[ARaven0137]

Now for the tale of the Alabama Tick. Once upon a time, there was a woman, who was very senior and was so dug into the system that no one could remove her...much like an Alabama Tick. The Tick had dug herself into a key position to where nearly everyone in the section had to go through her to get anything done. The Tick reveled in the power and created an atmosphere so toxic we thought we were on Mercury. Everyone would have to kiss the ring to accomplish the simplest thing. The Tick would carefully and painfully structure every encounter so that she was the one in power and you were just gum on her shoe. You would have to sit through chastising lectures, her treating you like a wayward three year old, for the smallest error, like three spaces after a period or using a colon instead of a semi colon. These matters would become life or death. If you failed to bend the knee she would do her utmost to undermine your work and make you look like an idiot to upper management. She would walk by you and wave her hand dismissively, saying, "we have a problem person that I have to deal with," and then walk into upper management's office and shut the door.

I fell afoul of the Tick when I had an urgent project that had real world consequences and she demanded that I be her gopher girl. I stood my ground and it was open season on me. I also have a strong suspicion that she was stalking me too. She always knew when I was in the locker room, taking a shower. And she never worked out. In an open shower bay with just me, she would show up in the spot right next to me. I think I showed that I was creeped out and things went sour. She held up my work for no reason and humiliated me every chance she got. She threw me under the bus at one inspection and I had to prove that I was right and she was wrong. That was enough.

I took it for two years until I said, "you want to play this game, let's play this game." Two dozen other offended parties banded together to turn the tables. I was in charge of a program that she had to complete in order to maintain her qualifications. I had always been kind and understanding before, but it was open season now. I found every error that she had made and paraded it publicly. The others did the same and the pressure was on. Finally, she imploded when she screamed at the head of the section, when she was in the wrong. She was removed and put in a worthless position. I took the opportunity to commend her successor in front of her every chance I got and say how messed up things were before. I did it again, publicly at a mass meeting and the Tick dropped her bagel on the carpet and ran out, putting in her retirement papers in the next 15 minutes.

I hate being that way, but Tick was so toxic and damaging to the organization and no one was doing a thing.

So my workplace is under significant attack from advocacy groups for "me too" problems. So they have been sending around survey's for "workplace conduct".

Many of my co workers have come to me with their complaints and it REALLY pisses me off that their complaints are not even close to the mark.

I was a victim of demeaning and derogatory behavior on a daily basis. It was not sexual but it was conduct unbecoming that has been complained about before regulatory groups. So this survey is right up my ally. The people around me have NOTHING to complain about because they don't really have it bad. But my voice is going to be drowned out by their stupidity.

First, one co worker complains about the fact that other people don't have enough to do so they can go down to the gym for two hours a day. But she forgets that her work day is very busy because she takes so much time off. She takes at least 1 day per week off so all the rest of her days are more busy. Plus I resent her complaining about this. It will only result in us being watched more carefully. As she has made clear, she doesn't care. She doesn't care because SHE is too busy to do anything else during the day because she chooses to take a lot of time off. She also forgets how much time she takes noticing and complaining about others.

Another co worker complained about management. Again, I don't know what they are talking about. I don't agree with management on every occasion but I understand they have a job to do. For the most part this is the best management team I have ever been involved with. They mostly leave me alone. They have instituted common sense practices that other managers wouldn't due to pure laziness. I wouldn't blame them for being upset with these insane complaints.

Many of the co workers complained about our punch in system. It is demeaning and it also, jips us of time. However, first, I don't think they will ever get rid of that. If you are not looking to rip them off of time you should have no problem with it. Secondly they foolishly point out that some people punch in and then are never seen from again all day. Well, what will this do? It will just have management watch everyone carefully all day long in addition to them having to punch in and punch out.

I cannot believe the stupidity of these complaints. A "friend" came to me yesterday because she was going to go into the downtown for an errand and told the boss of the place that was where she was going to be. He told her to punch out if she was going. She got angry at that. What was she thinking. SHE TOLD THE BOSS she was leaving for longer than her break. What did she expect him to say? She should have just left and if she got caught say she didn't expect it to take that long and put in the slip. If she didn't get caught -- she was aces. That is the reasonable common sense game my boss plays. If he doesn't know about it... he won't look.

These people are so stupid they are actively making things worse for everyone. It is pathetic.

[Open Eyes]

Emily, sounds like you work in a "whinery" of entitles.

Originally Posted by Open Eyes

Emily, sounds like you work in a "whinery" of entitles.

Apparently yes. It is so distressing because they are going to think we are all like that.

[Mountaindewed]

Management was in a yelling type bad mood today. My supervisor called me out for a doing a good job, so whatever I guess.

[ARaven0137]

I'm not sure why, but it makes me feel better to put these work gripes into some warped fairy tale format.

Here is the sorry saga of Mr. X. Once upon a time, there was a man with two brain cells to rub together who was as energetic and responsible as a sloth. All would not have been so bad had he not been a pilot. He worked for me and was mediocre at best in the right seat as a copilot, occasionally taking the controls and just monitoring systems. However, my very wonderful 2nd banana was going to transfer and the position needed to be filled. I advocated for two other people to my higher ups and said that Mr. X would not be good. So, they gave me Mr. X as my 2nd banana.

Mr. X was also given the chief of maintenance job, just the kind of thing you would give a guy with two brain cells and the work ethic of a sloth. One aircraft was down longer than it should have been and Mr. X was suppose to order and deliver parts. I spoke to the crew chief and he said Mr. X did not deliver the parts. I called delivery and Mr. X ordered late and the parts had not yet been delivered. I spoke to X and told him that the parts were not yet delivered and maybe he should do something. His response was, "Oh? oh...oh...ummm, oh parts? Oh parts? The parts haven't been delivered yet." On four occasions I had to remove those duties from him and do it myself because he was so inadequate and he always seemed happy that I would do it for him. After months I lost my temper one time and told him, "Mr. X, I'm not your momma, I'm not your babysitter, I'm barely your GD friend. Do your job!"

One day we were suppose to fly, I preflighted, handled the paperwork, oversaw final prep, wiped down the cockpit and seats, read over the weather and filed the flight plan. X sat there, texting his son the whole time for 45 minutes. When the fuel truck pulled up I asked him to handle that. Without looking up he told me he was texting his son.

For an overseas flight later in the evening I carried all of the life support gear to the aircraft while X walked behind me. I found out he was immune to sarcasm when I said, "Well, I guess I'll just carry all of this myself." His response was, "Oh good, I go to my son's music practice," and he left without another word.

Nearly every third landing that he took he would want to land on the wrong runway. When I was landing he would frequently tell me to land on the wrong runway so I would have to confirm with Tower. With another pilot he nearly taxiied into a 747. He could not tell east from west or north from south. I finally told him that whatever he thought, it was wrong and just to say the opposite. We would fly the same instrument approach two to three times a week and, every time he flew that approach it was like the first time he flew the approach. I would have him rehearse it five to six times prior to check in and when ATC would call, he would fall apart and I would take the radios and flight controls back.

He was a ham fisted pilot too, always using abrupt control inputs, stressing the airframe and crew. Once, in a descent, he reduced power as he should, but at 2000 feet he didn't readjust power. I was about to point this out when he snap rolled the aircraft almost 90 degrees, nearly flipping the aircraft, which would have killed us. My grabbing the flight controls and screaming at him didn't even phase him that we were going to die in a few seconds.

I started marching into my boss' office and slamming the door, saying, "I need to talk to you about that man!" I told him that X was going to kill someone and that someone was likely going to be me. I told him that X's performance plan should just be, Alice will fix it. It was like flying with a three year old. I told him I started calling X the Manbaby. My boss fought me every step of the way to keep that man flying. I finally went above his head and yanked Mr. X's wings. A check airman came out to give me a second opinion and evaluate X. The check airman gave X the opportunity to train, but X was so confident he could pass, he just went right into the eval. I had to buy the check airman a drink after. X blew through fixes without doing necessary things. He failed on nearly every call from ATC to do what they needed him to do. X even flew to the wrong city when there is a huge freaking moving map in front of his face, telling him exactly where he is and where he is going.

So, that was the sad, sorry saga of Mr. X, who is now delivering food...not by air.

[Have Hope]

I woke up in a foul mood. I am sick for the fourth time this winter, and this Cornovirus has me very concerned. Our HR rep gave us all a lecture about it at work yesterday, which I did not appreciate in the least! She criticized those who have concerns and downplayed the whole thing, as though it's no big deal when 2% of the population has died from it. Our state is now in a state of emergency, and it's no big deal? I am sick, therefore, my immune system is compromised, making it easier for me to catch it. Yes, I have concerns and it really ticked me off that she lectured any of us for even having concerns. She was like, what are you going to do? Just stay home and go nowhere? Yes, it's called QUARANTINE you IDIOT!

As you can see, I'm in a foul mood. lol.

[Mountaindewed]

We had a mental health situation at work the other day. Along with that and this coronavirus I hope my job is understanding if people need to take time off not only for medical reasons but for mental health reasons as well.

[Have Hope]

Omg.... seriously? Really??? My company is holding freaking INTERVIEWS tomorrow, despite the state of emergency in my state, and despite schools and businesses shutting down and sending employees and students home. I cannot even believe it. Are they ignorant or that pressed that our health and others' health doesn't come first? They also made my sick colleague work while sick recently. They wouldn't allow her to work from home. This was before the state of emergency and before the Coronavirus infected my state, but still, she's spreading illness and she couldn't work from home? I am in total shock over this.

My workplace is ridiculous. They are now locking down the building in the most lame way. They can't really believe these things can they? No one from Italy is allowed in. Seriously are there a lot of people from Italy coming in? How exactly do you check that?

Everything I have to do is business as usual. This is insane to me. It just takes me getting the virus, not being symptomatic or not being symptomatic right away, and I use my hand to touch the elevator buttons, and they do too, and they are infected.

The best way to nip this thing in the bud is to stop everything and send everyone home for four weeks. Keep playing games with it and things will just get worse.

But NOOOOO some thing will go forward... somethings will not. Some people will stay home, some will not. You can't play these games with mother nature.

[rechu]

Hope and Emily - I am originally from the US, although I haven't lived there in ages. I was wondering how workplaces there would handle the virus, especially since many employees do not get paid sick leave and corporate culture often seems to dictate that people should come into the office unless they are on their deathbed. I am sorry to see that employers are being so unreasonable, but I can’t say I am surprised.

Where I live it is quite different. If you have a work contract (most people) you get paid sick leave. Basically you go to a doctor and they say you need 7 days off, or whatever. Your insurer (either private or the government) pays your sick days, unless it is a work-related injury or illness, in which case workers’ comp insurance pays.

Anyways, there have been campaigns online and on TV to reassure people that they will be granted sick leave if they get the virus and to go to a doctor, NOT to work if they have symptoms. It seems much more reasonable to me.

[Have Hope]

@rechu, my company here in the U.S. certainly appears to operate that way, ie., work comes first, health comes second. I couldn't believe they were holding interviews this morning, when our entire state is shutting down, left and right. However, this afternoon our CEO told us to all work from home for the unforseeable future, or for however long will be necessary. So he finally came to his senses, and that was minutes before our President declared a national emergency.

We DO get sick leave and we were told to work from home IF we felt any sickness. So I've actually been working from home for the last 3 days because I've been sick.

Something must be up. Mine also did An about face today. After Monday I will be working from home. Speculation rampant that we are facing a quarantine within a week.

[Medusax]

More drama from my hell hole. A couple of weeks ago, we were taken one by one to the office by our supervisor to sign a paper saying that we would not send substandard birds to be boxed (crooked bags, no giblet pack, etc). Last night the supe himself told an employee to send a bird back that was SIDEWAYS in the bag.
Can someone please tell me how that makes any sense at all????

[ARaven0137]

Another warped fairy tale.

And now, for the despotic dementia of Darth Ergot. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a Sith Lord, Darth Ergot. Ergot was a tiny man with a huge ego and huge insecurities. As Master Yoda said, always two, there are and Ergot was no exception, attaching himself to the posterior of The Red Queen and advancing well beyond his capability. Ergot shined in belittling people around him to make himself feel superior and secure. He delighted in making the weak weep and sowing fear amongst his underlings. Ergot was well known for his rampaging temper and his ranting tantrums at those who could not fight back. One of his least damaging, but most annoying qualities is that Ergot loved to pontificate to his underlings. He would go on at length about how he was so brilliant and had so many degrees and tell those held in thrall by him how unworthy they were to have him and how worthless they were without him. But deep down, Ergot was a coward and some had the courage to smack him on the nose with a rolled up newspaper and stand him down.

Ergot spent most of his time quashing rebellions as his minions had had enough of his theatrics. Unfortunately, the Empire was strong during this time under The Red Queen and her overlord, Darth Weasel, and the rebels were often crushed and fled to fight another day.

Only poetic justice ever held Darth Ergot accountable. He grew fat and miserable and suffered from shingles from his own self-induced stress. And, as with all Sith, when Ergot wanted a big promotion for doing the work of the Empire, The Red Queen and Weasel disavowed him.

[Mountaindewed]

We work in very close quarters in my department. I hope they spread us out or something. Or people just really do listen and stay home when they are sick. Not everyone does at my job.

I’m not sure what the point is of staying open and having the employees possibly get sick while opening garden stuff and home decor but whatever. I know a lot of my coworkers really need the money. I just hope everyone really does stay home when they get sick.

[BreakForTheLight]

I'm pissed off that my company is waiting on the government to tell us to work from home instead of just being a good employer and taking initiative themselves.

Kinda makes me miss my home country.

[Mountaindewed]

Work wasn’t bad today. Of course we weren’t all spread out and everyone was crammed together but whatever. Everyone was in good spirits and there was only minor grumblings about why we weren’t closed. There’s this new coworker an older guy and people are getting annoyed by him because he has a language barrier but mostly just because he’s slow (of course because he’s new) and acts bizarre. He’ll randomly start singing to himself and then today he suddenly started almost speaking in chants. My coworker said “No. Don’t start screaming. It’s not like snakes are gonna come out of your mouth.” I’m not sure if he has mental health issues or tourrets or what. People do not take kindly to new people at my job that’s for sure.

I'm in a bad mood today due to the fact that the county Dislocated Worker counselor I was matched with, refuses to discuss with me a new employment plan, b/c I want to have the county pay my tuition for something like a 2-year nursing assistant training program, since I am nowhere closer to finding a job. The temp agency recruiters have not connected me to any assignments, and I will not lower myself to working a minimum wage job b/c that's not something I can pay bills or rent doing. I've spent the past two months taking careerforce classes to update my computer skills but that's it. I can't update anything else without getting more current work experience. Very much a chicken and egg problem; the chicken: employers and recruiters view my work experience as outdated (re: age bias discrimination) so they won't even interview me for jobs I apply for. The egg: I can't get more updated work experience without first being hired.

[Have Hope]

I got assigned something extra today which throws off my entire week's worth of work and I am resentful. I know I should be thankful to even have a job right now, but I was super annoyed.

just waiting for my company to close because of the virus. wish it would happen soon. everything else is closing wish we would.

A coworker doesn't seem to give a crap about coronavirus. She said everyone is just overreacting and that common cold and seasonal flu are worse than coronavirus. WTF. Everyone knows coronavirus is 10-100 times worse than seasonal flu. She can't have her head that far up her @$$.

[Mountaindewed]

I’m wondering if I may have to switch jobs. My state is on lock down until at least April 7th. I am on my injections and I’m wondering how different I’ll look by April 7th or possibly even later. I’m not sure how kindly everyone will be if I go in there looking quite a bit different. Especially since I’m not sure anyone actually knows I’m transgender except one manager. I have a good spot at work on the food chain and I’m just kinda freaking out about that.

what did you think would happen after you started your injections? people would notice. how did you plan on explaining the difference to them or not.

people have varying opinions about this virus..some are seriously panicking and others not so much. all you can do is follow the guidelines that are posted by the cdc and your state's health department. you can't change other people's opinions about it. you do what is safe. hopefully they will figure it out at some point. it is like will all opinions...you can't force people to think what they don't want to. and sometimes , fear can cause people to not acknowledge the seriousness of an issue.