A Case Of The Mondays: Vent Your Work Spleen Here

[theredhead77]

2 weeks is fine. Keep your notice short and to the point and copy HR since your manager sounds sketch and you shouldn't trust them to forward your notice. You don't owe them an explanation and frankly if they want you to keep working figure out an hourly rate and make them hire you on as a contractor making way more than you make now.

[Browncoat]

I would absolutely not give four weeks.  Since your boss is bad in so many other ways, he might try to make your life even more miserable with a longer notice period.

[auntlada]

3 hours ago, magicdog said:

The news director has lost his mind.  He told me and other editors not to use “pre-covid” file video because it’s not showing people in masks.  Especially video for school children.  He wants all stories that don’t have mask video to just have the anchor read the story on air.  That would pretty much cancel a lot of stories. I told him TV was a visual medium and our audience would get bored really fast.  My immediate supervisor said he’d get file of exteriors of local schools  since they’ve been closed since March and who knows when the kids will be back.

Can't they put something at the bottom that says the video was pretaped (or whatever the right term is -- I was print, not TV)? I'm in marketing now, and that's what we've been doing for photos. We've been attaching information that says clearly when the photos were shot so people won't get all up in arms about no one wearing masks (because they will without thinking about when the photos might have been taken).

[Cobb Salad]

55 minutes ago, BookWoman56 said:

Given the horrible boss you have right now, though, before you start a job search again, figure out what red flags you need to look for in job descriptions and interviews. You don't want to escape from your current job hell only to get sucked into another one just as bad. 

Yes this is great advice.  A job search should always include an inventory of yourself such as what working conditions you’ve excelled in and the ones that are killers.  These become questions to ask when it’s time and the answers will indicate if this is the perfect match.  “What Color is Your Parachute” has worksheets that can help.  

[ParadoxLost]

1 hour ago, Quof said:

Thanks for the feedback, guys.  I've actually been busting my ass during work at home, cleaning up electronic files and organizing them so someone can pick them up.  It won't be my fault that Boss can't find someone to do that, in part because of Boss' reputation.  As a professional, I'm inclined to offer 4 weeks.  If Boss realizes how much I'm needed, then offer me some incentive to work another 4 weeks to allow for a transition.   Condition #1 - don't talk to me.  I'm just here to work..  

If two weeks if the standard at your company, just give two weeks.  They will either decide right then and there to do something for you to entice you to stay longer or they won't.  Its unlikely that staying four weeks versus two is going to change any minds about whether they'll give you some incentive to stay or not.  Staying four weeks vs two weeks is also unlikely to change any minds on things like references unless you start at two and then help them out by staying longer.  Don't start in a place of volunteering to be more professional than they are being.

Also, I wouldn't assume being able to make not interacting with your boss is going to be a condition of extending your time there.  Its a non starter or the situation you are dealing with wouldn't exist.  I think its best not to broach that and keep it in mind in weighing a decision to stay longer if its proposed.

[auntlada]

Give them two weeks notice and be prepared for your boss to tell you that you can go ahead and leave now. If she does, leave right away, but be sure to let HR know that you gave two weeks notice and she told you to leave now. Make sure you have everything in writing. If you email anything to anyone from your work email, cc or bcc your personal email so you will have a copy of everything when you can no longer access your work email. It's all about covering yourself.

[theredhead77]

And one thing people don't think of is to log out of all personal things you may be logged into. I have a position where it's no big deal for me to cruise the internet from my work computer. I am logged into here, LinkedIn, another forum, FB and my personal email. It's not hard for me to change my passwords but if I knew I was giving notice I'd be sure to delete cookies / temporary internet files and hard-delete any personal download. Not that IT can't restore what you delete but it's just getting rid of your personal stuff vs trying to be malicious. I worked in IT for 20 years and we were never asked to restore deleted data from a termed employee.

[ParadoxLost]

9 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

And one thing people don't think of is to log out of all personal things you may be logged into. I have a position where it's no big deal for me to cruise the internet from my work computer. I am logged into here, LinkedIn, another forum, FB and my personal email. It's not hard for me to change my passwords but if I knew I was giving notice I'd be sure to delete cookies / temporary internet files and hard-delete any personal download. Not that IT can't restore what you delete but it's just getting rid of your personal stuff vs trying to be malicious. I worked in IT for 20 years and we were never asked to restore deleted data from a termed employee.

I second that. Assume your boss will be given access to anything that is still on your computer or email. 

[theredhead77]

28 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

I second that. Assume your boss will be given access to anything that is still on your computer or email. 

And your work email. So if you have sent any emails you may not want them to see delete them. If you use Outlook they could be restored but again, most IT departments wouldn't go to those lenghts without HR having a legal reason.

[emma675]

16 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

As a professional, I'm inclined to offer 4 weeks

I'm a professional, too, and I have never given 4 weeks notice nor seen anyone else ever do that. Two weeks is standard pretty much everywhere. 4 weeks is just giving your manager more time to screw with you. 

[magicdog]

16 hours ago, auntlada said:

Can't they put something at the bottom that says the video was pretaped (or whatever the right term is -- I was print, not TV)? I'm in marketing now, and that's what we've been doing for photos. We've been attaching information that says clearly when the photos were shot so people won't get all up in arms about no one wearing masks (because they will without thinking about when the photos might have been taken).

I was doing just that!  I would burn into the video "FILE" in the upper corner of the video.  Apparently that wasn't good enough.  So far, it's softened a bit (we have been using that new video of school exteriors) but considering that even file video from FOX and CNN have unmasked schoolchildren, my News Director is an idiot for expecting most of our earlier video to just vanish!

Not that we don't have file of generic people wearing masks (we've been doing mask related stories since the mandate came out) but this virus has caused all sorts of chaos for us logistically.  If it isn't mask stories or covid stories, we've been doing a lot of school related stories (lots of controversy locally since the school district is at war with the Superintendent and the Governor and it's been non stop) and it's getting harder to keep video fresh.  Before covid, he had issues with us recycling video for 30 second videos.  We usually cut those from 1-2 minute packages so we're often limited to video depending on what was used to begin with.  That's on the photog who shot the raw video.  If they don't shoot much video, we have to make the most of that - unstable shots and all!  These idiots don't seem to understand that;  they make all these declarations without at least talking to us about what we have to deal with daily. 

[bilgistic]

Imagine my frustration as my internet is STILL out. I have now missed two full days of work. My sister said, "Put on a mask and go work at Panera." I said, "No thanks." My state is one of the worst-affected in this pandemic because people have no sense. I go out only for the bare necessities and my boyfriend has a moderate-risk job as a delivery driver for a commercial and industrial company.

The company I work for is being understanding, but I can't help but feel unprofessional, as if I have any control over the situation. I'm incredibly frustrated that AT&T has not worked harder/faster to get people reconnected in this time when so many people are relying on the internet for work and school.

[magicdog]

20 hours ago, Quof said:

I hate my job.   Hate it, wake up in the night with my mind racing with work thoughts, often feel physically ill as I drag myself to work.  The substance of my work is mostly interesting, and I like most of the people I work with.  But my boss is an absolute tyrant.  It's a small office, and no one has ever lasted more than 3 years besides me (colleagues have expressed their astonishment that I have made it this long.)  I can't do it anymore.  Working from home only made me realize how much I hate the boss, I dread seeing the boss's name appear on my phone or email, because I know I will get barked at over something that is my fault, because everything is my fault.  Because the boss is never wrong. The constant berating has killed my soul.  The pandemic itself also hasn't helped my mental health any, and I need to get out while I am still sane.  I have had some dark thoughts about how to get out.  The darkest, if you know what I mean.

My financial adviser and I have determined I can maintain my lifestyle easily for at least 6 months, closer to 10 if I am careful, without touching my retirement savings, so I know I can afford to quit in order to save my sanity. Why else have I been working and saving my entire adult life?  I am under no illusions that it will be easy to find a new job under current conditions.

The crux - boss and I are the only employees right now, because boss hasn't replaced the last one who gleefully exclaimed "I quit".  So quitting leaves the business in the lurch with a couple of big projects in the works.  But is that my problem?  I would love to say "Here's 2 weeks. See ya!" But I'm too professional.  

I'm going to be frank here because I've been there (although the dark thoughts were aimed at my tormentors not myself), and there are some things to consider.

1) Do you live in a "right to work" state?  If yes, you have to either take it or leave it unless....

2) You are a "protected class".  If you are a minority in which it's illegal to bully (by race, disability, LGBTQ, etc.), then use it and bring a suit against the guy/company.  If you can, consult with a lawyer who handles employment issues and see if you have a potential case or not.

3) If you are not "protected", see if you can document every incident of harassment/bullying.  Wear a device if need be - they're pretty reasonably priced and can be found online or at spy stores (of course there is also the matter of if you live in a one or two party state but even getting a recording can sink them deep even if you can't use it in court).  Also, create a diary and hand write the dates place times and people involved.  If you can get a hold of people (ex employees) who can bolster your claims, keep them in your contact list for future reference.

4) Challenge the jerk!  If he fires you, collect unemployment.  They're making more than a lot of working people at the moment and the $600 bonus from the Feds was extended.  Why should you blow through your savings?  A lot of people in my area are making up to 1K a week!

5) Go out pounding the pavement for a new job, but keep in mind jerks are everywhere now and bullying from management is encouraged.  Think I'm kidding?  I hear it more and more from people I know and my own experiences;  management wants vinegar rather than honey.  It's wrong but that seems to be the climate.  If you can, try to find remote work or better still, maybe work from home with a business of your own.  Be your own boss - even if it's something different than what you're doing now.  I've been looking into doing it myself because I'm getting tired of the life of a wage slave. 

6) Two weeks notice is standard, although when I asked a relative of mine (a tech professional) about what I should do if I get offered a new job if I quit and how much notice to give, she said that the two week announcement was outdated and considering all the grief the employers were giving me, that it was OK to just quit and leave them on the spot!  But that's up to you and any courtesy you choose to extend to your boss. 

[Jaded]

 

21 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

The company I work for is being understanding, but I can't help but feel unprofessional, as if I have any control over the situation. I'm incredibly frustrated that AT&T has not worked harder/faster to get people reconnected in this time when so many people are relying on the internet for work and school.

It probably won't get your internet back any faster but to get a credit on your bill send a message to executive customer service. I'm including the link to the form below. They hide the contact form on their investors site. I've had to contact them more than once over the years as an AT&T customer. The only other internet alternative here is Sparklight (formerly Cable One) and they have low caps. For the extra they charge for no caps I can get TV and non capped internet from AT&T. It's not as fast but works for me since I was able to get a bonded pair finally.

Here's that link...

https://investors.att.com/resources/contacts#customer-service

[bilgistic]

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

 

It probably won't get your internet back any faster but to get a credit on your bill send a message to executive customer service. I'm including the link to the form below. They hide the contact form on their investors site. I've had to contact them more than once over the years as an AT&T customer. The only other internet alternative here is Sparklight (formerly Cable One) and they have low caps. For the extra they charge for no caps I can get TV and non capped internet from AT&T. It's not as fast but works for me since I was able to get a bonded pair finally.

Here's that link...

https://investors.att.com/resources/contacts#customer-service

Thank you for that. I went there and composed a brilliant email (chose the dropdown box for U-Verse [I actually have fiber, but there wasn't an option for that]) and hit send and lo and behold, there's a "technical issue" with the page. Same thing when I chose DSL. FUCKING MADDENING. I chose "digital life", which is apparently home security, and it went through, but I guess it's not going to get anywhere since that's not the right department.

I'm spitting nails over here.

[bilgistic]

My internet just came on! Coincidence?!

[auntlada]

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

My internet just came on! Coincidence?!

Oh, good. I was just about to suggest going some place where you could access WiFi from a parking lot, if there is such a place near you.

[ginger90]

On 7/18/2020 at 10:47 AM, bilgistic said:

Imagine my frustration as my internet is STILL out. I have now missed two full days of work. My sister said, "Put on a mask and go work at Panera." I said, "No thanks." My state is one of the worst-affected in this pandemic because people have no sense. I go out only for the bare necessities and my boyfriend has a moderate-risk job as a delivery driver for a commercial and industrial company.

The company I work for is being understanding, but I can't help but feel unprofessional, as if I have any control over the situation. I'm incredibly frustrated that AT&T has not worked harder/faster to get people reconnected in this time when so many people are relying on the internet for work and school.

When students switched to online learning, the school provided hot spots to the homes without internet. Does your place of employment offer this?

If they do, I would use it. First, it’s a good backup. Second, if your internet package doesn’t provide enough, this can either take up the slack, or prevent slower speed if you’re near or go over your allotment.

 

I’ve given 10 days notice in the past. I have left jobs keeping in mind I don’t want to burn any bridges. The last job I left has contacted me numerous times asking me if I can take some hours. If I were to find another job now, 10 days is plenty of time for reference checks, drug testing, Child Line clearances, background checks, etc to clear, so it all works out.

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by ginger90

[theatremouse]

On 7/18/2020 at 7:45 AM, emma675 said:

I'm a professional, too, and I have never given 4 weeks notice nor seen anyone else ever do that. Two weeks is standard pretty much everywhere. 4 weeks is just giving your manager more time to screw with you. 

It's pretty common to give 4 weeks if you're Director-level or above, but not necessary to do even at level, and unlikely to burn any bridges either way. 

@Quof, I was very much in your place a year ago. Luckily I found a new job that is so so so much better. The only reason I might stay in a terrible position a little longer right now is if the company pays your health insurance for the whole of any month you work at all. In which case, I might give notice Tuesday instead of Monday so my last day would be the 2nd. I guess that's not really extra notice, just holding off on giving it, but hopefully the gist of what I'm getting at makes sense.

[bilgistic]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

When students switched to online learning, the school provided hot spots to the homes without internet. Does your place of employment offer this?

If they do, I would use it. First, it’s a good backup. Second, if your internet package doesn’t provide enough, this can either take up the slack, or prevent slower speed if you’re near or go over your allotment.

I'm working as a temporary contractor through a placement agency. The company for which I'm working doesn't pay for any extras. Fortunately, they were understanding about the outage and allowed me to do some work this weekend to catch up. I did two six-hour days.

[Quof]

Well, folks, I did it.   I'm relieved and a little nauseated.   I had a video call with boss, so delivered the news "in person", giving 4 weeks' notice (really the minimum standard in my business, and anything less would have reflected badly on me).  I was hoping to see a look of shock and horror, instead got a fake "Congratulations," then a cheery discussion about the things we were scheduled to talk about.  Boss asked where I'm going, I said I wasn't at liberty to discuss.  So the assumption is that I'm going somewhere else, and I didn't have to burn any bridges by saying "You're an insufferable *%$^ and I can't work with you for another minute so I would rather be unemployed."  Best all around, I guess. 

We finished our lengthy video call, then a few minutes later Boss called back to ask "Why are you leaving?" I assume Boss had just reported to the Higher Ups that I was leaving, and that question was raised.  I thought for a minute, then responded "I've been unhappy for a while. I think you know that. So I decided I needed a change."  "Is there anything you would like to expand on?"  I thought for a quick second and replied "No, I don't think so. Thanks for asking." 

Overall, I took the high road. Because no good was going to come of doing it any other way.

I need a drink. Or an ice cream.

[MargeGunderson]

16 minutes ago, Quof said:

Well, folks, I did it.   I'm relieved and a little nauseated.   I had a video call with boss, so delivered the news "in person", giving 4 weeks' notice (really the minimum standard in my business, and anything less would have reflected badly on me).  I was hoping to see a look of shock and horror, instead got a fake "Congratulations," then a cheery discussion about the things we were scheduled to talk about.  Boss asked where I'm going, I said I wasn't at liberty to discuss.  So the assumption is that I'm going somewhere else, and I didn't have to burn any bridges by saying "You're an insufferable *%$^ and I can't work with you for another minute so I would rather be unemployed."  Best all around, I guess. 

We finished our lengthy video call, then a few minutes later Boss called back to ask "Why are you leaving?" I assume Boss had just reported to the Higher Ups that I was leaving, and that question was raised.  I thought for a minute, then responded "I've been unhappy for a while. I think you know that. So I decided I needed a change."  "Is there anything you would like to expand on?"  I thought for a quick second and replied "No, I don't think so. Thanks for asking." 

Overall, I took the high road. Because no good was going to come of doing it any other way.

I need a drink. Or an ice cream.

Why not both? 🍸🍦 Congratulations!

[ParadoxLost]

I have nine and a half hours of meetings tomorrow.  I have one thing that I have to get done by Friday and there is just no way in hell I'll be able to do it tomorrow.  I was going to do it this Monday but its been that kind of week.

So cancelling my vacation day Friday because I'm not trading working extra hours at night so I can take a vacation day in my house.

I do not know why people schedule this many meetings.  I probably attend  twenty for every one I schedule.  Do these people have nothing to do?

[auntlada]

1 hour ago, ParadoxLost said:

I have nine and a half hours of meetings tomorrow.  I have one thing that I have to get done by Friday and there is just no way in hell I'll be able to do it tomorrow.  I was going to do it this Monday but its been that kind of week.

So cancelling my vacation day Friday because I'm not trading working extra hours at night so I can take a vacation day in my house.

I do not know why people schedule this many meetings.  I probably attend  twenty for every one I schedule.  Do these people have nothing to do?

Yes. Or maybe no. I'm not sure which is the right answer to say these people have nothing else to do.

That has been one of the things I've liked about teleworking. During meetings, I can do other things also. I have to go back to the office in a week or so, though, at least until school goes back to distance learning, which I hope is better than it was in the spring. If it's not, at least now I know where to go on the web to find lessons to supplement.

Edited August 13, 2020 by auntlada
I confused myself.

[ParadoxLost]

4 minutes ago, auntlada said:

Yes. Or maybe no. I'm not sure which is the right answer to say these people have nothing else to do.

That has been one of the things I've liked about teleworking. During meetings, I can do other things also. I have to go back to the office in a week or so, though, at least until school goes back to distance learning, which I hope is better than it was in the spring. If it's not, at least now I know where to go on the web to find lessons to supplement.

The answer is that they have things to do but its mostly gathering information so they can report things to their superiors.  It would be a lot more efficient if the the people doing things could just do them.  Lots of these meetings really need three or fur people to get something taken care of but have ten or twenty people on them.

There is really no difference in my day to day teleworking vs office because so much of it is spent on the phone with sites around the country and world.  What is making me crazy now is that some meetings are getting so complex and unwieldy that you can't do other things without getting totally lost.  

[RealHousewife]

Coworkers not pulling their weight working from home! We might be able to continue working from home permanently  if production is good, but some coworkers might ruin that possibility. 

[theredhead77]

How's it going @Quof?

[Quof]

I've got one week left.  I'm busting my ass to leave everything in tip top shape, because that's what I do.  The finish line is in sight.

A group of clients organized a Zoom party on my last day, so I guess somebody likes me. 

[bilgistic]

I know what Zoom is, but my initial reaction to reading that was, "What the fuck is a 'Zoom party'?"

[magicdog]

10 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Coworkers not pulling their weight working from home! We might be able to continue working from home permanently  if production is good, but some coworkers might ruin that possibility. 

From what I hear, working remotely will likely become a more common thing.  It reminds me of when "downsizing" became a thing back in the 90s;  staff gets significantly reduced and the remaining have to pick up the slack.  Then the bosses find out how much money they're making with having 1 person do the work of 3-4, so it becomes the norm to not hire additional staff.  Now we have people able to do their jobs from home which will likely lead to empty buildings because if the job can be done via a laptop at home, why pay for expensive office space?  Not to mention some workers might like it due to being able to do their work in their jammies, being able to keep an eye on their kids (no daycare required anymore) or saving on gas and wear and tear on their cars.  The cube farm has come home.

Meanwhile, management is happy that their pay and shortened work days are nearing an end.  By mid September, they'll be back at full pay.  I'll miss this, since it was nice that Bitcheroo was out of my sight once a week.  I've been working on some side projects so I'm hoping I can do something else soon.  I can retire in about 2 1/2 years but there are days when I think I won't make it that long!  My mind has been filled with a whirlwind of plans.  I just hope the state doesn't go to Hell before I pay off everything!  

Edited August 15, 2020 by magicdog

[Quof]

A "friend" who has been working at home since March actually had the nerve to ask her boss if she could claim mileage to come into the office for a meeting.  The boss rightly said "Well, you didn't get a pay cut to account for the fact you are not paying for gas, parking, tolls, wear and tear on your car, work clothes, lunches..... So no, you don't get to claim mileage for having to actually come to your workplace once in a very long while."

[auntlada]

I think people in our workplace have actually been doing more since telework because anyone not in the office has to record what they do every day. If you are in the office, you don't have to do that.

[emma675]

11 minutes ago, auntlada said:

I think people in our workplace have actually been doing more since telework because anyone not in the office has to record what they do every day. If you are in the office, you don't have to do that.

Agreed. Most people at my company have been doing the same amount or more of work. I feel like I've actually been more productive working from home since I don't have a commute anymore, I don't leave to get lunch, and I'm not chatting in the hall with my coworkers (though I do miss that sometimes). My company is going to be looking at new workplace options once things settle down. My boss told me she's pushing to have our whole team be remote permanently, with the option to go into the office as needed.

[ABay]

This is my first day at work after a week of vacation (which included 2 work events) and it suuuuuucks. I'm working from home and it still sucks. I hit the wall at lunch and haven't been able to settle to anything since. OTOH, I started well before my official start time, so there;s that. But still...I am not ready for classes to begin next week.

[emma675]

My boss called today and said our company is starting to prepare for life after Covid and our team will more than likely go remote full time, with the option to go into the office as needed with a flex office space. We have several floors in a skyscraper and there is another company who has already made an offer to buy out one of our floors, which would save us millions a year. 

I'm of mixed feelings on this. The introvert in me is thrilled--I don't have to get up early, put on makeup and nice clothes, drive almost an hour to the office, and deal with people all day. The more rational side of me worries that I will become a hermit. 

[Browncoat]

3 hours ago, ABay said:

But still...I am not ready for classes to begin next week.

Same!  This is going to be a crazy week, getting everything ready for next Monday.

[MargeGunderson]

2 hours ago, emma675 said:

My boss called today and said our company is starting to prepare for life after Covid and our team will more than likely go remote full time, with the option to go into the office as needed with a flex office space. We have several floors in a skyscraper and there is another company who has already made an offer to buy out one of our floors, which would save us millions a year. 

I'm of mixed feelings on this. The introvert in me is thrilled--I don't have to get up early, put on makeup and nice clothes, drive almost an hour to the office, and deal with people all day. The more rational side of me worries that I will become a hermit. 

I feel the same way about WFH. I’m at home through the end of the year, probably going in to the office once or twice a month. I have productive days and not so productive days. I’m definitely more easily distractible. I blame it on everything else that’s going on. I think if the rest of my life were back to normal I would do well working from home. But that doesn’t seem likely any time soon. 

[BookWoman56]

7 hours ago, emma675 said:

I'm of mixed feelings on this. The introvert in me is thrilled--I don't have to get up early, put on makeup and nice clothes, drive almost an hour to the office, and deal with people all day. The more rational side of me worries that I will become a hermit. 

I had my first WFH full-time gig almost 20 years ago, and now I've been WFH for 5 years. One thing I'd suggest is trying to set up social engagements on an ongoing basis with friends or close colleagues. For example, a friend and I would go grab lunch or coffee together every other week. Obviously the pandemic makes that option a bit more difficult, but maybe a short phone call just to stay in touch. Overall, just schedule some personal interaction into your life so you don't wake up one day and realize that it's been 6 months since you talked to anyone other than colleagues on business calls. As a fellow introvert, I am quite fine WFH full-time, but my daughter lives with me and my son and his family are less than 5 minutes away, so I can't become a complete hermit. To me, the advantages far outweigh the possible risk of becoming isolated, which is something you can control. I don't in any way miss commuting, getting up early and having to dress in business clothes, and listening to colleagues be on the phone all day or worse, coming into my cubicle just to chat while I'm trying to get work done. 

[bilgistic]

The company I contract for is SUPER disorganized. The guy who oversees our (there are two of us contractors) work is the company CFO or controller; I don't remember which. He seems really disconnected from what we actually do and there are two "project managers" (actually staff accountants) that manage our day-to-day work unless the controller has a project for us.

We all got through the quarterly reports, which were a nightmare on an epic scale. This company is private, but I worked for a five-person public company in the early 2000s and put together their SEC reports. It really, really doesn't have to be a complete clusterfuck. Like, every quarter comes at the same time and you don't have to wait until the last minute.

The other contractor and I had formatted and calculated all the financials back in June, but people would go in and totally muck them all up. We would completely format the reports (21 of them, 40-50 pages each) and we'd go back to add something or reload the financials just to find that someone had gone in and totally destroyed the formatting. We were both feeling like, "Why am I here if you're just going to destroy my work?"

When there's been downtime from the quarterly reports, the controller has had us do journal entries that first require logging from spreadsheets. I alerted him early on that there were several (like a third of the 400+) that couldn't be completed because of missing data categories. He would just say to "make a note" on the tracking sheet instead of simply addressing the issue then and there so we could complete the work.

We finished up one of those projects Friday, but didn't really finish because we couldn't enter all the data. I let him know first thing yesterday (he was on vacation last week) of the status. He said he had another project but needed a little time to pull it together. Later on, I got an email for a Teams meeting at 11:30.

The meeting included him, my colleague and our contact at the placement agency. I thought we were going to be let go. He said he was going to "give us the week" so they could review our work and line up another project for us. So we're out a week's pay. He did this one other time a couple months ago, "giving us" Wednesday through Friday off.

Here's the thing: you know we're going to finish our work at some point, so how about getting our next project together before we finish??

I'm VERY glad to have work right now and to be working from home, but their disorganization is maddening. It just doesn't have to be that way. I don't think it's a side effect of them all working from home. I got the very distinct sense that they have always waited until the last minute to do everything. The placement agency rep says they've been a client for "years". I'm dying to know what other contractors' experience has been, but I'll never know.

[Cobb Salad]

@bilgistic the company may have a profile with reviews on either Glassdoor or Indeed.  That could give insight to employees experiences as well. 

[BookWoman56]

2 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Here's the thing: you know we're going to finish our work at some point, so how about getting our next project together before we finish??

That's just bad management/project planning, pure and simple. Any good PM would have known project A was close to ending and ramped up for project B to start as soon as project A was done, including figuring out work assignments for the people involved. Or if there were some rational reason that there needed to be a 1-week gap between the two projects, have notified the people involved ahead of time. 

[auntlada]

I'd bet that he is thinking you probably want a little time off between projects because he likes taking time off between projects, and it has never occurred to him that he still gets paid during that time off and you don't.

[Quof]

I have been unemployed for 24 hours.  I slept better last night than I have in years.

This morning, I cleaned all the caulking and grout in my bathroom. Tomorrow I'm staining my deck.

And I made a blood donor appointment.

Now I'm searching out all of the free trials of streaming services, so I can line them up consecutively for the next several months.  

[theredhead77]

4 hours ago, Quof said:

I have been unemployed for 24 hours.  I slept better last night than I have in years.

This morning, I cleaned all the caulking and grout in my bathroom. Tomorrow I'm staining my deck.

And I made a blood donor appointment.

Now I'm searching out all of the free trials of streaming services, so I can line them up consecutively for the next several months.  

Congratulations!

If you use eBates / Rakuten they typically have some sweet cash back deals, be sure to click-through even if you are just doing the trial just in case. And for the past 2 Black Fridays, Hulu has been offering a kick-ass rate for the year, but only for "new" subscribers (who haven't subscribed in the past year). In 2019 it was $1.99 a month and 2018 it was 99 cents a month and you could stack it with eBates offering $10 back, so basically $2 for the year.

[magicdog]

Covid strikes again!

I received an email from my immediate supervisor about using file video pre-covid.  We're not allowed to use any unless it has people wearing masks or exteriors of a building that shows no people in view.  Why?  A single viewer complained that people weren't wearing masks when we ran a story on the TSA and we used file footage (branded "FILE") that was filmed pre-covid.  This idiot not only can't understand that there was a world prior to this virus, but that the TV station needed to know about it!!

I'm certain this "Karen" must have an IQ matching her shoe size, not to mention too much time on her hands!

Why is it my job just keeps getting harder and more complicated???   

 

 

 

[magicdog]

Funny thing living in the desert....

The producers found a box labeled, "Do NOT remove box!  Tarantula inside!"

At first they thought it was a prank, but [and you know where this is going!] it was real and had the girls freaked out!  It seems it's mating season right now so they're out and about.  Don't worry, it's not "Kingdom of the Spiders" or "Arachnophobia", but it was unsettling.  One of the engineers carefully removed it and set it free in the desert area behind the studio.  He's done this before - God bless him for that! 

 

Meanwhile, Bitcheroo and her accomplice, the News Director drove off another decent reporter!

I found out from a friend that the reporter was so desperate to get away from them, he bought out his contract and doesn't have another job lined up!  He's getting support from his parents temporarily.  People are so freaking toxic, I don't know why they are getting away with this!!  Where I come from, the higher ups would get suspicious at all the people jumping ship and take a look inward.  NOPE!  

[SuprSuprElevated]

2 hours ago, magicdog said:

Funny thing living in the desert....

The producers found a box labeled, "Do NOT remove box!  Tarantula inside!"

At first they thought it was a prank, but [and you know where this is going!] it was real and had the girls freaked out!  It seems it's mating season right now so they're out and about.  Don't worry, it's not "Kingdom of the Spiders" or "Arachnophobia", but it was unsettling.  One of the engineers carefully removed it and set it free in the desert area behind the studio.  He's done this before - God bless him for that! 

 

Meanwhile, Bitcheroo and her accomplice, the News Director drove off another decent reporter!

I found out from a friend that the reporter was so desperate to get away from them, he bought out his contract and doesn't have another job lined up!  He's getting support from his parents temporarily.  People are so freaking toxic, I don't know why they are getting away with this!!  Where I come from, the higher ups would get suspicious at all the people jumping ship and take a look inward.  NOPE!  

Are exit interviews not a thing anymore? If they are, are people just too afraid to be honest?  I suppose you would be blackballed or labeled as a troublemaker.  

[BooksRule]

3 hours ago, magicdog said:

Don't worry, it's not "Kingdom of the Spiders" or "Arachnophobia"

Hee!  I have 'Kingdom of the spiders' on DVD but haven't watched it in years.  Thanks for reminding me about it.  I may have to give it a watch this weekend. 

[magicdog]

19 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Are exit interviews not a thing anymore? If they are, are people just too afraid to be honest?  I suppose you would be blackballed or labeled as a troublemaker.  

Not always.  In the years I've worked at the station, exit interviews are only for people who leave on good terms and it's only to turn in their card keys and work issues phones, etc.  There have been instances in which there was an e-mail which went like:   "So-and so  was no longer working at the station and if is seen on the property, they are trespassing and are not allowed inside the building."

With TV reporters, MMJs and anchors, they typically sign contracts;  some are annual, some longer.  Some people can be blackballed, although it would be a violation of federal law.  Some get so burned out, they leave the biz entirely for completely different fields. 

Sometimes it's better to be honest by leaving comments on glassdoor.com or similar sites.  Other places get reputations and word travels fast.  It's not unusual for people to cross paths more than once in this biz.

Edited September 2, 2020 by magicdog

[hoosier80]

We have been super busy lately, onboarding new clients and other stuff. The Dip will be 70 next year, so trying to keep that in mind as she drives me crazy and mucks up stuff. Sadly it’s some of the same errors over and over again. Today was a shitshow. One question after another from all different areas. Invited to a meeting I wanted to avoid. A BA who handles projects (really doesn’t do much of anything, always confused and needs a ton of help always, gets the easiest assignments because I don’t think they trust her with anything else) wanted me on this damned call. I got dragged into calling in because she didn’t know shit once again. Started off a year ago with a research request from a client manager asking what was going on with abc. I responded saying it was due to processing teams not doing closing protocols correctly. He needed to get reports ran, get the stuff that could cause problems to those teams to fix. He did nothing. He submitted something else a few weeks ago for reporting; nothing existed so I worked all day cobbling together something for him - then he bitched that it should be filtered down. It was in Excel, so duh, filter it yourself. He finally submitted a project which was given to Ms “I Dunno”. Now it’s crunch time wants the wheel reinvented and the processing folks said they are too busy, cannot do, it’s a system issue, has to be automated. Not happening, not unless someone in Tech is Jeanie or Samantha. Then they hinted that the team I am on dropped the ball. No, I have the receipts, asswipes. Then “Dunno” said she would have to talk to our boss. Go ahead. If she tries to push me under the bus, buckle up buttercup. Then she says well Tech has to do something. No they do not. Plus she’s burned bridges with them. A couple of projects were canceled; she never notified them, so they wasted a ton of time. She was going to email them. I had already called someone and submitted a ticket. 
There was other assorted asshattedness abounding. I wish I could retire now. We are WFH thru 2020. One location we deal with all the time closed their office to all WFH. I think we’ll be WFH into 2021 since there is no way for us to be 6 feet apart. Our cubicles are all squished together with narrow aisles.