# 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:** 241
**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:** [January 5, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4802 "2013-01-05T18:24:42Z")
> [@digs](#): > > …for Laser Cake shilling? > > Thank heavens someone did, before _ **Cat Whisperer** _ started promoting her **“Laser Cats Wearing Cakes That Shoot Laser Beams of More Cakes”** business. Dammit! You guys never let me do anything around here! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4803 "2013-01-05T20:06:55Z")
This thread is on the verge of jumping the lazer shark cake. Or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Mann\_Slaughter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@Mann\_Slaughter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mann_Slaughter)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4804 "2013-01-05T20:21:09Z")
I’m gonna bitch about my job, and the lack of communication! I work nights, and last night I dragged myself out of my sickbed (I’m fighting a terrible cold) and drove to work. When I arrived in the locker room, one of my co-workers from 2nd shift asked what I was doing there. It seems that Friday afternoon (when all us 3rd shifters were already at home) they’d canceled our working weekend, but while they called the 20-30 other people who work on our shift, no one called to tell me! I went to my work area anyway where I was met by 2 other guys from my crew who they’d neglected to call as well! This is the same company that has no problem blowing up my phone asking if I can come in early to cover for someone who called off! Fuck them! :mad: -Slaughter ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4805 "2013-01-05T23:14:12Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Now you’ve done it. Now you’re going to have to file 1099 paperwork with your taxes next year. AND? You can’t just leave us hanging like that. Are they going to say more than “he worked for us between x and y dates, and he earned $n?” Sadly, that is all that HR will say. Ex-boss and I were having fun with the damning with faint praise stuff, though. SG was always charming, he always clocked in and out right on the minute. SG enjoys sharing. SG can be a risk taker…that sort of thing. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Dammit! You guys never let me do anything around here! :mad: Bummer! I was all ready to order one for my going away party.☹ ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4806 "2013-01-06T00:29:26Z")
Dear boss: it’s really bad form to bully your employees about putting in for overtime when they have to work through their lunch. After all, you’re the one who scheduled just one person on the 8.5-hour shift and didn’t provide any backup. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4807 "2013-01-06T00:51:59Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > This thread is on the verge of jumping the lazer shark cake. Or something like that. Whoa, a moving shark cake would be _awesome_. Would it have spinning lasers? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4808 "2013-01-06T04:33:57Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > Whoa, a moving shark cake would be _awesome_. Would it have spinning lasers? A shark cake has to keep moving or it goes stale. And, _flatlined_, I think instead of the “faint praise” strategy, you should just email SG’s potential new coworkers a link to all the Tales of The Legendary Shredder Guy. Once they see what great fodder for gossip (and this thread) they’ll get on a daily basis, they’ll hire him for sure! (and then, they’ll sign up here, and start sharing with us) (and they’ll start stocking up on plastic forks) (hey, I can dream…) (and, btw, I can stop using parentheses any time I want…) (ooh, I like plauralizing words that end in “is”…) (and I can quit using ellipses too…) (those are the “three dots”… that are really just one typographic special effect) (I’m done now…) (…really) ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4809 "2013-01-06T14:16:01Z")
Hey **digs** , let’s start an ellipsis ceasing twelve step group… You first… ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4810 "2013-01-06T14:23:59Z")
No… …you. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4811 "2013-01-06T14:27:08Z")
Hi… My name is kayT and… I abuse… those…dots… ---
**Author:** ![yisraela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8797f3/32.png) [@yisraela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yisraela)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4812 "2013-01-06T14:29:45Z")
I have a boss that I use to think was awesome. Now, he is becoming very annoying. Our practice has been open for three months. A very casual office atmosphere. Now every time I am on my computer looking at a patient file, balance or next appointment, he is always asking me “what are you doing”. I was looking at a patient file last week, for my professional reason and he comes up and asks me "why are you in his file? I am thinking, what is it to you? but I didn’t say what was on my mind. So, answered him. I can’t figure out what his problem is. He does the marketing for our practice, and the business has been slow in growing, but it was the holidays and now we project our practice to start growing. He can be condescending when answering my questions. On the most part things go ok, however, it is really starting to annoy me. What to do? ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4813 "2013-01-06T14:39:44Z")
He sounds like a control freak. Or he’s bored with his pat of the job and finds it more interesting to butt into yours. Unfortunately I have no solutions for you, other than to bite your tongue on the snarky responses you want to give, and just tell him in gory detail what you’re working on. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4814 "2013-01-06T15:16:56Z")
> [@saje](#): > > He sounds like a control freak. Or he’s bored with his pat of the job and finds it more interesting to butt into yours. Unfortunately I have no solutions for you, other than to bite your tongue on the snarky responses you want to give, and just tell him in gory detail what you’re working on. Yup, this. Tell him in a deeply detailed but perky excited-about-this-job manner exactly why you’re doing X, whether it’s looking in a patient’s file or what have you. Maybe eventually it’ll sink in exactly how much time of yours he’s wasting. And consider keeping a work log of what you spend your time on, including a column for “touching base with Boss on work progress.” I suspect eventually he’s going to outright ask you why you aren’t getting enough work done/what the hell you do all day. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4815 "2013-01-06T15:19:09Z")
It sounds like he is very HIPAA sensitive. There have been several news stories about people being disciplined/fired for casual snooping into patient’s info when they have no real cause to do so. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4816 "2013-01-06T17:58:12Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > It sounds like he is very HIPAA sensitive. There have been several news stories about people being disciplined/fired for casual snooping into patient’s info when they have no real cause to do so. That’s possible, but in my experience, not likely. The most likely answer is indeed control freak, who wants to make sure no staff are ever just surfing the Dope at work. Sooner or later **yisraela** is probably going to have to have a discussion with him about how she’s a professional, and she knows what she’s doing, and if he doesn’t trust her to do her work, this arrangement isn’t going to work out. I think **Ferret Herder** is right on the money - sooner or later there’s going to be questions about, “Do you need to take half an hour to update a patient’s file? Can’t you do it in 10 minutes?” and crap like that. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4817 "2013-01-07T00:23:35Z")
_snort_ I’m working on that. At least I can find the shift key now. I picked up so many bad habits from depending on autocorrect and playing online games. I’m starting my new job tomorrow. I don’t know if it will work out, my new boss came across as a patronizing jerk when I met him. He’s probably a control freak as well. I shaved my legs and ironed my clothes. I already have a very bad attitude about this. I’ve applied for the tech services job at the local library. It closes on the 10th, so I don’t expect to hear anything about it until then. I could happily spend the rest of my life handling books and not dealing with the public. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4818 "2013-01-07T01:59:18Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > I could happily spend the rest of my life handling books and not dealing with the public. Are you me? ---
**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:** [January 7, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4819 "2013-01-07T03:15:44Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > Are you me? No, I’m pretty sure she’s me. One of my criteria for a good temp job is can it be done without a phone on the desk? 🙂 ---
**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:** [January 8, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4820 "2013-01-08T17:44:02Z")
“Please call me. I need to verbally explain some changes to you.” No, _you_ need to get your thoughts together, and _I_ need a paper trail. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/4821 "2013-01-08T18:27:51Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > No, _you_ need to get your thoughts together, and _I_ need a paper trail. :mad: Oh I can call and listen, but much repeated through the conversation and repeated as the very last thing I say will be; “I am going to need you to put these in writing before I can make any of these changes.” If there is pushback on that, I say “Well, I tend not to like to get into difficulty because the documentation/procedures/rules say ‘Do X’ but someone else is saying ‘Do Y’. So I will need this documented before I can make those changes.” If they still balk, then what’s nice is to document what you thought they said, then email it to them, their boss, your boss (if different), any other managers affected by it and say “this is what I believe we discussed, please review and then reply all with confirmation that this is what you asked me to do and/or any corrections to this list before I make these changes.”. Especially fun when a higher level manager steps in and blows a gasket. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=240) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=242)