Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome - Page 3

Nords · 03-15-2006, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kumquat

Unfortunately, doing nothing is a lot easier than any of the others. Anyone else suffering from inertia?

I think it's called "paralysis by analysis".

Except for Martha. She's moving in the right direction; the only reason she hasn't made the leap is because no one at her firm is willing to risk their lives by pissing her off.

Anyway, kumquat, you're at the point where you need to find a way to get out of work for 2-3 months. Take a sabbatical, unpaid leave, humongous vacation, unemployment, whatever. Once you practice the ER lifestyle, you'll know the right decision.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosco

If I decided to go one more construction season, I would start wondering about myself....at that point I would give Nords permission to fly to Alaska and beat me over the head with a surfboard.

Best offer I've had all week! Except for the "Alaska" part, although I'd have a great time standing in the Alaska Airlines first-class checkin line with my longboard bag slung over my shoulder...

Hey, you're in construction, so here's a better offer. Every contractor I know here is working 60-70 hour weeks and the construction unions are prowling the corridors of the 10-grade classrooms handing out apprentice cards-- literally. Hawaii's unemployment rate is 2.4% and I owe most of my burgeoning home-improvement skills to the fact that you can't get a contractor to tackle a simple kitchen rehab job when they can build new kitchens in Kapolei by the dozens.

So your "one more construction season" could be spent here. It might change your life...

cute fuzzy bunny · 03-15-2006, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool Dood

I should hope not, he's still pretty young and probably has a bunch of things he wants to experience.....

Point taken, but I meant I was holding him with one hand, typing with the other, trying to avoid his furious attempts to help me type, and he wasnt up for being placed on the floor...

I can type 50+wpm with one hand, but I cant photoshop...

Outtahere · 03-16-2006, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

the only reason she hasn't made the leap is because no one at her firm is willing to risk their lives by pissing her off.

Oh that sounds like what they would say here about me. Just yesterday I over heard one of the seasoned veterans say to a new hire as I walked by, don't piss her off, you'll live to regret it. Hopefully they'll take the advice and spare themselves dealing with me one on one LOL.

CFB .. I was wondering, what are you going to do when the hurricane goes to school?

cute fuzzy bunny · 03-16-2006, 10:11 AM

Sleep. For a thousand years.

Until the moment it occurs to me that he's not under my watchful eye and i end up standing outside his school room watching him through the window...at least until the police show up

Helicopter Dad! The new show from Fox coming this fall!

JonnyM · 03-16-2006, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cute 'n Fuzzy Bunny

Sleep. For a thousand years.

Until the moment it occurs to me that he's not under my watchful eye and i end up standing outside his school room watching him through the window...at least until the police show up

Helicopter Dad! The new show from Fox coming this fall!

Just to show you, it could become more true than you think...

Son (age 22) is just completing real live Helicopter School, so that would make me a "helicopter dad" nie?

nwsteve · 03-16-2006, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cute 'n Fuzzy Bunny

Helicopter Dad!* The new show from Fox coming this fall!

Article in todays WSJ online about helicopter parents now in the workplace. From interview, to salary negotiation. I was amazed at the number of examples from Fortune 500 types indicating parental involvement in their new college grads employment activites. Here is the link(may require registration)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114246499616999404.html?mod=home_personal_journa l_left
nwsteve

FlogBlogger · 03-16-2006, 08:27 PM

Got metrics?

Not that I'm a great believer in numbers, but I found it interesting to apply weighted ratings to factors that affect my decision to retire, semi-retire, or continue working my full-time job. I took ten discriminators that affect my personal happiness (time with family, financial security, challenging projects, physical fitness, ability to travel, etc) and weighted them 1 to 3 in importance. I then scored each of these with 0, half, or one point, against how achievable these are in either retirement, semi-retirement, and full-time employment.

After adding up the numbers, it seems I would be 150% as happy semi-retired than working full-time, and 233% as happy FIREd as working full-time.

**Martha** · 03-17-2006, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwsteve

Article in todays WSJ online about helicopter parents now in the workplace. From interview, to salary negotiation. I was amazed at the number of examples from Fortune 500 types indicating parental involvement in their new college grads employment activites. Here is the link(may require registration)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114246499616999404.html?mod=home_personal_journa l_left
nwsteve

I read that article too. Bizarro world. I can't believe employers are putting up with that crap.

Andre1969 · 03-17-2006, 08:29 AM

There's this secretary at work who's constantly meddling in her daughter's work. She was raised spoiled and used to have a high-paying job, so I think she resents being "just" a secretary now. Anyway, her daughter will call up crying to Mommy about some evil thing her boss did to her. So then she will get on the phone and give the daughter's BOSS an earful!

I just can't believe that people tolerate that. I know as an employer I wouldn't put up with it. All I can say is that either the daughter is one hell of a good worker, or she has something blackmail-able over the boss!

Outtahere · 03-17-2006, 08:48 AM

In this day and age is there anything the boss could do to the daughter because of the mother? I can tell you if it was someone that worked for me they wouldn't be in my employment much longer, but I'll bet that's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

**Martha** · 03-17-2006, 08:50 AM

Sure, there is no bar to discriminating against potential employees that have parents who interfer in their job hunt. I would find it weird and not hire the person.

Outtahere · 03-17-2006, 08:54 AM

But what if somehow they were hired and THEN the mother/parent started those kinds of things, could you release that employee?

**Martha** · 03-17-2006, 09:00 AM

Why not? Employment at will, after all.

(Of course, even if the law in on your side, mommy will then try to get her daughter to sue on some trumped up bs. Personally, I would give the daughter a warning and tell her she has to get the mother to stop or she is outtahere.)

Outtahere · 03-17-2006, 09:03 AM

We've learned the hard way that employee "at will" means nothing, at least here in Mass. And you're right about the trumped up charges.

Nords · 03-17-2006, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969

So then she will get on the phone and give the daughter's BOSS an earful!
I just can't believe that people tolerate that.

I think the boss made the mistake of taking the call in the first place...

Andre1969 · 03-17-2006, 09:15 AM

Well, most companies do have a telephone usage policy. Seems to me that could be exercised to put a stop to it. What I'd probably end up doing if I were the supervisor and the mother kept bugging me would be to just hang up on her. And if it kept happening, just hang up again. Or maybe just pick up the phone and then let her start talking and then set it down.

I used to do that with my ex-wife when she'd irritate me at work. Also is fun to do with telemarketers ;-)

Sheryl · 03-17-2006, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlogBlogger

Got metrics?

Not that I'm a great believer in numbers, but I found it interesting to apply weighted ratings to factors that affect my decision to retire, semi-retire, or continue working my full-time job. I took ten discriminators that affect my personal happiness (time with family, financial security, challenging projects, physical fitness, ability to travel, etc) and weighted them 1 to 3 in importance. I then scored each of these with 0, half, or one point, against how achievable these are in either retirement, semi-retirement, and full-time employment.

After adding up the numbers, it seems I would be 150% as happy semi-retired than working full-time, and 233% as happy FIREd as working full-time.

Hi Flog -
I thought this was an interesting idea when you posted about it awhile back so I tried to create my own scoresheet.* * It was interesting, but for me everything seemed to boil down to just a couple common denominators - of the ten or so things that were happiness factors, almost all involved having enough time for something (excercise, travel, being with friends and family, doing volunteer work)* or being more healthy, (which boiled down to time to excercise, and time to cook healthy meals).* *

The only points that accrued to hapiness from work were fun/friendly interactions with other humans (I am a hermit unless forced out of the shell) and money to acheive the travel goals....

I think you had a good thought about happiness points accruing from challenging projects at work - but I think I can find that type of satisfaction outside work.* If in have the time.

Anyway, I didn't save the spreadsheet, but I quikly concluded that I'd be about 200% happier if I wasn't working!

cute fuzzy bunny · 03-17-2006, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outtahere

But what if somehow they were hired and THEN the mother/parent started those kinds of things, could you release that employee?

Hell yeah! I'd let the employee go home and talk to mommy directly from then on. :P

Nords · 03-17-2006, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969

Well, most companies do have a telephone usage policy.* Seems to me that could be exercised to put a stop to it.*

During my working years, unless I was waiting on a callback, I almost never answered the phone and let voicemail handle it. The people talking to me in my office appreciated not being interrupted by phone calls (and wasted less time in the process) and most of the calls were routine notifications from people who didn't really want to talk to me anyway.

I had a boss who got lonely & whiny if I didn't answer my phone. He finally learned that I'd rather be out & about accomplishing his whims goals instead of tethered patiently by the phone waiting for his calls. But he was the kind of manager who hoped for the day that employees would have pagers surgically attached to their foreheads & bungee cords anchored to his desk.

People who just had to hear the sound of my voice learned to haul their butts out of their chairs and come to my office. For everything else there was e-mail.

Fairly early in my tour, I learned that if I heard an ambulance siren go by my office then I should quickly move over to the firefighting trainer.

03-16-2006, 10:11 AM	#44
cute fuzzy bunny Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Losing my whump Posts: 22,527	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome Sleep. For a thousand years. Until the moment it occurs to me that he's not under my watchful eye and i end up standing outside his school room watching him through the window...at least until the police show up Helicopter Dad! The new show from Fox coming this fall! __________________ Many an optimist has become rich by buying out a pessimist

03-16-2006, 08:27 PM	#47
FlogBlogger Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 101	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome Got metrics? Not that I'm a great believer in numbers, but I found it interesting to apply weighted ratings to factors that affect my decision to retire, semi-retire, or continue working my full-time job. I took ten discriminators that affect my personal happiness (time with family, financial security, challenging projects, physical fitness, ability to travel, etc) and weighted them 1 to 3 in importance. I then scored each of these with 0, half, or one point, against how achievable these are in either retirement, semi-retirement, and full-time employment. After adding up the numbers, it seems I would be 150% as happy semi-retired than working full-time, and 233% as happy FIREd as working full-time. __________________ There is never enough time, unless you're serving it. --Malcolm Forbes

03-17-2006, 08:29 AM	#49
Andre1969 Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 841	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome There's this secretary at work who's constantly meddling in her daughter's work. She was raised spoiled and used to have a high-paying job, so I think she resents being "just" a secretary now. Anyway, her daughter will call up crying to Mommy about some evil thing her boss did to her. So then she will get on the phone and give the daughter's BOSS an earful! I just can't believe that people tolerate that. I know as an employer I wouldn't put up with it. All I can say is that either the daughter is one hell of a good worker, or she has something blackmail-able over the boss!

03-17-2006, 08:48 AM	#50
Outtahere Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,677	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome In this day and age is there anything the boss could do to the daughter because of the mother? I can tell you if it was someone that worked for me they wouldn't be in my employment much longer, but I'll bet that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. __________________ Dogs aren't our whole lives, but they make our lives whole. - Roger Caras

03-17-2006, 08:50 AM	#51
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 9,848	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome Sure, there is no bar to discriminating against potential employees that have parents who interfer in their job hunt. I would find it weird and not hire the person. __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

03-17-2006, 08:54 AM	#52
Outtahere Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,677	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome But what if somehow they were hired and THEN the mother/parent started those kinds of things, could you release that employee? __________________ Dogs aren't our whole lives, but they make our lives whole. - Roger Caras

03-17-2006, 09:00 AM	#53
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 9,848	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome Why not? Employment at will, after all. (Of course, even if the law in on your side, mommy will then try to get her daughter to sue on some trumped up bs. Personally, I would give the daughter a warning and tell her she has to get the mother to stop or she is outtahere.) __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

03-17-2006, 09:03 AM	#54
Outtahere Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,677	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome We've learned the hard way that employee "at will" means nothing, at least here in Mass. And you're right about the trumped up charges. __________________ Dogs aren't our whole lives, but they make our lives whole. - Roger Caras

03-17-2006, 09:15 AM	#56
Andre1969 Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 841	Re: Handling the "just one more year..." syndrome Well, most companies do have a telephone usage policy. Seems to me that could be exercised to put a stop to it. What I'd probably end up doing if I were the supervisor and the mother kept bugging me would be to just hang up on her. And if it kept happening, just hang up again. Or maybe just pick up the phone and then let her start talking and then set it down. I used to do that with my ex-wife when she'd irritate me at work. Also is fun to do with telemarketers ;-)