The grumpy thread

[Guest]

Work again. I managed to escape my horrible debt recovery job, only to kind of end up back in it again due to an office switcharound. The only difference now is that instead of six people answering the phones, there's now only two (budget cuts through retirement of staff). Well, one now - my colleague is off on holiday for a few weeks. The thing is, whilst efficiency savings can make some stuff easier, there's still the same number of people ringing up. Call after call, you put the phone down, another one comes in. The jobs aren't usually hard work, but I'm taking more calls than I can solve, leading to a backlog which can never be reduced. One rather more insulting thing is that I'm now in an office where working past your time (i.e. staying there for free) is part of the culture and you're almost looked down on if you don't partake in it. I'll do it for time and a half (or even just straight wages), but they can bollocks if they think I'm doing it for free. I don't get paid enough for that.

 

The whole thing is mentally exhausting, especially when I've had a taste of what a half-decent job is like - to them it was monotonous data input, to me it was stress-free bliss, just type a load of numbers in the machine then sod off when the clock strikes 5. Best job I've ever had - the time flew by, but you weren't under any pressure at all.

 

I've been home from work a fair while now and my eyes still ache, I've got a pounding headache and a massive urge to down some whisky and forget about it all (until tomorrow). The only good thing I did all day was skive off to the toilets and read an old copy of Private Eye for 10 minutes. That was the highlight of the entire day. The second place goes to drinking some water from the cooler, third place goes to watching a generator being lifted up on a crane out of the window. Everything else was horrible.

[Lord Sterling]

Time to find a new job then Hirst-san. It'll only get harder and more pressure will put upon you as the management start to expect more and more of you, the bullying will start from slightly higher twats like line managers/supervisors. Thats when the real problems start.

 

Seems alot of this bullying/pressuring of staff to do more than they are humanly capable of is rising at an alarming rate. More staff get laid off and more work/pressure is put on those who stay behind.

 

Maybe its time to look into a different job direction? Good luck, hope all works out.

[freebird]

Its endemic, im afraid. Cost cutting, pushing you for productivity, efficiency, wielding the big stick, the whole caboodle.

I used to love my job, I spend 99% of my day working outdoors/at customers homes/businesses but now i hate it.

The relentless texts, e'mails, vans fitted with trackers, potential disciplinary proceedings for "low performers", the health and safety Gestapo, everything that could be wrong is wrong.

Naturally, it has nothing whatsoever to do with bad management, lack of direction or good business acumen, no, its our f*****g fault!!

Id love to find another job, do something else but, seriously, what are my chances at an age that is sending me, hurtling, towards 50, do i really have?

Nobody will retrain me and my skills cant be taken from this job to another like, say, a sparky or a plumber.

Ive come to the conclusion that i just keep my head down and look forward to my monthly wage and say f**k the rest of it.

They cant kick me anymore, im bulletproof.

[Cavcraft]

The whole jobs malarkey is probably only going to get worse I'm afraid, what with all the councils shedding jobs etc.

 

I'm giving serious consideration to jacking mine in (once I've found something else obv.) but limited skills outside of it and there isn't exactly thousands of other jobs the same with other companies unless I upsticked which ain't going to happen. I might have an 'in' with another similar-ish company but they've been taken over not so long back and there's some very unhappy bunnies leaving them in droves. However those leaving are on more money than I am and better shifts.

[Guest]

Urgh, hayfever. Throat keeps drying out.

[tonedepear]

Urgh, hayfever. Throat keeps drying out.

 

^this.

 

And also....

 

I've just got home from playing football. 5 a side. I'm a goalkeeper. It's a tough life. We drew, we should have won, I was amazing, everyone else was shit. Gah + sigh.

 

So we come off, and we have a beer, and I open my glove bag, which has my wallet and keys and phones in, and I notice that my car key is in more pieces than usual. Nae bother. Snap it back together, of a fashion, finish point, we all go separate ways. Will car start? Will it fuck. Turning over fine, not firing. I know immediately what it is, but have no idea how to fix it. Immobiliser shenanigans, transponder in the key damaged/missing. No spare key handy or at home. Me = fucked. Not to mention I'm going to the FA Cup final on saturday, by car. An hour or so later, the world's nicest human being (who happens to work for the AA) appears, and manages to find the transponder blob (black bit of plastic) amongst the detritus of my glove bag, which is full of little black bits of rubber. In the dark, in a car park.

 

What a legend.

 

I'm still knackered and hurt all over though. And modern cars with immobilisers are a bag of wank. Anyone want to buy a proton? It works now, and the key comes with free stylish electrical tape.

[sporty-shite]

I've run out of 1mm cutting discs and had to go back to using normal cutting discs and re-discovered that they're total shite. I spent all last night getting a face full of sparks and removing big chunks of metal I didn't want to. I'd been as well trying to cut it with a spinning lump of granite on the end of a flaming stick.

Also why is it only the internet that seems to stock 1mm discs? I've been around various autofactors and DIY stores and no-one has them yet they are a most awesome of products.

 

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... isc-41-2in

 

Job done!

[morris_ital_lover]

EBAY BELL-ENDS......

 

As I previously described someone opened a case aginst me on ebay for not receiving their item.

 

It turns out that he gave me the wrong address through paypal, one at which he hadn't lived for two years. I fanny about for a while waiting for the window to open to make a claim, turns out he's going to be in the best position to make a claim as royal mail insist on receipts of purchase which I no longer have and he does, fine and dandy.

 

However, two weeks on, he's fucked off and won't reply to my messages, my paypals locked (and I can't pay someone who is being ridiculously kind and patient) because this muppet won't face the fact that it's his fault he hasn't got it and he won't get a penny from me. AND BREATH.

 

At least there is a new series of the Apprentice and the Shadow Line to keep me somewhere off the insane side of things.

 

m0rris

[seth]

Someone's driven into the Hillman

 

Tailgate is rather dented. Amazingly it was an honest person and they've left a note. Just spoken to them. Going to get a quote to repair but it could all go belly up of course.

[Cavcraft]

Bloody hell Seth, what a downer.

 

If it's any help then usually if it's someone else's fault they won't try and write the car off. A sensible repair quote might even see the fella who hit you pay out of his own pocket.

[morris_ital_lover]

Hope its not too bad, that car's brilliant... is obviously superficial/limited or could there be hidden crumples/horrors?

 

m0rris

[dollywobbler]

Glad it was someone not ashamed to admit it! Hope it's not too painful to get it sorted.

[seth]

No hidden horrors, just the (previously very straight) tailgate. Lock button won't push right in as its been tweaked to an angle by the panel but its not actually broken and still works. Fortunately the bumper is untouched as I'd be really annoyed if that had got bent. Must have been something tall. Not a fella. Going to see the body man I know on Monday. I reckon he could see to it in a couple of hours as access from behind is good.

[dollywobbler]

No hidden horrors, just the (previously very straight) tailgate. Lock button won't push right in as its been tweaked to an angle by the panel but its not actually broken and still works. Fortunately the bumper is untouched as I'd be really annoyed if that had got bent. Must have been something tall. Not a fella. Going to see the body man I know on Monday. I reckon he could see to it in a couple of hours as access from behind is good.

 

So what you're saying is that lowering a car really IS a good thing?!

[mk1_4dr]

Gutted for you Seth

 

Good to hear that theres still some honest people about though. I hope its a simple fix.

[revolting peasant]

[morris_ital_lover]

The main issue with it is I am busy as f*ck at the moment and can't do with the bother... and I can't understand the people at my local PO (Northern Irish accent from behind glass to my English ears is somewhat difficult)

 

But he's doing the claim now as he has finally told me after a week off on some excuse based holiday. I got fed up with the bother and disputed the case on ebay and it sounds like the case should be closed on monday... I hope.

 

The whole issue hasn't been helped by the fact that the PO have either failed to fill in/filled in incorrectly the proof of postages that I've got off them recently this being one of them, so I just bundled it in the post and told him to sort it out.

 

The whole thing has been a bit of a 'mare and some of it's probably my fault as well as his...

 

M0rris

[CIH]

I think I'll make a nuisance of myself somewhat on RR. When a mod berates someone for a non-reto question that bangs up image of E46 (98->) 3-series it requires comment. Seriously could they be blatantly trying to be Stanceworks or what ?

[Negative Creep]

I hink I'll make a nuisance of myself somewhat on RR. When a mod berates someone for a non-reto question that angs up image of E46 (98->) 3-series it requires comment. Seriously could they be blatantly trying to emulate Stanceworks or what ?

 

 

OK I know we really aren't supposed to mention RR on here, but I log on for the first time in ages and there's a thread about how awesome the Corsa B is as it's now retro. What the fuck?

[Pillock]

Not massively grumpy but we haven't got a "mildly disappointed" thread.

Had a chat with my boss about my position at work and where I'm headed. We have 240-odd engineers and technically I'm one of them but I've not engineered in years, instead I'm acting as tech liaison, going to court, project work, developing new systems and processes. But I'm nervous, we have had a management change and I'm scared I'll end up on a bench immersed in drudgery.

 

So I have the chat.... "Yes Chris, we'll find you a job role. We won't have you engineering, you're too valuable doing other things for us we can't trust people with. In fact you'll move onto the management cost centre, we see you as more of a first line manager sort of level". This, is music to my ears. Finally! So I pop the obvious question..... "Oh, well no you'll stay on your pay scale for the time being".

 

Ballbags. FLMs earn £3200 more than me. So, thinking about it on the way home, I'm on pleb wage doing quite a complex job. Great!

[Guest]

Not massively grumpy but we haven't got a "mildly disappointed" thread.

Had a chat with my boss about my position at work and where I'm headed. We have 240-odd engineers and technically I'm one of them but I've not engineered in years, instead I'm acting as tech liaison, going to court, project work, developing new systems and processes. But I'm nervous, we have had a management change and I'm scared I'll end up on a bench immersed in drudgery.

 

So I have the chat.... "Yes Chris, we'll find you a job role. We won't have you engineering, you're too valuable doing other things for us we can't trust people with. In fact you'll move onto the management cost centre, we see you as more of a first line manager sort of level". This, is music to my ears. Finally! So I pop the obvious question..... "Oh, well no you'll stay on your pay scale for the time being".

 

Ballbags. FLMs earn £3200 more than me. So, thinking about it on the way home, I'm on pleb wage doing quite a complex job. Great!

 

That is shit - BUT at least your salary won't go down. Or have I read it wrong?

[Pillock]

Won;t go down, but won't go up despite me having more responsibility. More work, same money.

Only good thing is I can earn overtime, managers can't. Would still be nice to say I've been promoted though

[Guest]

Time to find a new job then Hirst-san. It'll only get harder and more pressure will put upon you as the management start to expect more and more of you, the bullying will start from slightly higher twats like line managers/supervisors. Thats when the real problems start.

 

Seems alot of this bullying/pressuring of staff to do more than they are humanly capable of is rising at an alarming rate. More staff get laid off and more work/pressure is put on those who stay behind.

Had a good one today! It was suggested that I should get in earlier - the bedwetter I'm currently covering for usually gets here for about 7am-ish, then starts firing off all these jobs for people to do early on. Me, I get in for a vaguely normal time (9am-ish). The place operates a flexitime policy - as long as there's cover for the core office hours of 9-5 it's alright, but because people are used to things being done a certain way, I should fit around it. I told them to bollocks - if I came in at that time I'd still be having to stay until 5pm to satisfy the rules, earning flexitime that I would be unable to use (no opportunity to spend it - if I took a day off or finished early there'd be no cover). I further pointed out that my flexitime carry-over was already on the edge of the maximum limit due the cover situation, so any further hours I did would be completely free anyway. In response to this, a laughably poor response was made that it would be "conscientious" for me to do so, even if it meant losing the "odd bit" of time (you know, like 10 hours a week).

 

My response? Along the lines of that I'll get in for 7am when I'm not up until 3am drinking every night, stressing about this bloody job, but I'm never doing it for free.

[Pillock]

In my place, it's a disciplinary offence to "work for free" - you must clock in and out, obviously working less hours than you clock is an offence but so is working more. Comes down to fraud since we're performance monitored.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Seth, don't stress over it...at least it's going to get sorted out at minimal/no cost to you...things could've been much worse!

 

In my place, it's a disciplinary offence to "work for free" - you must clock in and out, obviously working less hours than you clock is an offence but so is working more. Comes down to fraud since we're performance monitored.

 

Wow! I've been studying/working in HR for a number of years, and I've never come across such a policy...and I think it's pure genius! Presenteeism is a load of bollocks- it stresses the employee and makes them less productive, leading to a lose-lose situation.

[Cavcraft]

If it was a disciplinary at our gaff to work unpaid the place would probably shut. Happy to report I'd never work for sod all and if that means being one of the forgotten few who never climbs the money ladder than so be it.

 

Working for naff all is like creeping to the bosses: it should never happen and I'd sooner sell my soul to the devil himself.

[Guest]

Seth, don't stress over it...at least it's going to get sorted out at minimal/no cost to you...things could've been much worse!

 

In my place, it's a disciplinary offence to "work for free" - you must clock in and out, obviously working less hours than you clock is an offence but so is working more. Comes down to fraud since we're performance monitored.

 

Wow! I've been studying/working in HR for a number of years, and I've never come across such a policy...and I think it's pure genius! Presenteeism is a load of bollocks- it stresses the employee and makes them less productive, leading to a lose-lose situation.

 

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.

[Pillock]

It's from the days we used to earn a bonus per repair. If you work four hours extra, then your "target" before you hit bonus payments should rise by half a days worth - if you don't claim it, you earn more bonus which could well be more than your hourly rate.

[Lankytim]

After a few weeks of arriving at work bang on my start time I was told that I was "expected" to get into work 20 mins early so I was ready to start work at the correct time. I told them that unless I was getting paid I wasn't insured and couldn't be on the premises. They fell for it too! I get in 10 mins early now so I can use the office computer to go on AS.

[Guest]

People working for nothing really irritates me, as it has a knock-on effect for everyone else. The situation at my work is that many people work longer than they are contracted to, generally due to heavy workloads and not enough staffing, a situation which has been around for many years I would guess. The result - unacceptable to have too much of a backlog of work, but completely acceptable to work for free. If no one stood for it, the employer would have to either pay overtime or hire more staff to get the work done. As is, they'll probably just keep soaking up more and more work until they sleep under their desks. I know of offices at my work where you can never go out for your lunch, because the culture there is to work through it. In theory you can go, but it would turn everyone against you and make your job impossible, so everyone sits there with a sarnie in one hand and types with the other. Nice work!