I don’t mind an occasional, exceptional burden on my personal time. I just refuse to let them ease into the mindset that allows them to think ‘we can use this guy for 25% more time than we’re paying him for, and he won’t make a peep!’. Most of the time, this sort of thing doesn’t happen. It just happens to be happening now, which kinda sucks. I don’t understand how they’re ‘using’ you. Will you benefit from the training? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/32 "2006-01-20T14:14:19Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Did you read the same OP that I did? He is getting free training, training that he wants, that is a one time thing for a one week duration. For christ’s sake, that isn’t really that much to ask and _he_ is benefitting from it. If most people think that that is an egregious imposition, then I weep for our future. This sense of entitlement thing is way out of hand. How on Earth is this asking him to “do more than necessary?” You’ve jumped to conclusions. It is not training that I want. I view all training as a positive input, but to say that I want this particular training is dead wrong. It is training they want me to have. They arranged the details. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/33 "2006-01-20T14:16:09Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > I don’t understand how they’re ‘using’ you. Will you benefit from the training? Not as much as they will. Had I my preference, it’s not training I would pursue. It’s something they want me to have. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/34 "2006-01-20T14:19:30Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Did you read the same OP that I did? He is getting free training, training that he wants, that is a one time thing for a one week duration. For christ’s sake, that isn’t really that much to ask and _he_ is benefitting from it. If most people think that that is an egregious imposition, then I weep for our future. This sense of entitlement thing is way out of hand. How on Earth is this asking him to “do more than necessary?” I was mostly thinking about \*\*Waverly \*\* when I phrased that comment. I still \*feel \* for the OP, having to drive that far out of the way is hard, but as others have said, it’s free training, right? **Waverly** , I wasn’t really jumping on you, just expressing surprise that you would choose to do such a thing. It’s your life, of course, and none of my business, but I don’t put my work on such a high priority. Simply different standards. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/35 "2006-01-20T14:32:40Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Hey, look, I’m sure when the boss asks for a blowjob, you go the extra mile and lick his balls without him even asking, cause that’s just the kind of guy you are, but some of us do have a shred of what is commonly known as “dignity.” You feel free to look that up on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com). But hey, keep doing what you’re doing. Pretty soon you’ll have a 1% raise, a shiny new set of kneepads, and a promotion to Executive Vice President in Charge of Oral Gratification. So are you going to lay down the law with your boss or not? You puff your chest out about standing up for yourself, but are you really doing it? Despite what you think of me, if I felt strongly about something, anything, I wouldn’t hesitate to march into my boss’s office and insist on it. Not whine; get it done. I think it’s one right that my efforts earn me. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/36 "2006-01-20T14:45:15Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > **Waverly** , I wasn’t really jumping on you, just expressing surprise that you would choose to do such a thing. It’s your life, of course, and none of my business, but I don’t put my work on such a high priority. Simply different standards. 🙂 No worries. It was a mistake to bring up my own work habits, and in retrospect it looks rather pompous. However, I really do stand by the advice that complaining about things of this nature is not rugged individualism, it is just whining, and is symptomatic of a less than stellar work ethic. Far from being diminished, CG would get more out of the job (NOT just financially), and go farther in it, if (s)he realized this. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/37 "2006-01-20T15:02:01Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Holy shit! And no combat pay? :eek: Heh, I did the same thing for Former Employer a few years ago. Boston to Hyannis 6 days a week for 2 months :eek: ---
**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:** [January 20, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/38 "2006-01-20T15:20:12Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > Heh, I did the same thing for Former Employer a few years ago. Boston to Hyannis 6 days a week for 2 months :eek: Please… :: whimper :: Please don’t tell me it was during the tourist season… :: shudder :: ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/39 "2006-01-20T15:40:43Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I was mostly thinking about \*\*Waverly \*\* when I phrased that comment. I still \*feel \* for the OP, having to drive that far out of the way is hard, but as others have said, it’s free training, right? OK. Fair enough but you told him that he was _wrong_. Which is why I thought you were talking about **Candid** ’s situation rather than is own personal one. I’m closer to **Waverly** than you when it comes to work so I can understand. Some of us are fortunate enough to get paid to do things that we love to do. Now there is nothing that I love to do enough for a three hour commute every day but I don’t mind putting in extra hours at my job because I have a fun job. I get to work with very cool technology that literally helps to save lives and make people safer and I get paid well for it. How cool is that? Make no mistake, I know that my real purpose is to make money for the corporation but I don’t mind because most days I really enjoy what I do. Imagine getting paid for one of your favorite hobbies. Would you mind spending a few extra hours some weeks doing it? ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705/40 "2006-01-20T15:45:59Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Please… > > :: whimper :: > > Please don’t tell me it was during the tourist season… > > :: shudder :: It was. ::shudder:: FE was gracious enough to put me up in a nearby hotel for the first 2 weeks. After that, I was on my own. ::shudder:: I eventually received compensation for the mileage when I was transferred back toward Boston. It took three months of tangling with the benefits office, an envelope full of gas receipts, and clearing up a misunderstanding that I was only to be there for those 2 months. There were a ton of people from RI who worked for FE at the time. Some had just as long a commute to other stores (not the Cape – FE wasn’t _that_ clueless), and compensation was never part of the equation for them. They took their transfers/assignments with the understanding that a 1+ hour commute one way was part of the job. Except for Hyannis, I was lucky to always be assigned close to home _whew_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sometimes-my-job-sucks/340705.md?page=3)