I have just been called on the carpet for the first time in my working history. Apparently I dis’d someone, and while that would generally fill me with remorse and the insant urge to apologize and make it right, I am instead filled with bile and rage; which I would now like to share with you good people.
I work for a very small subsidiary of a verrrrry large company (I only mention it because while my location is small, the Powers That Be are part of a large conglommeration and so can be expected to function like professionals, as opposed to a small Mom - n -Pop operation).
There are three managers: my boss , who we’ll call GE, who handles the local business, a manager that handles the national business ,who we’ll call DW, and a manager that oversees both who we’ll call CB. On a daily basis, I answer only to my boss, though ultimately the Regional Manager(CB) has the final authority.
In the interst of trying to keep it brief, our office is the epitome of casual. Yes, we may dress semi-proessionally, but it’s blue language and witty repartee 5/40. It’s an easygoing atmosphere where people say all manner of things to each other. No one cares, as long as shit gets done.
A few days ago we had a visitor (an extremely rare occurance). He was clearly a gofer from another business and was there to ascertain a certain service from us. Again, without going into detail(though I will later if it seems important to the story) I had an exchange with DW. He was basically barking at me to aid him in helping The Visitor. After a couple of attempts to help him, I finally said in a very obviously joking manner, words to the affect of “the person you need to speak with is right outside. Why don’t you ask her yourself?” In the end, I did in fact end up getting the info for him myself. Gofer laughed, I laughed, DW seemed to be laughing.
The next day my boss ,GE, calls me into his office and tells me that DW (whom I do not report to) complained to CB that I was disrespectful to him. CB then called my boss GE(who wasn’t even on the premises at the time of “the incident”) into her office where the whole thing was relayed (erroneously)to him.
Now, my job is in no danger. My boss doesn’t like CB or DW and doesn’t give a shit about the whole thing. He did have some obligation to address the situation and I have no problem with that. We laughed about CB and DW and the whole thing was put to rest.
Except I’m still pissed. Not about being called to task for “bad behavior”. First of all, the managers set the tone of the office long before I got there, so I don’t really consider my behavior out of line. But okay; I’ll stretch my imagination and concede that DW didn’t appreciate an “underling” sassing him in front of an outsider. This is the thing though:if he had called me aside later and said :" Hey Wook, what the fuck was up with that?" If he had in any way approached me and indicated that I’d hurt him or offended him, I would have bent over backward with a sincere apology. Instead, he “told on me” like a fucking third grader. Then, instead of CB (the “big boss” ) calling a meeting between the three of us, she tells my boss, who has fuck all to do with it, and puts him in the middle of something he knows nothing and cares less about.
So now, CB is smiling to my face, though she obviously knows I’ve been talked to and has to know I’m pissed. DW hasn’t attempted to look me in the eye, much less speak to me, because I think he knows how that will turn out. And in the end, what used to be a wild and crazy, fairly fun place to work has been tainted by the Ghosts of Dickless Wonders and the Clueless Bitches that consort with them.
Phew. I didn’t know how irritated I was, but now I feel ever so much better.
