Right. Sir. Honey.

Zoe ,'The Train Job'


Natter 75: More Than a Million Natters Served  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


sarameg - Oct 30, 2016 2:40:31 pm PDT #390 of 30002

I just pointed someone your way! Will give you guys her name if she applies. While my workplace is pretty good, I've learned over the summer we have one exceptionally toxic department. I'm kinda flabbergasted at the shit I've learned because it is so not the prevailing culture. But it has a very different line of accountability and authority.

I posit a hypothetical scenario in which a couple of whispered-as-bullies-managers fired every senior staff they'd had a professional conflict with, citing budget where they couldn't find "cause" that would let them avoid severance. Those hypothetically fired with cause, let's just suppose the discovery was not performed by hr and is ethically but not legally dubious. Hypothetical employees had no idea they were being targeted and had nothing previously documented against them. A month later, positions might've been posted with slightly changed wording to pass the sniff test.

I wouldn't be surprised if a hypothetical ombudsman got some anonymous submissions from coworkers of those fired.


Jesse - Oct 30, 2016 2:41:31 pm PDT #391 of 30002
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

We're on strict use-or-lose in the fiscal year (although I have a feeling mine is the only department that actually tracks), so last year I had an extra week to kill in June and this year I'm scrimping all year to take a two-week trip next June.


Jesse - Oct 30, 2016 2:42:08 pm PDT #392 of 30002
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Oh jeez, Sara.


Sue - Oct 30, 2016 2:51:39 pm PDT #393 of 30002
hip deep in pie

I get 5 weeks of vacation a year. We can carry over another week to the next year, and put 4 into a bank. My bank is full. So in theory, I've had 9-10 weeks to take off. I don't know how the bosses would take it if I tried to take it all at once.

We also have a deferred leave, but I think the minimum one can take is 3 months, and I don't think I could live on 2/3 salary.


Connie Neil - Oct 30, 2016 2:56:26 pm PDT #394 of 30002
brillig

Officially? If you wanted to take a 10-day trip you wouldn't be able to? That's not right.

I could ask for some extraordinary trip, I suppose, but the bosses would frown on it and I'd have to take it at a historically slow time.


sarameg - Oct 30, 2016 3:49:46 pm PDT #395 of 30002

Yeah, as the stories trickle in, I'm pretty much disgusted. And marveling at the contrast in mgmt and dealings with HR. My mgmt is extremely protective of us. And when they went to HR, it did the work to protect us. But apparently HR willl also do the work if mgmt is toxic. Which, no offense intended to HR folk here, lines up with all advice I've ever heard with dealing with HR as an employee: always bet they're on mgmt's side first no matter what, yours last, and protect yourself.

Never complain about a coworker in work media, email or whatever, except in the most professional terms. Even to a personal friend. Someone has it in for you, they can use it.

I have good leave now, 5 weeks vacation accruable to something ridiculous. 5 weeks sick once I hit the new year (I've got a probationary term now, prorated or something. )Now I just gotta accrue.


Jesse - Oct 30, 2016 4:27:56 pm PDT #396 of 30002
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Anyone else watching Queen Sugar? I'm into it, but of note for you people, Bianca Lawson is in it, playing the ex of a character in his early 20s. Oh! And her character's name is Darla!


Matt the Bruins fan - Oct 30, 2016 5:44:23 pm PDT #397 of 30002
"I remember when they eventually introduced that drug kingpin who murdered people and smuggled drugs inside snakes and I was like 'Finally. A normal person.'” —RahvinDragand

What, not playing a teenager anymore?


lisah - Oct 30, 2016 6:30:36 pm PDT #398 of 30002
Punishingly Intricate

Unlimited PTO, I think I would be tempted to abuse that.

The idea is that they've hired people who they trust to be responsible for getting their work done and being there to support their team(s). Although nobody is going to care, and your pay isn't going to be affected, if you take a week vs 10 days off, you'd be put on notice if you were not getting your work done and taking off a week every month or whatever. The problem I've had is not so much people taking off but not giving enough notice (or not letting everyone affected by them being off know).

I just pointed someone your way! Will give you guys her name if she applies.

Please do! Depending on what she's looking for we've got jobs and we have some sweet referral bonuses depending on the position.


aurelia - Oct 30, 2016 6:44:11 pm PDT #399 of 30002
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.

Wrigley is getting loud.

I get 13 days, which takes a bit of planning to do holidays and an actual vacation.