A Case Of The Mondays: Vent Your Work Spleen Here

[bilgistic]

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

I'd head up the good-bye lunch for that department.

My boss has a venue for the lunch, but it'll cost you. Can you take out a second mortgage?

[BookWoman56]

3 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

So today when I asked if my boss told them I didn't leave a note he asked me about that card. I told him what it was so I could show him and I couldn't find it. Apparently she knocked it down. My boss said after she complained stood up for me, that has been something I've had at my desk since I started. But then he said he was watching it to see if there was a pattern if I moved it around or if I put it back, which I obviously didn't since it was missing.

Your boss has nothing better to do than watch your desk area to see if you moved what sounds like a completely innocuous card from one location to another? Unless the card was something actually offensive, it's nobody's damn business where you have it in your office as long as it's not violating some company policy.  At least you will soon be rid of the noisy neighbor, but it would annoy me to no end that my boss was keeping track of my decorating choices for my cube.

[ABay]

13 hours ago, ennui said:

Article in our newspaper recently that libraries are no longer quiet because they offer so many services that do not include reading books. Or research. They are now social places. Sorry.

I don't imagine anyone who's been in a public library in the last decade would be gaping in surprise at that article. However, since I work in a university library where the expectation is still that it's a shared space for academic work, boys watching soccer on the computers, not using earbuds, and discussing every move still pisses me off. As do the boys who can only communicate with each other in loud voices. And the girls who gather to giggle. If I could wear headphones at the reference desk I would but apparently that would be unprofessional.

Edited April 13, 2017 by ABay

[theredhead77]

12 hours ago, BookWoman56 said:

Your boss has nothing better to do than watch your desk area to see if you moved what sounds like a completely innocuous card from one location to another? Unless the card was something actually offensive, it's nobody's damn business where you have it in your office as long as it's not violating some company policy.  At least you will soon be rid of the noisy neighbor, but it would annoy me to no end that my boss was keeping track of my decorating choices for my cube.

Considering how "uncomfortable" the crazy bitch next to me claimed to be by this and how irritated with her constant chattering, gum popping and overall annoying me by existing, I can't blame him for thinking I was being passive aggressive. I had some words for him about how long I've been complaining about her and her dept to him and he does nothing but the minute  he gets a complaint I hear about it. Not cool.

The part that she made her "so uncomfortable she wants to move" says "Serve your neighbor, serve your community" [and the part she couldn't see says "serve your country" with the URL to the freedomcorps]. It's a total advertisement from the Disney Store on the back of a product* I purchased. I hadn't looked at the back of the card in years, I had no idea it was there.

Anyway, in the end he defended me to her manager when they pointed out what was making her so uncomfortable in a 'come-on guys, really?' way.

*the quote by Walt Disney is "Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keep alive the ideals of freedom and a better life".

As my BFF said, obviously had some inkling that she's not a great cube neighbor if she's going to be offended by that.

[DeLurker]

3 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

*the quote by Walt Disney is "Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keep alive the ideals of freedom and a better life".

Well Walt was well known for the inflammatory shade he threw.  I'm surprised you, and your little card too, didn't find yourself in HR. 

[theredhead77]

6 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Well Walt was well known for the inflammatory shade he threw.  I'm surprised you, and your little card too, didn't find yourself in HR. 

I'm pretty sure that's sarcasm but also it helps that I make the company a lot of money and no one but CB has anything bad to say about me.

[DeLurker]

@theredhead77 - a heaping dose of sarcasm I assure you.

[ParadoxLost]

3 hours ago, DeLurker said:

Well Walt was well known for the inflammatory shade he threw.  I'm surprised you, and your little card too, didn't find yourself in HR. 

I'm reading from bottom to top and it might be a problem that my reaction to this was....

Your co worker Walt threw a flaming lamp shade across the office.  Awesome,

[theredhead77]

50 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

@theredhead77 - a heaping dose of sarcasm I assure you.

Someone* complained to HR that I was leaving at 9:30am on a Friday while wearing a dress (I never wear dresses) and wasn't that weird? HR shut her (I assume) down, obviously. I was pissed and they wouldn't me who it was. I wanted to tell her (I assume) that I was going to the funeral of newborn and they need to learn to MYOB.

[Petunia13]

Ok she's officially crazy 

[backformore]

2 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

Someone* complained to HR that I was leaving at 9:30am on a Friday while wearing a dress (I never wear dresses) and wasn't that weird? HR shut her (I assume) down, obviously. I was pissed and they wouldn't me who it was. I wanted to tell her (I assume) that I was going to the funeral of newborn and they need to learn to MYOB.

She was assuming you were leaving to interview for a job at another company, and thought HR would be happy to hear about it.

At my previous job - the one I've posted about -  it was a standing joke when any of us dressed up, or were a bit more spiffy than usual, to ask "do you need me to cover for you when you go to your job interview?"   No surprise, but of the group I worked with, nobody is still working there now. 

[ratgirlagogo]

15 hours ago, ABay said:

I don't imagine anyone who's been in a public library in the last decade would be gaping in surprise at that article. 

I work in one, so no.  We don't require law library levels of silence and haven't for 30 some years- if people are speaking in conversational tones that is OK.  For example we have no problem with parents or tutors working with students at the tables.  On the other hand phone conversations are not OK and most of the time I do go over and shut them down,  because people tend to yell on cell phones. This is also true if you are an adorable senior who is too deaf to know how loud you are - I WILL come over and clue you in. Not in a mean way of course.:)   The biggest problem we tend to have is the stroller logjam - until recently libraries did story times, but not baby and toddler story times.  The strollers can end up clogging up a lot of the floor.

[theredhead77]

17 minutes ago, backformore said:

She was assuming you were leaving to interview for a job at another company, and thought HR would be happy to hear about it.

At my previous job - the one I've posted about -  it was a standing joke when any of us dressed up, or were a bit more spiffy than usual, to ask "do you need me to cover for you when you go to your job interview?"   No surprise, but of the group I worked with, nobody is still working there now. 

Totally. We joke about that all the time in my office too. My boss had to give a presentation and came in wearing a suit. He got so much crap.

 

35 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

Ok she's officially crazy 

I don't think she was the one that went to HR when I was in a dress, this was over a year ago.

[Petunia13]

I'm sorry I thought that was related to your post right above. 

[theredhead77]

8 hours ago, Petunia13 said:

I'm sorry I thought that was related to your post right above. 

No need to be sorry! :D It was probably someone from that department, or from our customer service department. HR said people complained that I came and went as I pleased and "it wasn't fair" to other hourly employees who are tied to a set shift. My boss looked at her like WTF, theredhead works the needs of the business. If you made her salary this wouldn't be an issue.

[ennui]

Why are people so rude to receptionists? When did it become permissible to swear at strangers on the telephone? Yes, this is rhetorical.

Edited April 14, 2017 by ennui
needed a space after the ?

[ari333]

40 minutes ago, ennui said:

Why are people so rude to receptionists? When did it become permissible to swear at strangers on the telephone? Yes, this is rhetorical.

People are just unbelievable.

[MrSmith]

Well, I don't mean to make anybody jealous.... Wait a minute. What am I saying? I'm totally here to make everyone jealous!

 

I'm working from home today.

Edited April 14, 2017 by MrSmith

[DeLurker]

2 hours ago, ennui said:

Why are people so rude to receptionists? When did it become permissible to swear at strangers on the telephone? 

Being rude to the gatekeeper is simply dumb.  I've gotten jobs because the receptionist or admin said "hire this one - DeLurker's a better fit for our office".  

Customers can get well connected to a person who can meet their needs or connected with the idiot nepotism hire.

[bilgistic]

The meeting with the Crap Committee at the country club was, on a hospital pain scale from zero to death, about a four. I definitely had far more in common with the staff than the members. I refrained from wearing the tank top and jorts I'd threatened to wear.

The place was super stuffy, old (and not in a stately, antique-y way, but in an outdated way). They were clearly striving for antique, but there were things like "brass" painted doorknobs instead of actual brass knobs. I'm pretty sure there were ghosts, though, and this dude's eyes followed me around the room.

And here's some terrifying wallpaper. That cow owns my soul now.

Edited April 14, 2017 by bilgistic

[Bastet]

Initiation fees up to $85,000 and dues up to $700/month and they can't afford real brass?

Wandering eyes or no, that painting pretty much says everything you need to know about the place, right?

And now I'll go fall down the Hyperbole And a Half rabbit hole yet again.  Like I'm not already slacking off enough by having ER on in the background and reading the forums.

[Moose135]

3 hours ago, MrSmith said:

Well, I don't mean to make anybody jealous.... Wait a minute. What am I saying? I'm totally here to make everyone jealous!

I'm working from home today.

I work from home most Fridays.  I had today off for Good Friday for the first time.  A couple of years ago, we acquired another company, and in the last year or so have worked to combine operations and policies, at least in the major division of the company I'm in.  In January, they announced we would be adopting their name for the combined division, and a month ago, the calendar on the corporate intranet listed Good  Friday as a holiday for employees of that division.  We had to check to be sure it applied to all of us, not just those originally from that side of the business.  So about a third of the overall organization had Good Friday as a holiday...I'm not sure that was very popular among the rest of the company.

[bilgistic]

My mother is happy you are off on the day of "our Savior's death and burial".

[MrSmith]

LOL! @bilgistic You totally seem like someone I would get along with in real life. Love your jokes.

[bilgistic]

I put in the effort to keep y'all amused.

[ari333]

32 minutes ago, MrSmith said:

LOL! @bilgistic You totally seem like someone I would get along with in real life. Love your jokes.

Me too.

And her screen name had me hooked from the get-go. :-)

[theredhead77]

My boss had a meeting today and I'm pretty sure played hooky the rest of the day. I called him before I left at 4:45 and I got a text to text him. Yea, sure bud. You're not in traffic; you're obviously at the bar.

It was so painfully dead yesterday and today which means I was able to catch up a lot of things I had been putting off.

[ABay]

Connecticut state offices are closed on Good Friday, excuse me, Day of Reflection. As usual, I spend it reflecting on the separation of church and state. I had to work last Saturday because it's crucial someone be at the reference desk to point to the stapler, so I took Thursday and am making it a 4 day weekend.

[ari333]

2 hours ago, ABay said:

Connecticut state offices are closed on Good Friday, excuse me, Day of Reflection. As usual, I spend it reflecting on the separation of church and state. I had to work last Saturday because it's crucial someone be at the reference desk to point to the stapler, so I took Thursday and am making it a 4 day weekend.

Day of Reflection; That is a new one on me. :-) It reminds me of the "Winter" break and "Winter" Pageant (with the nativity scene and wise men, and certain songs, Silent Night etc.)

[ratgirlagogo]

5 hours ago, ABay said:

Connecticut state offices are closed on Good Friday

And in New Jersey.  But not in New York, although the schools and the stock markets were closed.  But the library was open for business! and the only thing worse than having to work on a day so many people have off was having every other patron I spoke to ask if we were going to be closed on Friday and Saturday.  For Christ's sake (*joke*) how many years have you been coming here (because so many of the people asking were regulars who HAVE been coming for years - they ask this same question every damned year)?  We've NEVER closed for Good Friday or for Passover.

Edited April 15, 2017 by ratgirlagogo

[Petunia13]

I'm Native American and was raised pagan so don't care about the days off I usually work those days and get holiday pay. I like Easter bunny decorated stuff since I love rabbits .

I work tomorrow and my store is have an egg hunt inside the store -like 3 thousand plastic eggs w chocolate inside in a huge store. They also have golden ticket raffle for baskets for parents that have K cups, gift card, Vosges, ect. Store should be trashed but fine in few hours. 

[ratgirlagogo]

10 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

I usually work those days and get holiday pay

I'm also pagan and don't care about the Christian element.  But I don't get holiday pay because Good Friday is just a regular workday at NYPL and  I would prefer to have the day off because I like days off.  I guess I should say, to clarify,  there is no such thing as holiday or overtime pay of any kind on my job.

Edited April 15, 2017 by ratgirlagogo

[walnutqueen]

Years ago, when I still had a J-O-B, most of the public services people went to a 4/10 (4 10-hour days per week) schedule; we were essential services, so went to a 9/80 schedule (4 9-hour days per week, every other Friday off or 8 hours).  I floved it!  I had long weekends twice a month, which could often roll into a long holiday weekend (add a couple of vacation days judiciously and you could make yourself a very sweet deal).  Plus, it gave me time to recover from the debilitating effects of sitting at a computer for years on end (and gave me the opportunity to go to far too many estate sales that began on Fridays).  :-)

[Petunia13]

That schedule sounds wonderful @walnutqueen ! And the nice thing mentally and physically since it's lots of mini breaks and teensy staycations to balance those long days!  

@ratgirlagogo. I don't on Good Friday but I think on Easter. Also my area is demographically mostly Jewish so many small or family businesses and even schools are closed their holidays. My town is a more wealthy Jewish version of Stars Hallow. 

[ari333]

STAYCATION! I now have a new term Flove.

[walnutqueen]

6 minutes ago, Petunia13 said:

That schedule sounds wonderful @walnutqueen ! And the nice thing mentally and physically since it's lots of mini breaks and teensy staycations to balance those long days!

You'd be surprised how quickly that extra hour flies by when you have a long weekend to look forward to.  Also, we only took 1/2 hour lunches and started at 6:30 in the a.m., so it really gave us time to have a daily life outside the workplace.

Oh - and get ready to be very jealous : we were given the option of taking overtime pay (time and a half, double on holidays) OR take compensatory time off.  So every O/T hour I worked earned me 1 1/2 hours time off!  Which is why I lasted so long after becoming partially "disabled".   :-)

[theredhead77]

I'm so envious of those who can work 4 10s or 9/80s. When I worked in IT the developers had that option during the summer but being helpdesk (and hourly) we had to be there for our full 8 shift unless we used vacation time. I think my boss would go for it if I ever became salary, alternate Fridays off during the summer but I don't think his boss would go for it.

[MrSmith]

I hate working Fridays so damned much. If I were running my own business, nobody would be working Friday. It just sucks. Plus, having a guaranteed weekday off helps with things like doctor visits and what-not. But mainly, I just hate working Fridays.

[BookWoman56]

Years ago when I was still in academia, for the summer we went to a 4-day work week, which was enjoyable. Currently, a 4-day work week is not an option, but my company allows me to work from home full-time, so I really cannot complain. Not having to deal with a commute or noisy cubicle neighbors is way more preferable to me than a 4-day week in which I had to commute to and from work and deal with the usual horrors of office life. However, I've felt for a long time that if we were to shift to a shortened week, I'd honestly prefer Wednesday to be the designated off day. Work 2 days, have a day off to deal with appointments or other errands, work 2 more days, and then have the weekend. I also see the allure of a 3-day weekend, though. 

[MrSmith]

@BookWoman56 Well, that'd be cool, too. Honestly, if I had an employee that wanted Wednesday off instead, I'd be down with that. I don't really care which day other people would want off; they could have it. I just hate working Fridays. LOL. And if people wanted to move it around, fine with me.

[AgentRXS]

I'm really getting tired of helping people out and getting crapped on in return. Tonight, a co-worker asked me to do him a favor and I did it. It caused me to delay my lunch, but I didn't complain. Later on, I had an issue and called him and asked for  backup on a case I was working. . He responded with an attitude and I said "I really don't appreciate the attitude, as I just helped you with a task previously, and it caused me to miss my lunch". He started screaming "Take it down a notch, take it down a notch" when I never raised my voice to him, just stated facts.  He then hung up on me.

Our supervisors come back to work Monday. I am off Monday; he's not. I have no clue if hes going to say anything or not. I did email my supervisor a heads up that he gave me a little bit of attitude. It can't really escalate to anything because its he said/she said.....just annoying that people always expect a favor and but get mad when you need a favor. I think I'm just over people.

[auntlada]

I think the next time he asked me for a favor, I'd be busy and unable to help. Politely, of course. Just, "Oh, I'm sorry. I can't."

[magicdog]

20 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

a co-worker asked me to do him a favor and I did it. It caused me to delay my lunch, but I didn't complain. Later on, I had an issue and called him and asked for  backup on a case I was working. . He responded with an attitude and I said "I really don't appreciate the attitude, as I just helped you with a task previously, and it caused me to miss my lunch". He started screaming "Take it down a notch, take it down a notch" when I never raised my voice to him, just stated facts.  He then hung up on me.

I'll never understand people who do this!  That's the last favor you'll be doing for him, I hope.  He just screwed himself.  

I worked with my fair share of psychos even before I worked in TV news.  Most were in the medical billing industry.  At one office, I worked early in the morning but I didn't have the key to get into the office - I had to wait for my co-worker who was an office manager to come and open the doors.  Normally I would just sit in my car and wait - no big deal.  One day, I was sitting in my car and time was getting late.  Almost 45 minutes later than usual.  I was getting concerned (this was before cell phones, so no one to call in case something might have been going on).  Finally the woman came and unlocked the doors.  I asked her how she was and if everything was OK and I was a bit worried it took her so long.  She had this look of terror on her face and then mumbled something and went on her way.  I shrugged my shoulders and went to work.  A few hours later I was called into the bosses' office and asked why I yelled at the office manager and berated her for being late!!  WHAT?  I never raised my voice to her and I certainly didn't berate her for anything.  She chewed me out telling me how I should be more understanding of [office manager] because she didn't have a car - her father would drop her off every morning and that day her father took ill...yadda yadda...yadda.   I felt like I went down the rabbit hole and didn't know how the hell it happened.  I left not long after that. 

[AgentRXS]

Yeah, I have a bad, quick temper and I know exactly when I'm mad and when I'm not. When I'm upset but trying to keep my cool and express myself maturely, I really don't appreciate being treated as if I'm yelling. Believe me, I would be fired if I actually yelled and lost my cool.

[emma675]

My Easter weekend with family quickly dissolved into work by 9:30am Saturday when the department head from hell emailed me to say she needed a PPT deck by Sunday evening for a meeting that got moved up. And of course I was out of town and didn't bring my work computer, so I was scrambling to do a deck on my mom's computer. I managed to finish it late Saturday night and email it to department head, who never said a word back on if it was what she needed, if she needed more, if she even used it or to say thanks. I've seen her twice in the office today and she's not said a word to me.

I hate this place.

Edited April 17, 2017 by emma675d

[Hanahope]

Makes you wonder how work ever got done before the age of smart phones, computers and the internet.

[PradaKitty]

Last week my passive-aggressive supervisor informed staff that we needed to get our annual IDPs to her soon. IDPs are Individual Work Plans in which we set our goals for the upcoming year.  I did what I do every year and copied what I submitted last year with tweaks here and there.  She decided to rewrite MY IDP and sent it back to me!  (with her goals for me for the upcoming year!).  I know she is doing this as she knows I have been attending retirement work shops recently. (I have 31 years with the state government).  Apparently, she is inviting me to leave!  

I sent her email and the "changed" IDP to our division head.  The Division Head does my supervisor's IDP - so let's see what happens... 

[MargeGunderson]

Coworker - You look like you're really busy.

Me - Yes, I have to reformat a bunch of tables in languages I don't know in a giant Word document by mid-afternoon. I really have to concentrate on this now.

Coworker - Let me tell you about the meeting I just had...........blah blah blah.

If I'm missing from the boards, assume that I finally snapped and am being arraigned.

[magicdog]

On 4/17/2017 at 1:58 PM, PradaKitty said:

Last week my passive-aggressive supervisor informed staff that we needed to get our annual IDPs to her soon. IDPs are Individual Work Plans in which we set our goals for the upcoming year.  I did what I do every year and copied what I submitted last year with tweaks here and there.  She decided to rewrite MY IDP and sent it back to me!  (with her goals for me for the upcoming year!).  I know she is doing this as she knows I have been attending retirement work shops recently. (I have 31 years with the state government).  Apparently, she is inviting me to leave!  

Send the poop!!!

[BookWoman56]

10 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

Coworker - You look like you're really busy.

Me - Yes, I have to reformat a bunch of tables in languages I don't know in a giant Word document by mid-afternoon. I really have to concentrate on this now.

Coworker - Let me tell you about the meeting I just had...........blah blah blah.

If I'm missing from the boards, assume that I finally snapped and am being arraigned.

Back in the days when I worked in the office, rather than from home, I used an approach that usually worked for me to prevent interruptions on days when I really could not afford to be interrupted. I hung a chain of paper clips across my cubicle entrance, with a piece of paper attached, which said, "I am currently working on something with an urgent deadline. Please do not interrupt unless it is a dire emergency."  I realize there are people who think the smallest thing is an emergency, but that chain and notice usually shut down most people. Unfortunately, you can't leave that barrier in place forever.