Speaking as someone who also owns a number of databases, I heartily approve this rant. See also: People who request very high levels of access without providing any business reason for their access at all. (Which 99% of the time means “I have no idea what these access levels mean, so I just picked one at random.”)
You’ve reminded me of a job I had once where everyone was stockpiling in their offices. Whenever someone left, it was a mad rush to pick their office clean of the 50 pounds of office supplies everyone had in there. I’m trying to remember now why they did that - I think supplies were hard to come by or something, so everyone just grabbed whatever they could get when they could get it.
I also recall one job where the boss wouldn’t buy office supplies - I ended up bringing my own stapler from home (and took it with me when I left). I’ve learned since then - a really good sign that you don’t want to work there is that they won’t supply office supplies.
Yeah, there was literally no reason to stockpile here–she was just being thoughtless.
Someone being thoughtless in an office?!? Say it ain’t so!
I worked somewhere once where the ‘office supplies’ were the freebies people picked up from trade shows. If you went to a show, you were required to take as many pens, notebooks, sticky pads or whatever was available and put them in the supply cabinet.
I asked for a notebook on my first day (I am a write-to-figure-things-out person) and since they didn’t have one, I had to buy my own.
Let’s just say it was a sign of bad things to come.
Supply hoarding is a bit of a problem at my office…engineering supplies (stencils, computation pads, nice pens) are kept locked up in a separate location from the main supply cabinets. I’ve also been told that the contents of the cabinet are rationed - for example, if the box of sticky notes contains 48 pads, only 6 or so will be placed in the cabinet.
It’s noon and I’m already at 65 phone calls since 3pm yesterday. It’s absolutely ridiculous. A mandatory notice was sent out to about half of our clients. It states very clearly what they should do if they do not agree with the changes that will be occurring on their cases. It does NOT state “Call your worker and bitch about how mean we are”. We have no say in it. Call your congressperson or senator. Or, do as the notice says, and file a motion.
(Note: an average phone day means 25-30 calls in a 3pm-3pm coverage shift)
A side note: Some of the notices the state sends out are somewhat confusing. This one actually isn’t. It gives the web addy for motion papers. It says “Your worker does not have control over [this matter]”. Why do our clients ignore every other damn piece of paper we send them, letters where we plead for them to contact us, but when we send ones saying don’t call us? Yeah.
This is hardly pit-worthy, but I work in Market Research for an insurance company. When our actuaries come to *me *for financial figures (as opposed to IT or Accounting, for example), I cringe in fear just a bit.
MissTake: You expect people to actually follow explicit, simple instructions? Hah!
I wore these shoes to work today with some socks made of blue/green multicolor yarn. Two of the office ladies actually stopped to touch my feet because they couldn’t figure out where the shoe ended and the socks started. The gripe is for the one who very loudly complained about the price (which is far cheaper than the prices I’ve seen for the steel-toed shoes that are now required for all employees), and then repeatedly announced that she hated the socks. This is the same woman who sends out mass emailings of online baby and child boutique items, knowing damn well that most of the recipients can’t afford the stuff.
Those shoes are adorable. I love them.
Ditto. I love those shoes too.
To the shredder guy who used my computer on his lunch break. SG, I don’t care that you use my computer, its not mine, it belongs to the county. If I’m not using it, I’ll share so you can surf the web. BUT, the next time you use it without logging me out and get a virus I WILL send you down the shredder feet first.
Yes, this is my fault for not logging myself out before leaving the office, Yes, I do know that you don’t do know to log me out and then sign because you are “too old” to manage to remember your flipping password and why you shouldn’t just click on all the ads, and yes, I know that the internets are hard.
I’ve now set it so I automatically log out after 10 minutes of inactivity. You can still use it, but now YOUR employee number will show who clicked on all the ads. If you ever, EVER slop butter on my keyboard again, I will kick you off forever. I can and will lock you out and you will have to go to the public library to do whatever it is you do online. I know you are a old guy who is just managing to survive, but I’m not obligated to let you online at all. I’m being nice and you are taking advantage of me.
That moldy coffee cup I found? I threw it in the trash. Do not take the salt and pepper out of the break room and make me go looking for it. When I complained about that, you saying that you would just have to buy your own won’t make me feel bad. I’m also not sorry that I stopped bringing coffee in. It was a perk that came from my personal funds, not the County’s. Yes, the brewed coffee I brought from home smells great. I know you want some. I know you think I’m mean that when I brew some of my rather expensive coffee at work, that I only brew enough for a mug for me. You have been working here for over 4 years and have brought coffee in twice.
I know you are “po”. I know you are living in a camp trailor. I also know that you go the the casino every night. I also know that you have a pocket full of lottery tickets.
I also know that I can do more shredding in 2 hours than you do in 6. If/when the hiring freeze is over, I’m so going to fire your butt and get someone who is willing to try to do the things that people who work together do.
WOW! That felt GOOD!!!
Best supply cabinet I’ve ever seen was The Vault. The name wasn’t because it was specially well-supplied: the contents were nice, but nothing to write home about. Nor did it have a dragon or a squad of barbarians guarding it: the nearest henchman-like individual was about 100 yards and two doors away, and actually pretty nice. It was the vault of a former bank office, the new owners hadn’t bothered take it out.
Worst one was in a place where the supplies cabinet was actually a long row of cabinets and at least two separate coworkers had stolen one or more keys. Excuse me, they were “safeguarding” the key which opened their favourite part of the cabinet. Amazingly enough, the two bitches that we knew for sure had hijacked keys were also [del]two of[/del] the worst people in that office. One of them was the many-handed pig who liked using “casual Fridays” to come in clothes so ratty you could count the hairs on his skinny chest and any company party as an excuse to grope the women; the other one would take longer to explain but let me just say that my coworkers referred to him as “Nava’s pal” after a particular incident and upgraded him to “our pal” once he’d managed to piss each of us off at least twice. And yes, both were men and I have called them bitches, sue me.
Dear End Users:
if what I officially do is X (no, not porn) and you state that you don’t need or want X to be done, then don’t pout that I won’t be around to do the rest of the alphabet when your bosses decide I’m redundant, nor expect me to handle W and Y because “they touch upon X!” Yes, they do, but they’re somebody else’s job. (The customer does X, they just don’t want to do it using The Program my team installs - they’ll be using The Program for the rest of the alphabet but have a different one for X).
I can relate, Nava. I know most administrative jobs include “and duties as assigned,” but not temp jobs - I was brought in for a specific purpose, with duties that were negotiated and agreed on by all three parties. You change my duties, you change the terms of the contract, and I WILL be talking to my agency immediately if you do. I know I can do all kinds of things in an office; I also know that if you have me doing stuff that wasn’t in the original contact because you find out I’m capable, the agency will want more money from you.
Two throw away conversation questions hile walking at a job interview:
- Who’se in charge of the office supplies?
- Where’s your coffee station?
Anyplace with margins so thin they can’t afford office supplies or coffee has one foot out of business already.
I got a rueful grin out of this. The World’s Second Largest Jet Airliner Manufacturer, for whom I work, does not provide coffee for its employees. Take that for what it’s worth. 
Huh. So one of my inlaws is working with you? I think my brother in law’s retirement plan is “hit the megamillions jackpot and tell everyone to fuck off”.
Hell, that’s my retirement plan, too, except I never buy lotto tickets. Minor flaw in an otherwise brilliant plan.
Thank you! 
They are very comfy.