A Case Of The Mondays: Vent Your Work Spleen Here

[theredhead77]

3 hours ago, magicdog said:

This can’t be legal!

It most likely is. They want to avoid it even looking like you're working. I know how much these changes must suck. 

[auntlada]

17 hours ago, magicdog said:

Now I get word that not only do I have to take one hour breaks (which makes my job harder), but now bitcheroo boss is telling me and my partner HOW to take them.  We can’t stay in our bays to eat or chill on the internet while not working.  We must either sit in a smelly and dank break room or leave the building!

This can’t be legal!

 

14 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

It most likely is. They want to avoid it even looking like you're working. I know how much these changes must suck. 

It's obnoxious, but I think they are avoiding the appearance of illegality because they are required to give you the breaks and required not to make you work through them. Even if you are choosing to sit at your desk and not work, if it came to a complaint, it would be hard to prove they didn't require that. They may also be trying to avoid people using work resources for personal things. And it may not even be you this new policy is aimed at. There may be other people abusing the system, so nobody gets to do it. Or they may be trying to make a point to someone else about how the writers aren't getting their work done on time, which is making it almost impossible for you to get your work done on time. They may be hoping something is late sometime (for the bad reason of saying you can't do your work or for the good reasons of saying you need another person on that shift to work or the writers aren't doing their work right).

Or they may just be afraid that someone is going to file a complaint that you are not allowed breaks because you have to eat at your desk and work.

[theredhead77]

Just now, auntlada said:

Or they may just be afraid that someone is going to file a complaint that you are not allowed breaks because you have to eat at your desk and work.

Or they are in the middle of a lawsuit or investigation. 
I hate taking a full hour, let alone being forced to take a full hour. I was lucky in my previous position my boss was cool with a 30 minute lunch and I usually ate at my desk to avoid break-room bullshit. I was an hourly employee then and HR easily could have axed  the eating at my desk if they wanted to. 

[bilgistic]

Here in NC, hourly employees must take at least a 30-minute break in a six- or eight-hour shift (I can't remember which). My former boss was really not keen on my taking breaks at all, so I would grab lunch and eat and work at my desk. He was told I had to break and still resisted. My position eventually transitioned to salaried, and that's like the Wild West. You can be made to work forever with no breaks until you drop dead.

[GHScorpiosRule]

JEEBUS FUCKING CHRIST ON A CRACKER!

I'm trying to do the best I can by finishing up what assignments I can before I leave. I've got two days left, and my replacement, who lives in Boston and basically will be working from home and not in any actual office, is whining about how she doesn't think it's appropriate for me to send her corporate documents to her home. NO SHIT, SHERLOCK! That's not what I'm doing. Part of her job now is to handle renewals of telemarketing licenses, and with those she has to get the continuing bond certificates--the ORIGINALS will be sent to the registered agent the company uses. She's not going to have custody of any corporate or official documents. 

She clearly wasn't listening on the one day she came to DC and I sat her down and walked her through everything. And still I'm getting emails "how do I upload this?" "Where do I save this?" And I find myself responding, and giving her step by step instructions how to do it.

This is going to be one giant FAKAKTA mess. But you know what? Not my problem. The is new GC came in, with an agenda, and ran everything down like a MACK truck on speed.

On the good front--one of the contracting jobs dude from DOJ called and asked if I had received the forms regarding a background check. I did not. So he's going to look into it and send it to me. Which means I'm still in the running. And now I'm off to my interview near my home with the Family Law Practice Law Firm.

[MargeGunderson]

@GHScorpiosRule, in those type of situations, I find it helps to take a deep breath and repeat “not my circus, not my monkeys” until I feel better. 

[theredhead77]

@GHScorpiosRule what @MargeGunderson said. And when (not if) they call you about things after your last day the first thing you should say is "I'd be happy to help, my hourly rate is $$$, who should I email my [contractor tax form] to?"

[emma675]

GHScorpiosRule, do not break yourself answering that idiot's questions. They let you go, you owe them nothing. Please tell me you're leaving early on your last day, too.

[auntlada]

I'd start answering her email questions with, "Follow the instructions I gave you, and you'll be fine." And then I'd be busy and unable to answer any more emails for a while.

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

@GHScorpiosRule what @MargeGunderson said. And when (not if) they call you about things after your last day the first thing you should say is "I'd be happy to help, my hourly rate is $$$, who should I email my [contractor tax form] to?"

HAH!!! I totally will. My services are not for free. You want me to help? Pay me. It’s turned into a real shitstorm. I’m just glad I finished and completed what was on my plate, so that those responsible for “moving the legal department in a new direction” will find it’s not that easy to do. They have NO IDEA how the legal department functions.

2 hours ago, emma675 said:

GHScorpiosRule, do not break yourself answering that idiot's questions. They let you go, you owe them nothing. Please tell me you're leaving early on your last day, too.

Oh yeah. I’ll be leaving by 3. I worked my final hours this week so it comes to 40; coming early and working through lunch, so that I HAVE to leave early, otherwise they’d have to pay me overtime.???

2 hours ago, auntlada said:

I'd start answering her email questions with, "Follow the instructions I gave you, and you'll be fine." And then I'd be busy and unable to answer any more emails for a while.

That’s pretty much what I did, and she responded with, okay I will do x and coordinate with y, as if SHE came up with the solution.

Two more days. Sigh. With the recent diabetes diagnosis and aggressive treatment, next week will be like a vacation while I rest and renergize.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Got to leave the office by noon! I feel good, because I left the work area, clean, pristine and completed the outstanding projects I had been working on; and left instructions as to what was needed for those that weren't completed. No longer my problem.

Bit of good news, though I hate to have to do it, but because the project ended abruptly, I was able to get unemployment right away. That is, no "investigation" into why I am unemployed, and I'll start receiving benefits next week. The pay will be 25% less than what I took home while working, so things will be more tight for awhile; but I'm still applying and hoping I'll have a job soon. I'll think of the time until I do, as a much needed vacation, while I get my sugar under control.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh and when I spoke with my recruiter about my last day, and without violating any confidentiality, let him know that by removing my position, the new folks probably expected the Executive Assistant to the CEO to take over a good chunk of my responsibilities, were smoking some serious Crack. Because NO WAY will she do that. And so recruiter asks, if they call and ask me back? I say, if it's temporary, I gave him the rate someone of my experience should be paid. I settled for much less because I needed the job. I still need a job, but not at this company.  Had they made me permanent last year, I have no doubt they would have fired me, when new person was hired. But no to working there permanently, because the GC I worked for is no longer there. They didn't waste any time in replacing her picture with the new person.

[theredhead77]

@GHScorpiosRule I bet you feel like you have a huge weight off your shoulders (though you have another one with looking for work.

May I suggest that you contact your utility companies and see about getting on their discounted / low-income rate plans until you find a new position? During my bouts of unemployment I never had an issue qualifying and if you feel bad about it, remember, you've paid into these plans on your bills for years. If you have cable contact them and see if they can hook you up with any specials (ask for the customer retention or cancellation department) and call your cell provider, they may have a lower rate for your current plan.

Good luck! I'm confident something amazing is just around the corner for you!

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 minute ago, theredhead77 said:

@GHScorpiosRule I bet you feel like you have a huge weight off your shoulders (though you have another one with looking for work.

May I suggest that you contact your utility companies and see about getting on their discounted / low-income rate plans until you find a new position? During my bouts of unemployment I never had an issue qualifying and if you feel bad about it, remember, you've paid into these plans on your bills for years. If you have cable contact them and see if they can hook you up with any specials (ask for the customer retention or cancellation department) and call your cell provider, they may have a lower rate for your current plan.

Good luck! I'm confident something amazing is just around the corner for you!

Fortunately, all my utilities are included with my rent, so I don't have to worry about paying those separately. I will definitely call my cable and cell provider about reduced rates. It kills me that my parents are helping me out, when it should be the other way around, and of course this frackin' diabetes had to show its ugly face at this time.

And you're right. I feel so much lighter; only because my GC is gone and I don't have to deal with the new person and her backstabbing and sneaky ways; as well as those of her "personal" assistant; both of them have NO CLUE how a legal department is run. I will miss a few people that I worked with, though. I did make two friends from there, and we're going to keep in touch.

[theredhead77]

6 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

It kills me that my parents are helping me out, when it should be the other way around

I get it. I really do. My parents helped me too. When I was struggling with those feelings a friend of mine, with completely dysfunctional parents (my friend and her husband support them) told me to remember my parents are choosing to help me, because they can. They could just let me flail about and fall down a pit.

[GHScorpiosRule]

HAH! I CALLED IT! New "legal" administrator has already emailed me asking questions about things! She clearly didn't take notes; I'm not responding. She can call the agents/vendors her own damn self.

ETA: I left the name and numbers of who she should contact for said information.???

Edited May 21, 2018 by GHScorpiosRule

[bilgistic]

Do not answer her phone calls/her emails! If her superior reaches out to you, which shouldn't happen either, do what another commenter suggested upthread and say, "My freelance hourly rate is $50 (or higher). I'm happy to consult for you once we work out a payment agreement." I'm fairly sure you won't be bothered again.

They were dumb enough to let you go. Screw them.

[theredhead77]

5 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

HAH! I CALLED IT! New "legal" administrator has already emailed me asking questions about things! She clearly didn't take notes; I'm not responding. She can call the agents/vendors her own damn self.

ETA: I left the name and numbers of who she should contact for said information.???

If she continues to email you, reply to her, copy her manager, your old manager, HR and the agency to stop contacting you, you no longer work there or with an hourly rate. That is unacceptable and HR at the old company should be aware, since that's opening them up to risk

And let us know if she keeps doing it.

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Do not answer her phone calls/her emails! If her superior reaches out to you, which shouldn't happen either, do what another commenter suggested upthread and say, "My freelance hourly rate is $50 (or higher). I'm happy to consult for you once we work out a payment agreement." I'm fairly sure you won't be bothered again.

They were dumb enough to let you go. Screw them.

Oh, trust me, I do not plan to respond to either her email, nor will I answer when she calls; not if. And since I have a good memory, I remember her phone number. Bad enough she was bugging me the last two weeks I was there, for information that she could and should have done her own damn self, and didn't take good notes when I showed her how to do stuff and who to call.

2 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

If she continues to email you, reply to her, copy her manager, your old manager, HR and the agency to stop contacting you, you no longer work there or with an hourly rate. That is unacceptable and HR at the old company should be aware, since that's opening them up to risk

And let us know if she keeps doing it.

Great advice! I can't copy my old manager, because she was the GC who they fired a week before my last day; but I will copy the CEO, whose bright idea it was to bring her in, because he apparently used to work with her years ago; and I will copy the current head honcho. After all, she thought extending my stay by two weeks was enough to assist her helper during the "transition."

Just based on how this all came down didn't sit well with lazy ass recruiter, so I will give him marks for telling me he doesn't want to do any more business with this company.

I got a response from one of the multitudes of firms I applied to, today. Hopefully they'll call me in for interview. They sent me their firm's application to complete.

Edited May 22, 2018 by GHScorpiosRule

[EighteenTwelve]

I think I've got Lily down to a science now. Get the first house call appointment of the day, catch her five minutes before the vet is supposed to appear, put her in the bathroom in the large carrier and leave the bathroom door open. Worked like a charm. She didn't get time to be thoroughly incensed about being in the carrier, and I didn't sit around twitching and making her nervous. She got more cheese than usual, afterward, because she was a Good Kid.  And provolone cheese heals all wounds to the feline dignity.

This is Weirdness Week at work, also known as graduation week, so of course I have a training course this week besides.  I managed to do the homework while I was waiting for the vet.  I don't know how much of the homework I'll remember.

Edited May 22, 2018 by EighteenTwelve

[magicdog]

Today that bitch has gone too far!

It's my birthday today and she managed to spend the second year in a row purposely ruining it with a meeting about me "being a rule breaker".

 

I get called into HR to find my immediate supervisor, bitcheroo, HR rep and my new news director.  Apparently I was snitched upon by a coworker who took a conversation that didn't involve her and turned it into a "trigger".  I had said the words, "gun" and bullets" when discussing a story with a co-worker.  This snitch went to bitcheroo boss and claimed I "upset" her.  They tell me people are on pins and needles due to all the shootings in the news lately.

BULL!!

If you're that triggered, you shouldn't leave your bed in the morning!

Then bitcheroo decided to tell me that I said something disparaging about her while in a meeting with only photogs and other editors two weeks ago.  I asked if there was a recording of it or who the snitch was for that meeting.  Negative on both.  New News Director told me to be careful of triggering people at the office.  

Considering both meetings occurred on my birthday - it's definitely not a coincidence!  She purposely ruined my day!!  I'd like to know who this snitch is!  I consider it personally insulting that someone couldn't talk to me if there was an issue and not run to bitcheroo and cause friction.    If someone wanted to discuss something with me they could do so to my face.  I do not like petty snitches who go behind my back!!!

I'm especially curious as to who snitched on my from the meeting.  It hurts more that it came from one of my own.  I expect a level of confidentiality anyway since it was a meeting for photogs and editors only to discuss what problems we're having on the job and suggestions on how to correct them.  What I heard in HR was stuff taken out of context and my own supervisor (one of us, recently promoted) said NOTHING in my defense!  He's known me for years and he said nothing.  He let them tear me apart!!!!   

 

What can I do?  This bullying is upsetting me.  Bitcheroo is nothing but a toxic piece of garbage and she even has people tattling lies about me just to cause trouble!!

[auntlada]

You work in a place with news directors, reporters and photographers and someone is upset about conversations with the words "gun" and "bullets"? Someone needs to not work there. Presumably your work involves the news. How can you discuss your work concerning the news without using those words?

Back when we thought our boss (at another workplace) wasn't above spying on us in meetings without her by taping the meeting, I'd ask everyone there if anyone was taping the meeting and when everyone said no (which I believed), I'd announce that no one in the room knew that any conversation was being taped. It's illegal here to tape a conversation unless at least one person in the conversation knows it is being taped. (Of course, that means you can tape a conversation you are in without telling the other people, but if you are not in the room, the tape is illegal.)

I have no advice for you that you can actually do (without serious repercussions), but I have a lot of sympathy.

[riley702]

I once messed with people at work paranoid about recordings of us chatting because no one would rat on the troublemakers. I hung a small wire out from under the corner of a ceiling tile. I took weeks for anyone to notice, but turns out the troublemakers were most freaked and revealed themselves complaining. The boss saw the wire and burst out laughing. I never did get caught, and we knew who to be careful about after that. God, it's like we worked in kindergarten.

[magicdog]

8 hours ago, auntlada said:

You work in a place with news directors, reporters and photographers and someone is upset about conversations with the words "gun" and "bullets"? Someone needs to not work there. Presumably your work involves the news. How can you discuss your work concerning the news without using those words?

My point exactly!  This is why that charge was BS!  Bitcheroo is going to get a triple shipment of poop when the time comes.  I just don't know what to do about her now.

[riley702]

I called my boss today and told her I plan to file for permanent disability. I have a 401-K that will supplement it, and with a terminal diagnosis, I can get my life insurance paid out before quitting. When everything is lined up, I'll get Rita a formal resignation/retirement letter. She wants me to come in later this summer for a farewell, and I'll bring her my badge and parking permit. Plans are good and I'm making lists.

[DeLurker]

On 5/22/2018 at 3:06 PM, magicdog said:

It's my birthday today and she managed to spend the second year in a row purposely ruining it with a meeting about me "being a rule breaker".

She sound like a thrilling person to work with, but it is interesting how these extremely petty people manage to focus so much of their attention on other people. 

Although it is hard not to react to such a person, often the best response is a neutral one (regardless of how enraged you might be inside).  I've found that actively hating someone in the workplace is a pointless use of my time, brain space and energy.  Oddly, once I downshifted my mental state from aggravation, anger, swearing, frustration...I noticed that the person who seemed to be going out of their way to agitate me, they spent less time trying to do so.  I suspect she thrives on conflict and her reward is to see the emotional reaction she can generate.  If she does not see (or hear on the grapevine) how upset she has made you, she doesn't get the reward she craves.  She's the equivalent of the child who is acting up just to get attention.

I know you pride yourself as a professional and actively avoid interactions with her, but maybe if you are able to put all things with her (or her minions) in neutral she'll move on to someone else to torture.  So don't make extra work for yourself or spend extra emotional energy by trying to avoid her.  Interact with her when your job calls for it but mask any Ugh! feelings you may have. 

For fun, you might try to keep her off balance.  Ask for her professional opinion on something once in a while or give her a compliment about something minor.

[magicdog]

I think it's too late to appear neutral.  She knows I'm frazzled and she has all the marbles.  I talked to my lawyer for the third time and once again, all I have legally is a bitch of a boss who leaves me with only two options  - stay and take her abuse or leave.  Everytime these disciplinary meetings occur, she has everyone on her side, while I am literally alone.  She had the nerve to bring in our new news director who only met me once (started 2 weeks ago) and doesn't really know me as a consistent friendly conscientious worker and apparently buys into her lies and brown nosing ways.  HR sides with her, even my immediate supervisor left me to twist in the wind.  Despite there being nothing but gossip from her nameless snitches, I'm apparently guilty of whatever they accuse me of and I can't even take her on legally.  I want satisfaction!  She needs to go down but I don't know how to do it.

The following day, the news director saw me and asked how my birthday went.  How do you think it went jackass?????

It was all I could do not to tell him I was crying at home because the one day that is my own was ruined (for the second year in a row) by this wicked witch who has free rein to hurt anyone she wants.

 

Quote

If she does not see (or hear on the grapevine) how upset she has made you, she doesn't get the reward she craves.  She's the equivalent of the child who is acting up just to get attention.

This doesn't surprise me since she acts like an 8th grade mean girl.  You would think she would have better things to do - of course most everyone there (that isn't part of her mean girl circle) knows she's a raging incompetent yet she doesn't get fired.  If this were 8th grade I'd know how to deal with her.

Edited May 24, 2018 by magicdog

[auntlada]

How would you deal with her if it were eighth grade, @magicdog? Perhaps there is some variation of that method that will work here. There's got to be something, but you will have to use similar methods to hers. You can't be upfront and straightforward about it. You have to be sneaky and sly.

[magicdog]

Quote

How would you deal with her if it were eighth grade, @MAGICDOG?

Beat the snot out of her behind the school.  That's how you dealt with bullies back then.  Unfortunately, that's not an option for me now.  

[theredhead77]

On 5/24/2018 at 6:29 PM, magicdog said:

I think it's too late to appear neutral.  She knows I'm frazzled and she has all the marbles.

It's not too late to take them back and change how you will engage / interact. And changing it, when she thinks she can control you by merely existing will throw her for a loop.

[magicdog]

1 hour ago, theredhead77 said:

It's not too late to take them back and change how you will engage / interact. And changing it, when she thinks she can control you by merely existing will throw her for a loop.

Before this, I was able to act civil towards her during interactions (she would cheerfully say good morning to me when crossing paths and I would just as sweetly reply).  She probably wants me to act up in front of a crowd so she can use it against me, but I haven't given her the satisfaction.  What she does is brings me into these meetings knowing I have no one to defend me or stop her.  I'm tempted to tell her if she tries to pull me into antoher meeting that I'll have to insist my lawyer will have to conference call on my phone.  Maybe that will get her off my back.

 

In related news, Bitcheroo has been making plenty more of my co-workers miserable.  I just found out one of our reporters is so miserable due to her behavior, she wants out of her contract ASAP!  She's still contracted with us until December, but the poor thing doesn't think she can hold out that long!  Bitcheroo is poison and management is letting it happen.  I also found out the producer with an attitude (who left news to work in Production Department) is still a problem for her new coworkers.  She keeps acting like the show is "hers" when it isn't and acts all superior.  My contact in that department told me she's on thin ice and could get the boot from their supervisor (who isn't Bitcheroo as it's another department).  Girl with the attitude probably thinks her ol' pal, Bitcheroo will save her, but since it's another department, she can't.  At least she'll get some karmic payback but I can only hope Bitcheroo will get hers VERY soon!  Why in the world is this woman employed considering she'd been destroying morale all over the newsroom and can't even do the job she has right?   That is not how one runs a newsroom!

[Hero]

I'm still filling in for the lady who is taking some time off. My boss is still a bitch and I dread going to work every morning. 

She is trying to train me to take over in case this lady doesn't come back. But, I don't want this job. I can't work with my boss this closely. She is so controlling, mean and speaks to me like I am stupid. 

I seriously hope that lady comes back. I don't know how much longer I can do that job. 

The actual job is pretty easy. I got used to it even though I was pushed into it and trained for about 3 days. It's my boss that I can't stand. No one in the office likes her. She is so rude to everyone and has the ugliest face when someone asks her question. 

My normal position is working the front desk. It's part time, but I like being up there. Plus, I see my boss minimally while up there. 

If that lady doesn't come back and my boss asks me if I want her position, I really have to speak up and say no. Part of me is telling myself that it would be stupid to say no because it is full time with benefits, but the other part of me says to say no because I don't want to be miserable. 

I have a tendency to do things to make other people happy, but I always forget to put myself first. 

[Mindthinkr]

10 minutes ago, Hero said:

have a tendency to do things to make other people happy, but I always forget to put myself first.

Do yourself a favor. Put yourself first. 

No benefit is worth being miserable and stressed every day. (It could make you sick) 

I’d be tempted to tell HR why I’m not accepting the job (if this comes to pass). It might open their eyes to how the workplace environment is for the others that would be left working with her. 

[Hero]

17 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Do yourself a favor. Put yourself first. 

No benefit is worth being miserable and stressed every day. (It could make you sick) 

I’d be tempted to tell HR why I’m not accepting the job (if this comes to pass). It might open their eyes to how the workplace environment is for the others that would be left working with her. 

I have a hard time doing that. HR in my office is pretty useless. The office is so small, that my boss basically answers to no one. 

[Mindthinkr]

19 minutes ago, Hero said:

I have a hard time doing that. HR in my office is pretty useless. The office is so small, that my boss basically answers to no one. 

I’m sorry to hear that. You do have a choice if that other lady doesn’t return. Choose yourself. In the meantime be cooperative and get a good letter of recommendation. 

You are worth it. 

[Hero]

4 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I’m sorry to hear that. You do have a choice if that other lady doesn’t return. Choose yourself. In the meantime be cooperative and get a good letter of recommendation. 

You are worth it. 

Thank you!

[Quof]

Hey, office temp.    I saw you posted on social media last week about your interview, then that you got the job (got the company name wrong, by the way.  Attention to detail is important.). Then you posted about being nervous for your first day, then about being worried about the commute....    I thought your oversharing suggested some poor judgment on your part, but whatever.

But it was really inappropriate for you to post yesterday that the boss is a bitch (She is, that's why the last person quit with no notice).    Really poor judgment on your part.    I'm not going to tell anyone what you posted, but it's not hard for her to find.  Even if you don't want the permanent position that's available, surely you want a favourable reference when you're done? 

[theredhead77]

7 minutes ago, Quof said:

Hey, office temp.    I saw you posted on social media last week about your interview, then that you got the job (got the company name wrong, by the way.  Attention to detail is important.). Then you posted about being nervous for your first day, then about being worried about the commute....    I thought your oversharing suggested some poor judgment on your part, but whatever.

But it was really inappropriate for you to post yesterday that the boss is a bitch (She is, that's why the last person quit with no notice).    Really poor judgment on your part.    I'm not going to tell anyone what you posted, but it's not hard for her to find.  Even if you don't want the permanent position that's available, surely you want a favourable reference when you're done? 

Please tell us there is some backstory or this is a vaguepost. Referencing someone social media is pretty creepy.

[Quof]

No, she just posted a general "New jobs are hard when the boss is a bitch".

[theredhead77]

To clarify, are you you taking posts here (someones vent) and using them to stalk social media? Cause that's what the original posts sounds like and frankly that's creepy AF!

[DeLurker]

18 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

Please tell us there is some backstory or this is a vaguepost. Referencing someone social media is pretty creepy.

I was confused too in that I thought the post was referring to what someone here posted, but my reading comprehension is less than ideal these days.

[BookWoman56]

2 minutes ago, Quof said:

No, she just posted a general "New jobs are hard when the boss is a bitch".

I swear people get dumber every day. I'm assuming since you were able to find her on social media, that either she uses her real name on her social media accounts or that she provided her social media info during the hiring process. Either way, job applicants and new hires need to understand that it's pretty damn common now for HR and/or a new boss to check out social media postings looking precisely for this kind of remark. FFS, if you're going to make snarky comments about your boss, do it on a platform where a casual viewer can't figure out your identity, not on something like Facebook that has your name, when you haven't made your posts private. 

[Quof]

Quote

To clarify, are you you taking posts here (someones vent) and using them to stalk social media? Cause that's what the original posts sounds like and frankly that's creepy AF!

God, no.  We hired a temp last week.  I easily found her on FB after she was hired, just to get a sense of who she was (we do highly confidential work, so discretion is an essential character trait for all staff).   This is what her FB postings over the course of 7 days revealed.   And at lunch time she posted she is actively seeking another job.  Hey, you're a temp, so not unexpected.   But again - judgment, people!

[theredhead77]

23 minutes ago, Quof said:

God, no.  We hired a temp last week.  I easily found her on FB after she was hired, just to get a sense of who she was (we do highly confidential work, so discretion is an essential character trait for all staff).   This is what her FB postings over the course of 7 days revealed.   And at lunch time she posted she is actively seeking another job.  Hey, you're a temp, so not unexpected.   But again - judgment, people!

Whew, Someone upthread posted their boss is a bitch and I think they are also a temp employee. Bad timing! My apologizes for wondering if you were a creepy AF stalker.  

[Mindthinkr]

Ok @Quof. I’ll now take what you posted as a warning to all of those here who are seeking work and then going to Public (not anonymous like here) sites and lashing out with their petty peeves as a bad (detrimental) thing. We are all entitled to our feelings but we should be careful of where we vent them. I don’t find what you did as an intrusion into her privacy as you were just trying to get to know your coworker better. I do think that what she wrote is not kind and her next employer might check her Facebook account before hiring. Speaking unkindly about a previous boss would not look like a checkmark for niceness and being a team player. I once was asked why, by someone (waiting to hire me but doing a due diligence background check) couldn’t find me out there on Facebook or SM. It was an easy reply. I don’t. It doesn’t exist. 

I know a bit about security clearances and would worry about what else or to whom she might vent or chat about anything else. 

Edited May 29, 2018 by Mindthinkr
I’m trying to proofread but the big cat keeps nudging my device making it hard. Lol. Please excuse mistakes.

[Quof]

I found her on Facebook using my totally anonymous, can never be linked back to me, Facebook profile.  I am proud to say if one Googles me, they will find only a few professional mentions.  No personal stuff ever, anywhere.  

[Mindthinkr]

2 minutes ago, Quof said:

I found her on Facebook using my totally anonymous, can never be linked back to me, Facebook profile.  I am proud to say if one Googles me, they will find only a few professional mentions.  No personal stuff ever, anywhere.  

My kind of person. 

[theredhead77]

I have a very uncommon name and I Google myself in search and image on a regular basis to make sure that nothing sketchy comes up. My Facebook is locked down, disabled the allow in search settings, photos are friends only, tags of anything crazy are denied since I can't control my friends settings. There is only one photo of me that comes up in Google search and that is from my Linked-In profile. I also check my "view as" public settings on Facebook weekly to make sure nothing is sneaky. My Twitter and Instagram aren't even attached to my name.

[Quof]

My FB, Twitter and Instagram are each different names : ) And I never post anything, anyway, just use them to follow other pages or to communicate with businesses which now have no other way for customers to interact with them.

[BookWoman56]

I'm having a bit of paranoia related to my work, which is probably foolish on my part. I had mentioned upthread about the new hire in my department who wasn't working out and had major performance issues. She managed to get herself transferred to another team and is now their problem. In the meantime, though, my manager had gotten approval for two new positions, one to replace new hire that didn't work out and one in addition. We had interviewed 3-4 people who looked reasonably good on paper but when given a scenario (in advance) of a typical project in our area, couldn't come up with even a remote semblance of a project plan. The two positions are not titled as project  managers, but that's essentially what they are. My manager then asked if I or anyone else on the team could recommend someone, and so I did. A friend and former colleague had been laid off several months ago, and I had agreed to act as a reference for her while she was looking. So, I told my manager that while my friend didn't have a background in financial services, she did have extensive project management experience in an equally challenging field, was used to working with insane timelines and BSC clients, etc., and passed along her resume. (I checked with my friend first, cautioning her that I couldn't make any promises but that at least this would give her a decent shot at getting an initial interview.) Long story short, she did an initial interview, they gave her the scenario, and she put together a comprehensive project plan that demonstrated she had the ability to read the scenario, figure out the deliverables, and construct a timeline to fit the final deadline, which she presented at the second interview. And they snapped her up, because she was the first candidate who knew what the fuck she was doing. It's a temp to perm situation, because of my manager having been burned with the last new hire, but she has already told me privately that she's not going to wait the full 3 months to convert my friend to a regular FT employee. 

This week is my friend's first week on the job, and as I said, I'm a little paranoid. Not about her performance, because she is one of literally two people with whom I have ever worked that I could recommend without any reservations, but because my manager is disorganized and focuses on doing her former manager's job for him, and another colleague is lazy as fuck and is notorious for dumping all the actual work on others. There were some onboarding glitches, such as new badge not working, some software not having been installed on her computer, etc. And now I'm thinking, I talked my friend into applying for this job, and she may very well end up disliking both her new manager and one of her colleagues. I did give my friend a general overview of the office dynamics, and she's worked with way worse people, but I can't help feeling like a month from now, she's going to decide that maybe she should have held out for something different. However, I keep reminding myself that given her skills, if she puts in a year in our area and then decides to bail, she'll have no trouble moving to another department. In the meantime, though, I'm looking forward to working with her again, because she is extremely organized and able to deal with problems without having a meltdown every five minutes.