# 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:** 73
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1441 "2011-06-14T07:43:38Z")
Tech on my shift, Please, just shut the fuck up or find someone else to talk at. I’m not impressed that you decided once again not to sleep for 72 hours so you could stay on Facebook in case your ‘friends’ (whom you’ve never met and don’t even know the real names of) posted anything new. I don’t want to hear you read updates about said friends out loud. I don’t give a shit that you have over 5,000 emails in your inbox- you’ve said before that you never delete anything. If this is some weird effort to impress me, try actually fixing a machine instead of announcing you’ve got the pieces to hold in place with electrical tape as long as we’re all really careful not to bump anything. ---
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1442 "2011-06-14T07:45:48Z")
Oh, and great news, Sattua! ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1443 "2011-06-14T17:48:02Z")
I return bearing the gift of a hilarious mass-email fuckup. This one, fortunately, did not happen to me. I say “fortunately” because a couple of weeks ago, a coworker called me over so that I could appreciate the horror that had become her inbox since about 4:15 a.m. that morning, as it had become filled with _literally hundreds of emails_ that had been sent as Reply All after some moron accidentally copied a \*huge \*distribution list on something that was supposed to go to maybe a half-dozen people… And most of those people then replied to every single person to tell them that they didn’t they they were supposed to get that email. She deleted most of them without looking, but fortunately not all of them, which meant she was able to forward me this gem: > [@](#): > > From: Coworker B > To: Half the company > Subject: RE: STOP IT!!! DON’T REPLY TO ALL!!! > > Monkeys don’t go to jail! > > -----Original Message----- > From: Coworker A > To: Half the company > Subject: RE: STOP IT!!! DON’T REPLY TO ALL!!! > > Will you now stop all the stupid emails? I am very Sat I’m busy with my work. I think you have nothing to do > > shut up! The best part of the whole debacle was how many people kept replying to all to tell people not to reply to all. Genius. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1444 "2011-06-14T17:49:21Z")
Oh, note that Coworker A was based out of one of our offices in another country, and her email included a translation in her native language. The original fuck-up also came from a foreign office (and wasn’t in English), and the people it went to were all over the globe. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1445 "2011-06-14T18:45:41Z")
Some asshole stole my Diet Coke with lime out of the refrigerator. It had my name on it. I can’t get another one because they don’t stock that flavor in the vending machine. Asshole. I hate these people. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1446 "2011-06-14T19:38:58Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Some asshole stole my Diet Coke with lime out of the refrigerator. It had my name on it. I can’t get another one because they don’t stock that flavor in the vending machine. Asshole. I hate these people. That was yours? I have today and tomorrow off from work. I’m actually happy today. Tomorrow I’ll be worried about work, but today is things are OK. I visited my work place this morning and saw a sink full of dishes, and I feel a bit sorry for my co-workers when I’m not there… If things are hectic when I’m working, I can only imagine how hard it is when I have a day off. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1447 "2011-06-14T19:42:45Z")
> [@myfootszzz](#): > > that was yours? Yes, that was mine. It _ **had my name on it** _. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1448 "2011-06-14T20:05:12Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Some asshole stole my Diet Coke with lime out of the refrigerator. The only solution is to walk around tongue-kissing all of your coworkers until you figure out who tastes like cola and citrus. There is \*no possible way \*this can end badly. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1449 "2011-06-14T20:59:16Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I return bearing the gift of a hilarious mass-email fuckup. > > This one, fortunately, did not happen to me. I say “fortunately” because a couple of weeks ago, a coworker called me over so that I could appreciate the horror that had become her inbox since about 4:15 a.m. that morning, as it had become filled with _literally hundreds of emails_ that had been sent as Reply All after some moron accidentally copied a \*huge \*distribution list on something that was supposed to go to maybe a half-dozen people… And most of those people then replied to every single person to tell them that they didn’t they they were supposed to get that email. She deleted most of them without looking, but fortunately not all of them, which meant she was able to forward me this gem: > > The best part of the whole debacle was how many people kept replying to all to tell people not to reply to all. Genius. That’s probably how the world ends - all the resources used up by people replying to all to tell people to not reply to all. Stupid monkeys. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1450 "2011-06-14T21:30:10Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That’s probably how the world ends - all the resources used up by people replying to all to tell people to not reply to all. Stupid monkeys. Makes you wonder why there’s even a “Reply All” function, doesn’t it? It’s never used correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1451 "2011-06-14T21:34:46Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > Makes you wonder why there’s even a “Reply All” function, doesn’t it? It’s never used correctly. There are lots of times when it’s useful. There just needs to be an idiot check before you’re allowed to select it as an option. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1452 "2011-06-14T22:29:34Z")
I’ve long been convinced that Outlook and all the other email programs should charge a nickel for the ReplyAll function. Not enough so it’s a hardship, but enough to make (some?) people at least think, “Hmm. Do I _really_ need to include everyone and their dog on this?” ---
**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:** [June 14, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1453 "2011-06-14T23:33:24Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > Makes you wonder why there’s even a “Reply All” function, doesn’t it? It’s never used correctly. I use it whenever some jackass in customer service sends an email to my supervisor, _his_ supervisor, and other assorted managers to let them know that I didn’t drop everything to work on some minor thing that the customer doesn’t need for another month. ---
**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:** [June 15, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1454 "2011-06-15T20:48:05Z")
Dear coworker: thanks so much for using discretion in enforcing the house rules for our customers. I just love hearing, “But the other guy said it was okay!” when I have to be the bad guy and remind them of company policies. ---
**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:** [June 15, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1455 "2011-06-15T20:50:01Z")
Awesome. So my team _finally_ gets some development time from IT. Grandboss sends around a survey to the managers who work in our sub-offices, asking exactly three questions: - what features would you like to see added? - what features have your clients requested? - what features do you / your clients want to see removed/deleted/thrown into a dungeon? It’s really depressing how many responses we’ve already gotten that either: - ask us to remove a function we’ve never had or - ask us to add something we’ve had for months (and, in at least a couple instances, _years)_ Grandboss’s response? “I wanna punch some of these people in the head.” It doesn’t happen often, but I agree with her sentiment. I also just now came back from lunch to an upset co-worker because, basically, this happened: - Co-worker: Hey, we’re having LMNOP problem again. _note: normally IT does some magic thing for a second, we get a “Connection reset by peer” error message for a minute or two, and then LMNOP goes away … for a couple of days/weeks._ - Supervisor: IT, we’re having LMNOP again. Could you please fix for us? _brief time elapses_ - IT: We have fixed LMNOP. Please let us know if you have further issues. - Co-worker: thanks! much better now! yay! - Manager: Thanks! We are having fewer LMNOP now. OK, [co-worker] can you please re-create LMNOP on this livemeeting session with a whole bunch of higher ups who are superduperimportant? - Co-worker: uhhh… n… no? Not … now that they kinda fixed it? Again? I don’t really know what happened. [Supervisor] doesn’t usually cause back-and-forth misunderstandings like this - her job, really, is to minimize those as much as possible - but [co-worker] is upset and I’m flummoxed. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1456 "2011-06-15T21:04:04Z")
Are Supervisor and Manager meant to be the same person? ---
**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:** [June 15, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1457 "2011-06-15T21:55:24Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Are Supervisor and Manager meant to be the same person? Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. \*\* points toe into floor sheepishly \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1458 "2011-06-15T21:57:25Z")
Just checking! That’s an epic brainfart, indeed. The supervisor’s, I mean, not yours. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1459 "2011-06-15T23:08:40Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Dear coworker: thanks so much for using discretion in enforcing the house rules for our customers. I just love hearing, “But the other guy said it was okay!” when I have to be the bad guy and remind them of company policies. It’s entirely possible that those customers are flat-out lying to you. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401/1460 "2011-06-16T00:30:55Z")
Work griping, minirants. Same diff. So I have a ganglion in my right wrist that I’ve got to see an orthopedic surgeon about. Function in my right hand is limited when it flares up, and it’s exacerbated by work. But something hinky’s going on in my left hand too, now. When I extend my little finger and move my hand in a certain direction (e.g. try to use any key combination on the left of the keyboard, and/or use shift/ctrl or alt on the left side) something in the exterior of my left wrist starts hurting too, and it’s generally aching. So I don’t know if this is workplace griping because both are injuries exacerbated by my employment doing data entry, or if it’s “My body sucks” griping because, well, my body sucks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=72) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workplace-griping-anyone/560401.md?page=74)