Grrrr...

[brewer12345]

I am so steamed, I am about ready to tell my employer where they can shove it. I sat in almost 2 hours of traffic this morning without getting anywhere near work. I finally gave up and went home to work from home, spending almost 3 hours totalin the car this morning. This is something I have never done, and I have taken 1 sick day in the 2.5 years I have worked here. Yet what do I get? An e-mail saying that me staying at home due to the "weather" is not OK. When I reply saying that I was stuck in standstill traffic for hours due to the highway being closed, I get a lengthy diatribe about not being a team player, that my response was out of line, etc.

I've had it. That is the last effing straw. Time to update the resume and start looking. Nothing is worth this.

[haha]

Good luck Brewer. What happened to you this morning fits under "Adding insult to injury".

Hard to put up with, and still feel OK about that job.

Ha

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Hard to put up with, and still feel OK about that job. Ha

I don't any more. So time to get off my duff and find something less aggravating.

[TeeRuh]

Telecommuting when needed is pretty well accepted at MegaTech. I think my own old fashioned work habits are probably more of a limiting factor than any "company pressure". With broadband, cell phones, netmeeting, etc. sometimes it seems almost silly to come into the office.

T.R.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeRuh Telecommuting when needed is pretty well accepted at MegaTech. I think my own old fashioned work habits are probably more of a limiting factor than any "company pressure". With broadband, cell phones, netmeeting, etc. sometimes it seems almost silly to come into the office. T.R.

I agree, but the hidebound dinosaurs who employ me do not. I have not argued with them, but I think that if they don't wish to alter their views they will soon lose access to my skills.

[ladelfina]

Argh. I feel your pain. I remember a boss who, after hundreds of unpaid and unrecognized extra hours by me and my immediate colleague over the course of our employment.. one day wrote in his agenda (that was open to all to arrange his schedule) "X & Y" (we carpooled) "10 min. late"..

10 min. late for WHAT? There was no meeting, no client.. just that we came in at 9:10 one day (traffic) after regularly putting in late nights and even weekends. THAT was the day we hatched our escape plan and started our own company without this short-sighted boss!!!

If you go, it's their loss.

What was the "weather" incident that caused all this chaos?

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladelfina What was the "weather" incident that caused all this chaos?

A tractor trailer accident (and fire - cool!) that closed the express lanes and some of the local lanes on the main approach to the George Washington Bridge during rush hour. Not just a bit of drizzle.

[TeeRuh]

Quote:

the hidebound dinosaurs who employ me do not.

... and we all know what happened to dinosaurs (or do we?) ...

[CuppaJoe]

Sounds like your reaction is spot on, Brewer. Maybe they will apologize?

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuppaJoe Maybe they will apologize?

As the British say: Pull the other one, its got bells on.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 I am so steamed, I am about ready to tell my employer where they can shove it. I sat in almost 2 hours of traffic this morning without getting anywhere near work. I finally gave up and went home to work from home, spending almost 3 hours totalin the car this morning. This is something I have never done, and I have taken 1 sick day in the 2.5 years I have worked here. Yet what do I get? An e-mail saying that me staying at home due to the "weather" is not OK. When I reply saying that I was stuck in standstill traffic for hours due to the highway being closed, I get a lengthy diatribe about not being a team player, that my response was out of line, etc. I've had it. That is the last effing straw. Time to update the resume and start looking. Nothing is worth this.

The guy (supervisor?) who sent you the e-mail was probably told by those above him, who were told by those above them (etc), to get tough about people taking time off. Depending on the timing, your e-mail could have caused a knee-jerk reaction. I wouldn't take it personally, unless you are positive that it is personal.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire The guy (supervisor?) who sent you the e-mail was probably told by those above him, who were told by those above them (etc), to get tough about people taking time off. Depending on the timing, your e-mail could have caused a knee-jerk reaction. I wouldn't take it personally, unless you are positive that it is personal.

It is a company with under 20 people. We do not have enough people to have that many layers.

[DRiP Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeRuh Telecommuting when needed is pretty well accepted at MegaTech. I think my own old fashioned work habits are probably more of a limiting factor than any "company pressure". With broadband, cell phones, netmeeting, etc. sometimes it seems almost silly to come into the office. T.R.

Working from home today, myself. Did not physically leave the 'plant' until ~7:00 PM last night, was back on my email directing activities and responding to issues at 5:45 AM this morning.

I have worked from home maybe four days in four years, and I still feel guilty doing it. I allow my own staff to do it if they feel they have enough work to make it worth their while, and they seem to do it sparingly and with good judgment.

I also have at least an hour commute one way, and it's getting longer. On the work-at-home days, I use those two hours, plus usually lunch hour to work, so it is a bargain for Megacorp, but I can see it was be very easy for people to abuse.

One of the signs of getting 'eased out' is often stated to include a 'special assignment.' Recently for the first time in my career, I was suddenly asked to take on another dept while they restaff the leadership team of the department I was asked to step into. I have worked on developing my old organization prepping for my ER, so this was a nice chance to see how things will work, with me out of the mix. The old area is so far working like clockwork, but a weird thing is happening: in the new area, even though I intended only to be a short term caretaker, I am seeing a lot of things that things could be improved, and it is difficult for me to be true to my own self-decided limit, which management agreed to, that I would only keep the pot from boiling over and not retool/re-engineer. New faces are coming in, who will doubtless have their own ideas.

So here I am, having been hoping frankly, to find a chance to make a graceful exit, and now I'm at this new assignment that was clearly stated as being temporary with a return to my own digs afterwards. So it might seem the stars are aligning! But, I have a feeling that the results for the short period I am there are going to be positive enough that I will be sent back to my golden handcuffs...

I'm truly ambivalent.

:confused:

[Sandy]

Glad to know I'm not the only one jerked around this week. Wow, that is unbelievable. Is this guy always so unreasonable or is this a shining star even for him?

FWIW, you have my sympathies.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy Glad to know I'm not the only one jerked around this week. Wow, that is unbelievable. Is this guy always so unreasonable or is this a shining star even for him? FWIW, you have my sympathies.

Misery loves company, I guess.

I dunno, since I don't usually give them the opportunity. What I can't understand is that I schlep a long distance every day through all kinds of weather and traffic, generally without complaint, so why couldn't they cut me some slack just once? What would it have cost them? Instead they will soon be paying a recruiter to try to find them a replacement for a pissed-off ex-employee.

[Sandy]

They will get what they deserve...and will be incredulous when the other shoe falls.

[DRiP Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Misery loves company, I guess. I dunno, since I don't usually give them the opportunity. What I can't understand is that I schlep a long distance every day through all kinds of weather and traffic, generally without complaint, so why couldn't they cut me some slack just once? What would it have cost them? Instead they will soon be paying a recruiter to try to find them a replacement for a pissed-off ex-employee.

Exactly.

I believe in the adage from that old Isotoner gloves commercial "Take care of the hands that take care of you", so if you are a steamroller 95% of the time, I am definitely going to cut you a lot of slack for the occasional curve ball life throws us. Makes people know they are appreciated, and cements even more loyalty. Do the opposite, you get the opposite.

Now, if I have someone gaming the system, half-stepping it, gold bricking and trying to get over, I actually keep tabs on them and slack up only when they know I see what time it is... feels like mushing a sled team some days... praise outta one side of your mouth, then two seconds later a bark to a different team member that is out gathering wool...

[biosurfer1]

it suprises me you got that from a small company like that, since IF you were not doing your work, it would show a lot faster than if you worked for MegaCorp.

My company only has 12 employees and my boos rarely cares what my hours are since I have set work I need to get done, and if I dont, it only points to me.

i have had several bosses who SAID something like "if you get the work done, i dont care what hours or where you work"...this is the first boss who actually practices it.

good luck in the search!

[armor99]

I can remember having a boss once that I complained to about some excessive hours etc. The boss gave me the standard line of "Well do you like you job?" Which is of course a thinly veiled threat meaning, "Do you want me to fire you?" Rather than back away... I started laughing.... then I smiled... and told him, "Men of ability like myself never fear loosing our jobs, there are so many others to choose from." And then the boss was silent... went pale, and had a look of absolute horror on his face! It made my whole day...

[TeeRuh]

Of course, as one of my heros said:

Homer: You don't like your job, you don't strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way.

T.R.