This is a great thread. It reminded me why I have always loved the Dilbert comics (Scott Adams) and the movie "Office Space."
I could fill a dozen pages with the HR and management misadventures I have experienced during 41 years of work. From multiple DoD jobs ending as a consultant back to the government with an immediate increase of 50 points in my IQ and credibility. From moronic ideas such as TQM for office workers (let's ask line employees for their suggestions for improvement and then ignore them) to Merit Pay (screw your buddy to feed your family) to the NSPS (recently ended) to company polices that are incoherent and morale busting. I thought I had pretty much seen it all, but you folks have given me new hope that there is far more idiocy out there than I had ever thought.
Latest fiasco - I work for a smallish company that employs many retired feds/military. Most of us are not looking to work more than 5 to 7 years after first retirement and then really retire. Annual performance sheets we fill out always ask what training we need to do our jobs (duhhh, if we weren't fully trained already, we would not have been hired, nor could we be immediately billed at $250 an hour) and what are our career goals. The latter is my favorite - I always say the same thing - I had a career - this is not a career - it's a way to increase my savings for retitirement - it's a job- if you want to spend money on training, do it for the younger folks who need it. Almost as much fun as when HR tells me what a wonderful long term future I have with the company. What is it about "I'm already retired and looking forward to full retirement in a few years don't you understand?"
The really great thing about being in a position like this is that you can get away with just about any level of outrageous behavior. They really need you a lot more than you need them. And you can be as sarcastic as you like. As long as I am billing, I am golden to them.