# Workplace griping, anyone? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 12, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401 "2010-11-12T06:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 202
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4022 "2012-07-26T18:04:39Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > . . . Unless a particularly prickly velociraptor has taken over as CEO of the company, there is NO WAY that anybody could take that as anything other than a joke. “Secretly fomenting sedition” … sweet cracker sandwiches, they’ve all gone around the bend. If they’ve got any safety programs that post **Accident Free for XX Days!** it could be construed as mocking them. At a bigger stretch, they could assume you were implying that they were the sort of clueless bosses that _would_ do that sort of thing. Or they’re just paranoid gits. A new sign would be a bad idea, but you now have evidence for: Secretly Fomenting Sedition since 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4023 "2012-07-26T18:08:28Z")
How do you foment sedition against a company, anyway? “They’ve taken over the third floor! They claim they’re the People’s Republic of Microdata Inc!” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4024 "2012-07-26T18:14:56Z")
Aww, man, that’s what I should have named my nationstate. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4025 "2012-07-26T18:16:49Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Someone took down a sign that I had pinned to the outside of my cubicle, claiming that I was “secretly fomenting sedition.” I take issue with this for two reasons: > > (1) No, I was not. I’m pretty overt about my displeasure around here. Sometimes you can’t get me to shut up about it, even. > (2) The sign said, “This workspace proudly velociraptor-free since 2003.” > > Unless a particularly prickly velociraptor has taken over as CEO of the company, there is NO WAY that anybody could take that as anything other than a joke. “Secretly fomenting sedition” … sweet cracker sandwiches, they’ve all gone around the bend. I put an award in the first stall of the bathroom. It said (paraphrased) Certificate of appreciation for Noticing the state of the toilet and flushing a second time if necessary Our toilet has always been kind of weak, and tends to leave stuff behind. It didn’t last long. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4026 "2012-07-26T18:54:01Z")
Heh. There is a pair of bathrooms to the side of my team’s office. Each of them has two stalls which are actually full rooms. This week, a sign appeared on the outside of the men’s room: “Please do leave the toilets clean. That means flushing twice if needed, and using the brush, again if needed. Using the brush the way it was designed to be used will not make you sick.” Some of the guys couldn’t understand why it had been posted there rather than inside the stalls, we had to explain it looked like an attempt at public shaming and that the poster was probably refraining from making a different sign: “hey you assholes, the women use the damn brush, are you too fucking weak to do it? It won’t make your dicks fall off!” ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4027 "2012-07-26T19:13:21Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > It sounds like someone in your office needs an buttstickectomy STAT. Yes, pretty much everyone. I have honestly never met more humor-deficient people in my entire life, and it’s just getting worse by the day. Must be all the threats of sedition. > [@Yllaria](#): > > If they’ve got any safety programs that post **Accident Free for XX Days!** it could be construed as mocking them. At a bigger stretch, they could assume you were implying that they were the sort of clueless bosses that _would_ do that sort of thing. Or they’re just paranoid gits. > > A new sign would be a bad idea, but you now have evidence for: Secretly Fomenting Sedition since 2012. Nope. We don’t make or manufacture anything here except paperwork and paper cuts. I’ve had that sign up for at least 2 years and nobody ever said a word before. Both of my SVP’s (yes, I get to have TWO, because I am just that damned lucky) chuckle every time they walk past. I’m willing to bet it was someone from Accounting who complained, because they’re the sort who would. Most everybody else would just talk about me behind my back like the mean girls that they are. > [@Bosstone](#): > > How do you foment sedition against a company, anyway? > > “They’ve taken over the third floor! They claim they’re the People’s Republic of Microdata Inc!” I have been known to say, “XXX will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes,” and I actually told the Facilities Manager that I was “going to get all Norma Rae in the breakroom” when they threatened to save the company a few bucks a year by switching over to the brand of toilet paper that is so cheap that you can actually see the mulch in it, but it’s not like I want the company to collapse, or anything. I need the paycheck. Do I want things to improve? Sure, but mostly I want all my co-workers to have personality transplants, or at least get better candy once in a while. I’m not trying to get everyone else to jump ship to another (better) company. > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Aww, man, that’s what I should have named my nationstate. I’d go with “People’s Republic of GO THE FUCK AWAY CAN’T YOU SEE I AM BUSY WITH FARMVILLE,” myself. > [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > I put an award in the first stall of the bathroom. It said (paraphrased) > Certificate of appreciation > for > Noticing the state of the toilet and flushing a second time if necessary > > Our toilet has always been kind of weak, and tends to leave stuff behind. > > It didn’t last long. That. Is. Awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4028 "2012-07-26T19:48:42Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > The sign said, “This workspace proudly velociraptor-free since 2003.” At my old company, we put up a sign that said, “Layoff free for N days,” and regularly updated the N. Of course, we went five through rounds of layoffs that year and we were fomenting sedition. ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4029 "2012-07-26T22:14:37Z")
I fled a meeting this morning in tears. Luckily, my office is just across the hall, where I wound up sobbing so loud, that, even with the door closed my neighbor sent me an email asking if there was anything he could do. I try to be tough. But when an asshole calls a meeting for the specific purpose of pointing and nastily screaming “she doesn’t do her job!” for half an hour, it’s hard to keep it together. On the plus side… -my boss gave his boss shit -I have my gym stuff here, so I could do an overhaul on the eye makeup -I already had lunch planned with a friend, so it was easy to go and have a nice lunch, plus three pints. On the way back I stopped for some Doctor Who (needed Series 4) and some cosmetics -Mr. Asshole is on vacation, and then I’m on course, then vacation, so I may not have to see him until September -I’m not wrong. Still, crying at work is such a career-limiting thing to do… Jackass. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4030 "2012-07-26T22:21:50Z")
It is, however, a very Ladylike thing to do. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4031 "2012-07-27T00:24:45Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > \the poster was probably refraining from making a different sign: “hey you assholes, the women use the damn brush, are you too fucking weak to do it? It won’t make your dicks fall off!” They probably don’t want to take any chances. > [@the\_Lady](#): > > \ > > Still, crying at work is such a career-limiting thing to do… > Jackass. Too bad _making_ someone cry at work isn’t. :mad: at the jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4032 "2012-07-27T06:14:16Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > They probably don’t want to take any chances. … the one who had the worst trouble understanding it is such a whole-body dick, if his dick fell off he’d end up lying down on the floor… Maybe if he hit his head against a corner it would kickstart his brain? Probably no such luck. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4033 "2012-07-27T14:19:45Z")
I am convinced more and more every day that this place is run by escapees from the world’s least effective mental institution. In the wake of Seditious-Raptor-Sign-Gate, we got an email from HR stating that “in an effort to improve morale and stay on-message internally, all cubicle decorations must be approved by Management.” _ **The fuck?** _ I still haven’t gotten any kind of explanation as to how a humorous sign was “secretly fomenting sedition,” and now somebody wants to try to tell me that pictures of my kid and a picture of the Tenth Doctor are _bad for morale_? These people are total lunatic weirdo nutjobs. I’d prefer to be eaten by a velociraptor, honestly. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4034 "2012-07-27T14:58:04Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > … now somebody wants to try to tell me that pictures of my kid and a picture of the Tenth Doctor are _bad for morale_? The _Tenth_ Doctor? No wonder they’re complaining! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4035 "2012-07-27T15:03:03Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > I still haven’t gotten any kind of explanation as to how a humorous sign was “secretly fomenting sedition,” and now somebody wants to try to tell me that pictures of my kid and a picture of the Tenth Doctor are _bad for morale_? Although I don’t have any kids, I would certainly keep pics of them at my desk if I did have them, and I would completely ignore this kind of directive in regards to that. If someone brings it up, THEN I would raise a fuss. “Telling me to remove a picture of my kid is BAD for my morale. How is it supposed to be a GOOD thing???” ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4036 "2012-07-27T15:04:59Z")
If you request changes to your build that will delay validation because the changes need to be reflected in all the documentation and the validation must take them into account. Yes, I could validate the build based on the documents I have now, but that’s not the build that will be released to you. Call me crazy but I like to validate the database that will actually be used and not the database that was going to be used a month ago. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4037 "2012-07-27T15:09:49Z")
We’re going to need you to come in over the weekend and complete the changes to the documentation. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4038 "2012-07-27T16:21:49Z")
I just got two calls within ten minutes saying I needed to be in a meeting this afternoon. Almost all afternoon. I’m supposed to leave early to pick up my son from daycamp! I cleared this with my boss before she went on vacation, but this came up. Thing is, this isn’t new. They’ve been dealing with this for months now, and only now do they want us to look at something. Hopefully the meeting doesn’t run long and I can go get DS, otherwise mom will be cabbing it because it’s awkward to get to on the bus. Well at least it is this week and not the middle of month end they are asking this. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4039 "2012-07-27T17:21:10Z")
> [@Flutterby](#): > > I just got two calls within ten minutes saying I needed to be in a meeting this afternoon. Almost all afternoon. > > I’m supposed to leave early to pick up my son from daycamp! I cleared this with my boss before she went on vacation, but this came up. Why do people do this? I’d be responding “I’m sorry, but I am leaving early due to a family matter and will be unavailable after such-and-such time”. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4040 "2012-07-27T18:14:54Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Why do people do this? > > I’d be responding “I’m sorry, but I am leaving early due to a family matter and will be unavailable after such-and-such time”. Unfortunately I can’t, only because my boss is away today and someone from accounting needs to be in on it. If she was here there would be no issue with me ducking out. I don’t even know how much I need to be here, this program has been going on for months, they are trying to set it up but only now realize they need someone from accounting to look at it too. At least Mom can go get him, I’ll have to reimburse her for the cab but he’s not stranded. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4041 "2012-07-27T19:21:22Z")
And the meeting ended early because I brought up the fact that they seem to be forgetting GST/HST and would create a million times more work for myself. So now I have to send them all the data they completely forgot because they didn’t bother consulting accounting here. Yay! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=201) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=203)