A Case Of The Mondays: Vent Your Work Spleen Here

[bilgistic]

I'm sure I'm going to be thought a horrible person for this, but here it is, anyway.

My pseudo-boss unilaterally (well, along with his wife) decided for "our team" (of three) that we would do some "philanthropy"--give out gifts to kids at 8am at Salvation Army on 12/23. I'm not that fond of most of the kids I'm related to that I have to see the next day, much less kids I don't know. I have social anxiety and really don't do well with crowds. HE KNOWS ALL THIS.

It's REALLY not cool that he volunteered me (w/o asking) to be around a bunch of strangers. I feel like I have to do it or I'm "being negative". And everyone loves kids, of course! Ugh! Why can't I just be left alone? Seriously, I'd much rather work.

Edited December 15, 2015 by bilgistic

[auntlada]

Get sick. With something contagious so you can't be around kids.

[backformore]

I'm sure I'm going to be thought a horrible person for this, but here it is, anyway.

My pseudo-boss unilaterally (well, along with his wife) decided for "our team" (of three) that we would do some "philanthropy"--give out gifts to kids at 8am at Salvation Army on 12/23. I'm not that fond of most of the kids I'm related to that I have to see the next day, much less kids I don't know. I have social anxiety and really don't do well with crowds. HE KNOWS ALL THIS.

It's REALLY not cool that he volunteered me (w/o asking) to be around a bunch of strangers. I feel like I have to do it or I'm "being negative". And everyone loves kids, of course! Ugh! Why can't I just be left alone? Seriously, I'd much rather work.

did you know that some people boycott the Salvation Army because the organization is homophobic? here is just one article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/07/uc-berkeley-salvation-army_n_2259652.html

Maybe you can decline based on that?

 

But really -  it does NOT sound like fun to me.  Plus, it goes against the meaning of "volunteer" to be forced to do it.   Can you say that on Christmas, you will be around a family member with a compromised immune system, and cannot chance picking up a virus from children, and risk that person getting deathly ill?

Edited December 15, 2015 by backformore

[DeLurker]

Wow - he's a piece of work (but feel free to insert the four letter word of your choice)!

 

While backformore's approach should work, I'm burned that because of office diplomacy you would have to find an "excuse" for something that should not have happened in the workplace at all.

[bilgistic]

A couple weeks ago, I was in an hour-long meeting with him and my middle manager (which is just a garbage corporate position of no real consequence) during which he tore me three new assholes for "being negative", in other words, having a strong female opinion. I'm afraid I'm just stuck doing this and I'll just have to try to find something to do on the actual day that puts me in a back room sorting or something. I already feel so much anxiety about it, and it's really shitty that he's put me in this position when I've told him numerous times about my anxiety issues, and that I'm medicated for them. It's just his world, and I'm living in it.

[Sandman87]

The Salvation Army is an evangelical religious organization. Perhaps religious grounds for refusal are in order.

[bilgistic]

Yeah, I'm not cool with it for that and any other number of reasons, but as the only liberal female, I get "joked with" a lot about my views. ("Is that a *feminist* thing??") Mind you, if I said anything about the rich, white, religious right, I'd be out on my ass. I feel really stuck in this situation.

I texted my mom about it and her response was to "suck it up" b/c I have "a good job" (which, arguable, but it's a job). I'm really disappointed in her saying that. She raised my younger sisters and me on her own and drilled into us to always stand on our own, have a strong voice, rely on only ourselves, etc. I feel like she's not standing behind what she taught us all those years.

[Petunia13]

It's hard to find a good paying job these days you're respected as well. It sounds like you aren't appreciated and that can be very stressful. One thing that helps is just keeping your job search active. I have found its easier to find another job when you are already employed. You mentioned you know some of your organizations competitors. Perhaps you should consider a move or interviewing. If anything it will make you feel good. Perhaps the competition will see you as more of an asset and indeed getting winning you over maybe a feather in their cap : ) ha can you imagine how wonderful that would feel?!

As far as them volunteering you on your behalf in such a public manner I am of the belief charity should be quiet and private. My family is very serious on that. Like its very bad in my family to share even with each other. After my grandparents death we learned of their large charitable contributions just by old receipts hidden in their house. My mother does a LOT she keeps to herself. I only know of some since she's taken calls in her house while I was visiting from the places and she donated bone marrow when I was much younger (12?) to someone in the registry with leukemia who was a match and she tried even to conceal that since its so frowned upon and tacky in my family - it supposed to be secret. It might be a cultural and religious thing. I'm Native American.

[DeLurker]

I texted my mom about it and her response was to "suck it up" b/c I have "a good job" (which, arguable, but it's a job). I'm really disappointed in her saying that. She raised my younger sisters and me on her own and drilled into us to always stand on our own, have a strong voice, rely on only ourselves, etc. I feel like she's not standing behind what she taught us all those years.

Is it possible you are re-directing your frustration at Mom because there is no safe nor effective way to address it in the workplace?

 

Granted, this whole coerced "volunteering" is distasteful - whether there is any objection to the underlying charity or not.  If you can't opt out without causing you a professional black mark (as unfair as that is), think about worse alternatives - if the pseudo-boss chose a cocktail party at his home, an extended Christmas lunch or dinner with the collective office yahoos,...

[Petunia13]

That's true too. Sometimes it's about the social aspect and fitting in on the job as much as performance. I've had jobs where I did more or was exemplary but not cool with the boss and clique and was passed over for promotions. It's really important to be likable.

[Petunia13]

I remember working with a guy who put out shitty work but was always laughing and smooth and got along with the boss so he did well at the company. Also my exes boss called off or was late constantly and was very lazy but fun and happy go lucky so never got canned.

My exe who was also an executive at the company said its as important to be liked (IN his HO) as the work you do or how productive you are.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Petunia13

[bilgistic]

I was just asked point-blank if I had signed up to volunteer. So, no choice. I just had to register. Goddammit.

 

I wasn't "allowed" to talk about work with Mom at Thanksgiving and my mother won't let me talk to her about it over text. I get more support from strangers on the internet than my family. My sister just said, "It will be good for you." Really? Doping up on Xanax to get through the experience will be "good for me"?

 

The next day, Christmas Eve, is with my mother's extended family, which wears me out even further. I will be with my parents on Christmas morning, then coming back home to the cat. Thankfully, I will have the weekend to sleep, because I will be completely exhausted. As it is, I sleep one entire day on the weekend. I see my psych doc tomorrow for a med check. I've always dealt with depression and anxiety, and people in general exhaust me. I need to be alone and quiet to recharge, and I'm going to have three days in a row of loud people, beyond just regular work, which is a cubical circus. I am already so incredibly anxious about next week.

[DeLurker]

I did not know it was quite so complicated - the Mom issue.  Adding those layers is a different story.

 

And those strangers on the internet can be a great help (although not always).  When I was dealing with the very combustible and physically violent end of my marriage, I found a lot of support and understanding through those strangers.  Trying to explain that tangled up ball of emotion to them, helped me sort through and isolate specific issues.  I will forever be grateful to them for just being there at what was a horrendous point in my life.

 

And if being involved in the charity thing is going to undermine your well being, than don't do it.  Year end at most companies can be high stress, add to that social/family stress over holidays, free floating stress you pic up on from those you work with or are around, traffic, ...for even the most balanced and healthy among us (and I do not include myself in that group), it can be an exhausting time - physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

If you feel you "have to" participate, decide what function you are going to do and don't be bullied into doing what someone else decides you need to do.  You have a full schedule in the following days that come with their own pluses and minuses.  Starting out your Christmas completely undone is not going to help.

 

 

 

 

[ABay]

As a passive aggressive bitch*, I'd tell mom you "sucked it up" and went to the forced charity thing and as a result are too emotionally depleted/physically exhausted/pissed off to attend the family events.

 

*I mean I'm the bitch, not bilgistic. Sometimes grammar my thing is not.

Edited December 16, 2015 by ABay

[jenh526]

I hate this time of year. I'm expected to go to all the work functions and mingle with people that I loathe and who treat me like shit. I'm expected to buy a gift for them. I'd be having the third serving of their cheap crap catered food since Thanksgiving. Well, not this year. Not going. Don't care what they think since they already don't like me.

[bilgistic]

Ha, ABay, I knew what you meant! I'm usually a straightforward bitch.

jenh526, I decided long ago that I wasn't giving gifts at work because a) giving your boss a gift is like giving them back money they just paid you, especially if you work at a small business, b) I don't get paid enough to gift people with whom I work, c) I think holiday gifting is for one's family, not the people with whom one works. I generally use that last excuse/reason and it usually works. It's truly how I feel. As you've read, I'm fighting to keep an Agenda (religious/rich white republican male) from encroaching upon my life this holiday and losing, but I won't fall prey to the gift bullshit. Fight the power, jenh526, so I can say at least one of us did!

[jenh526]

bilgistic, I feel your pain. I have social anxiety too. I also take Ativan on occasion because I'm so wound up from the day that I'm physically shaking and can't sleep. I think many people just do not get it at all. Being pushed into social situations really doesn't work. I have found that listening to music helps me stay calm, and lately I've kept my headphones on all day. People know they can interrupt me, and I'm fine with that. Otherwise, I want to tune out all the noise. If you think it would help, do you think you could keep some earbuds in next week?

 

Fight the power, jenh526, so I can say at least one of us did!

This made me laugh and brought back a memory. I had a coworker once that I used to go to lunch with on occasion. We were never supposed to park in front of the building because there were limited spaces and management wanted to reserve the spots for VIPs. We got back from lunch one time and my coworker said "Park in front. Let's stick it to the man!" Being the quiet rebel I am, I complied.

[bilgistic]

I wear earphones at work, at the grocery store, in Target, at loud family gatherings, in church...

Just kidding about that last one; I don't go to church.

I think I'm going to stick it to the man by wearing short sleeves next week, exposing my tattoos when we go to the Salvation Army. I'll probably wear my Chuck Taylors with skulls on them, too. Certainly, that should land me in the back room, don't you think??

Edited December 17, 2015 by bilgistic

[BookWoman56]

I think I'm going to stick it to the man by wearing short sleeves next week, exposing my tattoos when we go to the Salvation Army. I'll probably wear my Chuck Taylors with skulls on them, too. Certainly, that should land me in the back room, don't you think??

Very possibly so, but I think this might be even more effective.

 

My daughter has a similar dress and it has been quite useful on occasion. Not that she's ever been "voluntold" to go to a Salvation Army location and hand out stuff.

 

Sorry to hear that your pseudo-boss is still being an asshat, but I have to agree that you should probably start an active job search. This guy is not going to change and as long as he's making serious cash for the company, they're not going to get rid of him. If you can't finagle an internal transfer, then start looking around other companies. A couple of years ago I had realized I was unhappy at my job, and it took interviewing at another company to make me feel really valued. Ultimately I did not take the job with the other company and hung around until I could do an internal transfer. But there is very little more satisfying than being able to tell your jerk of a boss that you have gotten a better position elsewhere. You might be able to negotiate telecommuting at least part-time or working in a less crowded environment at a new job, which sounds as if it would be better for you.

[bilgistic]

Captain Clueless today, on the phone with a client: "Those [our city's NBA team's] games got a little 'urban' there for a while."

Me, aloud: "OH MY GOD."

I remind you all that he's 33, not 83.

[hoosier80]

I had to login earlier today as my Ditz co-worker couldn't get into the system.  This is not the first time.  Over two hours and still not into system.  Oh my java wasn't working I guess.  Yeah, I get the same damned message and click to run the existing java.  It's some glitch.  Oh I didn't get that message.  No, you're blind as a bat. So I had to cover a bunch of stuff that had to be done right then - time sensitive.  I got through all of that shit, only to get questions, I kid you not, from every damned department we have.  I even got questions from the outsourced IT in India.  Then something I'm transitioning away, yep, they decided to try and automate it, which is a good idea, but no testing.  So it was jacked up.  After about 2 to 3 hours working on it, yeah I finally got reports I needed. My favorite - a manager submitted a ticket for me to submit a ticket.  I'm like no, submit your own ticket - it's not like I have magic powers. Ditz logged out earlier than I did - how is that possible when logged in 2 hours late?  Then I got a major request at 3:55 pm today - we need all of this crap closed out.  Uh, not happening today.  Then, oh no do NOT do it today - wait for our word on Monday.  Thank God I'm only working a few days next week.  Oh, and I'd told the Ditz, yes I can check your so important shit on 12/23 - only for it to be asked again today.  That makes 3x total.  I think I may have to tatoo it on my - wait - their forehead.  

[ShellSeeker]

I've spent the last 18 months working on the most awful project I've ever had the bad luck to be assigned to. I could rant about the stupidity of these users I have to support for the next year and not be done. I'll just say that the stupidity reached its apogee a few months ago when they called me at 11:00 one night, got me out of bed to help resolve what they said was a "critical issue," and then called me back 10 minutes later to say, "Oh never mind, we're just going to figure it out tomorrow." Then it turned out the "issue" was that they had not followed the painfully detailed instructions I'd sent them 3 months before.

 

So now, I'm on another project, and the PM is really nice, but a complete nitwit. My stupidity threshold has not had an opportunity to replenish itself. So...the other day I got an email about a process that we need an external software provider to run each day. There's been quite a bit of discussion about what time it should run, which itself is pretty ridiculous -- can't we just pick a time and be done with it? But we had asked to have it run at 5PM mountain time each day (since that's our time zone). So the PM sent out an email about this saying that the software provider couldn't run the process in mountain time, so they would run it at 6PM central time instead.

 

Isn't that the same thing as 5PM mountain time? And why did there have to be a freaking meeting about this? What am I missing?

[bilgistic]

Timezones are hard!

[hoosier80]

 

Isn't that the same thing as 5PM mountain time? And why did there have to be a freaking meeting about this? What am I missing?

 

You had to have a meeting so that the PM could cover their ass, possibly also that the PM is a dumbass, and meetings often "justify" people's jobs.  I have a ton of meetings, so I must be doing really important work.  

 

I'm convinced that people have Etch a Sketch brains.  It's either because of the stupidity (which sometimes flows down our aisles like that green mist in the Ten Commandments movie) or it's a way to say oh I didn't know, thus becoming the teflon people - no blame can stick to them when things go badly.

[Sandman87]

You had to have a meeting so that the PM could cover their ass, possibly also that the PM is a dumbass, and meetings often "justify" people's jobs.  I have a ton of meetings, so I must be doing really important work. 

Believe it or not, I once worked at a small software company where the owner/big boss decided at one point that he wanted to have an All Hands Meeting every day to discuss the new software in development. Each meeting took about two hours, and "all hands" means every that single person at the company, from the lead programmer to the receptionist, would be required to attend. During normal business hours. Meaning that we'd be spending up to 25% of the daily payroll on meetings that only 4 people really needed to be at, rather than doing our jobs. Luckily my boss talked him into having just one meeting per week.

[auntlada]

Each meeting took about two hours, and "all hands" means every that single person at the company, from the lead programmer to the receptionist, would be required to attend.

 

Who would answer the phones or talk to anyone who came in?

 

I work with a woman who wants to have meetings for everything, even for dividing up assignments. I'd be happy if she'd just divide up the names in an assignment and tell me what part was mine, but she has to meet. I asked another co-worker about it, and she explained that the meeting woman has to meet to think out loud about how to do things, and sometimes it's to our advantage because we can convince her to do stuff our way.

 

I'd still rather not have so many meetings, though, especially with people who can't stay on topic to save their lives.

[Sandman87]

And when it comes to meetings, don't you just love that one brown-noser who makes every meeting twice as long by summarizing everything that was just said in the form of a question? "I don't quite understand the part the part where the amount of sales somehow has an effect on our income. Could you go over that again?"

 

Who would answer the phones or talk to anyone who came in?

That's easy; no one. We'd lock the front door and turn on the answering machine until the meeting was over. Which was really irritating for some of the people I had to talk to on a regular basis who would call in from Japan for really, seriously urgent technical support.

[janestclair]

We have one meeting per week. I refer to them in my head as teacher detention.  There is nothing in those meetings that could not be easily conveyed via a quick email.  Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it.  If you speak up against anything at the meeting, then you face a reprimand potentially for disagreeing with the all knowing dictator. So there really is no point, other than the fact that the meetings are a power move. They have them because they can, and we have to show up.  We even have one tomorrow after school.  Shoot me.

[bilgistic]

Meetings are terrible, and I agree they are a power move. There exist ways to keep everyone apprised of what's going on without meeting.

We have one every Monday morning, and I get in trouble if I'm five minutes late to a meeting that starts when I start work daily, which I would understand if the other two people on my team (two guys) didn't sit there and jabber for 20 minutes about the steaks they grilled over the weekend, or the sweet Yeti coolers they bought. It's so vital for me to be there for that.

[Sandman87]

I was issued pagers for several of the support jobs I had, because we were considered "on call" during the entire work day for emergencies. When I knew that a particularly pointless meeting was coming up, I would occasionally make appointments with clients to have them page me about 15 minutes into the meeting so that I could work on their problem, instead of sitting and staring at the acoustic ceiling tiles while someone blathered. Why 15 minutes? Free meeting donuts, or even lunch. :)

[ShellSeeker]

I work with a woman who wants to have meetings for everything, even for dividing up assignments. 

 

Oh yeah, the same users I ranted about above are the same way. They love meetings. If I try to ask a question via email, I'll invariably get a reply that says, "Oh, can we have a call instead?" No, I don't want to have a call. You're all idiots, and the sound of your voice makes my skin crawl and sets my teeth on edge. Just put it in an email like I asked.

 

They want to have meetings for everything, and then whine about how overworked they are and how much they have to do. When I do get emails, they're screen grabs of elaborate spreadsheets that have been made into pivot tables, complete with color coding, circles around things, arrows pointing to other things, and notes everywhere. So I always want to ask how much time is wasted putting those things together, because I'm pretty sure that contributes to the whole being overworked thing.

[bilgistic]

Well, I still have to do the forced volunteer activity tomorrow. No amount of telling my bossish that my anxiety disorder won't make for a pretty scene, but that's going to be on him when I'm having to physically remove myself from the premises because I'm overwhelmed.

Then we "get" to go to lunch. I know I might sound ungrateful, but really, guy, just give me the money you'll spend on me at lunch. We're not friends. You don't care about me or my wellbeing.

I'm off Thursday and Friday. I'm telling my bossish that my grandma doesn't have internet (true) so he won't try to get me to work. He doesn't need to know I won't be at her house the whole time.

He made me be "on call" over Thanksgiving, and my pay has still not been corrected since for the time because my actual manager/figurehead finds it tough to correctly enter time, and/or screws with timesheets without employee knowledge or permission. I don't work at Kmart nor am I 15. I had a talk with her supervisor, so hopefully that will be straight now.

Too bad my fake boss's boss thinks rainbows shoot out of his ass.

[hoosier80]

So, we're getting ready for the end of the year at work.  It's a financial processing company, so there's all sort of crap that has to be run on January 1.  Yay, another year working on New Year's Day.  Ditz has not done anything before, so not expecting a damned thing from her.  One person on the team was out yesterday, so I took on their work.  She came back in today, and said why in the hell didn't Ditz do it?  Because, Ditz.  Then for some new system we're converting to in the first quarter 2016, yeah another woman and I had to write test plans for our idiot processing team.  It's too hard for us to do, we're too busy.  Yeah, as I walk the aisles and seem multiple people texting non-stop at their desks.  They are busy - busy texting.  Then, we get the bombshell - oh yeah, we have to go into the office during multiple weekends in January to babysit these fools who are testing.  Oh joy.

 

Then on something else the processing team is responsible for - I emailed the manager - who can barely log into any of the systems - how are you doing with resolving errors on abcd?  Oh, we've been working on this all along.  Uh, BS.  I can see how many, plus the dates when the errors started.   So, then I get an email from one of her worker bees.  She has no clue how to fix this shit.  I got a spreadsheet with most of the stuff listed as to ask me.  I looked at the stuff, and the errors started months ago.  One set, yep, I'd sent  an entire instruction list on how to fix in June.  So, I resent that - here ya go.  Then some others, I read the manual and copied out of the manual what to do, then explained it bloody step by step. Reading is underrated. The cherry on my shitfest of a day, was the last one I looked at - February 2015.  February.  I looked through my notes, and sure enough, I'd sent an email to her, her boss, her boss' boss, etc.  Here is how you fix this ONE error.  They had only ONE to fix, and it was simple at that time.  Now it's snowballed into a hot hell of a mess.  I resent my email from February.  Have a nice day.  I got some nastygram back from that chick today, which I ignored.  I'm partially out tomorrow - some small things I can do remote, then out until Monday.  At this point, not my problem that they've waited all year to fix this crap which is their responsibility.  If they come for me, I'm going straight to my boss, who I think will say oh tough shit to them on this one.  

[auntlada]

I might bcc my boss on the emails to her (unless your boss is the kind to get upset about that).

[GHScorpiosRule]

Wow. Reading all these posts about meetings, makes me really feel for you all. And hesitant to say the opposite.  Maybe it's because I'm on the other side and in the legal field? I admit, when I worked at larger law firms, I appreciated and like the weekly staff meetings we had--it gave us the chance to give updates to our Manager (I am a paralegal) on our cases, and depending on the status/load, get new assignments...if there were new hires, a chance to meet them, when we otherwise wouldn't.  Also, at these meetings we could say if we needed help/assistance on our cases, or let my fellow paras know that I was able to give a helping hand, if they needed it.

 

Then there was the food. What? I never said no to free food. Especially the donuts, pastries, etc. The sugar would give me a boost in the morning!

 

I miss those days.

 

But I can understand why so many here, hate the meetings.

 

And reading, I feel like I have no right to bitch about my most recent former employer. In compararison, I had it good; well except for the part where he worked me like a dog when I was going through chemo.

[bilgistic]

The volunteer thing was not horrible--it ended up being total cleanup of a former Walmart where the distribution center was held. So no heaving mass of people. However, I was on my still-not-healed foot for four hours, and racked with pain, so win some-lose some? Some folks asked me what was up w/my foot b/c I was clearly limping after a certain point. My boss was standing there, and I told the story. He has zero remorse for being the catalyst (making me go to lunch on the trolley, on which I fell) for my foot injury. I can't imagine not at least feeling bad about someone being hurt on an excursion I planned. I guess that's one more difference between us.

[Petunia13]

I am at a new salon and was the closer today and my manager walked in seeing me do a skittish dog's nail trim while the owner patted it's head and said she could fire me for that immediately. On Christmas. Over a walk in nail trim.

This is the same manager who misses work for Church functions. So you think she's be less of an irrational C word on her savior's a birthday.

But what do I know?!

[hoosier80]

Well I was bugged about the error list - for another department, which goes back to dates of February.  This is the list that the manager told me they'd been working on consistently.  Right.  The one person who was working on it is now out of the office, so the manager there dumped on some other person.  That person wasn't trained to do any of it, and thought I'd help her.  Uh, no, that would be your manager's responsibility to train your team.   Then I had a big wig ask me about two outstanding items that had to be researched - in conjunction with this mess.  Yeah, I sent responses back to this person on 12/21, and they've done nothing thus far.  Guess what got processed today.  Oh yeah, he lit a fire under them.  

 

I then took the entire list with dates into my boss and explained the whole deal.  He's like not our problem.  If they get it done, ok, if not, basically I don't care.  And they need to train their people, not rely on you to do so.  YAY!

 

Then I was checking some other stuff, where Ditz did a partial review, yeah she missed major items.  I mean some stuff wasn't provided - so I was like how did she know if it was good or not (ID numbers, that kind of thing).  I go back to the originator with questions and stuff I'd found.  They were like how in the %!@$! did Ditz even check it, let alone pass it?  It was good to hear my frustrations come out of someone else's mouth.    I saw a light at the end of the tunnel.  Hopefully it's not a train coming to run me over. 

[backformore]

I am at a new salon and was the closer today and my manager walked in seeing me do a skittish dog's nail trim while the owner patted it's head and said she could fire me for that immediately. On Christmas. Over a walk in nail trim.

This is the same manager who misses work for Church functions. So you think she's be less of an irrational C word on her savior's a birthday.

But what do I know?!

I don't understand.   What was the problem with what you did?

[Sandman87]

I then took the entire list with dates into my boss and explained the whole deal.  He's like not our problem.  If they get it done, ok, if not, basically I don't care.  And they need to train their people, not rely on you to do so.  YAY!

Sounds like you have a Good Boss. You should keep him.

[Petunia13]

I don't understand. What was the problem with what you did?

"If the dog was startled or upset it could have bitten its owner then the owner would sue us then we'd all be fired and penniless blah blah"

Basically a missing pen or empty Kleenex box is a panic inducing around her.

[hoosier80]

I was basically coordinating the January 1 rebalancing efforts, because no one else had done it before.  Kills me that even senior management acted like this had never been done before, when it's been done every year of existence of the company (over 25 years).  

 

Ditz wanted to do early stuff because they're a morning person.  Ok, whatever.  I login early because, well Ditz.  Yep, I asked did you notify A & B that their shit is ready to be checked?  Huh?  That was your 1 or 2 tasks assigned.  Nope, she was busy with periphery items that weren't part of the overall 1/1 stuff.  Then, of course Ditz had computer problems, which impacted no one else.  Ditz did their 2 items and then hung around.  Why?  I have no clue.  I was busy doing the other stuff, basically telling the abcd department, hey your stuff is ready to check.  I then had to help abcd figure out shit that they said they had procedures for - earlier in the week.  Just people not being informed of how it worked - thanks to their manager who was nowhere to be found.  The good news after all the stuff was done, we were done early, no major issues (at least none that anyone reported).  Ditz, jacked up one of her periphery items, of course slightly tried to blame me, which I just responded with, well how did you do it the other 10 items earlier this year?  Oh, don't know.  Welp, I don't care then.  Handle your shit.  

 

I am so exhausted because all of the stress of handling this crap.  Just relief I guess that I can finally relax, so I've been napping most of the day.  Me time, and plenty of it.  Monday back to the bs.

Edited January 6, 2016 by hoosier80

[Proclone]

I'm not sure whether to be amused or annoyed by a recent series of conversations I had with one of my supervisors a few days ago.  As a little background, I work in a hospital and when more staff is scheduled then is actually needed to care for the number of patients on a unit, some of the staff is given the choice to have the day or night off.  Also I knew this particular supervisor was spacey, but this is one the more spacey conversations I've had with her.  I happened not to be feeling well, so I called the cell that the supervisors carry, to let her know I wasn't coming into work that night.  The first conversation was normal and consisted of me telling her I sick and couldn't make it in, and her telling she'd mark me down as sick and to feel better. 

 

A few minutes after I hang up with her my phone rings and we have this conversation.

 

Me: "Hello?"

Spacey Supervisor: "Oh hi, Proclone.  I just wanted to let you know I was going to cancel (give someone the night off) someone anyway, so I'm just going to mark you down as being canceled instead of a call in."

Me: "Thank you, I really appreciate that."

Spacey: "Well I figured I haven't been canceling you since you're saving up your PTO for your wedding."

Me: "I'm not getting married. You're thinking of Coworker X."

Spacey: "You're not? I swore someone told be you were getting married and not to cancel you because you were saving up your time off."

Me: "Nope, that's Coworker X.  She's getting married in June."

Spacey: " Oh, that's too funny.  I'm marrying you off, haha. So you want to be canceled?"

Me: "I wouldn't mind..."

Spacey: "Oh ok, let me write that down.  So you have enough PTO?"

 

At this point I'm really starting not to feel well and talking is not helping.

 

Me: "Yes, I do.  Look, I really have to go."

Spacey: "Ok, so I'll tell them to use your PTO time for tonight?"

Me: "Yes, please.  Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm about to throw up, I have to go."

Spacey: "Oh....ok."

 

So, after hanging up and running into the bathroom to throw up, I finally lay down and am just about to fall asleep when my phone rings again.

 

Me (half asleep) : "Hello?"

Spacey: "May I ask who this is?"

Me: "It's Proclone...."

Spacey: "Oh sorry, I saw this number in the phone and couldn't remember who it was or if I had to call them back."

Me: "It's OK...did you need anything else?"

Spacey: "Oh no, go back to sleep...feel better!"

Me: "Thanks...."

 

I know she meant well, but why she thought I wanted to have extended conversations with her when I wasn't feeling well is beyond me. 

[bilgistic]

Why is time such a big freaking deal?? I have a middle manager who has made it her mission in life to comb through everyone's timesheets and "correct" them. We work in commercial real estate, by the way.

We're all grown-ups and had no problems with our timesheets nor paychecks until she came on. I've now had three paychecks (six weeks) in a row screwed up (and money owed me) because of her meddling. Her position is just to be a busybody and is completely unnecessary. Corporate bullshit at its finest.

[hoosier80]

Listen to this corporate bullshit.  We went to a new payroll system on 1/1/16.  It's a peach.  It's an electronic time card system.  You have to login like 4 times to get to it, could be more.  I think hacking into a bank account would be easier.  And it's the same login and password each time.  It records your time to the minute, but I haven't found anywhere you can go to see what it recorded in terms of total hours. 

 

So everyone has notes or electronic reminder to electronically punch in first thing, then punch in/out for lunch, then out again.  Oh, and if you are a minute over an hour for lunch, your timesheet gets red flagged.  

 

My other treat for the day:  a vp comes over and asks Ditz, do you know about the abcd that has to happen this afternoon?  Nope, they said to ask me.  Fantastic.  So I get this vp hovering over me.  Uh, I was in your meeting last week, did part 1 end of last week, sent out a reminder email about part 2, I've been chatting with the person at another site about it, been chatting with the people who have to do an update first, plus an email just went out again.  I am set buckaroo.  He goes away.  I then say to Ditz, this is the stuff I told you about last week.  Deer in the headlights stare.  Just vacant, no one was home.  I think if I repeated it to a wall, I would have gotten more of a reaction.

[bilgistic]

Are you 15 and working at McDonald's? Who fucking cares if you take 61 minutes for lunch?! What bullshittery, indeed!

[jenh526]

I had a really lovely, peaceful week off at home with my parents during Christmas. We cooked, slept all night, took naps during the day, read good books. I watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune with them. Walked around the neighborhood and looked at all the Christmas lights.

 

Now I feel like I'm back in hell. First day back and the insults started, along with getting a new project dumped on me with an impossible deadline. Second day the back-stabbing and credit-taking kicked in. The insomnia has returned full-force despite Ativan and Advil. I really don't know how I'm going to survive another year of this.

[potatoradio]

I'm on a web conference and we're discussing Problem A for a project. It's the first time we've had a chance to discuss Problem A and we're kind of getting into the weeds, which is fine because Problem A could put the kibash on the project and it needs to be hashed out. On my end, because I'm remote, I can see everyone but they can't see me. All of a sudden, out comes Mr. Helpful from his office and says, "I couldn't help but overhear...I overhear everything... benefit to being in the office, right, Potato? Anyway, how about this as a solution for Problem A?" and proceeds to detail this asinine idea that opens a wormhole of security issues and would put a huge burden of support right on Mr. Helpful's staff. (Not on Mr. Helpful himself, of course, just on the poor guy who's his direct report and already logs countless hours of unpaid overtime because he's actually a very genuine, hard working guy).

 

How about a nice hot cup of STFU, Mr. Helpful? Were you invited to this meeting? No? Then stay in your office and pump your brilliant idea into an email, OK?

 

The leader tried to acknowledge his suggestion while still making it clear that there was more to discuss, and Mr. Helpful would not take the hint. He kept saying, "but this is a really good idea because..." Dude? Just. stop. talking. 

 

Then he finally (after, oh, fifteen minutes) realizes that we're not going to jump and scream "hip hip hooray!" at his idea and he finally starts to backpedal a bit. "Well...it was just a thought...I just heard a lot of discussion and thought I'd offer a solution...I just like to solve problems..."

 

Oh my god. Not only did you NOT solve Problem A, you moron, now you've caused another problem because we have to assuage your ego before you'll leave us alone AND we can't continue our discussion of Problem A because our leader now wants to move on and get things checked off her list. THANKS A TON....thank god I was remote and could roll my eyes through his ramblings. 

[hoosier80]

Potatoradio, I absolutely love it when someone who has no clue suddenly thinks they're the savior.  Actually, my favorite part is if/when I get to shoot down their plan methodically by listing reasons 1, 2, 3, 4 why it wouldn't work, then they slink away.

 

We're moving offices and switching systems, so it's a fantastic time right now.  It's amazing how many computer illiterate people we have on staff.  I mean there were two who did not know how to map personal drives or didn't know the names to major applications they use all the time.  Then, my favorite, not reporting issues, oh I thought it was part of problem x.  Well, is it in that same system?  No. Then it's probably not part of problem x.  We were also given a very rudimentary log to list out what we've tested thus far.  How are you filling this out?  Yes, it is rocket science.  Name, date, what you tested, results - something like pass or issue, and comments.  It's a glorified spreadsheet, sent via email, so of course a bunch of people had to print it out, then type all the info back into the spreadsheet.  We all have dual monitors, plus it's not like you have to clock the exact times you are testing.  Basically, they want to get a list of what was/wasn't tested - and what is broken.  I honestly don't know how some people even make their way into work or back home, without painted arrows or bread crumbs to lead the way.

 

The highlight of my day today though was listening to someone else's frustration attending a training session via conference line/media share with the Ditz.  The person who was in the office, Ditz was somewhere else - remote, actually shouted out loud to a cube-ville neighbor, OMG they are killing me - we could have been done 30 minutes ago!  This guy wanted to leave early, but no dice.  He was very frustrated.  I was just happy it isn't just me who gets frustrated, kind of validated that I'm not totally crazy.

[bosawks]

I'm about to start hour six, SIX, of a training that is two hours away from my house.

FYI people, any training that requires hours to get to that's longer than three hours is a waste of fucking time.

I'm surrounded by people on their phones checking the weather, traffic or both and I'm reasonably sure I heard someone praying for death in the restroom....