Workplace griping, anyone?

The BBQ Pit
3762

Because for auditing purposes, people have to fill out the forms themselves and explain for themselves why they need access to the information. It cannot be done for them. Nor are we administrative assistants whose job it is to contact scores of people and fill out forms for them to send to the department that audits these things and makes the decision on whether or not they keep their access. It was our job to notify them that a change was being made and that they needed to go elsewhere to fill out the forms that they themselves were responsible for filling out.

“mistreatment?” :rolleyes: Hardly.

3763

Many times people have changed jobs within the company, or left the company, and nobody thought to tell IT.

I’ve had problems getting my email set up in a company because apparently there was someone else who had my same name, same lastnames, same National ID number, same birthplace and birthdate, who had already worked for the company, left a couple of years before and her account was still active… guess who!

3764

Nava should get some back pay!

3765

Is it time to welcome our new rodent overlords?

3766

Please, please, please make sure you have enough heat illness preventionin place. That means FREQUENT BREAKS, lots of water*, and shade that is actually cool (at least not an enclosed and sweltering area). Did I mention frequent breaks?

Also, you shouldn’t be working by yourself because it’s easy to miss signs of heat illness in yourself. At least for the first few days. It takes the body about two weeks to adjust to working in increased heat and most incidents happen in the first day or two. And if there’s someone else sharing the pain, it’s less likely that the difficulty of dealing with the heat will be shrugged off.

  • That includes having enough to pour over yourself if you suddenly need to cool down fast.
3767

I hear this at least once a week:

“You’re awfully quiet today! Is something wrong?”

I really want to say - NO YOU ARE JUST EXCESSIVELY LOUD. Seriously I don’t really understand how people can literally stand in the hallway and talk non-stop for two hours.

Since I came in this morning two of my coworkers have been talking almost continuously. That was 9 am and now it’s noon. They just can’t be quiet.

And so they look at me, working, or reading, or whatever I do - and I do work, alongside with posting - and they’re like, “How come she doesn’t want to talk to us?” Because I have shit to do! Because I come to work to work! Aargh! I don’t mind chatting for short periods of time, now and then, but damn, shut your trap now and then!

3768

I am totally going to lose it on the people I am stuck on the phone with.

I told them to install a particular .Net framework and try our software again.

Not only could they not do this without me on the phone (which, hello, you click the link I sent you and do the install. These are IT guys, come on!), but they only speak french with a smattering of english (I only speak english) so the two other guys on the phone are just talking to each other in french. Not only do I not understand BUT I HAVE SHIT TO DO!

Sitting listening to them is a waste of my time!

3769

For God’s sake, co-workers, stop spending hours bitching about how no one is doing any work! Do you realize how stupid you sound to those of us who are working?

3770

Amen, sister!

3771

Shit, where do I even begin. I’ll just keep it short. Maybe.

Facts:

  1. The CEO and President are fighting over corporate strategy
  2. The company isn’t big enough for two bosses
  3. The company is treading water, our vision (specifically, the President’s vision) being too large for our finances.

I resigned from my position on June 1st, my last day being June 29th. I am coming back on July 30th after a month off to discuss with the Pres and CEO the future of the company, if there’s a role for me, if I want it, etc.

(If this sounds weird, it’s because I’m one of those people who KNOWS EVERYTHING, all the clients know it and me (I’ve been in this industry since 1979, starting professionally in 1991 when I graduated from college and am very well-known), and it would be a freakin’ disaster for the company if the word gets out that I’m leaving. Therefore, the official story is I’m taking a long vacation (true) and a leave of absence (also true, after vacation time runs out.)

I’m also doing it this way to delay the onset of COBRA as much as possible. Bargaining power: USE IT OR LOSE IT. :wink:

I’m also not leaving because I hate my job or anything, I’m leaving because this company isn’t going anywhere and I have a career to think of. Anyway, enough rambling - this parenthetical statement will be longer than the post that inspired it!)

Anyway, when I resigned I had about a 6-page document of talking points with me (I like being prepared). When I began my spiel, I looked at it, flipped through it, and said

“You know, I spent 2 weeks working on this but, really. You both know what the situation is, I don’t need to rehash it, so here’s what’s happening.”

The CEO asked for the document. I told him something along the lines of “No. This is something I wrote for myself and is not in any shape whatsoever for me to present it to you. If you want, I’ll work on it more and give it to you later.”

And promptly forgot to do it. Actually, I blew him off - surely he wasn’t serious?

But he was and asked for the document last week. I told him that I had it on my home computer, can we meet about it in a day or so? Sure, no problem…

So I told my direct boss, the President, who asked that he and I review the document before I give it to the CEO. So we went to Starbucks (because he likes it, I guess) and discussed the document. He wasn’t too happy about it (a lot of my problems stemmed from his “vision” for the company) but said:

“This will give me some ammunition in the upcoming board meeting against (CEO).”

Great, guy. I’m thrilled to get involved in your pissing contest. But what do I care - I’m leaving this place anyway!

Well, the next day I meet the CEO. Unlike the President, he loves what I wrote. He doesn’t agree with everything of course, but what I wrote apparently was very sympatico with his thinking. So, what does he say to me?

“This will give me some ammunition in the upcoming board meeting against (President).”

So, tomorrow, they are going to the board meeting, both with my document, and will make arguments and counter-arguments based upon the same paper I wrote. Awesome! :rolleyes:

And, just a few minutes ago, CEO just sent the document to all Board Members saying

Sigh…

3772

I met with my “counterpart” in the group today to prepare for an upcoming meeting with our boss. We had to list all of the projects that we are working on in any capacity so that we can prioritize staffing efforts. My list had 10 projects. His had 2. He didn’t see the problem with that.

Later, I asked him to help resolve a group-wide issue, and he told me he was too busy!! WTF? His poor management skills caused the problem in the first place and now he’s too damn lazy to fix it!

3773

And that’s when you realize you could run the company better than the guys in charge.

3774

Shit, realized that a long time ago. :stuck_out_tongue:

Hopefully, that’s when the board realizes I can run the company better than the guys in charge. :wink:

3775

There is a point in that process where I simply say “I’ve provided you adequate instructions and there is really no point me being on the phone at this time. Please call back when you’ve finished the install.” <click>

I’ve really never had more than a slight question from my various bosses over this tactic. If the shit hits the fan, people complain and s/he asks me why I hung up, I tell the whole story honestly. I provided directions. They asked me to stay on the line while they did a very tedious and time consuming task that required no involvement from me. I said no. They insisted. They began wasting my time forcing me to watch paint dry rather than work on my other projects. I reiterated that they had adequate instructions and did not need me on the line, told them to call back when the task was completed and disconnected. There was no anger involved, I was simply sticking to the “do this and call back” instructions that I repeatedly gave them.

I think I’ve only ever had one or two managers ask me to stay on the line, and I’m usually able to convince them that this only serves to make me unavailable to other people who DO need my time.

3776

I hate my new job. Been there six months today, and I’m ready to walk away. It was actually pretty good up until about two months ago. I took the job with the understanding that I would be in the accounting department, and that’s where they started training me. But for reasons still unknown to me I was shoved into the HR department about two months ago. It wasn’t that I wasn’t doing the accounting job well, that much I know. I was being told left and right that I was doing great, catching on quickly, etc. etc. etc.

I hate HR with a passion. I hate trying to hire the right people. I hate trying to fill schedules with a bunch of whiny lazy kids that always have some reason that they can’t work.

I asked the other day about getting moved back to accounting. I was told “this is what you’re going to be doing now.” If you wanted a fucking HR person, advertise for an HR person. I never would’ve applied for that job.

This isn’t helped by the fact that my boss is a petulant child who throws temper tantrums my toddler niece would be proud of. I think I might have mentioned here when I first started this job that there was something weird about the boss. Well I know what it is now, his hair-trigger temper.

Today I’m sitting in the lunch room eating and minding my own business when the boss walks in. He made pleasant small talk for once, until he goes for the coffee pot and finds it empty. He goes off on me. Just like that, totally out of the blue. It was like someone flipped the asshole switch. I don’t remember seeing “coffee pot monitor” in my job description. He treated me like crap the rest of the day too.

I wish I could say this was an isolated incident, but it’s just the most recent one. I’m ready to curl up in the corner and cry. But I have to go back tomorrow… and I really don’t want to.

TLDR: I hate HR, boss is an asshole. Thanks for listening.

3777

Look for a new job in your field, then if & when you find one give him a politely worded letter of resignation aplogizing for not being able to give any notice. Be sure to specify the new job is in accounting. There’s not a whole lot else you can do.

3778

I hear you. There have been a couple of times I’ve gotten hired for a position and then shuffled over to another one which was specifically against what I could do. One time, I had specifically said I could not work nights - my father was dying, I’ve never been able to sleep by day, but with my mother expecting me to be available any time I was in the house I couldn’t even rest by day. Anyway. I second what alphaboi said and wish you luck in your next search.

3779

I have worked at my company for 4 1/2 years. It’s a growing company, and for many of the early days I worked 60+ hours per week on salary, thankful that I had my salary, since there were a few of the management staff who had foregone taking a salary at all to keep that money in the company.

Now, almost 5 years later, we are actually in the black regularly. We have a real budget. We are hiring new employees. However, I still have never had a raise. Or a review. Or a cost-of-living raise. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

And now, as a marketing ploy, we have leased a car for the sales staff and implementers to use when going to client sites or prospects or trade shows - with a $900 wrap advertising our company on it.

I want us to market, I want us to become even more successful than we are - but dammit, I was the lone support person for over 3 years. Now that we’re better, I’d like a little financial consideration for the blood, sweat, and tears that I put in. I’m ok with just a cost-of-living raise, honest: it doesn’t even have to BE a merit raise. But throw me a bone here, ok?

I’m feeling more than a little unappreciated.

And yes, I know I’m lucky to have a job, but it doesn’t make it less frustrating.

3780

I fully support what you’re saying here, indyellen, and I hope you’re telling someone besides just us here on the Dope.

3781

I’ve requested a raise repeatedly; I keep being told by HR (such as it is) and my direct managers that we’ll ALL get raises once they can “quantify what we do”. What the fuck does that have to do with a cost-of-living raise?

I’ve been contemplating writing a letter to the President/Founder about it, but I’m a bit scared to do so. I know I’m not the only employee upset about it.

I’m working on my gumption. Venting helps for now.