The grumpy thread

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Of course this is based on the assumption that HR is there to support the employee, rather than to climb into bed with the management and tug one off later over an Excel spreadsheet.

 

Just saying.

 

It shouldn't matter...if the employees are not performing well, that's a problem for the management, too. Of course, in the real world, managers can't be bothered to do anything about it, preferring just to shift the blame downwards.

[cms206]

On a slightly sideways note, my boss called me a liar today, refused to admit he was wrong, and told me to fuck off on the phone before hanging up on me.

 

The reason? I took his car on my teabreak.

 

The same car I was allocated at the start of my shift for the sole purpose of doing teabreaks because he'd slept in and they had to send the LDV out early.

 

 

The way my shift works I cover five different duties, the second to last bus I get off at 1457 and pick up the next one at 1540 (which I'm on until 1855), giving me a 43 minute unpaid break. Without telling me to do so, I was to assume that I was to take his car back to the depot, wait for someone else to bring in the Octavia, and take that back down to where I was in order to pick up my next bus. On a Friday afternoon. For no additional pay. Que shouting match on the phone where I was told that the running board states I've to return to the depot - which it doesn't - and when I pointed that out to him he said that I should open my fucking eyes and stop lying to him. Impressive stuff. I informed him that I wasn't a mind reader and that if he desperately needed his car back he could've sent someone down to get it whilst I was covering a duty. At that point I was told to "listen, just FUCK OFF!" and the phone was put down.

 

I sat down and thought about this. I then phoned the traffic officer to ask him to inform the boss that if he ever spoke to me like that again he could do the shift himself, and that if I didn't get an apology I'd be bringing the last bus into the garage and going home as soon as I picked it up.

 

As I sat, quite literally shaking with rage and wondering if the rumour about Mk4 Astras was true, I had a text from the boss apologising for swearing at me. It should really be a grin, but I just can't bring myself to grin about it. I'm still shaking with anger.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I sat down and thought about this. I then phoned the traffic officer to ask him to inform the boss that if he ever spoke to me like that again he could do the shift himself, and that if I didn't get an apology I'd be bringing the last bus into the garage and going home as soon as I picked it up.

 

As I sat, quite literally shaking with rage and wondering if the rumour about Mk4 Astras was true, I had a text from the boss apologising for swearing at me. It should really be a grin, but I just can't bring myself to grin about it. I'm still shaking with anger.

 

Since you've got that text message, you can now go on sick leave for a few weeks citing "stress", and then sue your employer for a ridiculous amount of money for bullying etc. You have an excellent chance of making a mint out of it...and I am only half-joking.

[CreepingJesus]

I've walked off jobs for getting verbal assault like that. I quit a shop job a few years back, 'cos I was de facto the manager half the time - but without the title, and therefore the wages and extras. Oh and the sciatica I left with 'cos they couldn't even provide a chair.

Sky used to pull that 'come in early and be ready' thing: at least it was only 5 minutes they expected you to do unpaid, if your shift ran over, you did get paid for that. But they were atrocious to work for anyway.

I'm glad everything I do is on my tacho: there's no argument over shift length. If I did it, it gets paid for. And I have the law telling me how long I can do, and how much I have to rest, which is damn handy when telling peeps to stuff their last run.

What really has got my goat, more than once, is 'assessment'. I've got bits of plastic and paper from various places to certify that I can do the job their way. Most of them treat it as a shift, and pay me as such, but...

A few years ago, when White Arrow became Reality Group (just a dodgy name-change, it still belonged to Littlewoods), they decided to 'assess' all the agency drivers. But not offer any pay. Bad enough if it was a run round the block, and a bit of a chat (cheers Somerfield!), but the plan was to have me do the Aberdeen run I'd been doing the previous week, with the assessor in the passenger seat. For nowt. Aye right! I refused, as did everybody else, fully backed by the agency (Driver Hire); they dropped the idea after a couple of weeks of struggling away without enough drivers, but it goes to show what some will try.

[Guest]

Hate to say, but these days, unless you're working for a protected monopoly (like a government office or a public utility), then you're part of the "world economy", and your company's very existence may well be at stake unless people tilt into their work. Yes, it sucks. But that's the way it is. A company in Indonesia can very likely do everything you're doing in Herts or Dublin or Oslo or NYC, outside of local farming/fishing/exhaust fitting/leaf raking. Otherwise, it's a full court press.

I don't think that's always the best way of looking at it, it can be a false economy having an overworked/undervalued workforce. If people are being constantly pushed to breaking point, you'll have people going on long-term sick, high turnover of staff, people doing the bare minimum to keep themselves from being fired, skiving off, etc. Work isn't meant to be a lot of fun, but when you're sat there on a Sunday evening feeling genuinely sick about going to the office tomorrow, something isn't right there.

[brammy777]

My camera broke today, took one photo and then just started making grinding noises from behind the lense, and then sounded the obstruction to lense tone, and won't stop doing it. Good....

[CreepingJesus]

I don't think that's always the best way of looking at it, it can be a false economy having an overworked/undervalued workforce. If people are being constantly pushed to breaking point, you'll have people going on long-term sick, high turnover of staff, people doing the bare minimum to keep themselves from being fired, skiving off, etc. Work isn't meant to be a lot of fun, but when you're sat there on a Sunday evening feeling genuinely sick about going to the office tomorrow, something isn't right there.

 

I made this point to the 'manager' of the shop (and the two area managers I worked with/for/against in that time), more or less with bullet points. I have had to endure studying management theory, while at uni and college, and it came in handy. Charles Handy, actually - writer of some seminal texts on management - I've read a lot. The manager listened politely enough, then threw the whole idea straight out of the window, reminding me that the company didn't actually care that much, and would put up with massive staff turnover, and regular legal actions from former and current employees.

If work isn't at least tolerable, and able to leave you still feeling human at the end of your shift, it isn't working. It's why we have unions, allegedly, to sort out this kind of thing. Unsurprisingly, my old shop was a closed shop - no union recognition within the company at all. Therefore, the genuinely downtrodden workers had to take it or leave. I did both, one after the other!

On the other hand, I have a relative, who has built his software company up from nothing in about 20 years. He rarely does less than 15 hours a day, sometimes takes a Sunday off. I admire his strength and guts, but I wouldn't change places. Not for all his wealth, and genuine sense of achievement. Each to their own, eh?

[Lord Sterling]

On a slightly sideways note, my boss called me a liar today, refused to admit he was wrong, and told me to fuck off on the phone before hanging up on me.

 

The reason? I took his car on my teabreak.

 

Sorry to hear that CMS. Personally I dont take/accept any kind of insult from anyone, be it in work or on the street. If I was shouted at unreasonably or insulted, I'd take that person to the side for a quiet but polite word and remind them that whilst they are in a higher position than myself, they dont have that power over me outside of the workplace, that usually brought them back down to earth. I suppose if I used the same tactics today I'd probably be kicked out of work on some made up charge of verbal assult or something.

 

Many workplaces are really starting an overwork/bullying assault on staff. The mood really has changed for the worse, I keep hearing of people being seriously bullied at work by thier managers/supervisor and even those in similar positions. They will also try it on to get staff to work more hours than they are contracted to by making up rules about turning up to work earlier and leaving later, its just a way of getting more work for free.

[TimothyClaypole]

Last job was like all this, less pay than the people I was supervising etc. Manager doing as little as possible and passing on any blame, I just got up and walked out and left it all behind, the only thing I missed was my Hi Vis jacket but if I'd put it on they've have know I was leaving.

[eddyramrod]

Many workplaces are really starting an overwork/bullying assault on staff. The mood really has changed for the worse,

STARTING????? Where have you been for the last 20 years or more? You've just described most of my so-called career, and probably most of the rest of us. And very likely our parents' and grandparents' careers too. Will anything ever be done about it? No, because we are dealing with human nature here.

 

Cms, well done; Hirst and Claypole, absolutely right.

[Rhythm Thief]

I'm glad everything I do is on my tacho: there's no argument over shift length. If I did it, it gets paid for. And I have the law telling me how long I can do, and how much I have to rest, which is damn handy when telling peeps to stuff their last run.

What really has got my goat, more than once, is 'assessment'. I've got bits of plastic and paper from various places to certify that I can do the job their way. Most of them treat it as a shift, and pay me as such, but...

A few years ago, when White Arrow became Reality Group (just a dodgy name-change, it still belonged to Littlewoods), they decided to 'assess' all the agency drivers. But not offer any pay. Bad enough if it was a run round the block, and a bit of a chat (cheers Somerfield!), but the plan was to have me do the Aberdeen run I'd been doing the previous week, with the assessor in the passenger seat. For nowt. Aye right! I refused, as did everybody else, fully backed by the agency (Driver Hire); they dropped the idea after a couple of weeks of struggling away without enough drivers, but it goes to show what some will try.

 

I agree with this. Driving lorries is still a relatively stress free job, if you have the right mindset. Especially if you work nights, as I do: my start time is supposed to be 7pm but no one seems to care much if I'm anywhere up to half an hour late. I'm paid 50 hours a week and I'm usually all done in about 45.

As for assessments ... I turned up to Wincanton's near Gloucester to drive milk tankers last year. I did a night shift no bother, then went home. Upon being sent in the next night, they informed me that I couldn't drive for them until I'd done three days of assessment, all unpaid. Three days? I don't mind a couple of hours, but three days? Especially given that I'd already done a night's work for them, and that I have a licence stating I'm qualified to drive artics. In the end, I never did do an assessment for them, but they let me drive for them anyway because there was no one else there to do it. Go figure ...

[Cavcraft]

Probably everywhere there's work there's a bully. It's hard when you first start as you're sort of on probation and don't want to upset the apple cart too much, though as a rule most places seem to leave you alone a bit for the fisrt few months in the hope you'll stay.

I find to start off with polite questioning of why they're asking you to do something you don't think is right is the initial way to deal with it, that way they'll hopefully know you're not an idiot.

Then as they turn the screws a b it later on in your career it's time to make a stand. Seen umpteen workplace bullies over the years and I'm telling you if you don't stand up to them things are going to get much worse much quicker. I honestly believe these twats do it to see how far they can push you and if you don't stand up for yourself pretty sharpish you're knackered.

Lost count of how many times I've been pushed to near breaking point then snapped and given it to them back: prefer the polite approach ('don't talke to me like that please' or 'I didn't swear at you so please don't to me' etc) but when that doesn't work then going a bit nuclear on them often does.

 

You'd be amazed how many of these twits all of a sudden become your bezzy mate at work, especially if they think you might twat them in the carpark after hours or something. You don't have to threaten them (I'd advise NOT to do that to be honest) but if they know or think you're not to be fucked with they usually back off. Ok, every now and then a very quiet word when no-one else is about and the implied threat of an after hours toe to toe in the carpark/pub/street can sometimes work.

 

Fight fire with fire I say: if someone speaks to you like a piece of shit ask them once politely to stop it 'please' then give it them back with both barrels and a couple of canons.

It doesn't matter what job you do or who you work for, no-one deserves to be spoken to like a sack of crap by anyone, no matter what their respective positions within the company are.

[shite_meister]

Yeah I agree, alot of companies have some sort of employers handbook usually stating that agressive or intimidating behaviour will not be tolerated, throw that shit back at some lairy jobs-worth and they might think twice.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Yeah I agree, alot of companies have some sort of employers handbook usually stating that agressive or intimidating behaviour will not be tolerated, throw that shit back at some lairy jobs-worth and they might think twice.

 

That's the way to go. Cavette's advice is sensible, but IMHO risks making things a bit too personal. I find that a quick word with the bully's manager, preferably in e-mail form so that there's trace of what has been said, works best.

[Tayne]

.

[Cavcraft]

Yeah I agree, alot of companies have some sort of employers handbook usually stating that agressive or intimidating behaviour will not be tolerated, throw that shit back at some lairy jobs-worth and they might think twice.

 

That's the way to go. Cavette's advice is sensible, but IMHO risks making things a bit too personal. I find that a quick word with the bully's manager, preferably in e-mail form so that there's trace of what has been said, works best.

 

Don't get me wrong that always a good thing to do but if you're new or you're not 'in the clique' then often amanagers will side with the office bumlicker who started the trouble in the first place.

It sometimes appears that only big national/international companies are remotely interested in their own code of conduct and that's quite possibly because they're shit scared of a bad name. This (of course) also can lead to spurious claims by trouble makers who stir things up and when they get the response they were fishing for go crying to the gaffers.

These type of shit houses are about the worse kind of people you could ever be unlucky enough to work with and are prime candidates for the carpark fist and boot routine.

[Rod/b]

I've mysteriously done my back in and it's making me bloody miserable.

[dollywobbler]

I'm with Cavette to a point. I've never done anything that could be construed as misconduct but one of my greatest joys was shopping a union member at a certain gas-related company to his boss. He was a skivving twat who liked keeping his fingers in all the pies without actually having to do any work. I was a temp who ended up doing everything. A quiet word with his boss resulted in one very surprised union rep and I managed to keep my job as well. Bonus. I just won't tolerate people abusing their jobs like that while others work their arses off.

 

If there seems no avenue to go higher and complain about someone's conduct, I leave. Sadly, I end up leaving a lot of jobs, which tells you a lot about management at some companies...

[Rod/b]

Union reps are the fucking worst. I used to work for a certain bank that was neither from the North, nor the South and the Union reps there were workshy bastards to a man (and woman). One of them was also discovered to be 'something' to do with a certain football club's 'firm'. They were also worse bullies than any management.

 

Problem was management took these muppets seriously because they were shit scared of going toe-to-toe with the union and knew that to tackle their lack of ACTUAL work would result in claims of discrimination, bullying, you name it.

[dollywobbler]

Thankfully, I've not had any more experience of union arseholes since that job. It is a rather perfect demonstration that power all too often corrupts. To be fair, there was another (female) rep who was completely sound and DID do a hard day's work, and only got involved with stuff when she was asked to be included rather than trying to muscle in to everything.

 

I know it's easy for me to kick off at management. It's part of the process where I decide whether I want to work somewhere. Either the management appreciate my forthrightness, or they make it very clear that they don't - at which point I start looking for a way out. It's one reason I appreciate not having any kids - the less dependants you have, the easier it is to take a potentially career-suicidal approach at work!

[myglaren]

My camera broke today, took one photo and then just started making grinding noises from behind the lense, and then sounded the obstruction to lense tone, and won't stop doing it. Good....

Take the batteries out for a few minutes. No guarantee but it has been known to work.

[pompei]

Cav is right about making a stand. I'm a fairly placid, easy-going sort and have on two occasions in the past been dealt with "unreasonably" at work, both immediate bosses. I hesitate to say bullied, as I didn't feel a victim but got pretty hacked off at the respective attitutes of these two people. I don't think they even expected me to protest or answer back, so when I lost it in the office on both occasions they were dumbstruck and I was treated with MUCH RESPEKT thereafter ... Only trouble was I certainly didn't want to be their Bezzie Mate!

[Tayne]

.

[Cavcraft]

As long as you remember not all union rep's are twats

 

Not applicable to my current job but I have discovered if you flare up just enough to make people take notice and warn others it's enough. It's not big or clever but when you hear whsipers of 'there goes such-and-such, don't piss him him about' at least you know you're less likely to cop shit off people. The flip side of that is you feel like a cocky, arrogant twit at times.

 

Anyhow back to other grumpiness, and it's shopping again. Daughter wants to go shopping and unfortunately for me it was a trip to Primevil. All shopping is shite, clothes shopping especially so, a mingebag shop for cheapskate basket cases extra especially so.

I just wish all those stupid, dithering swines and their stupid, annoying, screeching, dithering flaming offspring would get lost.

[Pete-M]

Letter from DVLA about the logbook I sent off the day I sold the Rover to Bren.

 

"You're in court, because we didn't get it and we don't believe you sent it".

 

Wankers. Hey ho.

[Negative Creep]

Letter from DVLA about the logbook I sent off the day I sold the Rover to Bren.

 

"You're in court, because we didn't get it and we don't believe you sent it".

 

Wankers. Hey ho.

 

 

My case is currently "under consideration by their legal department". Debt collectors fucked off very quickly after I mentioned the regulatory body though

[chaseracer]

As long as you remember not all union rep's are twats

Indeed...

[Pillock]

On the way to work this morning, a closed road with a wall of emergency services - must have been 6 traffic cars, two fire engines and two ambulances that I could see. Took the diversion, thought no more - it's a bit of a nasty stretch of road.

 

Gets to work and there's a few rumours about a lad who hasn't turned in. Drives a white Corsa and before the police closed the road a couple of colleagues who had to squeeze past the scene saw a small white car mangled by a truck.... we tried to put a lid on the rumours just in case it was a coincidence but Nottinghamshire Police just confirmed through the press that the driver of the car was killed at the scene, and this chap's family have been in touch with work to inform them that it was indeed him.

 

It's bloody horrible. Spent 3 years sat opposite him taking the piss out of his stupid laugh. Poor bloke.

[Angrydicky]

Really sorry to hear that Pillock

[trigger]

Oh shit Chris, I'm really sort to hear that, It's a horrible feeling when that happens.

 

I past a rolled BMW E36 on the way home from work this morning on the A14, They had shut of the Felixstowe bound side to clear it up, It later turns out that the owner was killed and that he had his 18 month old baby in the back who's now in intensive care.