# 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:** 61
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1201 "2011-05-04T15:06:48Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Then tell them “no” when they ask you to do their work for them. Yeah, that’s not going to work. My division chief thinks we are Burger King and everyone can have it their way. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1202 "2011-05-04T17:38:38Z")
You’re not supposed to wash teapots, but I’m not sure about coffee mugs. **flatlined** - what, he didn’t like a little salt with his boiled egg? 😃 ---
**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:** [May 4, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1203 "2011-05-04T17:46:06Z")
Anti-gripe: my co-worker has a couple of days off, and I’m here by myself today and tomorrow. It’s a win-win situation because I’m loving every minute of the time he isn’t around. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1204 "2011-05-05T05:16:41Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > **flatlined** - what, he didn’t like a little salt with his boiled egg? 😃 Considering how he has been complaining about no salt in the break area, I would have expected him to totally lurve the extra salt. He came to work to today and spent the entire day fucking off. Except for the time he had to talk to me about someone’s sex life. I’m documenting it. I don’t care about who sleeps with who, I don’t care that so and so is living with someone the same sex. As long as they do their part of the job, I just don’t care. And honestly, just because a couple of guys rent an apartment together doesn’t mean that they are sharing a bed. Or girls. Or a girl and guy. IMO, this is sexual harrassment. In the past, I would just tell him to go away. I’m so tired of him that now I’m going to get his ass fired and do his work. I have to document it, because the PTB think I should understand the he’s old and po and needs this job. I used to be sympathic, but over the years, I’ve learned that he is just deadweight that needs to go away. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1205 "2011-05-05T05:49:04Z")
I’m not sure that this qualifies as sexual harassment. However, yeah, you should document everything he does, and doesn’t do. And that includes eating your food. That’s stealing, and he’s made a habit of it. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1206 "2011-05-05T06:26:37Z")
Lynn, from what the sexual harrasment classes we have to take every year tells me that he can’t do this. You are right that I don’t think its sexual harrassment, it does upset me that I’m sure that he is telling people about his thoughts about my currently extinct sex life is much better than is what is happening. I keep my mouth shut. My personal life is personal (except for here, and even here, I don’t tell people what is really going on). Document, document, document. SG is going down. Hopefully he will stop stealing food after this, but I know he won’t be able to stop gossiping. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1207 "2011-05-05T07:35:01Z")
I was thinking that he’s making a hostile work environment. I do feel a bit sorry for him, but only a bit. He’s got a lot of problems, but most or all of them are of his own making. ---
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1208 "2011-05-05T20:42:11Z")
> [@Naxos](#): > > They’re all Republicans. That’s what they are. I doubt most Republicans seriously believe the government has a huge wind machine in the middle of the ocean creating the severe weather we’ve been experiencing. Yes. Really. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1209 "2011-05-06T18:18:44Z")
If you were really too important to start a new pot of coffee brewing when you finish the old one, you would be important enough to have an assistant that you could ask to do it for you. Leaving 1/3 of a cup does not count as not finishing it. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1210 "2011-05-06T23:34:22Z")
“Is brass, like, metallic?” :smack: :smack: :smack: Also, someone cooked something rather strong-smelling in the break room today. It didn’t quite reek, but it was enough to put a bit of a dent in my appetite. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1211 "2011-05-07T00:51:43Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > If you were really too important to start a new pot of coffee brewing when you finish the old one, you would be important enough to have an assistant that you could ask to do it for you. > > Leaving 1/3 of a cup does not count as not finishing it. That would make a really good sign over the coffeepot. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1212 "2011-05-07T06:36:38Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > If you were really too important to start a new pot of coffee brewing when you finish the old one, you would be important enough to have an assistant that you could ask to do it for you. > > Leaving 1/3 of a cup does not count as not finishing it. butbutbut…leaving that little bit of coffee in the pot means you didn’t have to rinse the pot out, or gawd forbid take the time to shut it off! ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1213 "2011-05-09T17:45:31Z")
If your critical system is so old that the most reliable source of spare parts is eBay, you should probably start looking to replace it. It will eventually fail to the point I can’t bandaid it back together. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1214 "2011-05-09T17:54:05Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > That would make a really good sign over the coffeepot. My boss put up a similar sign a while back, and it was taken down within an hour. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1215 "2011-05-09T17:56:19Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > butbutbut…leaving that little bit of coffee in the pot means you didn’t have to rinse the pot out, or gawd forbid take the time to shut it off! Our coffee is stored in thermoses, not on a hot burner, so there’s no need to shut it off. And god forbid that anyone should ever rinse them out, even the people who _do_ make coffee when it runs out. I have never observed anyone but myself rinsing out a coffee container. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1216 "2011-05-09T20:49:46Z")
Part of my job involves uploading all manner of documents to various websites. Today I uploaded a tree-care guide that - in addition to the usual mulch & water instructions - included the following gem: Toxic Materials: Do not pour oil, gasoline or other toxic materials in the root zone. Please, someone, tell me people aren’t so fucking stupid that grown-ass adults have to be told this. Right? ---
**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:** [May 9, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1217 "2011-05-09T20:52:32Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Part of my job involves uploading all manner of documents to various websites. Today I uploaded a tree-care guide that - in addition to the usual mulch & water instructions - included the following gem: > > Toxic Materials: Do not pour oil, gasoline or other toxic materials in the root zone. > Please, someone, tell me people aren’t so fucking stupid that grown-ass adults have to be told this. Right? Maybe somebody draining the oil out of their lawnmower? That’s the only reason I can see for doing that, and even then it’s accidental. Now does the manual define how big the root zone is? Trees are just as big below ground as they are above, yanno? Most people probably don’t know that. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1218 "2011-05-09T23:14:42Z")
An apparently popular method of tree stump removal involves soaking the stump in diesel fuel for a period of time, then igniting it and leaving the stump and root system to burn. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1219 "2011-05-10T22:05:37Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > An apparently popular method of tree stump removal involves soaking the stump in diesel fuel for a period of time, then igniting it and leaving the stump and root system to burn. That sounds like an excellent way to set your house on fire. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1220 "2011-05-10T22:20:22Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > That sounds like an excellent way to set your house on fire. Among other things! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=60) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=62)