# 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:** 377
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7522 "2014-03-20T15:43:54Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > So, what you do is make a checklist for each task. No instructions, just the steps to do the job. At the end of each point in the checklist, in small print so as to not be obtrusive include a page and line number referring them to the main manual. > > Put the checklists into a different binder. There is your small and easy to read list and if anyone complains that there isn’t enough detail, point to the small print. Totally stealing this. I’ve ended up being the person to lay out processes so much here (I made manuals for each job I’ve held and they are in use today despite changes) I’ve added it to my resume. Which reminds me, I need to update some for this position because the old pages are a scribbled mess with changes and there is no digital version on the server. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7523 "2014-03-21T00:14:11Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > \ > I think it’s for an audit. I’ve never heard of that before, though - I’ve worked in many offices that have audits going on, and the auditors always come to the file cabinets, not making the file cabinets go to them.\ Yup, it’s for an audit. I didn’t bother to tell them that they have to treat all these copies they’re making the same as the originals - i.e. keep them for the designated length of time for each particular type of record, apply for destruction, keep the personal information secure, etc. I’m pretty sure they don’t know that - I imagine they think they’ll just destroy these copies once they’re done with them. Oh, the type of records I’m copying to be sent out to God knows where, to have God knows what done with them? All the personal information that you can possibly give to a business is in these files. All of it. ETA: I forgot the kicker - they don’t want me to come in Saturday - they want me to come in _Sunday._ Which is the new work week, so I wouldn’t be getting a dime of overtime. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7524 "2014-03-21T01:46:32Z")
> [@Flutterby](#): > > Totally stealing this. I’ve ended up being the person to lay out processes so much here (I made manuals for each job I’ve held and they are in use today despite changes) I’ve added it to my resume. Which reminds me, I need to update some for this position because the old pages are a scribbled mess with changes and there is no digital version on the server. Glad I could help. If your users are smarter than those mentioned above, just use the check list as a subject index. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Yup, it’s for an audit. I didn’t bother to tell them that they have to treat all these copies they’re making the same as the originals - i.e. keep them for the designated length of time for each particular type of record, apply for destruction, keep the personal information secure, etc. I’m pretty sure they don’t know that - I imagine they think they’ll just destroy these copies once they’re done with them. > > Oh, the type of records I’m copying to be sent out to God knows where, to have God knows what done with them? All the personal information that you can possibly give to a business is in these files. All of it. > > ETA: I forgot the kicker - they don’t want me to come in Saturday - they want me to come in _Sunday._ Which is the new work week, so I wouldn’t be getting a dime of overtime. Whimpers quietly and considers hiding under the desk. Isn’t it good that you are “just a temp” and don’t have to worry about being a team player. A team player would sacrifice their usual Sunday plans to be there. You are just a temp, someone they are willing to abuse and then toss away…so you should have no guilt at all about telling them that you can’t come in on Sunday because you are a religious sort. You don’t need to tell them if your idea of finding god is to call her name while you are playing with your Pirate. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7525 "2014-03-21T03:52:29Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > So, what you do is make a checklist for each task. No instructions, just the steps to do the job. At the end of each point in the checklist, in small print so as to not be obtrusive include a page and line number referring them to the main manual. > > Put the checklists into a different binder. There is your small and easy to read list and if anyone complains that there isn’t enough detail, point to the small print. My God, did you just invent hardcopy hot links? ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7526 "2014-03-21T05:05:30Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > \ > Whimpers quietly and considers hiding under the desk. > > Isn’t it good that you are “just a temp” and don’t have to worry about being a team player. A team player would sacrifice their usual Sunday plans to be there. You are just a temp, someone they are willing to abuse and then toss away…so you should have no guilt at all about telling them that you can’t come in on Sunday because you are a religious sort. You don’t need to tell them if your idea of finding god is to call her name while you are playing with your Pirate. Nope, no guilt here at all. They’re doing a very stupid thing, in a very stupid way, and trying to make it my problem is not working. 🙂 Oh - the new photocopier was up and running around 3 this afternoon. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7527 "2014-03-21T08:11:31Z")
Nothing compared with **CW** and **flatlined** ’s woes but… as part of the training I’m not reciving yet because I don’t have access to appropriate systems, I’ve had to sign or fill a lot of forms, which then have to be scanned into PDF. Some of those forms were forwarded by my manager, because they came with [gasp] part of the actual training materials! They were originally pdf. One of them was the form where I acknowledge that my electronic sig equals my physical sig, legally speaking. I have this pdf editor that lets me stamp sigs on files… :smack: I can also write on them, and make notes, and highlight stuff… da bomb, seriously, and no trees get killed. The job is being as inefficient as expected. Had a “certification exam” yesterday that went as badly as could be expected: half the questions were about things which my trainer never mentioned nor gave me documentation about; in some cases, the documentation is available and I know where, but I don’t have access. The evaluation results came with an admonishment to “more carefully read the information she got from Andy”. Andy can kiss my ass til it shines, ok? And please don’t reschedule the cert until I actually have access to something and can read the documents he specifically chose not to give me as “irrelevant” but which do contain information you asked about. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7528 "2014-03-21T13:29:29Z")
Oh, that sounds frustrating as hell, **Nava**. Us competent, efficient people hate it when other peoples’ incompetence and inefficiency makes us look bad. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7529 "2014-03-21T14:17:29Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > So, what you do is make a checklist for each task. No instructions, just the steps to do the job. At the end of each point in the checklist, in small print so as to not be obtrusive include a page and line number referring them to the main manual. The manual I wrote is a very good walk-through on how to use a particular software package to DO THEIR JOBS. It is as close to training on that software as they’re going to get. So if they tell me it is too difficult to follow (and with several thousand users, this only happens 2-3 times per year, so we’re talking extreme outliers), then they’re telling me that they’re too fucking stupid to do their jobs. There is no point at which my leadership is going to tell me to hand-hold these people or do their job for them and training is not on our list of responsibilities. We’ve been backed up on that at the highest levels. The manuals my co-worker wrote involve two different ordering systems that we don’t support or have special access to. While we will occasionally hold their hands and walk them through it, we draw the line at doing it for them. Even that is annoying as fuck, because one of those systems has their own damned help lines that we list and advise them to call. Of course, the one we get the most calls about (several a week) is because there are two fields that by any standard of reasonableness should have default values, because those values apply to 99% of the people using the system. But the trained monkeys who maintain that system insist they be straight up blank fields over our repeated objections. :smack: Again, it’s just a small number of outliers, but those occasional whiny noise, hand flapping, helpless morons crying “I can’t do this! Do it for me!” should be made to suck it up and do it themselves or be counseled straight out the door. In any company. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7530 "2014-03-21T14:48:19Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Maybe I shouldn’t be asking these questions…the answers will probably make me cry. I can make **flatlined** cry in 3 easy steps! All of our receipts for expense reports have to be scanned in for electronic storage. (sounds good so far, right?) Our scanner will not accept receipts. (Hmmm…) Whenever I have an expense report (28 last year) I have to photocopy all my receipts onto 8.5"x11" paper. Which is then given to the accounting department. Who then scan them into the system.(:smack:) I know what you’re thinking. Shouldn’t accounting get a new scanner? Why would they when it would only add to their work having to scan in multiple receipts? This way the extra work isn’t in their department, and who cares about a few trees anyway. Yes, I do work for an environmental organization. What does that have to do with this conversation?? ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7531 "2014-03-21T15:26:26Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > Yes, I do work for an environmental organization. What does that have to do with this conversation?? Logic - we haz none. We keep receiving emails touting how great going paper free is, look how we’re moving into the 21st century… yet: 1. Generate a form electronically, then print it out for an attorney to sign 2. Attorney signs, we send it to be eFiled (Support discards the original). 3. Have to electronically generate another set of forms for the attorney, but then dead tree them _along with the previous form_ back to the attorney for signature. 4) They eFile their copy, send us our copy back (which we again eFile, with the original being tossed) 4. Everyone goes to court. The court requests dead tree copies of these forms and other information, which they then eFile. 5. SUPPOSEDLY orders are issued electronically. But they’re not. So we’re going in, pulling and printing. Only to turn around and eFile. Efficient? HA! ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7532 "2014-03-21T15:31:30Z")
Good grief, that’s bad! :eek: This is soooo minor in the grand scheme of things, but in response to a ticket the customer replied, “Thank you. Good work!” I suppose I should be glad I made the person happy, but I feel like a puppy being patted on the head. I should march right into the HR office and demand (DEMAND!) my [Beggin’ Strips](http://www.beggin.com/). 😃 ETA: oh, and team lead who writes “Thank you for your patients” also has been talking at our portal alliteration meetings about edible forms. (That’s “iteration” and “editable” for those who have not yet had their coffee.) Plus she’s pissing off people left and right so it’s likely that she’ll soon lose her job or be moved to a position where she’s no longer my team’s lead. I can’t WAIT!!! ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7533 "2014-03-21T15:45:18Z")
Anti-rant: We hired a new Technical Assistant (like an AA, but one level higher) for our team about four months ago. She’s been with the company for about four years as an AA, so this was a promotion for her and could have been a bit of a stretch. But no, she awesome! She is smart as a whip, and gets things done quickly and without question. She is responsive and has great ideas about how to do things. She’s totally reorganizing our file system and bringing us in to the electronic document management world without disrupting our lives too much. I can throw a few words on a PP slide and send it to her to pretty up and she picks appropriate pictures and formatting. Seriously, having capable AA’s and TA’s is like night and day. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7534 "2014-03-21T15:56:11Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Good grief, that’s bad! :eek: > > This is soooo minor in the grand scheme of things, but in response to a ticket the customer replied, “Thank you. Good work!” I suppose I should be glad I made the person happy, but I feel like a puppy being patted on the head. > > I should march right into the HR office and demand (DEMAND!) my [Beggin’ Strips](http://www.beggin.com/). 😃 > ETA: oh, and team lead who writes “Thank you for your patients” also has been talking at our portal alliteration meetings about edible forms. (That’s “iteration” and “editable” for those who have not yet had their coffee.) Plus she’s pissing off people left and right so it’s likely that she’ll soon lose her job or be moved to a position where she’s no longer my team’s lead. I can’t WAIT!!! Unfortunately, the way the world works, there is a 2 in 3 chance that the new one will be worse, in some way you can’t even imagine. Roddy, voice of 45 years of work experience. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7535 "2014-03-21T17:52:27Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > This is soooo minor in the grand scheme of things, but in response to a ticket the customer replied, “Thank you. Good work!” I suppose I should be glad I made the person happy, but I feel like a puppy being patted on the head. > > I should march right into the HR office and demand (DEMAND!) my [Beggin’ Strips](http://www.beggin.com/). 😃 That reminds me of one of my pet peeves: people who say “Very good” instead of “Thank you.” Gee thanks Mr and or Ms Kindergarten Teacher! May I have another juice box after nap time? ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7536 "2014-03-21T20:01:43Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > That reminds me of one of my pet peeves: people who say “Very good” instead of “Thank you.” Gee thanks Mr and or Ms Kindergarten Teacher! May I have another juice box after nap time? “Very good” pales in comparison to “Good girl”. It’s just wrong on multiple levels. Always a man that says it. Or maybe I should call them boys despite their age. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7537 "2014-03-21T21:33:05Z")
Once again, two hours before I go home is not the best time to declare that we need, by the end of the day, something that will take many hours to complete. It doesn’t help when I do the up-front part that I need to do (because someone else will be doing some heavy lifting based on it), send it around for review an hour and a half before I’m to go home, and you don’t even look at it in that time. This task needs to be a full blown project, not a ‘Oh, get this done by the end of the day’. It didn’t get done. Would be very surprised if it gets completed on Monday. /less time panicking, more time planning. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7538 "2014-03-21T22:33:21Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > “Very good” pales in comparison to “Good girl”. It’s just wrong on multiple levels. Always a man that says it. Or maybe I should call them boys despite their age. I’d call them condescending little shits, but to each his own. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7539 "2014-03-21T23:58:46Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > I’d call them condescending little shits, but to each his own. This. Also, I’m guilty of using “very good” or “great” instead of “thank you” on occasion when our testing department makes it through a procedure without screwing something up, or when purchasing and customer service actually read engineering’s comments on parts prior to ordering or quoting. :o ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7540 "2014-03-22T01:18:05Z")
I don’t understand how “very good” isn’t immediately followed by a smile, a direct look and “thank you!” ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/7541 "2014-03-22T02:28:07Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > I can make **flatlined** cry in 3 easy steps! > > \ > Yes, I do work for an environmental organization. What does that have to do with this conversation?? > [@MissTake](#): > > Logic - we haz none. > > We keep receiving emails touting how great going paper free is, look how we’re moving into the 21st century… yet: > > 1. Generate a form electronically, then print it out for an attorney to sign > 2. Attorney signs, we send it to be eFiled (Support discards the original). > 3. Have to electronically generate another set of forms for the attorney, but then dead tree them _along with the previous form_ back to the attorney for signature. 4) They eFile their copy, send us our copy back (which we again eFile, with the original being tossed) > 4. Everyone goes to court. The court requests dead tree copies of these forms and other information, which they then eFile. > 5. SUPPOSEDLY orders are issued electronically. But they’re not. So we’re going in, pulling and printing. Only to turn around and eFile. > > Efficient? HA! Why are you guys being so mean to me? I had really just started healing from working for the government and now its all coming back to me. ☹ No rant, but funny gossip. A while back my minion decked a process server who ran up to him in the parking lot. (My name was on the subpoena.) Our lawyers leaped to battle like the junkyard dogs we pay them to be. The company who sent the process server promptly filed some lawsuit or other, claiming that their idiot had the right to run up to the wrong person in a parking lot in the course of their job and that my minion had wrongfully assaulted an innocent citizen who was just doing their job. Our junkyard dogs leaped at this for fun instead of the money. So far, nobody has backed down, and more subpoenas have been writ. The same server that got decked…served my minion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=376) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=378)