# 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:** 363
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7242 "2014-02-12T13:38:53Z")
Access to our main program is down. Reason unknown. I was the first one on my team signed on for the day, so I did the “contact IT” stuff and emailed the team, giving them a heads up. One coworker, who we call Mr. Himself, has emailed me every 5 minutes, asking if it’s working again. CHECK FOR YOURSELF, MORON. I replied as such to him. No response. Then 5 minutes later: “Is it working?” It’s going to be a long day. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7243 "2014-02-12T13:42:40Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Wait, what? The inventory system doesn’t identify rooms as well? That’s insane. Judging from the look the guy in the warehouse gave me, I think we’re supposed to “just know”. The warehouse has been rearranged a bit since I last had to work with our inventory; large items (like the one I was looking for yesterday) used to be kept in the area that is now used for general storage. I have no idea why they didn’t update the labeling system when they rearranged the warehouse. The place where defective parts are stored until someone deals with them used to have no labeling or organization system at all. My department used to refer to searching for a part in this area as “going on a scavenger hunt”. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7244 "2014-02-12T14:48:11Z")
My job is taking the piss lately. I knew it was a little shaky when I signed up, but it’s getting worse and worse. After a January where I barely made the rent, I’ve had multiple shifts with no notice whatsoever (I just get a phone call of “Can you make it to x by 8?” at 7.15 and similar). If I turn these down, I don’t get offered anything else. There’s work around now, it’s just not being offered to me. Then I got told there’s an unpaid compulsory training weekend this weekend, which just happens to fall on my birthday- which I wasn’t intending to work at all, let alone unpaid. Then my boss had a go at me via text because I notified him that I wasn’t available for work the Saturday after, (it’s a 0 hours casual contract, and it’s totally normal to say you’re not available for a day) because he got the dates wrong and thought that was the training weekend. At least he… sort of… apologised when he realised the mistake. Yesterday, I showed up ready to start my shift at 5pm, as scheduled, only to be told that “Oh, it’s all been changed round- someone else is on that shift. You’re not starting 'til 6 now.” I really need to get a new job- one that actually pays money for preference. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7245 "2014-02-12T15:59:00Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > … I have eye-rolls. Lots and lots of eye-rolls. I’ve had times where I’ve rolled my eyes so hard, I’m surprised I didn’t sprain something… You WOULD have sprained something if they weren’t so damned magical. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7246 "2014-02-12T16:37:11Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Wait, what? The inventory system doesn’t identify rooms as well? That’s insane.\ That is indeed insane. It offends my logical, organized mind. > [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > I work in a warehouse that runs 24/7. As a safety incentive, the supervisors promised a pizza party if we went a full quarter without a time-loss injury. We’ve gone nearly six months. They’re throwing the party this coming Wednesday when the fewest people are on the schedule. I’m one of the people who has Wednesday off. I am vegetarian, so I probably wouldn’t eat any pizza anyway, but I think giving the crew their reward on a day when most people aren’t working is a shitty thing to do. That is a shitty thing to do. If you don’t want to reward staff, then don’t bother. If you’re going to reward staff, then make an effort to do it properly. > [@MissTake](#): > > Access to our main program is down. Reason unknown. I was the first one on my team signed on for the day, so I did the “contact IT” stuff and emailed the team, giving them a heads up. > > One coworker, who we call Mr. Himself, has emailed me every 5 minutes, asking if it’s working again. CHECK FOR YOURSELF, MORON. I replied as such to him. No response. > > Then 5 minutes later: “Is it working?” > > It’s going to be a long day. Can you go over and punch him in the head? _That_ he might understand. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7247 "2014-02-12T16:57:59Z")
> [@MissTake](#): > > Then 5 minutes later: “Is it working?” Do you use Outlook? Create a rule that if it comes from him and uses those words, auto response saying “Check for yourself” and then delete the email. 😉 Then you never have to worry about it and hopefully he’ll get the message. Eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7248 "2014-02-12T17:41:07Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > I work in a warehouse that runs 24/7. As a safety incentive, the supervisors promised a pizza party if we went a full quarter without a time-loss injury. We’ve gone nearly six months. They’re throwing the party this coming Wednesday when the fewest people are on the schedule. I’m one of the people who has Wednesday off. I am vegetarian, so I probably wouldn’t eat any pizza anyway, but I think giving the crew their reward on a day when most people aren’t working is a shitty thing to do. We have pizza parties here for, literally, any excuse they can think up. We had a pizza party to celebrate a manager’s favorite soccer team winning. When I’m thinking “the least management could do to acknowledge [whatever] is…”, a pizza party _is_ the absolute least they could do. It’s a couple bucks per person; hardly a strain on the budget. So, pizza party as a reward is kind of a valueless reward, already. Playing shennanigans actually makes it a _dis_incentive to employees. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7249 "2014-02-12T21:05:09Z")
I just … oh my goodness … I think I just broke a fuse. I broke something in my skull. I … I … I just overheard one co-worker explain to another how to change the water in a flower vase. Honestly. The conversation went thus: - I’m going to put these in the break room so everyone can enjoy them. - Change the water out first. - How do I do that? - You :dubious: … dump the water out, and then refill the vase. - Butbutbut … wouldn’t I have to take the flowers out first? - Yes, you take the flowers out first. _(I couldn’t help myself at this point.)_ ME: Don’t forget to put the flowers back in when you’re done. … then I ran here to post the whole thing, because I still can’t believe what I just heard. ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7250 "2014-02-12T21:22:14Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Honestly. The conversation went thus: > > - I’m going to put these in the break room so everyone can enjoy them. > - Change the water out first. > - How do I do that? > - You :dubious: … dump the water out, and then refill the vase. > - Butbutbut … wouldn’t I have to take the flowers out first? > - Yes, you take the flowers out first. > _(I couldn’t help myself at this point.)_ > ME: Don’t forget to put the flowers back in when you’re done. > > … then I ran here to post the whole thing, because I still can’t believe what I just heard. Have you had a chance to check if it was done right, or would that be another fuse blown? ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7251 "2014-02-12T21:35:37Z")
Co-worker: speed up or get out of the way-- or you will be run over. Today was hectic enough without you putting on your gloves S L O W L Y Customers: No, we do not hide highly popular items in the back so that if you ask just the right way we can go get you something special. Logisitics: Why did the truck arrive six hours late? (Truck was loaded, just waiting for a driver, at a warehouse less than two hours from here at the time it was supposed to arrive. But it was at least three hours before they rounded up a driver for it). ---
**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:** [February 12, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7252 "2014-02-12T21:56:18Z")
> [@Qwakkeddup](#): > > Have you had a chance to check if it was done right, or would that be another fuse blown? Apparently, both, because this happened next: - _gets up, wanders around casually_ \* Yes, the flowers have had their water correctly changed. I was casually admiring them and she mentioned, “Every time I get flowers, they DIE on me. Maybe it’s because I never changed the water.” ME: “Well, yeah, plus they’re _uhmmmm_ already dead.” Client submitted a request on behalf of a board of directors this morning. Our turnaround time is about 1 - 2 weeks after the completed request is sent in (not half of it. Not part of it. ALL OF IT dammit.) She knows this. A scant hour after we receive the request and I’ve responded to confirm for her that we got it and have added it to the team’s queue, I receive this followup: > [@](#): > > How soon do you think it will take; the board would like to have it yesterday. I responded with the usual 1-2 week spiel and was all professional and informative and shit, but oh, the temptation … ohhhhh, the temptation … to respond with: > [@](#): > > Unfortunately, our team’s time machine is in the shop for repairs, so this board may need to wait until later today or tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7253 "2014-02-13T00:41:09Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Honestly. The conversation went thus: > > - I’m going to put these in the break room so everyone can enjoy them. > - Change the water out first. > - How do I do that? > - You :dubious: … dump the water out, and then refill the vase. > - Butbutbut … wouldn’t I have to take the flowers out first? > - Yes, you take the flowers out first. > _(I couldn’t help myself at this point.)_ > ME: Don’t forget to put the flowers back in when you’re done. > > … then I ran here to post the whole thing, because I still can’t believe what I just heard. [Was she a supermodel?](http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1998-12-22/) ---
**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:** [February 13, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7254 "2014-02-13T00:48:45Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That is indeed insane. It offends my logical, organized mind. To make things even more insane: we rent storage space in a warehouse across the road. This space is used for the storage of test pieces and old equipment. Supposedly, there is an organization system of sorts: all the parts are tagged with date-based serial numbers, and are pretty much kept together (based on the year) in massive cardboard boxes mounted on wooden pallets. I needed to retrieve an old test piece recently; I looked it up in the appropriate spreadsheet, noted its serial number and box number, and sent in my request to the warehouse manager. He was unable to locate the part in its box (mainly due to a large number of these boxes disintegrating after a pipe burst). Later on, another engineer needed the same part for a different reason; he finally located it tucked in an unused area of the main building. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7255 "2014-02-13T00:52:48Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > He was unable to locate the part in its box (mainly due to a large number of these boxes disintegrating after a pipe burst). Later on, another engineer needed the same part for a different reason; he finally located it tucked in an unused area of the main building. :smack: In a the bottom drawer of a locked filing cabinet in a restroom marked “Beware of the Leopard”? ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7256 "2014-02-13T02:03:09Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > In a the bottom drawer of a locked filing cabinet in a restroom marked “Beware of the Leopard”? Don’t forget the stairs are out. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7257 "2014-02-13T02:04:19Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Holy god, man, are you trying to get a clogged toilet overflowing all over the floor! :eek: My husband is on a business trip. When he checked into his hotel after a long drive, he set up his computer and stuff to get started with his work, and then found that the toilet was clogged. He called maintenance, who brought a plunger which proved to have a hole in it, therefore no suction. The guy offered to move him to another room, but he’d already set up all his stuff and asked him to check for another plunger. The guy went back and brought back a snake, and said “I don’t actually know how to use this.” My husband said he did, but that he had work of his own to do and did not have time for hotel plumbing. So the guy said “well, we will have to move you to another room. We can upgrade you to a Jacuzzi room.” So he packs up all his gear and goes to the desk to get a new room, and the clerk tells him there are no more Jacuzzi suites and he’ll have to schlep his stuff up three floors to the back blah blah blah. The end of a 14-hour day. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7258 "2014-02-13T06:23:23Z")
I got a negative on my semester review for not attending meetings that 1) were not in the subject I teach, 2) I was never told about and 3) held when I was teaching class. I was told I needed to be more proactive. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7259 "2014-02-13T07:13:34Z")
> [@MissTake](#): > > Access to our main program is down. Reason unknown. I was the first one on my team signed on for the day, so I did the “contact IT” stuff and emailed the team, giving them a heads up. > > One coworker, who we call Mr. Himself, has emailed me every 5 minutes, asking if it’s working again. CHECK FOR YOURSELF, MORON. I replied as such to him. No response. > > Then 5 minutes later: “Is it working?” > > It’s going to be a long day. Meh. Just tell him “Sure, why not?” and let him figure it out for himself. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7260 "2014-02-13T14:43:07Z")
People, a request from your friendly front desk clerk: If you are in any doubt about whether you should cancel or reschedule your reservation for today and tomorrow in My Fair City, the answer is YES. If you are from Georgia, the answer is HELL YES. We are in the mountains of North Carolina. There is a lot of up-and-downhill driving here. There is also snow on the roads. They plowed last night, yes, but that did not remove all of the snow, nor did it remove the snow that fell after the plows went through. The interstates are clear…ish…right here. I do not know the status of the interstates between here and Charlotte or here and Raleigh or here and Atlanta. The smart money is on they are bad and treacherous. I drove in to work this morning on the main roads and they were bad. I did not go out of second gear or above 20 mph and I still slid at one stoplight\*. Yes, I know Valentine’s day is tomorrow. The weather gods do not care. You need to ask yourself a question: would I prefer to celebrate Valentine’s at home or at a later date, or would I prefer to celebrate it in the hospital or graveyard? You may think you know how to drive in snow, but do you know how to drive in North Carolina mountain snow? I’ve lived here five years and I’m still not sure _I_ do. \*I learned how to drive in snow and ice the hard way: by getting caught in an ice storm on I-40 and driving halfway across the state to my sister’s house. This is before I had a cell phone. This remains the stupidest thing I have done, but I now know from experience how fucking dangerous driving in snow and ice is. I’ll drive in snow. Not ice. Never ice. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7261 "2014-02-13T14:48:38Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I got a negative on my semester review for not attending meetings that 1) were not in the subject I teach, 2) I was never told about and 3) held when I was teaching class. > > I was told I needed to be more proactive. I used to worry about those “black marks on my permanent record” :rolleyes: … but then I realized that they make absolutley no difference. I still get paid the same, they’re not enough to get me fired, and my dean isn’t suddenly going to invite me to his house for steaks if I toe the line. Balance that against wasting time in useless meetings and: Winning! _Pssst!_ Y’know what? The dean has never noticed that I don’t go to committee meetings. I was told when I was hired “Pick two or three committees you’d want to be on, and one that you’d be willing to chair eventually. Here’s the form, and the contact info for each chairperson.” I asked around, and every experienced teacher just bitched about what a waste of time they were (one sub-committee had two hour meetings… if I’d tried that back in the private sector, my boss would’ve shoo’ed everyone “back to work!” after 30 minutes). So, I never signed up for a committee, never filled out the form or contacted any chairpeople, and no one’s ever noticed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=362) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=364)