June 29, 2006

>> Buzzer insanity

[ Boss ]

kkinkajoo writes...

"I work for a small manufacturing company, 12 people,and the ongoing joke is that the boss has altzheimers but after the other day we are not sure it is a joke. The beginning of the day, breaks, lunches, etc. are heralded by a buzzer affectionately known as the cricket on steroids. For reasons too complex to note,it is located on top of the ceiling to the office area and can easily be heard throughoutthe building.

It is a simple device consisting of an electronic buzzer plugged into a fourteen event daily timer.After some recent construction in the general area of the timer/buzzer the buzzer failed to ring at the usual times. The boss announced that the buzzer had quit working and he wanted me to go online and find anew one. The following conversation ensued:

me - "Before we buy a new one lets make sure the buzzer is actually plugged in."
he - "It is plugged in. I just checked it."
me - "You know that it is actually a timer and what it times is the buzzer. We need to make sure the buzzeris actually plugged into the timer."
he - "It is plugged in, I just checked it and it is plugged in."
me - "What you checked is the timer, not the buzzer. The buzzer may not be plugged in."
he - "It is plugged in."
me - "what is plugged in?"
he - "The buzzer."
me - "Where is it plugged in."
he - "To the wall."
me - "That is the timer, not the buzzer. The timer plugs into the wall but the buzzer plugs into the timer.
he - "I know that,but we need a new one since this one's not working. I plugged it in, and it is not working.
me - "You plugged in the timer, but we dont know if the buzzer is plugged in."
he - "It is plugged in and it is not working so we need a new one."

Whereupon, he left to get a new timer, and I got one of the men to get up on the ladder to see if the buzzer was still plugged in and it was not. I plugged the buzzer into the timer and put them both back upnear the ceiling. The boss walked in just as the break buzzer sounded at 10:00. He was amazed that I got it to work. When he asked how I did it I stated that I simply plugged the buzzer into the timer and it worked.

He replied, "that's funny, when I plugged it in it didn't work."

He still does not get that it is actually two things plugged together."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 28, 2006

>> My boss is an idiot of questionable sexual orientation

[ Boss ]

Anonymous disenchanted employee writes...

"My boss is a damned idiot of epic proportions. Lazy, fainéant, idle, indolent, slothful.

I think you are a 'goldbricker': an idle, worthless person.[syn: victimize, swindle, rook, nobble, diddle, bunco, defraud, scam, mulct, gyp, con] 2: avoid (one's assigned duties); "The derelict soldier shirked his duties" [syn: fiddle, shirk, shrink from]-(used courtesy of dictionary.com).

Every day he pushes me closer to the brink. I don't know how much of his ignorance and bad breath I can stand. He never does his job anymore and is always taking days off. Are these actual 'on the book days you ask'? No. He comes in to the office in the morning so everybody sees him, then he goes home. He'll call to make sure no one has discovered his absence around 4 pm. "Hey it's me...my phone is acting up, were you trying to reach me?" which translates to 'Hey I'm living with my alcoholic girlfriend and I've spent the day with her again. I epitomize and typify the Peter Principal. I'm a moron.'

The Peter Principal is known as "The theory that employees within an organization will advance to their highest level of incompetence.' My boss rose to his level of incompetence rather quickly. And there he sits on his incompetent ass.

Unfortunately for me he is the office gossip, and somehow has his bosses fooled into thinking that he is a productive employee. I guess he is fairly productive; he produces feces like substance that passes for work. His work is inept and inefficient. The loser is a bungler in the classic sense of the word.

So this guy is dumb. He lies and forgets the lies he has already told. What a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive. He told me he couldn't help me because he was going home sick. The next day he told me he was sorry he couldn't help me out, and this was because he was working in a downtown area and couldn't break away.

Note to imbecile: If you are going to make up a story at least remember it the next day you Alzheimer's having putz... Also if you are going to take two sick days a month please don't tell my co-workers that I'm a pussy because I called in sick ONE day.

You suck. You stink on ice you bastard. Does it make you feel big to belittle other people? Is this a miss-direction to take the spotlight off of you? You're a prick. You are getting more brazen in your work avoidance. Your ex-girlfriend played your 'harassing 'voicemails after she left your sorry ass for the unemployed short order cook. You know, the calls you made at 2 am on your company cell phone?

Let me refresh your memory you senile old bastard. They were the calls where you were sobbing like a baby, albeit a 53 year old baby (oh yeah, didn't your dad die at age 53? Suck it up and pick out a coffin you pussy.). You cried and begged her to come back; you called her new boyfriend a scumbag and accused her of having a crack problem. You are comical. You also told her (sobbing also LOL) that your birth certificate said 'Not Expected to Live' and maybe that you dying at birth would have been better. Well I can tell you one thing, it would have been better for me you emo prick... If I typed your birth certificate it would read 'Not Expected to Work'. Let me know if you need help getting your resume in order. I have several synonyms for 'Bungled'. You're going to need them.

Did your voicemails get you your girl back? No they didn't. It's been three years and she's still with her new man. Coincidentally it's probably been about three years since you lifted a finger to do some work. She's also lucid and coherent; something your current girlfriend has never been. Your ex also told me you have horrendous dental hygiene, your teeth stick out of your mouth in every direction, your breath smells, and you have terrible b.o. that you mask with some lame ass Drakkar that you wear in excess. You also bought the cologne at the discount perfume place and it doesn't even come with a cap you cheap fuck.

Try this you colossal failure: boggle, bollix, boot, botch, butcher, err, flub, fluff, foul up, fudge, fumble, goof up, gum up, louse up, mar, mess up, miscalculate, mishandle, mismanage, muff, ruin, screw up, and spoil

You don't even do your own work anymore! Not that you ever did of course. You wait until the deadline then take the day off. That means my cronies and I have to carry your load, so you can come back and complain to me about how you just got your ass chewed because something was wrong in your end of month reports. Well maybe if you do them yourself, on time, and sober they might come out alright. Your parents never loved you and you're a drunk. Drop dead you fuckface."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 27, 2006

>> Jiffy Pop Morning

[ Boss ]

Chris writes...

"I work for a company that repairs cellular phones, I install and support test equipment, computers, and all applications required to work on the phones. My boss is a total stain who isn't qualified to be my manager, he hasn't opened a phone since they were analog and weighed thirty pounds. Working for this tool makes me more and more stupid every day. He is a total f*cktard, the primary export of south central Pennsylvania.

Anyway, I tried to be a little creative with my post, different format than just a story...

*********************************************

This conversation occurred this morning at approxiamately 7:45am. The players are:

Chris (me) - Mild mannered wise ass. Quick witted, big mouth, and low tolerance for stupidty.

Jeff - Chris' boss. Gets paid 3 times as much as Chris, makes up words, can't speak in complete or coherent sentences, rarely reads an ENTIRE email, and doesn't know diddly/squat about cellular phones.

Setting: 'The Lab'

*Jeff enters the front of the room, Chris is working dilligently on his spreadsheets in the back of the room. (He came in an hour and five minutes early at 5:55am in fact)*

Jeff: "Christopher, I noticed they aren't testing on triage line three because there is no printer set up on that machine. Did Robert indicate why he didn't set the printer up?"

Chris: "I reveived an email from him this morning, he never received a printer to set up. I believe David was supposed to buy them yesterday, wasn't he?"

Jeff: "Yes."

*Jeff unlocks his office, turns the light on, and walks in*

Jeff: "They're right here."

Chris: "What?"

Jeff: "The printers."

Chris: "Where?"

Jeff: "In my office."

*popping sound as some of Chris' brain cells die*

Chris: "In your office?"

Jeff: "Yep."

Chris: "Maybe someone should have indicated to Robert that they were there, and I don't think he has a key to your office anyway."

Jeff: "Weeeellllllll..." (That's his "That's no excuse, I expected the task to be completed" tone.)

*More popping, brain cells dying en masse*

Jeff: "Christopher, are they testing on triage line three?" (Yes, that's right boys and girls, he just told me that they weren't about sixty seconds ago, then asked if they were!)

*Brain cells dying faster and faster, wrinkles in grey matter decreasing at an alarming rate*

Chris: "Do they have a printer connected to the tester on line three?"

*the inside of Chris' skull sounds like a f*cking package of Jiffy Pop*

Jeff: "No."

*Chris' head now sounds like somebody dropped two thousand cases of Jiffy Pop into a f*cking live volcano*

Chris: "Well then, I guess they aren't testing on line three, are they?"

*popping stops, blood, pus, and dead brain cells ooze from every orifice on Chris's head*

*Jeff glares at Chris with a hateful look*

Epilogue: 1 hour later Jeff gives our hero MORE assignments and moves up the due dates of all his other projects.

FIN"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 26, 2006

>> The incident

[ Fools ]

Anonymous writes...

"When our co-worker E... is with us, L... will greet E... warmly and say she has missed her and refer to her as the Queen. The two of them will chat pleasantly, referring to eachother as Queen, and Princess with laughter. I see that I am excluded from their exchanges. Sometimes they speak in hushed tones far enough away from me so that I do not know what they are talking about. I do not have a problem with this. I just think it's rude. E... is always pleasant to me and treats me with professional courtesy. I sense hostility from L...

I had not brought this issue to management because I know there are often people in almost every person's work life that they may not always get along with. I'm certainly mature enough to be friendly and courteous to such people in my experience without bothering management with it. In my past experience people looking for trouble usually stop looking near me when I don't feed into their behavior patterns by responding negatively.

Today I greeted L.., in a friendly manner and she said 'Hi' in a monotone voice with her back turned to me. Just previous to this she had greeted another co-worker in a musical voice and friendly greeting with eye contact and smiles.

Later I had six cake package bases laid out on the cart L... uses as packager to take product to the tables. I only needed the cart for another two minutes or so. I was just putting cake crumbs on the last two of the six cakes. I just needed to cover the cakes with the top portion of the package and take them to the table and I would give her the cart. This is the first time that I personally have had possession of the cart past ten when L... arrives. These cakes were on a great sale, and L... informed me when I first started in the bakery that it is the decorator's duty to package and display sales event items.

This morning she informed me that I was not to use the cart, that it was 'not up for grabs'. She obviously felt she needed it right away because she never asked me if I was almost done. She simply walked right over and started putting the four cakes and their package bases on top of the materials I was using to do my job at the time. When she put one of the cakes including the base on top of the pan of cake crumbs my composure waned. I asked her to at least not put them on the cake crumbs, and as she was saying sorry and putting the next one on the cake crumbs I finished my sentence by saying, 'you could at least think that far.' I was upset and couldn't believe how rude she was being. The last time we worked together when E... was using the cart she said in a much lighter tone, 'Okay ladies, I'm going to need that cart in a few minutes.' She gave E... enough time to finish what she was doing and things were fine.

Following this exchange, L... informed me that she will not tolerate my hostily toward her. I began to tell her that she has been hostile to me for months... She wouldn't listen. She said that she is never hostile to anyone. She immediately called D... over to us and told him, 'This lady is being hostile toward me, make her stop'. I told the both of them that I was willing to say what I wanted to tell her in front of D.... I only wanted to confront her with the fact that she greets everone else very frienldy, and it's obvious to me by the way she doesn't make eye contact with me when I try to speak with her that she IS being hostile toward me. But I didn't get the chance to communicate with her about it. When I said I'd gladly say it in front of D..., she put her hand up like a stop signal and shook her head 'no'. I respected her wish and walked away silently.

This person has falsely accused our dept. manager of yelling at her and went so far as to file a formal complaint. He never did any such thing. I don't want to be her next victim. I am nothing but nice and she just keeps attacking...

Our job descriptions require us to be extremely customer service oriented. We need to keep our morale up and genuine smiles on our faces. Around her it's getting very difficult for me to keep a light friendly attitude."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 25, 2006

>> The Day After I Came in Late...

[ Work ]

Bac-Ky writes...

"I'm on my fourth month in IT at a large corporation. My manager is a bit older than me and at times I feel that he tries to show me that he's cool with me. One day recently I came in late because (seriously) I got a new alarm clock and I set it incorrectly.

I usually get in around 8. That particular day I got in at 9:30. I had called him at 8:30 and left a message letting him know that I'd be late. So I come in and he's supposedly cool about everything. I even mentioned that I was going to stay until 6 because I came in late. He told me that wasn't necessary and how my one coworker comes in late at times and isn't given a hard time about it. So I figure everything is cool.

Anyway, freakin' the next morning my manager sends out an e-mail to our group reminding us that we need to be in by 8:30. So I'm thinking, WTF? I'm going on 4 months now and not once was there any type of communication from my manager about us having to be in by 8:30. How coincidental that the morning right after I come in late he sends out that e-mail.

Well, there are 2 sides to this from my view, neither of which is good on my manager's part:

1) My lateness reminded him to notify our group about being in by 8:30. If this is the case, then it was such bad timing on his part to send out the e-mail the morning after I came in late for the first time. Shit, at least freakin' wait a week or two. Talk about feeling like you're being targeted….

2) He's secretly a backstabbing two-faced bitch and didn't have the balls to say anything to me face-to-face. I'd hate to think this is the case though. But I figure he's got 20 some years in, so he's just trying to get his 30 in and retire. And he's going to do what it takes to get there, even if that includes being two-faced to his subordinates.

At this point I'm going to try to lay low and feel out my manager some more. Initially I thought he was cool, but once in a while he does something that makes me lose a bit of respect for him. I just feel that he's not assertive enough at times, probably because he doesn't want to 'rock the boat' now that he's got so many years in.

Anyway, the company is not bad, the job itself has some interesting moments, and the salary is decent. Plus, I plan to leave within 3 years, so I can hang in there."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 24, 2006

>> The Job that does nothing

[ Rant ]

Track103 writes...

"I have a job that drives me nuts. I started in 2002. It was my first job out of school. My boss drove me up a wall, so I quit eighteen months later. I was hired again six months ago (working for the same guy). Management gave us both clear instructions to not let things spiral out of control again.

I tried going in with a new attitude. The one I am trying is "You're the boss. Whatever. I don't care." I am an engineer and that is a really bad attitude to have, let me tell you. The guy I work for is a Russian. I have nothing against Russians, I really don't, but he is old school. Actually, he is no school. Self educated and he's 62 years old. Here comes squeeky clean Track103 with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. The company that hired me has serious technical problems.

I can't help them!

I swear. Every time, I do all this design work, get all the approvals I need to get a better design out there, and then at the last possible $%&!! second, he swoops in, knocks my design out and replaces it with some piece of $#!^ he sketched up the night before. He genuinely thinks he is a genious. It's crap.

Eventually, the design proves to be unreliable and Research and Development is asked to try again. This has happened six times. I have yet to get anything into production. I am writing today because this morning he "swooped" in and blew away two months of work. I wish I could tell you what a piece of crap he is having the machine shop make. Oh it just pisses me off. Sorry for the profanity, but I am really annoyed.

You know what he also does? He does not buy anything American. Everything has to come from Europe. He does, however, like to suck American companies for all the samples and advice he can get. (That's how he learns.) I thank the powers that be that the salesmen are ten steps ahead of him most of the time.

Anyway, I hate him. He embodies everything I try not to be. Thanks for your time. Good luck with your jobs if you have one, and good luck getting one if you don't."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 23, 2006

>> Little Ms. Pollyanna

[ Work ]

Miserable in the Midwest writes...

"I hate my job. I work in a small office within the confines of a major univeristy in the Midwest. This is the most high-school office I have ever worked in. One of the maain characters I'll call the head cheerleader because that what she reminds me of is a high school cheerleader that is so nice to everyones face and then totally stabs them in the back. The next central character is my boss who I'll classify as the head cheerleaders best-friend or lackey. Between these two entire hierarchy of this office is run like a high school society. Then you have all the little underlings who came into the company with the head-cheerleader type. These are her girls and they can do no wrong, ever.

All the unprofessional screaming, giggling, yelling across the office and the totally unprofessional mode of dress. The head cheerleader is FAT and she walks around wearing clothes meant for women half her size. Of course the lackey does it too (which it looks better on her but hey we are supposed to be running a professional office here.) Flip flops, tank tops, capri pants that are inappropriately tight, etc.

The two and three hours lunches in the main office area where they distracted the rest of us who only took our hour for lunch with the loud talking, laughing, screaming across the office, flirting with the maintenance guys that are also loafing. At any given time two or three of these girls are conducting personal relationships with the maintenance guys but the rest of us have to live in fall out when the relationships go bad, which they always do.

I just don't understand the whole thing about cliques. Never have. If these two decide you are crap then you are crap and you'll be crap until the day you finally get fed up with all of it and quit. It does no good to go to highers up within the University because they never come around and they believe whatever these two tell them. God forbid the Queen Bee finds out you bitched about her to a higher up. You really are screwed then.

We have people in this office that have been in their position more than a year and still cannot perform their job even at an entry level. But if you kiss the butts of these two you can be stupider than a box of rocks and still collect a paycheck. My position is fairly high stress and the b.s. that goes on just makes it worse. I am currently trying to find another position within the University but I am also looking elsewhere. I just don't understand why cliques exist. It has made a fairly tolerable job extremely miserable. I hate my job."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 22, 2006

>> Am I in Junior High again?? Yikes!

[ Fools ]

Grumpy writes...

"My office politics is like junior high school. There's this one group of people that hangout together. They actually use the word "Cool" to describe themselves. They badmouth people on their 2 hour lunches, and movie "meetings".

The guys say digusting sexual innuendos. Including one guy that said "I was scared going to this one building because of the stripsearch, but then I started liking it".

Another guy shows the top gossip queen pics of porn mags, he brings to work.

Of course our manager doesn't care about any of this unprofessional behaviour. Our groups behaviour is so bad, HR sent out a flier given only to our group, regarding the companies "open door anti-harassment policy".

I heard that someone quit because of the subject people were talking about.

Before I became "uncool" I heard alot of what they said about manager's and certain people. I've been seriously thinking about clueing in some of the folks on that."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 21, 2006

>> Slited a 3rd time!

[ Work ]

Frusterated & Unfair!!!!! writes...

"To try and make a long story short. I have been with a hospital for 7 years and for the last 3 worked at assisted living center which is also managed by the hospital.

I have been trying to get on day to no avail. I give great patient care, have had minor mistakes in two areas in signing of at the end of my shift.(Which they did not bother to tell me until I intervied for the postions to hold over my head)

The girls which was hired reported to one other staff member that there is going to be wome upset staff.(before any of us where interviewd, like she was already promised the job)

I have heard my boss call other staff to come in to pick up the girls hours since her x boyfriend my follow her home. We have had to listen to this girls porblems for over 1 year now, stating that she is a single mom and now has antother child with the boyfriend. How bad she needs day hours ect....

Well I have a family also and have been working to move myself up the ladder..no one can see it seems.

I don't bring my struggles to work, and work is patient focused always. They only had great things to say about that. They only nit picked on the minor issues.

I want to get out of there, but I need the insurance to better my family and it is only 5 min. from my home.

Do you think I should move on? What can I do about my boss from promising and talking about others.

Frusterated and unfair."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 20, 2006

>> Am I taking crazy pills???

[ Boss ]

I hate the Devil writes...

"I work with one very, very evil woman. We'll call her the Devil for the sake of this story. This story is likely similar to most other micro-managerial stories on this website, but I thought the following examples would be fun to read. (As a side note of the Devil's antics, she has said on several occasions to TB that she should put her kids up for adoption and to another female who had surgery on her ovaries that she was so glad she hired LW 'AND' your ovaries… and the next person she hires won't have kids, a dog or ovaries – talk about an HR nightmare!!!)

The Devil hired me a year ago, one of the reasons was because I held my previous boss in such high esteem and she expected that from me. Well, Devil, that is an earned privilege, and you have not earned it. I was able to stay clear of her for the first 6 months, because she was more of a superficial manager to me and not someone I had to actually report to.

About 6 months ago, however, I had to begin reporting to her on one project. We had a lot of trouble in the beginning, namely because she would tell everyone that she did all the work and I was just there to help out when she wasn't around. If you'd asked her to do any of the work in front of you, she would not have been able to, because she was totally incapable of understanding the technology to do it. Our corporate office had instructed her to make me the Single Point of Contact to our client (very strict rule – they would only talk to one person). She told them she did, but she made herself the SPOC. I did all the work, but had to funnel every communication to the client through her. She became very unhappy with my inability to kiss her @$$. She told my best friend at work that she wanted to fire me and wanted to get her opinion on it. She repeatedly told my other coworkers that I would be gone soon. We had a big blow out about this and she insisted that I tell her that I was looking for another job. I refused, even though it was true. I complained and she was relieved of her duty as my supervisor, but of course was kept on to supervise all of my coworkers.

She instructed all of my coworkers to document everything I've ever done wrong to be presented to the SVP for me to be fired, because she could never get approval to fire me herself. Well, the SVP agreed that is bad business practice to go after your employees in such an aggressive (and uncalled for) way. Things were quieter for a while, but heated up when she went on anther tare to have me fired. She told my coworkers in a meeting that I was being fired. So, like any person with an ounce of intellect, I started searching for another job, again. A few days after her announcement, she went on a popular job posting board and found my resume. Even though, the name is hidden, the job duties make it apparent that it is me. She takes a copy of my resume from the job board and marches right into the SVP's office and tries to get me fired for looking for another job. Am I taking crazy pills????

The SVP has been somewhat cool about it, but she's got lots of reservations about me because of all the nonsense The Devil has spread about me. So, my job isn't really in danger, but The Devil has some serious karmic wrath headed her way. I only hope I get to witness the fury."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 19, 2006

>> Working in a jar full of nuts

[ Fools ]

LifeAtTheFunnyFarm writes...

"I work in a fairly large group. The majority of the group has formed a tight-knit clique that I'm not sure I'm sorry I'm not a part of. Here is a brief description of the members. On the one hand I feel left out, the other part of me makes me wonder..do I really want to be seen with these people?

All names have been changed.

Nate - Likes to ask people who they voted for in the last election or other political issues. If you don't agree he will start argument. My mistake was disagreeing once. I received emails with links to various political sites and asking if I was kidding. about disagreeing. Has noise-making toys he plays with all day. We sit in small cubes. Had a fight with someone else. Subscribed him to dozens of dirty magazines that filled his inbox.

Lisa - Wears lowcut tops. Begs for compliments. Intentionally flaunts her large boobs. Talks constantly. Taps fingernails on desk. Jealous or women with better jewelry.

Ivan - Foreigner from eastern europe. Talks with mouth full of food. Shows dirty pics to Lisa that he got from Nate. Has a thing for Lisa.

Ryan- Chauvinistic old man, thinks women should be at home. Stares at younger women. Drinks during lunch. Constantly looking over people shoulders at their computers. Massive brown noser. Drinks mouthwash straight out of the bottle.

Gary- Has annoying noisemakers in his cube. Thinks the worst of people. Sounds like Pollyana. Plays horrible pranks on people."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 18, 2006

>> The Workers Guide to Recognizing Malicious Behaviors or What the Fuss?!

[ Work ]

Maighread McFey writes...

"Irritating laughter, smelly foods, farters, flushers, people who hum, break out in song, play the radio, and other generally silly behavior I have no problem with as long as none of this is done maliciously. I can even tolerate the person who refuses to participate in office social functions, because, dag nabbit, it's not really all that important to me if strangers sign my birthday, sympathy, or get well soon card. However, I have had enough of the following and maybe you have too:

1. Gossips: A lot of people don't seem to realize that if you request or are given information about a person, and it is not your business to tell ANYONE... If you tell, you ARE a gossip-- without a doubt. So, now that you know, STOP IT!

2. Inquisitionist: The seemingly harmless curious people in the office who ask lots of questions about your personal life and then tell others. This person is also a gossip who innocently gets offended when you set a firm boundary by telling them from the start that you don't answer personal questions. But take heed, tell them ANYTHING, and they or someone else you've not even told will use the information against you later.

3. Paranoid freaks: Usually a product of gossips, inquisitionists, bullies, slackers, and other malicious co-workers OR people who just forgot to take their psych meds. Some people could be a combination of the two. Really no of way of telling early on, which category your freak falls into, but with time, prove yourself to be a trustworthy co-worker or even a trustworthy friend and you'll be able to tell. If despite a consistent record of trustworthy behavior your freak still acts paranoid, inform your supervisors that the company may benefit from psychiatric coverage in the insurance plan-- that is unless the freak IS your supervisor.

4. Bullies, Loafers (aka Slackers), Micromanagers, and the people who try to gossip about or make fun of you in code while you're present or in your absence: You know them when you see them. They make your life miserable and you want to offer them a warehouse of beat down. However, because you like paying your bills and/or feel that your work options are limited, you tolerate the behavior. It really is best to set the boundaries early. I am a firm believer that we teach others how to treat us and I have been guilty of allowing annoying behaviors to slide in order to appear amiable or just to keep the peace. Yet I guarantee you, once you identify the behavior, tell that person that the behavior is offensive, and that you intend to protest the behavior by keeping any social interaction to a bare minimum, the behavior will stop. Most humans, typically being social creatures, will respond appropriately by discontinuing the behavior-- at least with you. However, if the behavior continues, run don't walk... YOU ARE DEALING WITH A PSYCHO OR SOCIOPATH. If the offensive behavior continues with a smile, visit your local Catholic Church for large quantities of Holy Water and look in the Yellow Pages under "Exorcism".

5. Posers: People who appear to be nice, hard working, and religious/spiritual around co-workers of import, but when you're alone with them, they are mean, vindictive, lazy, and anything but enlightened. Avoid this person too because they can have other people thinking that you are mean, vindictive, lazy, and unenlightened.

6. The bosses and co-workers who act as though you live only to work: These people want you to put in not only overtime, but extra overtime-- without pay. They may possibly take work home, ignore their families and friends, and be cranky (as they've gone a long time without sex in some form, a proper meal, vacation, or even a quality homegrown bowel movement). However, there are those who don't fit this criteria, they're just greedy capitalist taskmasters with unrealistic expectations. I have found these people can exist everywhere, but especially in the medical field and corporate circles. Usually the only way to solve this problem is to go into work for yourself and try hard not to become the greedy capitalist taskmaster with unrealistic expectations. For those of you who feel you may fall into this category of annoying co-workers, realize that a good 8 hours of hard work never hurt anyone, but most people want to see the spouses that they married or the children they intended to rear. Shucks, some people just like to have the other 16 hours for sleeping and enjoying life. Besides, you can only ignore you personal life for the sake of the business or success for so long before you lose EVERYTHING! Have we learned nothing from Dickens' A Christmas Carol?! Realize, that when you're sitting on your deathbed clinging to the feeble dollars you've made over the years and cannot take into the afterlife with you, that your spouse (who has been shtuping your best friend) and children will only shed angry, bitter tears at your memorial, IF they've stuck around that long. If you want to prevent this, go home, make sweet, passionate love to your spouse, followed by a round of something deliciously kinky or freaky, eat a good meal, have a smooth b.m. at home, wash your hands, and then go play with the kids. Oh yeah, resist the temptation to crunch time by making sweet, passionate love to your spouse while eating (or doing any of the other suggestions) and then passing it off as something kinky or freaky. Take your T-I-M-E.

Now, I end with the following: Most times amiable conversation and social gestures make for a pleasant environment. All that most co-workers ask is that communication and gestures be done for the purposes of making the workplace enjoyable. So, before you ask a question, make a statement, or engage in social activities, question your motivation. Are you doing it because you like to see others have a good time, including yourself or are you doing it to annoy, to get ahead, or to APPEAR to be nice? If so, save yourself the trouble, chill out, and follow at least one of the suggestions given under #6. You'll find that you'll enjoy life more if you do. Also know that the person with the irritating laugh or smelly foods, farters, flushers, hummers and singers who break out in song, radio players, and engagers of other generally silly behavior may not be trying to ruin your day, but may be bringing their own slice of heaven to the workplace (though hell for you). They are not necessarily doing these things out of malice. Remember, it's all just a matter or tolerance-- but malice need never be tolerated."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 17, 2006

>> Will all the work shy power hungry imbecile's please take one step forward

[ Rant ]

Anonymous writes...

"I work in a niche market in a small offshore centre. Job's at my level within this market are not easily available hence the fact that I am still stuck in the middle of the circus that calls itself one of the most efficient offices within our market within our geographical location!!!

Sorry, to go back. I come home every night witha new rant for my very patient and lovely partner to listen to. My boss is the most intelligent and clued up person I have ever met. She just doesn't know how to be professional. I have been working in the department for longer than most of the others, some of whom are level, some senior and some below me in status. However my boss has gotten into a habit of shouting and swearing at me in front of the whole office which has resulted in my being treated like a trainee (I am of supervisory level) by those below me let alone above!! What they are forgetting is that as one of the longest serving members of staff I know more about their clients than they do, as well as having very good knowledge of my own (who are always singing my praises by the way).

So I speak to my line manager (who has been with us for just a year) who says she has my back. Great I think, I have done this the right way, have not lost my temper, have dealt with it calmly and by the book. Guess what...nothing changed. My line manager copped and earful from the big bad boss and decided that she would leave, which I managed to talk her out of. Then I copped another earful, but this time from my line manager, again in front of the whole office. This time I walk out for a morning. Receive and apology, two days go and the boss takes over again.

So I talk to my line manager and my Director. Guess what...nothing changes.

OK, this is a boring story but I am sooooo enjoying getting it out there so I'm going to finish. I have recently caught my juniors playing on the net rather than do work I asked them to do. Also the work I have asked them to do was sub standard. I have finally had enough and given the evidence to the boss of what her golden children (she heads up one team my line manager the other and the boss thinks the sun shines out of her lots arses, so I have passed on the evidence of most of what comes out of their arses being sulfur.) are incapable of doing. That was fun. Anyhow this all came to a head when I had an illness which required medication. Off I went to work knowing we were busy and it was not contagious and thinking the pills would get me through. Problem was the pills did not exactly like me very much and I reacted to them in the same way as I react to several gin and tonic's. I got dizzy and sick. So I tell my line manager. She basically says to stay and get on with it because she has an appointment and when I mention a second check for some work that is to be sent out she says she trusts me then quickly checks the work being sent before she goes. Last time I asked my boss for help she rolled her eyes and snapped at me about someone else doing it as she was busy (like we all aren't?). The help I had had by the other girls was probably worse than I was capable of in that state so I did it myself. Anyhow neadless to say the work was wrong. Three guesses who is getting the blame for this?

I hate my bosses!!! They suck!!!! They are the worst scum on earth who reward laziness and incompetence and for those of us who have shown loyalty and dedication never stop asking for more no matter what we are able to give. I should not have been at work when I was but knew that if I did not go I would be shouted at for leaving them short staffed when they needed help. I cannot win.

Ah, I feel better now. For anyone still reading, thanks."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 16, 2006

>> Is she a mental patient candidate??

[ Fools ]

Denise writes...

"I am an employee of a small town hospital. I was a casual part-time employee in a different department but now have been in this current department as a secretary in the lab/radiology department for 7 months. When I interviewed for the position, one of the questions was how do I get along with others as I will be working every day in a room of 3 other women that is about a 20 x 20 room. (We schedule patients for their radiology appts.) Anyway, Ms. Mental was sooo nice to me when I first started and as we found out graduated the same high school about 3-4 years apart and knew a lot of the same people. Working in close quarters like that with two woman that are "talkers", we got to really know each other fast. I felt we were pretty good friends and even chatted with each other off and on through telephone after work.

Well, about 2 months ago, I decided to work on a schedule that I don't get to do very often and being fairly new, wanted to brush up on it. I started on it in the afternoon (after she had left for the day), and did not want to leave it unfinished, so I locked it up in my cupboard. When I got in the next day, she watched me unlock and get the papers out and said, "so that's where the schedules are!" I replied with a yes, I wanted to finish them up as I was the one that started them. She replied that she had been worried and had called the company to make sure that they had been faxed, etc. I said well I didn't know they were just yours to do. I thought we all had a chance to do them but because you get here at 7 a.m., then you get to do them all the time. I apologize that I caused you all that trouble. She was getting ready for break (always, always, leaves at her certain times for break and lunch even though it is really busy sometimes), and slammed her cupboard to get out her purse, and slammed her chair against the wall, and shouted WELL THAT IS JUST WRONG! and stomped out. My immediate suppervisor reprimended her with a "Sue" stop that! and said after she left...well if that isn't a drama queen! She did not talk to me the whole day except for short answers and did help if I needed it but that is about it. Later on she apologized for acting the way she did, and I thought we had moved on.

Then, two weeks ago, was my 6 month review and I got a very good one. I then asked for a couple of days off to use my PTO for personal reasons, and soon after that, she developed a headache and would not talk to ANYONE except again for business reasons only if she had to. This lasted from the day that I asked for my days off last week Wednesday, until about Thursday (yesterday). She did warm up a little to Betty my immediate supervisor but not much to me. Then, Wednesday night, I stayed until 6 p.m. to help with the night scheduler and decided to start on the schedules again too to help Sue out. Well, she again was angry that I did them and actually checked to see that I stayed over half an hour to do them. That was the first thing she said to me when I walked in on Thursday that I stayed late and did them. I played dumb because I knew she probably was going to be mad at me and asked if I did them okay? She stated she didn't even notice that (one that says that she absolutely HATES liers, etc...ha ha) and was sure that it was okay. I did not go into work today as this was one of my PTO days, but talked to my supervisor tonight to see how it went. She stated that Sue was still really bothered that I stayed until 6 to do the schedules and did our manager know about it?? (he does know because I went into reveal my concerns on how Sue was acting towards me in the office. He stated if it went on too much longer, we all would have a meeting together and also stated that it seems to him very strange that a person like me that has only been there 6 months and a person like Sue that has been there 5 years...that Sue makes tons of mistakes and I hardly make any....it was pointed out to Sue in her yearly review last week, he told me, to slow down in things that she is making too many mistakes. Betty, my immediate supervisor, just stated that it bothered her that Sue acted like nothing was wrong with that and that everything was fine??? Sue also brought up in her review her problem with the new kid on the block (how high school is that??? we are 38 and 40 years old??) She did not like that I got time off already. My boss stated that if I had PTO time that I should use it and why does she have a problem with that????? She didn't want to talk about it anymore (probably because she has used up all of her PTO time and hardly has any left)??? I honestly think she is bipolar or manic depressive with all the mood swings she has??? She is soooo happy and fun to be around one minute joking and laughing and then..uh oh...if I, the new person, is learnign somethign else that she does not want me to do that she thinks is her job....watch out! How weird! Do I just keep ignoring this? She made sure she pointed out a simple mistake that I made yesterday...not checking something in..not a big deal..with sooo much hatred in her eyes, I was kinda scared..but then I laughed because it bothered her sooo much taht she had to point out my mistake to me. Is she THAT jealous???? Thanks for listening and I would appreciate ANY advice that you might have PLEEEZE!!!"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 15, 2006

>> DUH?

[ Fools ]

beth writes...

"This several short quips from a coworker of mine. One of those strange types who acts ten times smarter than you, but have the intelligence of seaweed.

when the Pope died and we were reading the coverage of the Vatican funeral service, she turned to me and asked:

"is the Pope catholic or something, because they keep talking about the catholic church on here"

it gets better.....

when we have our office birthday partys, i joked that i will gain weight if we keep having these cakes made.

her reply: "well..we'll just have to buy carrot cake."

i say "um...why?"

her reply:(in a tone that said, 'i cant believe you dont know this..') "because they are made with vegetables. they are fat-free."

We were all pooling together to buy lottery tickets. at the time, the lottery was 228 million. Quite enough to be split with 12 people. we were all commenting how, if we won, we would leave this job.

her reply: "oh no! I just thought of somethin! it says in the guidlines, that the entire group must come together to get their 228 million!"

we all said "so?"

she says: "well, theres no way our boss would let us all take off at the same time to claim it!!"

um...when you win 228 million, i dont think you give a rats patootey if they approve you claim it or not. your claiming it.

enough said."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 14, 2006

>> "Sounds like a personal problem"

[ Boss ]

QuittinTime writes...

"Disclaimer: not for the squeamish or faint of heart. I regret to reassure you that this story is absolutely true.

My boss is one of those women with extremely heavy periods. Unfortunately, I know this because she is also one of those "over-sharers" of information. Even more unfortunately, I have firsthand experience with her "accidents."

Last month she had a cold at the same time she had her period. She coughed and "leaked" through her personal items, through her clothes, and all over the upholstered chair where she was sitting.

She panicked, pushed the chair at ME, and said "I have to go home and change clothes. Take care of this chair!"

I should tell you that I am NOT a nurse's aide, nor do we work in a hospital: we work in a sales office. What makes this so awful is that she is the type to exact revenge on people who do not obey her every whim... as I learned the hard way in my second week on the job... so, I dumped upholstery cleaner all over it and left it in her office. When she came back to the office and found it in HER workspace, she called me a smarta** for putting it there.

The story has a happy ending, though: I've got a new job all lined up already and I'm quitting this one next week with no notice!"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 13, 2006

>> The Mean OLD Witch

[ Rant ]

Anonymous writes...

"I accepted a new job with the company I already work for, it's a better paying job and I just started my 3 week training this week. The woman that is training me is OLD and MISERABLE. Even though she has been doing the job for many years.. she is clueless about it... I dont understand how but she is. She works on a computer all day and somehow is totally computer illiterate. Anyway, this woman does not want me there, does not want to help me learn, does not have the patience to explain anything to me and spends most of the time ignoring me so she doesnt have to be bothered with it.

After the first day I brought it up to my new boss and told him that I was not going to be trained right by her and how it wasn't going well. Because there is nobody else to train me right now I'm stuck with her for now.

What pisses me off is how she is "teaching" me this very complicated job. She doesnt bother to explain any of it and tells me to just go do it... I tell her I'm not comfortable just doing it without learning how first and she starts yelling stuff like "You aint never gonna learn... How you expect to learn anything... You gonna be on your own and wont know how to do nothin cuz you dont wanna learn nothin" What a bitch. I'm there.. I'm listening.. I'm waiting for her to teach me something.. I OBVIOUSLY want to learn. She doesnt want to teach me, she thinks I can just teach myself or something.

So.. instead of arguing about it , I started just doing things on my own to learn (while she is off somewhere ignoring me as usual) and when I do something wrong she flips out!!! She actually starts yelling at me like I am a child. I'm a lot younger than her but I'm an adult.

This woman is a nightmare."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 12, 2006

>> No Paradigm shift here...

[ Rant ]

Friendly Neighborhood Sys Admin writes...

"I don't so much work with Fools as I work with people that are incapable of thinking past their own nose. Some do…others do not. Here's what I'm saying:
- I support a user (in his 60's) who believes that typing e-mails is women's work (Secretaries do that). This guy isn't even middle management. He can barely type in his own password on a daily basis...that he doesn't bother shutting down or logging off of his PC. It'd probably take him 10 minutes just looking for the keys to type his password.
- I support another user that believes the title "Database Administrator" should be applied to him because he uses Excel to keep track of all his data. Um, I don't think so.
- I support users that think e-mail should be used as a political sounding board. They make sure and copy "everyone" in on the e-mail. Like I want to hear how you got the screw job or disagree with management and their decisions. How you still have a job is beyond me. Oh, if you don't like it here...then LEAVE! Your negativity only brings others down, or wastes their time and mine.
- I support users that think that treating me with disdain and contempt and giving me the silent treatment (when I was never the one it should have been directed towards in the first place, cause I wasn't the one involve in the "major" decision. That was management's idea) won't effect my response time when their system is giving them trouble. Play nice, and I'll do my best to fix your PC as soon as possible. Piss me off, and I'll schedule you a week out from today....maybe.
- I support two users (one has since left due to his wife pressuring him to leave) that were having an affair and using the company e-mail to carry it on. I would prefer not finding out how many orgasms you had yesterday at lunch.
- I support a user that thinks technology only gets in the way of doing business. And that Technology does not belong in a business environment. Yes, NOT thinking outside the box, and NOT evaluating how things are done in a global market will certainly show everyone your mental ineptitude. After that, I'd argue that your views are right in line with our 60 year old chauvinist. Go retire in Canada, you dumb ass, rude, overbearing, egocentric, full of yourself, bitter, malcontent bitch. Go soak your head before you ever address me again.
- I support an environment that has figured out a way to continue doing things as they were back in the 80's. People, that was 20 years ago! The times, ways and information have changed. So stop using training material from the 70's and let's catch up a little...or a lot.
- I work in an environment where the median age is about 56. There is no room for change, because these folks have been doing one way for so long. Has no one ever heard of a thing called a paradigm shift? How about just making improvements on the current way things are done?

Sigh!"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 11, 2006

>> Email "violation"

[ Boss ]

Anonymous writes...

"My boss started complaining that I wasn't sending her my completed projects. I knew I had emailed her each time so I figured that she was being clueless (again). After all, she's a Very Busy And Important Person who can't be bothered to actually r-e-a-d her emails.

(Sidenote: I work from home and rely heavily on email. The alternative is calling and listening to her complain about how busy she is. Yeah right. If she didn't micromanage everything, she wouldn't be so "busy," but then the world would fall apart if she didn't meddle with everything, wouldn't it?)

After getting her second phone call pestering me to email her a document I had already emailed her twice, I decided to investigate. As tech support for the office, I have everyone's email password so I logged into her web mail account. I looked in her junk mail folder, and there were my emails. I don't know how that happened (I sent the emails from my work account and she's received my emails in the past so it's odd that the system would spontaneously junk it), but when fools are at the controls, anything can and does happen.

The boss had 500+ emails in her junk folder, and given that she's oh-so-busy, I decided to help by pulling out the various emails that had been erroneously junked. I didn't read any of the emails (I never do -- a fact I'd already told my boss when she got wiggy about giving me everyone's passwords so I could do the tech support part of my job); I just moved the appropriate ones out of the junk folder into the inbox. I also added our email addresses to her safe list so we wouldn't be junked again.

I emailed my boss about what I'd done, and she replied: "in the future- please don't go through my emails without my permission first, I feel violated."

Maybe the next time she crawls up my a** about sending her something I've already sent her, I'll tell her how "violated" I feel."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 10, 2006

>> No common sense

[ Fools ]

Going Around the Bend writes...

"I work for a small company. I got a call today from one of the field associates who was responsible for taking a van in to have the oil changed. She asked for the phone number for the place she was supposed to take it. (I guess she does not know how to use a phone book.) I don't have anything to do the the vehicles, but I looked up the number and gave it to her. At the end of the day as I was walking out of the door (literally) to drop something off for the executive director she called. Someone else answered the phone and explained I was walking out of the door. I asked the person who answered the phone what she wanted and was told that the person had scheduled the oil change for a time that she could not take the van in. My response was, "Well, schedule it for a time when she can take it in." I thought that was pretty logical until she replied that the only time they could change the oil was that time on that day. In 15 years I've never known that particular auto place to not work with someone's schedule for an oil change and I said that to the person who had answered the phone. I had to leave in order to take care of the work for my boss (before 5:00 and it was already 10 minutes to five) so the person in the office told me to go on and she'd take care of it. I called her when I finished the drop off and she told me that this field associate was going to call me tomorrow because she "expected an apology." FOR WHAT? For pointing out that common sense would tell you not to schedule an appointment when you can't make it. Also, the van was supposed to go in about two weeks ago for this, now this field associate's supervisor has left town for a week and left a note for her to take care of it this week. Let me repeat, I don't take care of vehicle maintenance in any way, shape or form so I don't even know why this person was calling me in the first place and now she wants an apology from me for stating the obvious? To add insult to injury, she is 19 years old, just graduated from high school, still lives with her mother, has already received two reprimands and has only been with the company for a couple of months. I'm 46 and have been working more years than she has been alive. Save me from working with these kids who are going to drive me around the bend!"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 09, 2006

>> Alzheimers????

[ Fools ]

betty2u writes...

"I work at a certain institution of higher education. I have been there for about two years. Prior to me coming to work there, my co-worker had started working there about four months.

I am amazed that a person can know less now than when they first began their job. I realize that all humans make mistakes. Sometimes stress causes us to be forgetful, etc. Why do I have to help someone do their job when she has been at the office location longer than I have?

However, this person has been trained, told, and shown on multiple occasions how to do her job. There is a certain word in her job title which indicates that everything to do with that department is her responsibility not mine. She always tries to shift her own duties, corrections, oversights on me. When we (my boss and I) notice something that is wrong in the database, she shifts the blame to student workers who do not have the authority to make those mistakes.

She was given a data entry job at the beginning of August. Needless to say it is the end of September and she still isn't finished. She brought the list to me asking what she should do with it about two weeks after she had received it. My other co-worker bailed her out and did half of the list for her. Now, I go into the computer and certain data has been input into unrelated fields. Some have phone numbers for social security numbers and vice versa. She often forgets to press save and only hits "close" which then causes the data to be lost. A student will come in and blow up at me because they had already been entered into the computer by someone else yet their data has magically disappeared.

This is just one of many instances. She whispers about me to student workers. I will see them both look over at me while I'm at my desk. Each time I walk by her and she has a student with her, she is either about to lean over and say something negative with her hand over her mouth or is recuperating from just having done so.

Whenever someone needs assistance, she comes to get me even if it is something as simple as clearing a copier jam or replacing toner, etc. She has no idea how to do her basic responsibilities. She has watched, heard, had them explained, etc. It's like nothing sticks in her memory.

My boss has asked that she be moved. That's how we got her from another dept. He refuses to fire her because she is always talking about her financial problems, etc. She is the biggest gossip I have ever met or known. That makes her dangerous.

On customer service she will stand and talk to people while making other people wait. If it is a professor she will follow them throughout the building asking about their families and homes, etc. The bad part is that there will be a line of students needing help, which she just ignores.

These are just a few examples. Not a day goes by where I am not called to help her. She often leaves the office where we work and goes meandering through the campus and talking to her friends. It is not her lunch break either.

I have tried to pray about it. I tell myself that it will be better each day. We had one extremely competent person leave because they couldn't stand having to fix her problems or the fact that the incompetent person made a higher salary than she did.

Here is the kicker, she recently got a raise and I did not. Nevermind, that I am the second in command and she is at the bottom of the pole. It's just the idea that this place rewards incompetence."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 08, 2006

>> You want your fucking food?!?!

[ Boss ]

v-riter writes...

"I work in what I guess would be called a medium sized office environment. We have one refrigerator in the lunchroom where everyone of course puts their food and snacks. One Friday, I brought in some newly purchased food to last me for a few days, a few apples, a few cans of soda, some dried fruit, some cheese for crackers. About $15.00 worth of food, all kept neat and nice in one large ziplock bag and place don the door of the fridge.

Some of the employees here have a habit of leaving leftovers in the fridge. Forever. The amount of leftovers gradually builds up, food is squashed, things leak, things get moldy, the fridge becomes a disgusting mess, as was the case that Friday. However, seeing as my food was nicely sealed and tucked away on the door, I thought it safe. I was wrong.

I come in Monday and find the fridge bare of all food and nicely cleaned. Fine, that's nice. But where is all the food I just bought. It must be in the large trash bag fool of rotting, leaking food sitting next to the fridge. This is not a good way to start my Monday morning.

It would seem that the owner of the company took it upon himself to clean out the fridge, and forsaking all common sense, threw out everything, including things that should have clearly been recognizable as new or fresh food. For example, unopened cans of soda. But no, it was all tossed.

I don't make a proper salary, and I have a mortgage and bills to pay every month, so I can't really afford to have $15 thrown in the trash like that. Additionally, I now had no food for the day as well, so I would have to spend more money. I was pissed. But I kept my composure and approached the boss to mention that he could have made an announcement that he was cleaning the fridge, and I would have gotten my food out of there.

He becomes suddenly enraged, screaming that he isnt going to sift through our disgusting food to read expiration dates. I said to him, "I didn't ask you to do that. I just thought it would have made sense to make an announcement, since not everyone had old food in there, some of it was obviously new, and not everyone is a slob."

He starts screaming, "You want your fucking food! Here, here it is." And proceeds to rip the trash bag out of the can, rip it open, and spill all its contents onto the floor of the kitchen. And this was a completely full, economy-sized trash bag. Then he storms off. His daughter, who witnessed the the incident, now expects me to help her clean up.

So not only am I out my food, but Im supposed to pick up trash now too? I dont think so. I tell her he's the boss of the company, maybe he can afford to throw food away, but I can't. And I'm not picking up his mess either.

I tried to be civil, his reaction was just ridiculous. But at least he wound up having to clean his own mess, since he fired the cleaning person the week earlier."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 07, 2006

>> Insurance woes

[ Work ]

22andlost writes...

"I'm 22 years old and recently got a job with an insurance company. It's the kind of company that likes to hire recent college grads or students that are at least 3 months away from graduation. I went to college for Information Technology but applied for this job anyway because I needed the money. I got the job and they offered my $38,000/year. This is more money than I have ever made. Although I would have to drive 50 miles to work one way, I took the job.

My first day there, I could tell that perhaps I hadn't made the right decision. I was told by a few people that our office had a high turnover rate and that 12 people had left since April and that 2 more people were on their way out. I was told it was because management didn't know how to talk to people decently and were at times, very rude.

Also, my supervisor needs me to go on travel for training but hasn't even given me a date yet. She just tells me that it will be next week somtime. This travel will consist of 2 days in another state and I don't even know when I'm going.

I also work in an office full of people that complaing about their jobs all the time! I'm pretty sure at least 2 of the ladies don't like me because I am one of the few people who get flex hours. I've only been there for a week and they don't want to help me when I have questions since my supervisor is never available to assist me.

I'll be graduating in about 2 months and am very unhappy there. My unhappiness is really affecting my life and I miss working with computers. I'm thinking about quitting and taking a part-time job so that I'll have more time to study for my certification exams for IT. Any advice?"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 06, 2006

>> Noooooooo, it wasn't YOU

[ Fools ]

contrarymary writes...

"I have so many stories about the morons with whom I work, I could post 24/7.

I am a retail manager. Actually, I am only a first assistant, but I may as well be the store manager, as useful as he can be at times. His theory on hiring associates is to hire anyone who wants the job, and then, if they don't work out, they don't work out. Now, come on. It's impossible to fire anyone these days, and even if they can be fired, has he no clue how much damage they can do in the interim? I go into the break room today, and I find "I (heart) L" carved into the table.

Now, there are only two male associates working for me right now, and one is gay, so I immediately went to the first one (I'll call him Steve), and said, "Steve, did you do this?"

All injured innocence, he says, "Of course not".

"Well, then who? Gary (the gay boy who is also an idiot)????"

At which point Gary pipes up, "Didn't we have a girl working here named L at one point?"

"Well, now, Gary, NO, we didn't, and even if we had, why would she carve her OWN NAME in the table?"

He, of course, wanted to argue the point.

The very next day, I was cutting open a box and asked Steve to get me a knife. The idiot pulled a penknife out of his pocket.

Later, I hear him talking on the phone with his latest wanna-be conquest....L.

COINCIDENCE? I think not..."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 05, 2006

>> Top 10 reasons I despise my DM!

[ Boss ]

Sammie writes...

"10-she is obsessed with how we dress, but wears the same thing every time we see her, not to mention it looks slept in.talk about needing a makeover.

9-She pounces on customers & makes them uncomfortable- isnt that our job?

8-She leaves us long winded voicemails, that I kid you not are 20 minutes, to make a 2 minute point/then sends us email that says the exact effing thing.then calls to make sure we heard the voicemail and read the email.

7-last time she visited us she told us to take the extra boxes out of the hallway. this time she told us to put them in the hallway.

6-we could have a shipment of 100 cartons waiting to be unboxed and she will nitpick us about a window display sign being crooked

5-her annoying ,quavery voice that never stops talking.

4-blaming her mistakes on others.Example- to save payroll hours, she cut someones hours, then denied it

3-her condescending attitude AKA -employees are the little puppets- Dance puppet dance.

2-her heartless attitude if any employee suffers a death in the family or serious illness and needs more than one day to recover.

1-She tells lies.....

PS it was really hard to write this without cussing !"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 04, 2006

>> My supervisor is beyond words...

[ Boss ]

Anonymous writes...

"Ok... a little preface... my husband started with this company three years ago. Six months after he started he landed a big contract and I was hired to manage the office. We poured our life into this company. Then about 8 months ago I man I never trusted stabbed hubby in the back and hubby was fired... (according to a lawyer hubby had a great case but he wouldn't pursue it).

Needless to say this man was promoted and now became my boss. I have watched over 100 men quit.. as they can not stand this person. We will more than likely loose this contract... no one can figure out why this man has not been fired as production has droped to next to nothing since he took over...

So, I know alot of stuff he doesn't that is wrong. I have turned him in on a bunch of it and nothing is done of it. Now I have printed proof. I recently cut back to part time as the man gives me the creeps and I hate being there anymore. Yesterday I had to use his computer and clicked on his internet history... he is looking at some of the nastiest stuff in the world on the office computer! Beastiality (sp) smut etc.

I did print screens of all his history. I have them in my car.

Now what ????"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 03, 2006

>> Lazy @&*$"!'s

[ Rant ]

Stressed writes...

"I work in an office with 5 other people, although I don't have an official role to do, I'm supposed to just help out with other stuff, even though I do have a lot of work to do myself. Everyone in here though has the attitude that 'it's not my job so I'm not doing it' instead of all working together which I think we should.

There is a woman who is pregnant who won;t lift a tray of 4 cups of tea/coffee because she says she shouldnt lift anything, even though she brought in a masive bag full of food that weighed a lot. She's a big girl anyway and has only just found out she's pregnant, but she never stops eating and refuses to answer the phone because of the fact she always has food in her mouth - form the minute she gets in at 9.10am (she's never on time).

We had a load of empty cardboard boxes that just needed unfolding so they could be thrown away and she refused to help because she said she shouldn't lift, and I was told that I would have to do it.

the account woman refuses to touch anything unless it is perfect, and brought me back some orders to change, even though ITS HER JOB to get everything right. I was off sick last week because I went into hospital for a small operation and the stuff was stil there when i gt back. I also had emails (even though I wasnt here) asking me to send out some wall charts - like no-one could possibly put them in the post????

Also, when i had time off to get married, i had an roder for a load of charts that needed printing and laminating, then sending out. I left strict instructions with 3 people what needed doing. I had made a start on them, they just needed finishing. Whne I came back 10 days later, 1 set hd been laminated but they were done that badly they had to be thrown away. Nothing else had been done.

I don;t think its fair that I should be here to do everyone elses crap but no-one will help me do one little thing. I even went to my boss to explain how fed up I was but she hasn't done anything about it. I have applied for so many other jobs and I don;t hear anything back - but I cant just walk out. AAARRRGGHHHHh!!"

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 02, 2006

>> Never bust your arse for the government

[ Boss ]

MYbossISanARSEclown writes...

"Dear All,

I feel compelled to write this story as an expression of the anathema I feel to my current acting boss and government agency. Frankly how they manage to survive in today's rather cut throat political environment astounds me as the aggregate IQ is of sub-moronic levels.

Anyway, a bit about me - I am a tertiary educated health professional who is currently suffering under a tyrannical regime, forced upon me and other competant employees by the most useless shower of bastards passing themselves off as management you can imagine.

I could regale you with many generic stories of incompetance, however the one relating specifically to me will make the more compelling reading I am sure.

Funnily enough, 8 or so months ago I was as happy as Larry. I had a supportive, knowledgeable boss - who gave you feedback and encouragement. I had been in an acting position for almost two years (at higher pay than my substantive position) and had achieved everything my agency had set out for me to get done - and then some. Over achieved more like. Encouragement and satisfaction in a government job you ask? Amazing but true. I was actually happy and challenged by my job - I loved it and saw my future with this agency.

Then this boss left to private industry (as is always the way). In his place was installed a man who would lose a battle of wits with a stuffed iguana and has less organisational skills than a chimpanzee with dyslexia.

There was no expression of interest as per governmental requirements for him to act as our manager - or even letting the second in charge act for awhile which is also an accepted convention (hes a muppet, but still a million times better than what we now have). This situation may seem bad, but this installed hack had some insidious political plans for me..

So I'm currently chugging along in this acting position.. achieving all goals, even my performance appraisals are spotless. Suddenly the job comes up for 6 monthly renewal - (which is a requirement apparently only we at the lower ends of the totem pole have to obey).

I, thinking that I have performed every bit as well as my agency could have asked for puts in for the position again, along with an idiot from another area who is renowned for being an underachiever and having more ambition than braincells (coincidentally he belongs to the same species of dyslexic chimpanzee as the acting manager).

I am informed 1 week later that I am to take a $6K per year pay cut and return to my substantive position without even a thankyou for the effort I put in over the previous 2 years. Just "pack up your office, get out and by the way, do you mind training this new guy?".. haha like F**K!

You can imagine my feelings on the issue. Whats worse is it also gives said disabled chimp a chance to act in the position (and therefore have a claim on it when it comes up for permanent filling which is soon to happen). Whats worse is that I am also informed 'on the quiet' by this acting manager that the feeling was that I had had a good go and now someone of equal ability deserved a chance. Equal ability?? What a slap in the face. This new guy is as useful as tits on a bull and then some.

Now heres the clincher.. having told this "acting" boss what I thought of the decision, I went and saw the Director hoping for some level of sanity. I told him that the decision had been biased and based on personal favour rather than ability. The big boss's answer? (this guy is on $100K+ people) 'oh hes known to be an underachiever by his usual manager, so there couldn't be any of the bias you speak of'.

Soooooo let me see if I have this right? We take someone on $50K per year whos underperforming and stick them in a $60K per year job.. one which is a flagship for the agency I work for, one which interacts with Chemists, Doctors and other health professionals??? Explains how the current crop of rectal dwelling arse-chimps in my agency have got to the top.

I have even come up with the name for this syndrome.. its based on that final album that Ray Charles released 'Genius loves company'. I call this syndrome 'Mediocrity loves company (in management)'.

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to have a rant. I hope that anyone else in government who reads this and is nodding their head does what I am doing right now - typing up job applications on taxpayer time. Hell its less of a waste of public money than the chimp at the end of the hall currently trying to act like hes doing the job."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled

June 01, 2006

>> Photocopier hell

[ Rant ]

Trapped writes...

"I am a general admin assistant so I get asked to do shitty little jobs that nobody else wants to do. A co-worker asked me to print some notes from a power point presentation (25 sets of notes) so ... i printed them.

My boss then asks, "What's going on with the photocopier? How long will it take?"

She genuinely thought I had a real answer for her. How am I supposed to know how long the stupid photocopier is going to take? Aaaahhh!! 0_o

Then I was forced to look at the photocopier (along with my co-workers) and "learn" how to interrupt the machine and promote jobs. I already knew...

I just hate when people ask dumb questions. I need a stress ball. And maybe a chocolate bar."

01:00 AM - Posted by Disgruntled